Golden Apples of Idunn

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
— Carl Sagan, Cosmos (2011)

Before the legendary Aesir and Vanir left Terra via The Convergence, they were a resilient and robust people. However, they were still as mortal as any other inhabitants of the Hyborian Age. That all changed when the enigmatic Iðunn Molda-Gnúpsdóttir of the Vanir discovered a cosmic secret. She tapped into the woven wormholes of the universe, reaching into the branches of the mystical Yggdrasil to pluck its golden apples. Idunn, the goddess of youth, rejuvenation, and apples, possessed the means to prolong her life and her beloved husband’s, the Aesir poet god Bragi Boddason. She selflessly shared this miraculous discovery with the other Asgardians, bestowing them the gift of life and youth that remained for centuries. These golden apples, nearly twice the size of their earthly counterparts, became the cornerstone of Asgardian immortality. With their long lives, the Asgardians amassed unparalleled mystic, scientific, and martial wealth and prowess.

Raw Materials & Components

Idunn, the enigmatic Asgardian, used her arcane magic to draw the fabled golden apples directly from Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Her people revered these apples for their power to preserve youth and extend their lives. Rare eyewitnesses recounted seeing Idunn approach a tree of twinkling lights, a magnificent manifestation of the winding branches of stars, galaxies, and other cosmic phenomena. The apples remained concealed until Idunn reached into the leaves and branches, emerging with a gleaming golden apple in her grasp. These apples were believed to contain elements of the cosmic fabric, bestowing immense power upon those who consumed them. Yet, when bitten or cut open, they revealed ordinary apple flesh. In fact, if an apple was turned into cider or cooked into a dish like a pie then their rejuvenating effects were completely negated. Asgardians ate them raw to reap their benefits. However, for a particularly esteemed guest in one of Asgard's grand halls, they might have been cooked for their exquisite flavor.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

No scientific studies were conducted on the enigmatic effects of Idunn's Golden Apples on Asgardian physiology. It is believed that these celestial fruits possess a similar, if not more potent, anti-aging effect than the common demethylation treatment employed on Terra to halt reproduction and mitigate inflammation caused by senescent cells while eliminating methylate buildup in DNA. Prolonged consumption of the World Tree's apples seemed to have imbued the Asgardians with extraordinary physical strength, remarkable durability, unparalleled dexterity, and a robust constitution, far surpassing that of their distant Midgardian kin. Some attribute this enhanced condition to the fervent veneration and worship by the Norse, even long after the Aesir and Vanir departed from Terra. However, it remains crucial that any preparation or preservation of Idunn's Golden Apples negates their rejuvenating properties; those who seek eternal youth must consume them in their raw, untamed form.

History

As the Neolithic Revolution and the subsequent glaciation erased the Hyborian Age and ushered in Antiquity, the Aesir and the Vanir harnessed The Convergence to leave Terra and explore the cosmos. The Vanir settled on Vanaheim, and the Aesir made their home on the enigmatic Asgard. Idunn, a Vanir by birth, might have originated from either realm, but she began harvesting her apples from Yggdrasil only after marrying Bragi and moving to Asgard. The shimmering, radiant manifestation of The World Tree initially grew in her garden on the eastern side of Odin Borson's grand hall, Valhalla. Only Idunn could gather these celestial fruits, which seemed most potent for her, as she perpetually appeared as a youthful maiden, while other Asgardians remained steadfastly in adulthood.

The Classical Age

Loki Laufeyson cunningly persuaded Idunn to leave Asgard and explore Midgard, despite the All-Father prohibiting it due to the crucial importance of her apples in maintaining Asgardian power. Loki enticed Idunn into a sunny field to experience Midgard's gentle breeze for the first time when a colossal eagle swooped down and carried her off to Jotunheim. Idunn's absence went unnoticed for years, masked by Loki's tricks, until the Asgardians began to age and weaken, realizing immediately who was to blame. To save his own skin, Loki had made a pact with the eagle—an enormous giant in disguise—promising to deliver Idunn in exchange for sparing his life after the eagle had whisked him away, a consequence of Loki's furious attack with a stick. Under threat of death and dismemberment and with his own vitality waning, Loki now had to retrieve Idunn to restore Asgard. The god of mischief borrowed Freyja Njörðrsdóttir's cloak of falcon feathers, transforming into a falcon to fly to Jotunheim. There, Loki ingeniously turned Idunn into a nut. The eagle discovered his prize missing and pursued them back to Asgard, but Loki deftly outmaneuvered it with a sharp turn, causing their pursuer to crash. Idunn's return was celebrated, and she restored everyone to health, including the ever-troublesome Loki.

Sometime after Idunn's return, Amora the Enchantress slyly took her place, wielding her seductive charms and magical prowess. Bragi believed she was his wife, Odin was convinced she supplied the apples from Yggdrasil, and Idunn toiled mindlessly, ensuring no Asgardian or Einherjar suspected a thing. Yet, one Asgardian did notice—the ever-watchful Loki Laufeyson. Loki remained silent, always seeking an opportunity for trickery, savoring the mischief that Amora's deception brewed. As Amora realized Loki was onto her, the tension between them escalated into a dangerous game of intrigue that drove her mad, a spectacle Loki relished.

