- "Tønsberg, Norway. A real Christmas card of a town."
- ―Howard Stark[src]
Tønsberg is a village in Norway that housed the Tesseract for several centuries. Following the Destruction of Asgard and the Snap, it was repopulated by the surviving Asgardians who, in homage to Asgard, renamed it New Asgard.
History
Battle of Tønsberg
Tønsberg in 965 A.D.
Centuries ago, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, led by their king Laufey, arrived to Tønsberg, planning to conquer Midgard, freezing everything in their path using the Casket of Ancient Winters to plunge the world in a new glacial period. However, the Asgardian army, led by Odin and aided by the Eternals, defended Midgard and engaged in a war against the Frost Giants, forcing them to abandon Earth and retreat to their own world. Years later, Odin brought the Tesseract to Tønsberg and elected to leave it in the care of Asgardian worshipers.[1]
World War II
- "I cannot help you."
"No, but maybe you can help your village." - ―Church Keeper and Johann Schmidt[src]
Tønsberg in March 1942
During World War II, Johann Schmidt led a HYDRA assault on Norway searching for the Tesseract. Following its trails until reaching a church full of Viking warriors entombed within its walls, Schmidt interrogated the Church Keeper, who tried to make Schmidt cease his search, claiming the Tesseract was a simple myth.
Johann Schmidt finds the real Tesseract
Schmidt, convinced of its existence as the most valuable object in Odin's Vault, located a fake replica inside one of the tombs, and threatened the Church Keeper to kill all the inhabitants of the village if he didn't help him locate the Tesseract. Schmidt then focused his attention at a sculptured mural of Yggdrasil, finding a hidden box behind a Nidhogg depiction in the mural with the actual Tesseract inside. The Church Keeper warned Schmidt that he wouldn't control the Tesseract's power, but Schmidt killed him and ordered his army to destroy Tønsberg.[2]
New Asgard
New Asgard in 2023
- "Kind of a step down from a golden palace and magic hammers and whatnot."
"Hey, have a little compassion, pal. First, they've lost Asgard, then half the people. They're probably just happy to have a home." - ―Rocket Raccoon and Hulk[src]
In 2018, following the Snap, Tønsberg was repopulated by the surviving Asgardians and refugees from Sakaar, who renamed the town New Asgard. Later that year, Thor took residence in a house with Korg and Miek, where he became bitter and a drunken overweight hermit. Over the next five years, the New Asgardians lived peacefully as fishermen, accepting the fact that their days of battles and glory were over.
Thor meeting with Rocket Raccoon and Bruce Banner
In 2023, Bruce Banner and Rocket Raccoon arrived in the Benatar to New Asgard and met Valkyrie at the docks. She told them about Thor's depressed condition and pointed to where he lived. They went inside his house and reunited with him, as well as Korg and Miek, who were playing video games. Banner and Rocket informed Thor about the Time Heist and that it was important for him to return to help.
Following the Blip, the Masters of the Mystic Arts transported Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, and the Einherjar through an Inter-Dimensional Portal to New York. A week later, Thor returned to New Asgard and appointed Valkyrie as the new leader. The Guardians of the Galaxy arrived in the Benatar and Thor went with them, leaving New Asgard.[3]
Political Turmoil
In 2024, SBN reported that there was political turmoil within New Asgard.[4]
Alternate Universes
Attacked by Red Skull
To be added[5]
Appearances
- Thor
- Captain America: The First Avenger
- What If...?
- Season One
- What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? (alternate universe)
- Season One
- What If...?
- Avengers: Endgame
- Eternals (mentioned)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (mentioned)
- Ms. Marvel
- Season One
- Generation Why (mentioned)
- Season One
- Thor: Love and Thunder (unreleased)
Trivia
- Tønsberg is regarded as the oldest town in Norway.
- The Tønsberg scenes in Avengers: Endgame were filmed at St Abbs. Signs in the small fishing village now proclaim it to be twinned with New Asgard.
- In the comics, the Asgardians settled near Broxton, Oklahoma after Asgard fell on Earth after the Siege of the city.
- In the alternate reality of Earth-3515, New Asgard was a city built over the ruins of New York City after the Asgardians conquered Earth.
Behind the Scenes
- While developing the story of Spider-Man: Far From Home, New Asgard was considered to be one of the stops in Europe as part of the trip of Peter Parker and his friends, but the idea was dropped.[6]
