Algrim the Strong (Älgrim in Shiväisith) was a lieutenant of the Dark Elves' leader Malekith. Loyally serving his master during the war against the Asgardians, he was one of the few Dark Elves who survived the war that almost wiped out their race and cost them the Aether. Five thousand years later, Algrim did not hesitate to sacrifice his own life to be transformed into the last of the Kursed to gain their revenge upon Asgard. Kurse then helped Malekith to unleash the Sacking of Asgard, and killed Frigga. Once Malekith obtained the Aether, Kurse attempted to kill Thor, only to be challenged by Loki whom he then (seemingly) fatally wounded. In his "final" moments, Loki activated one of Kurse's Black Hole Grenades on his belt and destroyed the Kursed monster's body once and for all.
Biography
War with Asgard
Defeated by King Bor
- "Malekith, the Asgardians attack."
"Send in the Kursed!" - ―Algrim and Malekith[src]
Algrim and Malekith make their escape
Algrim served his race as Malekith's most loyal Lieutenant. When the Dark Elves attempted to unleash the power of the Aether into the Nine Realms during the Convergence, they were confronted by the Asgardians and their leader, Bor. Algrim led the Dark Elf forces, sending out legions of Kursed soldiers using Kurse Stones to gain strength. Eventually, Malekith realized the battle could not be won at that time and they escaped into their ship while the rest of their race was killed. Algrim joined Malekith and the surviving Dark Elves in hibernation until the next Convergence would occur.[1]
The Last of the Kursed
Soldier for the Dark Elves
Algrim explores the destroyed Svartalfheim
Remaining in their hibernation cells for five thousand years, the time of the Convergence finally came and Jane Foster of Earth unintentionally discovered and absorbed the Aether, becoming a host body to its power. The Dark Elves sensed the Aether and awoke from their slumber. Malekith awakened his soldiers, including Algrim and told them of the Aether's return before returning to Svartalfheim.
Algrim agrees to become Kursed
Horrified at seeing the remains of their homeworld, Algrim comforted Malekith. Discovering the Aether host was on Asgard, Malekith set his sights for revenge before turning to Algrim for his loyalty. Algrim readily agreed to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Dark Elves and volunteered to become the last of the Kursed, a type of Dark Elf super soldier created from pure darkness. Malekith stabbed Algrim in his stomach and inserted a Kurse Stone within him.
Algrim is captured and taken to Asgard
Departing from the Ark, Algrim disguised himself as a members of the Marauders, hiding his face beneath a horned, beastial mask helmet. Falling into ranks with a group of Marauders, Algrim allowed himself to be captured by the Asgardians. Alongside other Marauders, Algrim was taken by Fandral and Volstagg into Asgard via the Bifrost Bridge where he was marched past Heimdall and taken to the Asgardian Dungeons.[1]
Sacking of Asgard
Algrim prepares to become the Kursed
Inside the Asgardian Dungeons, Algrim removed the Kurse Stone from his stomach and crushed it with his fist. The stone began to melt into lava and to be absorbed into Algrim's entire body, merging his clothes and helmet into his skin, turning him into a giant beast. The other prisoners in his cell began banging on the cell's walls and calling upon the Einherjar for help, horrified by the sight, before Kurse unleashed an explosion within the cell which knocked them all to the ground.
Kurse frees the prisoners from their cells
Using a terrified Marauder, Kurse, now full of new and immense power, smashed his way out the cell using his victim's face. Using his newfound strength, Kurse let loose the rest of the imprisoned Marauders on the Asgardian guards. Kurse grabbed two guards by the throats, whose swords were unable to penetrate his body, and burn the skin off their faces with his new power. Kurse then freed the other prisoners, including Lorelei, to begin a riot.
Kurse first encounters the imprisoned Loki
Before leaving the dungeons with the battle between the Marauders and the Guards in full force as the Warriors Three and Thor came to assist to subdue the rioters, Kurse encountered the smiling Loki still locked in his cell. Believing that Loki was of no benefit to him during this skirmish due to his lack of physical strength, Kurse decided to leave Loki inside his cell, who went on to give Kurse directions as to find what he was looking for within Asgard.
Kurse destroys Asgard's defences
Taking Loki's advice, Kurse soon located the Asgardian Shield Generator, which was guarded by many highly trained Einherjar guards. Using his new powers, Kurse burned away all Asgardian Guards he crossed, despite their best efforts to stop him. Kurse then approached the Generator and destroyed it, allowing the rest of the Dark Elves to invade Asgard onboard their Dark Elf Harrows, which crash-landed inside the palace.
Kurse captures Frigga before killing her
With the invasion of Asgard going ahead, Kurse then went on to search for Malekith, finding him in mid-duel with the Queen Frigga. Disarming her and holding her hostage under his powerful arms, Kurse watched as Malekith attempted to take the Aether from Jane Foster, who was revealed to be an illusion created by Frigga. Knowing she would not reveal Foster's location, Kurse stabbed her in the back with her own sword, killing her.
Kurse and Malekith make their escape
Witnessing the death of his mother, Thor, the Asgardian Prince, rushed to the scene and threw a bolt of lightning at Malekith from Mjølnir, burning his face. Kurse grabbed his master and ran for the balcony with Thor throwing his hammer at Kurse, only for it to knock the duo over the balcony and onto the Ark. Escaping from Asgard, Kurse had Malekith put into hibernation to recover from his wounds and regain his strength.[1]
Regaining the Aether
Kurse checks on Malekith's recovery
Returning to Svartalfheim as they remained within the Ark and they awaited their chance to attack again, Malekith awoke from his sleep. Kurse advised him to recovery quickly as they were ready to once again attack Asgard to regain their prize. However, Malekith informed them that Asgard was now meaningless as he sensed that the Aether was now on their own home planet again.