A young Thor Odinson was playing with Loki, his uncle by the blood oath he had taken with Odin, in Amora's garden when they stumbled upon 2 storm giants stealing almost all of Asgard's golden apples. Thor and Loki hastened to inform the All-Father of what had transpired, and the young thunder god pleaded to retrieve the apples, hoping the good deed would make him strong enough to lift Mjolnir. Odin deemed the mission too perilous, assuring them Asgard had sufficient apples to last until Amora could replenish the reserves. Young Thor, though crestfallen, was persuaded by Loki to defy his father. Loki convinced him that the storm giants should not be rewarded for their thievery and that defeating such formidable foes would undoubtedly grant him the strength to wield the mighty war hammer. So, Loki tricked Heimdall Odinson into sending him and Thor to Jotunheim, where they boldly stormed the giant's castle and demanded the return of the apples. However, both Asgardians were swiftly overpowered and chained outside with the giant’s dogs. Thor's indomitable spirit had already taken root, and he struggled to free himself. When he finally broke his bonds, Loki set a pile of leaves ablaze, which created a diversion for Thor to escape. But the young god of thunder refused to flee and witnessed Loki seizing the apples and leaping onto the back of the giant eagle. Thor joined him, and Loki commanded the eagle to fly them back to Asgard. Upon their return, the apples were restored, and Thor came tantalizingly close to lifting Mjolnir. Every Asgardian was overjoyed, but none more so than Loki, who savored Amora's reaction throughout the ordeal.

Medieval Times

Asgardian farmers discovered a breach in one of the ancient walls that stretched around the garden where the golden apples grew, and the materials required were not readily available to the local masons. Odin, Loki, and a now centuries-old Thor scrutinized the damage, and a stranger appeared. He claimed to be a master mason with the necessary materials and boasted that he could repair the damage within a year. All he asked in return was for the hand of the keeper of the golden apples. Odin was incensed by the audacious proposal, fearing the loss of the golden apples that kept the Asgardians eternally youthful and powerful. However, Loki, ever the schemer, saw an opportunity for mischief and persuaded Odin to accept the terms on the condition that the mason complete the work within six months instead. The mason agreed, and the deal was sealed without consulting Amora, who rightfully reacted with rage and panic. As the mason, with only the aid of his tools and his mighty stallion, neared completion after four months, Odin threatened to punish Loki if the mason succeeded. Loki transformed into a mare and continually distracted the mason's stallion with playful antics, sabotaging the mason’s work, until six months and one day had passed. When Odin, Loki, and Thor confronted the mason, demanding he finish the repairs despite losing their wager, the mason revealed his true form as Agnar, the King of the Eagles—the one who had previously kidnapped the keeper of the apples. Agnar disclosed that Loki had promised him the keeper of the apples to save himself from the giant eagle's wrath. Loki retorted that he had saved Agnar from the storm giants by tricking Thor into recovering the golden apples. Odin then summoned Amora to decide the fates of both Agnar and Loki. When Amora arrived, Agnar did not recognize her as the keeper of the golden apples, as the enchantress had not bewitched him as she had the rest of Asgard. The clarity of this revelation broke her spell. Idunn was freed and returned to Bragi, Amora was banished to Midgard, and Agnar was given generous reparations for his troubles but was not allowed to take Idunn as his bride.

Jörmungandr Lokison opened his colossal eyes, casting an imposing gaze upon his father and Tyr Odinson as they approached his resting place at the oceanic depths of Midgard. They implored Jörmungandr to safeguard all of Asgard's golden apples within his vast, venomous jaws until their coup was complete and Tyr ascended to the throne of Asgard. The Midgard-Serpent complied and wreaked havoc upon Terra, squeezing the planet to unleash cataclysmic storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Harnessing the chaos, Tyr marshaled human armies and marched them back to Asgard via the Bifrost opened by Jormungandr. Thor responded to the catastrophic events on Terra and confronted its source, Jörmungandr who revealed the malevolent plot. Thor could not vanquish Jörmungandr entirely. He resorted to closing the Bifrost, severing Tyr's troops from their path. Ultimately, Jörmungandr conceded and called their clash a draw. The Midgard-Serpent relinquished the golden apples to Thor. The thunder god raced back to Asgard, only to find the coup had ended. Loki had betrayed Tyr, unsurprisingly, and Odin maintained his throne. Thor handed the golden apples over to Idunn.

World War II

SS-Untersturmführer Heinz Brücher was tasked with shutting down all 18 active research facilities in former Soviet Ukraine to prevent their capture by the advancing Allied forces. Despite orders to destroy everything, Brücher secreted away a few valuable items during his escape: the Uru-forged Hammer of Nul and a bushel of Idunn's golden apples. Fueled by the pseudoscientific ambitions of the Third Reich, they mistakenly believed that the golden apples could resurrect fallen soldiers. During their frantic departure from the final research facility, the valiant Valkyrie Brunnhilde launched an assault to reclaim the cursed hammer and the precious apples. Sadly, she was overpowered by the Nazis' Department of Occult Affairs, a militant branch of HYDRA composed of twisted vampire soldiers. Brücher escaped with his treasures, and the hammer and apples remained lost to Asgard for 7 decades. However, they did not escape the attention of Vlad III of Wallachia. As Brücher and his entourage traversed Wallachia on their retreat back to Germany, Count Dracula ambushed them, slaying the Nazi trespassers and seizing the Hammer of Nul and Idunn’s golden apples.

