The Dark Elf conflict is a conflict that lasted for thousands of years. Dating back to 2987 BC, the crisis was instigated when Malekith, the insane, genocidal leader of the Dark Elves, attempted to use the Infinity Stone known as the Aether to eradicate the Nine Realms. The Dark Elves were defeated and nearly exterminated by a opposing army of Asgardians led by the then-king Bor, and Malekith and several others of his species went into hibernation. In 2013, during the Convergence, Jane Foster located the Aether and unintentionally attracted the attention of Malekith. A series of confrontations followed, spanning across all the Nine Realms, ending with Thor defeating Malekith at the Battle of Greenwich.