The Hlidskjalf[1] was the personal throne of the ruler of Asgard, located in the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf.
History[]
Odin's Wars[]
Odin, with his daughter and Executioner Hela by his side, led Asgard in a violent conquest, bringing all of the Nine Realms into Asgard's power. The plunder they brought back from their battles made Asgard the seat of a wealthy empire. Hela's ambitions soon exceeded her father's, however, and she began plotting a wider and bloodier conquest of other worlds. After disagreeing with Odin, Hela attempted to seize the Hlidskjalf by force in a brief, but bloody coup that involved the massacre of everyone in the Palace save Odin himself, who overpowered his daughter and banished her to the barren realm of Hel.[2]
Aborted Coronation[]
As his sons Thor and Loki had grown into accomplished adults, Odin decided to resign from his position as King of Asgard and to leave the Hlidskjalf to his firstborn son Thor, trusting him with the mighty hammer Mjølnir. A sumptuous ceremony was held in the Royal Palace. However, it was interrupted when Frost Giants, brought by Loki in an attempt to fool and eradicate them, broke into the Palace through Odin's Vault and tried to seize the Casket of Ancient Winters. However, they were defeated by the Destroyer.[3]
War with the Frost Giants[]
Loki seats on the Hlidskjalf
During the Attack on Jotunheim, Loki discovered his true nature as a Frost Giant. He confronted Odin about this in Odin's Vault, where Loki's anger and Odin's exhaustion drove the latter into the Odinsleep. As Thor had been cast out of Asgard for his unworthy behavior, Loki took over the Hlidskjalf and the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf as the acting King of Asgard. However, Loki would eventually be defeated by Thor and seemingly killed, enabling the revived Odin to claim the Hlidskjalf once again[3]
Dark Elves' Invasion[]
Malekith's Black Hole Grenade causes damage to the Hlidskjalf
Following his defeat at the Battle of New York, Loki was brought back to the Royal Palace in front of the Hlidskjalf, where Odin sentenced him to be imprisoned in the Asgardian Dungeons for the rest of his life.
After Jane Foster was infected by the Aether, Thor went to Earth and took her back to the Royal Palace so that she could be examined by Asgardian healers. In the meantime, Malekith had Algrim imprisoned in the Royal Palace in preparation for the Sacking of Asgard. Algrim turned into the Kurse and broke free of his cell, releasing the other prisoners as well except Loki. At the Rainbow Bridge, the Dark Elves launched a raid with their Harrow ships and assaulted the Royal Palace. Although Heimdall tried to deploy a protective dome around the Palace, Kurse managed to take it down from inside, permanently damaging it and enabling one Harrow to break into the Palace. During the siege, the Hlidskjalf was damaged by a Black Hole Grenade thrown by Malekith, with the remnant stones of Skinfaxi and Hrimfaxi surrounding the throne being destroyed.
Enraged by the loss of Frigga, his mother, and the danger threatening Foster, Thor decided to secretly release his brother from prison and reclaimed the Harrow which had crashed into the Palace's hall to fly to Svartalfheim. There, Loki faked his death and returned to the Royal Palace before taking the appearance of Odin, seizing the repaired Hlidskjalf, and ruling in his place after exiling his father on Earth.[4]
Hela's Return[]
Hela seizes the Hlidskjalf
Following Odin's death, the Goddess of Death Hela broke free of her prison and went back to Asgard after casting out her brothers to Sakaar. After killing the Warriors Three and defeating an entire army of Einherjar, Hela seized the Royal Palace and the Hlidskjalf.
Thor takes the Hlidskjalf
After escaping from Sakaar, Thor infiltrated the throne room and attracted Hela's attention by knocking the ground with Gungnir. Hela came back and ordered Thor to give her the Hlidskjalf, after which the two Gods began to fight.[2]
Destruction[]
Thor and Loki figured out that the only way of defeating Hela was causing Ragnarök. Loki went to Odin's Vault and used the Eternal Flame on the Crown of Black Fire, reviving the fearsome Fire Demon. Having recovered his full might, Surtur laid waste on Asgard and destroyed the Royal Palace, including the Hlidskjalf.[2]
Trivia[]
- In the comics, the Hlidskjalf was Odin's throne on Asgard, from which he could see all of the Nine Realms.
