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Svartalfheim is one of the Nine Worlds, and home of the Dark Elves. Svartalfheim is in the middle region of the nine realms, on the same level as Midgard and Jotunheim.[citation needed]

Geography[]

The geography and climate of the realm has been shown to be heavily wooded with Dark Elf towns, villages and castles dotting across the green rolling landscape. They have been shown to live both above ground in castles and underground in large caverns. The Dark Elves have their own portals that grants them access to the other Nine Worlds including Midgard.[citation needed]

The Dark Elves, due to their appearance, have often been treated badly by the races of the Nine Realms and are now generally more hostile to outsiders. Various leaders have embarked on schemes of conquest several times.[citation needed]

Demographics[]

The Dark Elves divides themselves into tribes and clans. A few of those are known, including the Snake Face tribe, the Hag Wart clan[3] and Malekith's Black Bile Clan.[4] It formerly included the Dove Gut tribe[3] who were all killed by Malekith during the Svartalfheim Massacre.[5][3]

While being the land of the Dark Elves, Svartalfheim is also populated by many Dwarves,[6][7][8][9][10] and by some Faeries.[5]

Politics and Leadership[]

Many such as Malekith the Accursed has tried and failed to unite his people and its various warring factions. The current ruler is Queen Alflyse of the Eastern Spires. She too had plans of conquest, but generally cared more for her people than Malekith and tried to avoid the suffering he caused.[citation needed]

Malekith, as king, sat on the ebony throne.[11]

History

Kraw the Uncontrollable's Rule[]

For years and under the rule of his majesty Kraw the Uncontrollable, King of the Dark Elves, Svartalfheim knew nothing but war, mainly with the Trolls.[4]

In the nineteenth year of the Forty-Third Troll War, the thirteenth son of a thirteenth son, Malekith of the Black Bile Clan, was sold by his mother to become a corpse burner. He was then captured by Trolls, and escaped along with a wizard who taught him the ways of magic for years.[4]

Meanwhile, war against the Trolls gave way to war against the Light Elves, then to border skirmishes against the Dwarves and terrorism against the Gods.[4]

Eventually, Malekith became a talented wizard. When his trainer asked his help to bring peace to Realm, Malekith murdered him (while being marked of a half-black face), returned to his mother, assumed the control of the Wild Hunt and had her killed.[4]

At some point, Malekith succeeded to Kraw.[citation needed]

War with the Dwarves[]

Circa Midgard's 11th century, the Dark Elves went to war with the Dwarves, a recurring conflict. Thor joined the conflict in supporting the Dwarves. The war would keep on for 40 years.[12]

Malekith the Accursed's Rule[]

Malekith struck an alliance with Loki on behalf of the Fire Demon Surtur.[13] As Master of the Hounds of the Hunter, Malekith hunted down Roger Willis, Using Lorelei as bait, Malekith forced Thor to battle Algrim the Strong, one of his Dark Elf followers, then attempted to destroy both combatants by plunging them into a pool of magma on Svartalfheim.[14] He then captured the Casket of Ancient Winters from Roger.[15] Malekith was ultimately defeated by Thor, but not before he destroyed the Casket of Ancient Winters, releasing magical frigid force all over the Midgard.[16]

In Svartalfheim, Dark Elves were blown back by a series of explosions. Using the Mirror of Finvarra, they view a figure on Earth forging enchanted steel. Grendell and the Dark Elves traveled to Midgard to stop this before he can finish. The Dark Elves proved too many for the weakened Thor, but before the final blow can be struck, Thor was saved by Loki who wished to destroy his brother in his own time.[17]

Loki transported Alpha Flight to Svartalfheim.[18]

Kurse launched an attack on Midgard and Asgard from Svartalfheim.[19]

In Svartalfheim, Balder the Brave went to find the home of Jagrfelm. In the forest, he was captured by trees apparently came to life. It is then that Jagrfelm revealed himself.[20] Balder Managed to convince Jagrfelm to help him to assist Odin and Asgard.[21] Jagrfelm returned home with his reward in sack.[22] Jagrfelm now wielded the power of the Casket of Ancient Winters.[23] However, a group of Dark Elf warriors attacked him killing him and taking the Casket back to Malekith.[24] Malekith relished having the Cask of Ancient Winters once more within his grasp. Using its power, he called forth Pentigaar, to go to Midgard and kill Thor.[25]

Queen Alflyse's Rule[]

Alflyse, the Dark Elf Queen of the Eastern Spires,[26] succeeded to Malekith.[27]

Disguising himself as Balder once again, Malekith enlisted Hercules to attack Alflyse. His scheme humorously unraveled, and he is easily defeated by Zeus.[28]

Svartalfheim was attacked by Thane and the World Eaters, and defended by Tyr and Balder.[29]

When the Congress of Worlds was assembled, Svartalfheim was represented by the Dwarf Slag.[8]

Svartalfheim was later one of the battlefields during the War of Burning, with the Dwarves resisting to Surtur's forces.[30]

Svartalfheim Civil War and Malekith's Return[]

Freed from his imprisonment in Nastrond by Dark Elves loyal to him, Malekith embarked in a hunt upon his own people, wishing to restore their might. Although being opposed by Thor and the League of Realms, he managed to kill Queen Alflyse and ended up being appointed King of Svartalfheim by the Council of the Unhallowed, the Dark Elf tribal council, the very Dark Elves he attempted to slaughter.[31]

For the full presentation of this event, please consult the Svartalfheim Civil War page.

