Kurse

Origin

Algrim The Strong, while in battle with Thor, was dropped into a pit of molten magma. The pit was opened not by Thor, but by Malekith the Accursed, who was supposed to be Algrim's ally. Saved only by his enchanted armor and his desire for vengance against Thor, Algrim was severely injured and lost all memories of his former self. His only memory being Thor and the magma pit, Algrim became a vessel of rage known only as Kurse, his sole focus...Thor! Kurse set out to exact revenge and was encountered by the Beyonder. The Beyonder was so intrigued by Kurse's single-mindedness towards revenge, that he transported Kurse to Thor's location to witness Kurse's actions. Before transporting Kurse, he greatly increased his strength and not only made his armor more resistant to damage, but altered it so that it would be a living part of him that would grow and heal organically. Upon his arrival to Thor's location Kurse attacked and, with his new found strength, was vastly more powerful than the Thunder God. To make his strength the equal of Kurse's, Thor donned his Belt of Strength, effectively doubling his already Class 100 power. Beyonder again greatly increased Kurse's power so that it was again vastly greater than that of Thor's. Thor blasted Kurse with his hammer, and the resulting heat jarred Kurse's mind and returned his memories. Kurse now remembered being Algrim and he also remembered that it was Malekith and not Thor that had caused him to be cast into the molten pit. Unable to beat Kurse alone, Thor had Energizer absorb the power of Mjolnir and Beta Ray Bill's hammer Stormbreaker and unleash it in one gigantic ball of energy. The resulting blast knocked Kurse unconscious. Thor then told the Beyonder that Malekith was in Hel. This was not true, but Thor wanted Kurse to create havok for Hela and disrupt her realm. Transported again by the Beyonder, Kurse began destroying Hel in search of Malekith. Unable to deal with engine of destruction that was Kurse, Hela transported him to Asgard where Kurse eventually found Malekith and killed him. Having completed his "mission" of vengance Kurse became a peaceful being and now dwells in Asgard as one of it's most powerful guardians.

Creation

Kurse is a Marvel comics character, created by Walter Simonson. Kurse first appears in Thor #347 released in 1984. Kurse originally appeared under the name Algrim the Strong. His transformation into the being Kurse, takes place in the Secret Wars II mini series #4 released a year later.

Character Evolution

Kurse is a reoccurring Thor antagonist and supporting character created by celebrated Thor writer Walter Simonson, distinguished by his transformation by the polarizing character Beyonder. Formerly Algrim the Strong, transformed into the massive and terrifying Kurse, with strength greater than that of even Thor. Kurse would serve as an antagonist that could actually provide a credible threat to Thor in the pure physical sense although eventually the character's hatred would be redirected away from Thor towards another Thor antagonist Malekith the accursed once Kurse would realize that it was Malekith who had actually deserved his anger from the start. Despite that Kurse would occasionally still play an antagonist towards Thor in stories manipulated to compensate for the buried hatchet between the two characters. Kurse would even go on to be considered a heroic ally of Thor and great protector of Asgard's most vulnerable and children. Since the characters death at the end of the second volume of Thor under Michael Avon Oeming's pen. However with Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje set to play Kurse in the upcoming blockbuster movie Thor : The Dark World it is likely that Kurse will experience a resurgence of sorts.

Major Story Arcs

Algrim to Kurse

Malekith has persuaded Algrim the Strong to fight and attempt to slay the thunder god Thor, Algrim eager to be remembered and known as the dark elf that slew Thor. Wearing his ebony armor he strikes Thor unaware. Algrim would start to herald his own triumph over Thor before he had even achieved the goal, bragging of how this victory would make the Asgardians fearful of the Dark Elves. With Thor distracted Malekith would view Algrim as disposable and trigger a trap that would drop both Thor and Algrim to their seeming death. Thor would however fly out and Algrim's ebony armor would allow him to survive. Elsewhere the incredible being the Beyonder, curious about human nature would identify a badly burned and injured Algrim still alive deep underground underneath the United Kingdom. Believing that Algrim's drive and singleminded focus and fury more refined and focused than any other higher thinking being on Earth would empower Algrim, vitalizing the dark elf and granting him much more additional and strength just to see if Algrim could achieve his goal and how he might react. Algrim would sense Thor in America and begin to walk towards him, walking into the ocean along the bottom of the sea to get to his prey. In New York he would attack Beta Ray Bill severely injuring the space warrior. He would go on to find Thor as well as take the name Kurse.

