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The Asgardian crows Mugin and Hunin are as wise as their former master, while Doctor Strange’s magical hound Bats is a ghostly dog like no other.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Thor #18, on sale now from Marvel.
The Pet Avengers might seem like a kind of childish idea, but the animalistic Avengers is not a team to laugh at by any means. Their ranks typically include Throg, an amphibious equivalent of the Norse God of Thunder, as well as Lockjaw, the teleporting dog of the Inhuman Royal Family. Recently reassembled in Thor #18 (by Donny Cates, Pasqual Ferry, Robert Quinn, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Sabino), the Pet Avengers are now joined by animals associated with Odin and Doctor Strange who bring a wealth of otherworldly knowledge.
The Asgardian crows Munin and Hugin are as wise as their former master, while Doctor Strange’s magical hound Bats is a ghostly dog like no other. Their knowledge and abilities not only make them unique among the Pet Avengers but also equip them to deal with their current task as a team.
Odin’s Crows Hugin and Munin
Based on the birds of the same feather in Norse mythology, Hugin and Munin are two enchanted ravens who were once loyal to Odin, the former king of Asgard. Their role in their original mythology and in the Thor comic books has been to keep a watchful eye over the Nine Realms, knowing all of the happenings amidst the various people and places and later informing Odin of it.
To make this task easier for them, Odin carved into their talons magical runes that were enchanted to allow them a safe passageway into any realm that they may venture to. Thus, their new role on the Pet Avengers makes logical sense, as they not only can travel wherever they please, but they also know exactly who lives where and what’s going on there. This level of wisdom and seeing everything makes them the embodiment of what Odin, the Allfather represented, even if they now work for Asgard’s current king Thor.
Their adventures once led them to the realm of the vile Surtur, a feat which many mortals would not have dared to have done. The result was that Hugin died in the process, but Balder was later able to resurrect him and reunite him with his brother.
Doctor Strange’s Dog Bats
Bats was initially a mortal dog that Stephen Strange encountered years ago when he was briefly relieved of the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Having had many owners beforehand, Bats was enchanted by Strange to have his barks understandable as English to humans. Their friendship was sadly cut short when the poor pooch died following Loki’s attack on Doctor Strange. Later traveling to the tree of life Yggdrasil, Strange offered the tree the corpse of Bats. The faithful dog would return to his latest master as a ghost.
This new spectral form allows him to possess others, which is hinted at as being exactly why Throg wants him to help the Pet Avengers. Their current mission, which involves finding Thor’s lost hammer, is one of stealth throughout the realms. As he states, “who better suited than a ghost?” and the function fits right along with why Thor’s ravens are wanted. On top of that, being Doctor Strange’s dog, he’s likely learned through osmosis all manner of mystical knowledge and magical abilities.
This is made more potent by his ability to possess other, more humanoid beings and use said powers himself. Likewise, Hugin and Munin probably know similar information concerning Asgardian mysticism, making the darkest members of the new Pet Avengers potentially the team’s most dangerous yet.
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