Occupation: Warrior, Adventurer, former bodyguard, former chef

Legal Status: Citizen of Asgard

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of the existence of Volstagg; he is not a known figure in Norse or German mythology.

Other Aliases: Volstagg the Enormous, Volstagg the Voluminous, The Lion of Asgard, Rolf Mueller, Vincent Starwit (mortal aliases),

Place of Birth: Thrudheim within the Asgard dimension

Marital Status: Married

Known Relatives: father, mother (names unrevealed), Hildegund (wife), Alaric, Rolfe (sons), Gunnhild, Gudrun, Flosi, Jargsa (daughters), Kevin Mortenson, Michael Mortenson (aka "Mick") (adopted sons), Meft (son-in-law)

Group Affiliation: The Warriors Three, ally of the Gods of Asgard

Base Of Operations: Asgard

First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #119

History: Volstagg is a member of an extra-dimensional race of beings known as the Asgardians, who were worshipped as gods by the Ancient Germanic and Scandinavian tribes of Western Europe. The Asgardians were among the major gods of the Vikings, but unlike the Asgardians, Volstagg was not included as a god among the pantheons of the Norse or German gods. It is known the Gods of Asgard have gone through several incarnations of destruction and rebirth, and that Volstagg might have been born during an incarnation of Asgard that occurred after the end of the worship of the Asgardian Gods on Earth, but this is unconfirmed.

Not much of Volstagg's early life is revealed. In his youth, Volstagg was a much thinner and cunning warrior greatly feared by the enemies of Asgard. Renowned for having slain the Utgard Boar, he was once assigned the purpose of guarding the bridge on the road leading into the capital of Asgard. One day he encountered the hero, Fandral, coming into the city, and tried to bar his path. Battling each other with quarter staves, Volstagg was able to defeat Fandral, but Fandral defeated him in another match. Admiring his tenacity, Volstagg became friends with Fandral, taking the young hero Hogun with them with them to encounter the Fenris Wolf. Afterward, the three became known as the Warriors Three, the foremost champions of Asgard. Over several years, Volstagg also became known for his large appetite and heavy girth. His size, however, does not impair his efficiency as a warrior, and Volstagg often uses his great size to overwhelm his foes. Likewise, several opponents have greatly underestimated Volstagg due to his size. He is somewhat older than Thor, the god of thunder, once having incurred the wrath of Odin by telling stories about the origins of the Frost Giants to Thor. As an adult, Volstagg followed Thor, Hogun and Fandral upon several adventures both within and beyond Asgard. He also took Gudrun, a native of Asgard, as his wife and sired several children.

With Thor, Hogun and Fandral, Volstagg engaged in several adventures both within and beyond Asgard. Several of their exploits involved the treachery and lies of Loki, the god of deceit. They also battled the warrior king Harokin, King Fafnir of Nastrond and Mogul of the Mystic Mountain who had conquered Hogun's homeland. Volstagg stumbled on the mystical artifact that vanquished Mogul, but he was later duped by Amora the Enchantress into helping her steal a mystic jewel that barred the Giants of Jotunheim from attacking Asgard. The Jotuns nearly attacked Earth as a result, but Thor returned the jewel and adverted disaster.

Volstagg was also found guilty of duplicity in the murder of Holth, the son of Grives, one of the Giants. In order to rectify the death of the youth, Thor and the Warriors Three were forced to engage in several quests to bring back gifts for the beleaguered father. Volstagg's huge appetite helped him in winning a drinking contest with Lerad, the eagle-spirit, to obtain apples from Yggdrasil, even using trickery to get Lerad to jar the apples loose that the Warriors could obtain them.

Volstagg also participated in the Tournament of Titans against Drom the Spirit-Weaver, but the games were interrupted by the Destroyer later conquered by the heroes present. In later years, Volstagg would square off against more invaders to Asgard, such as the Hulk, Mangog and the Silver Surfer. While Odin was in his Odin-Sleep, Loki surreptitiously claimed the throne of Asgard, but the Warriors Three refused to recognize him as ruler and resisted his demands up until Surtur attacked Asgard, driving Loki from Asgard for the time as the Warriors Three defended Asgard from the giant.

The Warriors Three soon joined Thor, Sif and Hildegarde of the Valkyries to battle Ego-Prime, but upon learning the being had been a pawn in Odin's plan to awaken the power from three of the Young Gods, they fell out of favor with Odin and were exiled to Earth. They took up residency on Earth at the home of the Avengers, allies of Thor, and joined Thor in his battle with Mephisto. Odin revoked their banishment after overthrowing Igron from the throne of Asgard, but they had more adventures on Earth against Zarrko the Tomorrow Man and the Time-Twisters.

Volstagg has since defended Asgard from numerous invasions. He battled Surtur once more trying to devastate Asgard and encountered Power Pack on Earth. He adopted the mortal boys, Kevin and Michael Mortensen, whose parents had been killed by Thor's enemy, Zaniac, and brought them to Asgard to live among his family. During a plague on Asgard, Volstagg was one of the few heroes who defended their homeland from Frost Giants attempting to conquer the realm.