Hel on Earth

Malekith the accursed would being exercising his vendetta against Thor, first by manipulating The Fantastic Four member Thing against Thor, but even enhanced by Lorelei, the Thing would fail. Realizing that he would need someone stronger, Malekith would use his magicks to enchant Kurse. Kurse is on a destructive warpath attempting to hunt down Malekith the accursed, and knowing Malekith to be in Hel he would head there. In his blind pursuit he would even appear to attack Hela, as indiscriminately as he has all so far. He appears to usurp her beneath a tower of rubble. Aided by the Enchantress's sister, Lorelei, Kurse then takes his leave from Hel to continue his search for Malekith. On Earth, New York specifically, Kurse views Thor but illusions mean he views him only as the one he pursues, Malekith. Kurse claims and then demonstrates that the creatures of Hel, are his to command as he summons the mighty Midgard Serpent to Earth. He fights Thor and calls on increasingly more denizens of Hel to cause destruction. Kurse continues to claim he is master of Hel and Niffleheim and calls forth even more of Hela's subjects, he calls forth Nidhogg the Dragon, an Ice Giant, personal guard to Ymir, Farsung the Enchanter, King Fafnir, Fafnir the Giant, and several Ice Dwarfs. Thor tries to pacify the former Dark Elf Kurse, but Kurse's hatred of Malekith and perception that Thor is Malekith means Thor's pleas fall on deaf ears. The Godpack, a group of young gods led by the High Evolutionary appear, to help bring the destruction caused by the dead Asgardian creatures to a halt. Beta Ray Bill even appears to try and turn the tide. Warriors Three join the fray and finally the odds seem favorable for the heroes. Things however get from grim to worse when Hela appears and reclaims her authority and rule over the dead. Her very presence turns the day into pitch black, and caused ominous rumblings to the ground. Many of the creatures summoned by Kurse seem confused, claiming that Kurse had led them to believe he had killed Hela. Hela seems almost offended by the idea, as she states she has been away in the far parts of the nine realms, and that this was probably Malekith deceiving Kurse by impersonating Hela. A confused Kurse orders his monstrous undead army to attack Hela, but with a simple gesture she deadens all of them in their tracks. The two Fafnir's, Nidhogg, and the rest of the undead creatures all turn to obey their true master. Kurse then attempts to over power Hela, but his vicious and powerful strikes are dismissed casually by the death goddess. Viewing Kurse as beneath her in power, persistent but simple, she enlightens him of further deception, by allowing him to see it has be Thor he has been attacking all the while and not Malekith. Kurse rushes off enraged by being fooled by Malekith yet again.

Powers and Abilities

Strength level: Though Algrims strength level was greater than that of any of the other dark elves, it was less than that of Thor's. Once Algrim became Kurse and his powers were initially enhanced by the Beyonder, Kurse was said to be twice as strong as Thor who possesses Class 100 strength. The Beyonder later vastly increased Kurse's strength again granting him almost immeasurable strength.

Powers: The Beyonder increased not only Kurse's strength but also his resistance to injury. Kurse is now virtually invulnerable to harm, he has proved capable of walking the ocean floor, not only without injury, but also without need to eat, or breathe. His armor is a living part of his body, and if great enough force were set against it as to cause Kurse injury, the armor would "heal" at a rapid rate as if it were his living tissue.

Physical Characteristics

• Height: 7'
• Weight: 840 lbs.
• Eyes: Yellow
• Hair: None

Alternate Realities

Earth-199999

The mighty Kurse opposes Thor in this reality set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Other Media

Video Games

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2006)Kurse appears as a villain in the video game, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by Tom Kane. He and Ulik steal a chest containing Volla's ring and the heroes had to fight them to get it back. A simulation disk has Thor fighting Kurse in Asgard, where the player must use an iron hammer to weaken him so that other attacks will be effective.

Movies

Thor: Tales of Asgard (2011)

Kurse is voiced by Ron Halder in the animated movie Thor: Tales of Asgard released in 2011.

Thor 2: The Dark World (2013)

The British actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje will be portraying Kurse in the sequel of Thor, Thor: The Dark World.