Valkyrie

Valkyrie (also known as Brunhilde) is Asgard's Chosen of the Slain, leader of the Valkyror.

Barbara Norris is the earthly avatar of Valkyrie - a young girl whose's desire for a life less ordinary and gullible behavior lead whoever holds Brunhilde's essence to visit her, and propose a pact. Eagerly accepting the once-pathetic Barbara became Valkyrie, and is ready to be the heroine she was destined to be!

Background

 * At a young age, Brunnhilde and Sif were the two female Asgardians to enter into training in order to become warriors. The two girls started out as rivals due to Sif's jealousy, believing that the blonde Brunnhilde would be more competition for winning the affections of Thor. Even though the two initially got off to a rough start they eventually became allies. To this day Sif is perhaps the only female Asgardian who may be equal to Brunnhilde in combat.


 * During her youth Brunnhilde frequently trained with Odin's finest warrior Sigmund, learning many life and combat lessons from him. During a battle, Sigmund is hit by an arrow to his heart whilst protecting Brunnhilde. Cradling Sigmund's body in tears, Brunnhilde is found by Odin who demands she flee and leave the dead. Valkyrie refuses, much to Odin's anger, saying that the dead have to be buried so their souls can be cared for. Odin questions that she would challenge a God over a corpse, in which Brunnhilde draws her blade, ready to battle Odin. Impressed, Odin says that the slain warriors must have a heaven, offering Brunnhilde as the guide to show the men to Valhalla, making her a symbol of hope, turning Brunnhilde into the Valkyrie.


 * Later, however, Odin entered into a deal with the other Gods of Earth and the ancient Celestials, forcing him to cut off all interaction with Midgard, leaving Brunnhilde and her Valkyries only slain Asgardian warriors to choose from when performing their duties, leaving Valkyrie bitter and searched Asgard, attempting to occupy her time by finding new adventures to face. At this time Brunnhilde meets Amora, the Enchantress, in a tavern on the outskirts of a village. Enchantress offeres her a life of adventure and excitement and Brunhilde is easily seduced. Soon enough the two clash due their distinct personalities, and when Brunnhilde tries to move on to other tasks Amora turns on her and traps her essence inside a soul crystal, keeping her there for centuries until she, and Loki, devise a way to use her.

Enter Barbara Norris


 * Barbara Norris is a 19-year-old girl who aspires to be a superhero despite having no actual powers or even no real talent at all. Barbara is not intelligent, nor she has any actual skill or knowledge about science or gadgetry, and she has gone through numerous attempts just to get an orange belt in karate. The only thing Barbara does have going for her, despite her looks, is her will to escape an ordinary life and help people, to be a heroine, be something greater than a airheaded, poor and ordinary valley girl. At first she tries getting closer to heroes and tries to found various amateurish groups of other powerless people or minor mutants, but Barbara's life is leading nowhere, her rent is always due and her life is a mess.


 * During one night, after being expelled from her apartment for having no money to pay for her stay and refusing to sleep with her landlord, Barbara is weeping in an alley, hopeless. In this moment, when all seems lost, the woman is approached by a majestic figure that offers her the power of the Valkyrie, to act as her will on Earth. This power comes with a cost, however, and readily binding herself to this figure Barbara promises to accept anything in order to escape her ordinary condition, granting her benefactor one wish. Upon sealing the pact Barbara Norris is infused with the power of Brunnhilde, and readily ignores her past life.

Personality
Valkyrie is the name by which Barbara calls herself once she is graced with Brunhilde's powers through Amora's plot. Brunhilde, captured by the villainess, remains dormant in Amora's power and Barbara is the sole inteligence behind the Valkyrie's impressive array of powers and skills. She can access Brunhilde's training and select abilities that Amora has allowed, but her Death Sense is limited, for example, for is an ability Odin himself granted to Brunhilde, and it was earned. In Barbara, an unworthy candidate so far, it fails sometimes and it's out of her control.


 * Heroic: Some people say that a good way to test someone's character is giving that person power, and after being graced with the divine essence of Brunnhilde no one could doubt Barbara's character. There is no quitting on this girl, and she will never let the innocent suffer when she can do something about it. Barbara cannot stand for suffering and treachery and she is ready to give her life for a good cause. Simply put Valkyrie might not have looked like a sure bet, but as of right now she looks like the perfect hero: all will and heart, no quitting or selfishness.


 * Loyal: Sometimes Barbara might look like a puppy, naive and loyal to a fault, but it is one of her greatest qualities. To the few people that earn her trust there is no force in any world that can make her break her bonds, no matter how great the cost to herself or her dignity. Valkyrie


 * Trusting: Valkyrie is ready to trust on the good side of people, of letting them prove themselves if they ever commit a crime or transgression, just like once she was once given the chance to prove she was worthy of something more than overdue rents and sleeping around aimlessly. She won't deny anyone the opportunity of rising above their station and joining her and other heroes in the sun.


 * Fearful: Valkyrie is fearful she might go back to being the pathetic little girl she had no pride in being. She can't see past the sleeping around trying to be accepted in superhero teams, the difficulties with rent, her ineptitude at being good at anything she really want to do, and it terrifies Barbara to go back to that time. She can't see any qualities she had back then, she is just blind to it, and it sometimes keeps her awake at night.


 * Naive: Same as trusting, but it can always lead to bad things. Valkyrie will always believe in the better nature of men and women, even if said people are Dr. Doom or Mystique. Everyone has something good in them, and it's in Barbara's nature to seek it, give it a chance, despite second opinions.


 * Reckless: Heroes don't lose, they do not die. Heroes live forever in song and they always beat the bad guys. Barbara lives in a fantasy world she believes these things to be real, and that makes Valkyrie one reckless person, never really believing treachery or evil can overcome truth and will. The wicked always pay in the end because it's fair, and the good stand victorious, always.


 * Dumb: Barbara is not only bellow average in intelligence, she makes no qualms about letting people know it everytime she opens her mouth. If she catches Tony Stark inside Iron Man's armor all it would need it would be the man to scream "ARGH, this gigantic printer it's trying to eat me!" for Valkyrie to go and rescue him, without ever thinking about him being the hero himself.