The Warriors Three soon rose to defend Asgard from the armies of the dead led by Seth, the Egyptian god of death and to overthrow another of Loki's bids for power over the throne. Seth soon returned to attack Asgard through Yggdrasil, but Odin had cast spells to protect the Asgardians by hiding them on Earth in mortal roles. Volstagg became Vincent Starwin, a television gourmet, but retained enough of his memories to join several other lost Asgardians, including Hogun, Fandral, Sif and Hermod, to battle Seth and reclaim Asgard. The victory was short-lived as it left them unprepared by an attack by the Dark Gods, who claimed Asgard. During his imprisonment in the dungeons of Asgard, Volstagg lost his tremendous girth. Joined by Hercules and the Destroyer, Thor returned from the alternate reality from where he had been trapped and freed Volstagg and the other Asgardians to overthrow the Dark Gods and reclaim Asgard.

Volstagg soon reclaimed his vast size and weight afterward, but after Odin vanished while battling Surtur, Thor took his place as his replacement and became king of Asgard and possessor of the Odin-Power. Thor's reign was briefly tempered by his choice to move Asgard into the Earthly dimension, a choice which Volstagg remained nervous about, but he remained loyal to Thor who eventually restored Asgard to its proper place. Afterward, however, Loki set a revised version of Ragnarok into motion, and while defending Asgard, Volstagg watched as Sif, Hogun and Fandral were struck down in battle. He lived alone in the outskirts of the battlefield, once again losing his weight over several months and joined Thor in battle against Loki's allies. Although he died heroically in battle, Thor faced off against Those Who Live Above In Shadow, and learned they were responsible for Asgard's cycles of destruction and rebirth. Giving his life to destroy these cycles, Thor initiated the Twilight of the Gods which claimed Asgard and all the lives in them.

Due to Odin's previous spells on Yggdrasil, Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral were reborn as mortals on Earth. Volstagg became Rolf Muller, a German security guard stationed in Dahran, Africa. When Mjolnir returned from outer space, Thor reclaimed in in the form of his prior mortal incarnation of Donald Blake and recreated Asgard near Broxton, Oklahoma and regathered the Asgardians reclaiming their true identities. The Warriors Three now became loyal to Balder, who replaced Thor following the death of Bor, their previous king, a part of an elaborate plot Loki had to humiliate Thor. The Warriors Three soon followed Thor to Earth, but when Volstagg visited Chicago, Loki dispatched the U-Foes to battle him. Volstagg survived, but the assault took several thousand human lives at Soldier Field. Unaware he was being manipulated by Loki, Norman Osborn of HAMMER attacked Asgard, defended by Thor, the Warriors Three, the Avengers and the Secret Warriors. As Osborn tried to escape, Volstagg caught him and pummeled him into submission, turning him over later to the proper authorities.

Alongside the Warriors Three and Thor, Volstagg remains one of Asgard's staunchest champions, willing to lay down his life to defend her. Despite his size, Volstagg is continually under-estimated by his foes and more than capable as a warrior to prove himself in battle.

Height: 6' 8"
Weight: 1425 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red

Strength Level: Volstagg possesses superhuman strength and can lift (press) around 35 tons under optimal conditions. In his prime, his strength was somewhere greater and he could lift (press) about 50 tons under optimal conditions.

Known Superhuman Powers: Volstagg possesses the conventional physical attributes of the Asgardian gods. He is extremely long-lived, but he is not immortal like the Olympian Gods; he ages at an extremely slow rate since reaching adulthood and cannot die by any conventional means. He is immune to all Earthly diseases and is resistant to conventional injury. If he were somehow wounded, his godly life force would enable him to recover with superhuman speed. It would take an injury of such magnitude that it dispersed a major portion of his bodily molecules to cause him a physical death. Even then, it might be possible for a god of significant power, such as Odin or for a number of Asgardian gods of equal power working together to revive him. Volstagg also possesses superhuman strength and his Asgardian metabolism provides him with far greater than human endurance in all physical activities. (Asgardian flesh and bone is about three times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the superhuman strength and weight of the Asgardian Gods.)

Volstagg has exceptional superhuman strength, speed, reflexes and equilibrium over most Asgardian males except for powerhouses such as Odin, Thor or Tyr. He has an exceptional healing factor, and can survive from most injuries just short of dismemberment which requires much more mystical requirement to survive from. His prowess in battle is not affected by his weight or large appetite; what limitations he has in battle is more due to his age than to his size.

Abilities: Volstagg is an excellent warrior in both armed and unarmed combat as well as a good horseman, though his battle prowess has dwindled considerably over time. He is very proficient with a sword and has mastered fighting skills using the most of his weight and size in battle. He is also a talented chef.

Pets: Volstagg owns a pet dragon about which very little is known.

Comments: Volstagg is a character in the Marvel Universe; he is not a mythological character.

Volstagg was played by Ray Stephenson in Thor (2012).

Theoretically, the Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg) could represent Norse equivalents of Apollo, Ares and Dionysus. Their attire is reflecting of the Saxon, Hun and German worshippers of the Gods of Asgard with Thor representing the Vikings. Their personalities hearken to the film personalities of Errol Flynn, Charles Bronson and Orson Wells.

In the Saxon Genealogies, Thrudheim is the ancient name for Thrace (now parts of modern Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey), said to be conquered by the Saxon warrior,Thor, the descendant of Trojan refugees.

Last updated: 04/14/13