First Look At Marvel’s Valkyrie #1

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Marvel’s War of the Realms event miniseries!

Valkyrie is dead. The legendary heroine, Brunnhilde, was murdered by Malekith the Accursed on the last page of War of the Realms #2. But this summer, a new Valkyrie is emerging to take Brunnhilde’s place: Jane Foster.

Marvel has released the first look at Jane Foster: Valkyrie #1, the new series by co-writers Al Ewing and Jason Aaron, with artist Cafu. Aaron previously put Thor’s ex in the spotlight when she claimed his hammer and became the new Thor. However, Jane’s battle with cancer ultimately meant that she had to give up Thor’s power after saving Asgard one more time.

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“There’s a line in Valkyrie #1: ‘Thor is a god, Valkyrie is a job,'” said Ewing while speaking to Marvel.com. “Jane knows how to be Thor, but the role of Valkyrie — the warrior who fights for the living and the dead, and stands between both — is a very different beast. It’s a sacred task, and brings additional abilities — and responsibilities — of its own. As the first of a new generation of Valkyries, Jane has to decide for herself what that task involves, and that’s a big part of what we’ll be exploring in this series. If you’re reading this, you know who Valkyrie is, but what she is is one of the big philosophical underpinnings of the book.

Here’s the official description from Marvel: “‘A new hero emerges straight from the pages of THE WAR OF THE REALMS! For years, you knew her as Dr. Jane Foster, one of Thor’s most steadfast companions. Then you knew her as Thor, the Goddess of Thunder, who took up the mantle when no other hero – god or human – was worthy. Now Jane takes on a new role as Valkyrie, guide and ferrywoman to the dead! But her days of punching are far from over. WAR OF THE REALMS master architect Jason Aaron and superstar Al Ewing (IMMORTAL HULK) join forces with rising star artist CAFU for the book that’ll have everyone talking!“

You can see Cafu’s black and white preview pages and Mahmud Asrar’s cover in our gallery below. Jane Foster: Valkyrie #1 will hit comic book stores in July. What did you think about the preview? Let us know in the comment section below!