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Aeltri In reply to Katzztar [2010-08-03 05:24:19 +0000 UTC]

They didn't leave him on the shelf, but it would have been best if they had done so until JMS wrote Thor. Less than a decade after he died he escaped from hell under ridiculous premises and it's all gone downhill from there. He's been written so completely out of character it hurts. IMHO Malekith should have reincarnated in a mortal body before being re-awakened by Thor. That would have been a lot more interesting and conducive to character development.

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Katzztar In reply to Aeltri [2010-08-03 19:48:40 +0000 UTC]

I read updates on some sites aobut him being in Hel and whatnot -__- and what I've seen is that they lost a lot of potential. I liked the cunning and powerful version he was first introduced with, instead of one the multitude of "I got the power and intelligence so I'm going to attack from the front" type of villians, he was suppose to be very cunning and sly.

The impression given was the Asgardians saw Malekith as a greater threat than Loki. While Loki went from a 'God of Trickery' to a 'God of Evil', he was still tollerated inside Asgard. It's true to a point that Loki was tolerated some point because he was adopted by Odin, but if he went too far he as punished, then allowed back.
The Asgardians called Malekith the Acursed, and their general reactions to his presence was noticible. This gave the readers the view that he was to the Asgardians as Satan is to Christians.

I've felt that the writers have failed to live up tot he potential of the character.

quote= "IMHO Malekith should have reincarnated in a mortal body before being re-awakened by Thor. That would have been a lot more interesting and conducive to character development."
HAS Malekith returned since all this 'Asgardians reborn' thing started? I've missed it, comics cost so much now that I can't keep up with them all.

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Aeltri In reply to Katzztar [2010-08-04 04:27:07 +0000 UTC]

I've always thought of Malekith as a bit of a fallen character myself. Based on some of his statements during Simonson's run I got the impression that he wasn't always as hostile towards humanity or even the Aesir. One important thing to keep in mind is that despite his ruthlessness, he was not wantonly brutal or bloodthirsty. With him it was all about finesse and subterfuge, which explains why he was loathe to call the Wild Hunt.

Malekith said that he had been betrayed by Eric Willis, which implies there was some degree of trust involved. Perhaps Eric initially stole it for altruistic reasons or simply because it granted it's bearer eternal life. The casket's potential to initiate Ragnarok via Fimbulwinter was the only thing that kept Odin at bay, without it preemptively removing Malekith as a threat was relatively easy. Unfortunately by doing so, Asgard made an utterly implacable enemy. If we look at germanic/celtic folklore elves are proud to a fault and carry grudges like nobody's business...

Elves are wonderful. They provoke wonder.
Elves are marvelous. They cause marvels.
Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies.
Elves are glamorous. They project glamour.
Elves are enchanting. They weave enchantment.
Elves are terrific. They beget terror.
The thing about words is that meanings can twist just like a snake, and if you want to find snakes look behind words that have changed their meaning.
No one ever said elves are nice.
Elves are bad.
— Terry Pratchett, Lords And Ladies

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Katzztar In reply to Aeltri [2010-08-04 04:54:42 +0000 UTC]

Oh, I agree with your views. I had forgotten about the comment of Eric betraying Malekith.


I have noticed one thing about the Asgardian Gods, they have never been drawn/written as perfect in the early days. Just like the Norse Gods that Marvel based them on, they have very human faults, like being prejudiced. Looking at all the clues of the history between Loki and Thor, when they were young, Loki truly was 'God of Mischief' and not truly evil. He was bullied by the Thor of old for being more of the intelligent type than the brutish sword-swinger.
By 'Thor of old', I am referring to Thor as he was before Odin sent him to Earth to learn humility (first of series). The old Thor was arrogant. I remember when Hela cursed Thor with brittle bones and he was making armor for himself out of Asgardian metal (I forgot its name, I don't think it was Uru but some steel,not sure) the elves were affected even though they were in their home dimension. I think it was then they said that Thor was their eternal enemy. The phrase said implied that Thor and the Dark Elves have a long history. I've long suspected that it goes millinia back, even when Thor was a bore.

Sorry about the pun, I like the modern Thor (most of time) but I don't like his brutish past self when he would torment Loki and others for not being the same league of warrior (trusting the weapons only, not sorcerers) as others like Baldur ect. I forgot what story arc showed this but it was during one time Loki was in control of the throne.

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Aeltri In reply to Katzztar [2010-08-04 07:45:15 +0000 UTC]

Less hostility does not mean that the Aesir and the Dark Elves were the best of friends. Far from it, it simply means that at some point there was an uneasy truce between Svartalfheim and Asgard. Problem is Thor stepped on one too many toes during his Jock days and that earned him the enmity of a lot of people. In the alternate timeline series when Loki became king there were Dark Elven refugees who sought asylum in Asgard. It's obvious that diplomatic relations were not out of the question, provided that they didn't have to deal with Thor or Odin.

I think the mark of good writing is that there is always some degree of moral ambiguity. Villains should have a few redeeming virtues that put the heroes to shame at times, qualities that make their wasted potential all the more ironic. Likewise many 'heroes' should do some questionable things that leave one wondering where they are going to end up. I suppose regretting one's misdeeds and seeking atonement is the only thing really separating the good guys from the bad guys. Even then, there are exceptions...

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