Thor: Ragnarok stars Cate Blanchett as Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death.
Really, Hela is just one of those villains that transcends being a simple evildoer.
Hela is a complex being that goes beyond traditional ideas of good and evil.
Just check out that Jack Kirby design!
And over the years, many Hela tales were just as awesome as Kirbys visual design.
The Fates tell Thor that he will only be worthy of the hammer when he faces death.
Later, Thor discovers that Storm Giants have kidnapped Thors beloved Lady Sif (Storm Giants are dicks).
Thor journeys to Helas realm and offers his own soul in exchange for Sifs.
Hela is so moved she allows both Asgardians to leave her realm still possessing their life sparks.
When Thor returns, the hammer accepts him because he now has indeed faced death.
Kind of ironic that inThor: Ragnarok, Hela is seen shattering that very same hammer.
But thats Hela, as unpredictable as death.
Thors spirit enters Helas realm where the Goddess of Death once again allows Thor to return to life.
This issue and her firstTales of Asgardappearance speak to how complex Hela is.
Hela possesses telepathy, teleportation, and can create undead creatures to do her bidding.
Yeah, shes a badass.
Now that we know what a beast Hela can be, lets talk about her origins.
Hela was born to her father Loki and her giantess sorceress mother Angrboda.
Helas siblings are the Fenris wolf and the Midgard Serpent.
There, Hela presided over the souls of the dead.
So Hela very much enjoys plotting and scheming to get pure Asgardian souls to fill her two underworlds.
Recently, Hela has begun paling around with the death worshipping Thanos.
Hela is the perfect rebound for Thanos because she too is death given sentient form.
Yeah, that was pretty damn unforgettable, mainly because Hela is such an epic yet adaptable character.
And did we mention that helmet?