The Mandarin's Spectral Ring[]

In Svartalfheim, Malekith was chosen to be the host of Mandarin's Spectral Ring after each of the villain's ring started searching for hosts following their owner's death. The ring attempted to influence Malekith into helping it, since they were searching for hosts to manipulate to fight Iron Man, but Malekith overcame the ring's attempts and took it against its will, after which he asked his ring for information about the other ring-wielders.[32] Malekith later begun looking for the other rings, and in Earth took two more rings from Lord Remaker, by beheading him, and Red Peril, by cutting her hands.[32] He later briefly arrived to New York in order to kill and take Lightning Conductor's ring. Which he did.[11]

Iron Man Vol 5 26 page 3-4

Iron Man traveled to Svartalfheim in order to retrieve the rings Malekith possessed however, he was discovered and escaped to the woods. Malekith gave the Lighting, Spectral and Incandescence Rings to his fellow Dark Elves Snaggi, Terrana and Xan respectively. He gave Terrana a special secret mission, while he ordered the others to hunt Iron Man. However, Xan and his group, were knocked out by Iron Man with a taser gun, who took the Incandescence Ring and escaped, for which the Accursed beheaded Xan.[33] Iron Man, using an armor fully made of iron, which was lethal to the Dark Elves, overpowered the other hunters. He managed to get close enough to Snaggi to hurt her. Before Iron Man could finish her, Snaggi gave her ring to him and fled. After fleeing from being almost-killed by the Armored Avenger, Malekith started looking for any spell which could help him defeat Stark. Terrana, who completed her mission, encountered Malekith. However, his search was interrupted by the arrival of the other Mandarins, who had decided to confront Malekith before he could steal their rings and previously attacked Terrana.[34] After being beaten by the Mandarins and discovering that he could not loose them for long, as the rings could locate each other, Malekith decided to make a pact with Iron Man and give him the rings he had in exchange for the Armored Avenger not to take his life as he planned. After giving the ring to Iron Man, Malekith escaped from the Mandarin's clutches to safety, as he could no longer be located by them. After which, the Mandarins parted from Svartalfheim.[35] Terrana’s secret mission was revealed to be the extraction of the Extremis mutate known as the Bride's offspring from her body, for Malekith to raise as his heir.[36]

Alternate Universe Versions[]

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Earth-8096)[]

Long ago, the Dark Elves sent Surtur to Jotunheim where he was defeated by Odin. They then sent glaciers over to Svartalfheim and destroyed all life there. This is also the reason why Algrim sought revenge on Odin when Thor was a teenager. When Baron Zemo used the Norn Stones; Black Panther was transported to Svartelfheim.[37] He was attacked by the Dark Elves' tortured souls after examining the bones of the dead elves. After a long chase, he finally found his way out through the well which led to Alfheim.[38]

Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999)[]

Svartalfheim from Thor The Dark World 001
Svartalfheim was a dark world home to the Dark Elves. Their leader, Malekith, wished to use the Aether to destroy the Nine Worlds, but they were stopped by an Asgardian army led by their king Bor, who hid the Aether in an unknown realm. Although the Dark Elves were almost entirely wiped out, Malekith, his lieutenant Algrim, and a small army of them escaped on Malekith's ship where they lay dormant for eons. They awoke when Jane Foster was transported to where Bor hid the Aether and it merged with her. The Dark Elves invaded Asgard to get their hands on the Aether, and the Asgardian queen Frigga was killed in the battle. Frigga's sons Thor and Loki followed Malekith to Svartalfheim to avenge their mother, and took Jane Foster with them. Loki tricked Malekith into drawing the Aether out of Jane, but Thor failed to destroy the substance before it could merge with the Dark Elves' leader. Malekith left the realm for Midgard, leaving Algrim behind to kill their prisoners. They manage to kill Algrim, and Loki fakes his own death in the process. Later, during the Convergence, Thor and Malekith were transported back to the Svartalfheim. Malekith was finally defeated when his ship was transported to Svartalfheim, too, and crashed on top of him.[1]

Points of Interest

Residents

See Also

Links and References

References

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