Algrim offers his advice to Malekith
Kurse joined his master's side as they left their ship and sighted Thor, Loki and Jane Foster standing on a hilltop. Out of the blue, Loki then betrayed Thor, stabbing him and kicking him down the hill and chopping off his hand. Grabbing Foster as his prisoner, Loki revealed that he originated from Jotunheim and wanted to see Asgard's demise. Kurse confirmed this to Malekith, stating that he was a prisoner in the Asgardian Dungeons.
Malekith accepted Loki's aid and mocked the Asgardian Prince for his failure to stop him before he began to draw the Aether out of Foster's body while Kurse watched on. Loki, however, revealed his betrayal as a trick at the very moment Foster's body was cleared of the Aether's power. Loki returned Thor's hand who summoned his hammer, Mjølnir, and struck the Aether with lightning, shattering it into a thousand pieces across the wasteland planet.[1]
Fighting Asgardians
Kurse fights and overpowers Thor
Fortunately for the Dark Elves, Malekith revealed the Aether was too strong to be destroyed so easily and absorbed it into himself, becoming all powerful while Thor looked on in horror. Leaving with his master for the Ark, Kurse threw a Black Hole Grenade at Loki, only for Thor to save him before he could be killed. Staying behind as his ship left, Kurse challenged Thor to a final fight to the death, throwing him around Svartalfheim with his vastly superior strength.
Kurse stabs Loki through the stomach
Proving himself stronger, Kurse threw a huge boulder at the Asgardian prince and even deflected Thor's hammer before he began savagely beating him on the ground in an attempt to beat him to death. Before he could kill Thor, Loki suddenly stabbed Kurse through the chest with a sword, only for the unaffected Kurse to grab him and force him against his body, pushing the blade straight through Loki before throwing his bleeding body to the ground.
Kurse's body is destroyed by a black hole.
As Kurse prepared to finish off the God of Mischief, Loki managed to gain the last laugh against the Dark Elf. Loki used the opportunity to activate Kurse's Black Hole Grenades attached to the monster's belt, telling Kurse he would see him in Hel. Seeing the deception too late, Kurse attempted to save himself but he was unable to remove the grenade in time, Kurse was sucked into the Black Hole and ultimately killed as his body was crushed from the inside.[1]
Personality
Algrim's most defined trait is his undying loyalty, as with the other Dark Elves, Algrim held great respect for his leader, Malekith, even willing to go through a painful transformation through the Kurse Stone willingly. In the Kursed form, Algrim had become a monstrous brute who easily scores of Asgardians with ease, and being a formidable opponent for Thor during their battle.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Algrim's Dark Elf physiology already made his abilities much greater than that of a human being. However, as a Kursed, he physically became one of the most powerful beings within the Nine Realms on account of the fact that he could surpass even Thor's immense strength.
Kurse lifts up a giant and heavy boulder
- Superhuman Strength: Algrim's original level of strength as a Dark Elf was tremendously increased to incalculable superhuman levels thanks to the Kurse Stone. He proved able to easily smash Asgardian architecture, punch right through nigh-impenetrable Asgardian force fields, send Thor flying or knock him down with a single blow, and completely overpower the mighty Asgardian in a brutal fight, to the point that the otherwise nigh-invulnerable Thor sustained injuries and was unable to effectively fight back. Kurse was even unfazed by blows from Mjølnir, and could even deflect the hammer in full flight with a blow, in spite of it being one of the most powerful weapons in existence.
- Superhuman Durability: After becoming Kursed, Algrim's body became extremely durable and resistant to physical injury. He has been struck by Asgardian blades, withstood a direct blast from the Asgardian Shield generator, and even taken direct blows from Thor and Mjølnir with no apparent injury or effect. A Black Hole Grenade was one of the few things powerful enough to destroy him, completely.
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his superhuman durability, Algrim can be injured. However, his Dark Elf physiology, along with the fact that he is a Kursed, allows him to regenerate at a rapid rate, much faster than that of a human being.
Abilities
- Expert Combatant: As a Kursed, Algrim became a formidable hand-to-hand combatant, relying primarily on brawling techniques that allowed him to make full use of his tremendous strength, enabling him to overpower Thor himself without much effort; despite the latter's great strength and possession of one of the most powerful weapons in existence.
- Multilingualism: Algrim speaks his native Shiväisith, the language of the Dark Elves, and also understood English, though he did not speak the latter when conversing with Malekith.
Equipment
Weapons
- Black Hole Grenade: A weapon primarily used by the Dark Elves capable of creating miniature gravitational singularities. These were one of the few weapons capable of killing him after using the Kurse Stone.
Other Equipment
- Kurse Stone: A mystical artifact given to him by Malekith to transform him into the last of the Kursed, granting him vast levels of strength and durability at the cost of certain death some time after using it.
Vehicles
- Ark: To be added
Facilities
- Asgardian Dungeons: To be added
Relationships
Allies
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Enemies
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Trivia
- In the comics, Algrim was the largest and strongest of the Dark Elves, who becomes Kurse after being defeated by Thor. He eventually reformed and was given the name Valgoth, and died while defending Asgard and its children during Ragnarök.
- The mask that Algrim wears right before becoming a Kursed is a nod to his original look in the comics.
- A different version of Algrim, this one called Kurse, appears in the non-canon comic Captain America & Thor: Avengers!. When Thor, Volstagg, and Hogun broke into the Citadel of Spires, Kurse was summoned to fight against them.
References
External Links
Kurse on Marvel Database- Kurse on Wikipedia