Superhuman Registration Era

Sinthea Schmidt, daughter of the nefarious Red Skull, sought to emerge from her father's ominous shadow by triumphing where he faced his greatest defeat. Her quest was to gather all the hammers of the Worthy and harness the divine power within them. Succeed she did, lifting the hammer of Skadi and assuming her formidable power and identity, while awakening the monstrous Níðhöggr. Even after the serpent imbued some of the universe's mightiest beings with the spirits of his Worthy, both he and Skadi were ultimately vanquished. Brunnhilde then dedicated herself to tracking down the remnants of the Worthy's hammers and other Asgardian artifacts scattered across Midgard, returning them to Odin's vault on Asgard. This mission led them to the foreboding Castle Dracula, where they discovered the remains of Nul's Hammer and the bushel of Idunn's golden apples that Vlad III had seized. Brunnhilde and her team were making their escape when they were attacked by Dracula's wives and children, where Sharon Carter was bitten. Brunnhilde sacrificed a golden apple to stop her transformation into a vampire even though it violated her promise to return them all to their rightful owner.

The All-Father sensed the imminent approach of the Fimbulwinter and mysteriously vacated the throne of Asgard, leaving no warning or explanation. Seizing this opportunity, Loki assumed Odin's likeness to remain undetected and unchallenged. The god of mischief, aware that Ragnarok loomed on the horizon, began his devious preparations. Taking on the form of Idunn, Loki approached the blind god Hodr Odinson, tempting him with promises of extra golden apples and marriage if he would hurl a massive sprig of mistletoe at his brother, the radiant god Baldur Odinson. Eagerly, Hodr agreed, perceiving no harm in the act. Unbeknownst to Hodr, their mother Frigga Fjörgynsdóttir had secured oaths from all things in the nine realms to protect Baldur, having foreseen his impending doom. Yet, the secret Loki knew was that Frigga had overlooked the seemingly harmless sprigs of mistletoe. When Hodr launched the spear Loki had given him, it pierced Baldur's heart and slew him. Darkness enveloped the nine realms as clouds gathered, heralding the arrival of the Fimbulwinter and the onset of Ragnarok.

Ant-Man hurled Surtur's crown into The Eternal Flame, summoning and empowering Surtur, who began the cataclysmic destruction of Asgard. Thor had set in motion a cascade of events to end the cycle of Ragnarok that tormented his people. The god of thunder rallied The Avengers and Wonder Woman to confront the architects of the Ragnarok Cycle. The end of the cycle heralded the return of the Asgardians to Midgard, and the utter devastation of Idunn's garden including her manifestation of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Most of the Asgardian populace settled in Tønsberg, Norway, near where Odin fell to Fenrir and his ashes were entombed. In this new home, Idunn began cultivating a new garden. Despite their fears of aging and losing strength without her golden apples, a new sapling emerged from the soil. It glimmered and twinkled, its branches spiraling like galaxies stretching across the cosmos, offering hope and renewal to a New Asgard.

Rarity

The Golden Apples of Idunn were not rare in quantity but were difficult to acquire due to Idunn's sole stewardship. Idunn seemingly plucked an endless supply of these celestial fruits from her manifestation of Yggdrasil. However, the quantity she could harvest at any given time appeared to be linked to the manifestation's apparent age compared to a normal apple tree. Remarkably, the tree was never out of season. In autumn or winter, Idunn could harvest the apples needed for the Asgardians to maintain their health and longevity. Asgard regularly boasted vast stores of golden apples, and New Asgard similarly maintained its own reserves. However, enemies of the Asgardians often targeted their surplus of golden apples and captured Idunn to prevent replenishment. Their enemies like the revered Norse gods were mostly immortal and willing to wait as old age claimed their adversaries. Only Idunn possessed the mystical knowledge required to harvest the golden apples, making them rare treasures that could only be obtained through her benevolence.

Significance

Unlike the other gods of the ancient world, the Asgardians were not naturally immortal. They could be injured, killed, grow old, and die. This was likely because they began their existence during the Hyborian Age of Terra as the Aesir and Vanir. The sole item that granted the Asgardians any form of immortality and youthful vitality was Idunn's Golden Apples. Idunn's Golden Apples were the primary source of godhood for the entire pantheon worshipped by the Norse peoples. It was also believed that these Viking and Germanic followers were descendants of the Aesir and Vanir. Their worship was a veneration of long-forgotten ancestors who had been granted eternal life by the grace of Idunn's magic and had returned as heroes in Terra's ancient conflicts with mythical beings and distant foes. Without the fruit of Yggdrasil, the Asgardians would have become just 2 more distant habitations of Homo sapiens in the galaxy.