# Executioner (character)

The Executioner is the name of different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
Skurge, an Asgardian, is originally depicted as a supervillain who wields a magic double-bladed battle axe. Skurge falls in love with the Enchantress and is frequently used in schemes by her and the trickster god Loki. He is a long-time antagonist of Thor and other heroes of the Marvel universe and is a member of the original Masters of Evil. Eventually, he joins the heroes of Asgard in a mission to Hel, where he sacrifices his axe to destroy Naglfar, the ship of the dead, and delays Ragnarok, sacrificing his life to hold the bridge at Gjallarbrú so the heroes can escape Hel. After a time trapped in Hel, he joins the honored dead in Valhalla.
The name was later used by two other characters: an axe-wielding android member of the Crazy Gang and a vigilante named Daniel DuBois, the son of Princess Python.
Skurge has made several appearances in media, such as animated television series, video games, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: Ragnarok (2017), in which he was portrayed by Karl Urban.

## Publication history

The Executioner first appeared in Journey into Mystery #103 (April 1964), and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

## Fictional character biography
### Skurge

Skurge was born in Jotunheim; he is the son of an unnamed Storm Giant and an unnamed Skornheim goddess, making him a half-giant. He later becomes a warrior, gaining the name Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm Giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in various evil schemes to gain control of Asgard. However, the Enchantress only manipulates him, using her charms to keep Skurge under her thrall. Loki, the trickster god, also has used Skurge many times.
In his first appearance, the Executioner teams with the Enchantress to battle Thor at the behest of Loki. He exiles Jane Foster to another dimension and tries to get Thor to surrender his hammer to him in exchange for Jane. Thor agrees to this, but when the Enchantress turns Skurge to a tree for bringing Foster back he releases Thor from the bargain, whereupon Thor returns the two to Asgard. The Executioner and the Enchantress are exiled to Earth by Odin, where they learn of Zemo from a newspaper. They become members of Baron Heinrich Zemo's original Masters of Evil and fight the Avengers. The Executioner disguises himself as a former aide of Zemo, and lures Captain America to Zemo's kingdom, while the Enchantress uses her powers to turn Thor against the Avengers. Later the Executioner helps Zemo escape from Captain America by knocking out Cap. Skurge remained with Baron Zemo's Masters of Evil for some time. The Masters of Evil created Wonder Man, who was meant to trick and destroy the Avengers. When the Executioner was defeated by Wonder Man testing his power, he worried about controlling him, though Zemo revealed Wonder Man would die within a week unless given an antidote. The gloating Skurge was derided by Wonder Man, who did not like the need for trickery and deceit. The group's plan to kill the Avengers was thwarted by Wonder Man, and Skurge and his allies were defeated.
The Executioner menaced Jane Foster, and fought Balder as any ally of Loki. He was later among the villains assembled by Doctor Doom to destroy the Fantastic Four using a mind-control machine, but due to Mister Fantastic the villains all had their memory of this event erased.
Apart from the Enchantress, Skurge attempted to establish an empire by the conquest of an alternate future Earth. He battled the Hulk after he was accidentally transported there.
He was reunited with the Enchantress, and joined the Mandarin's attempted world conquest with four other villains after being taken to his base by teleportation technology. He attacked the Asian sub-continent with an army of trolls due to the valuable diamonds that were there, and fought Hercules in another dimension he had transported them to with his axe, but was beaten and thrown at a giant the Enchantress had created to defeat the Scarlet Witch, destroying it.
He next led a Troll invasion of Asgard. Odin banished him to the realm of Casiolena. Skurge abandoned the Enchantress to become Casiolena's co-ruler. He led Casiolena's forces against the Defenders, and resumed his alliance with the Enchantress.
Skurge attacked Doctor Strange alongside Enchantress, but they were defeated. He later battled the Defenders and the Thing as the Enchantress's ally.
Skurge led an assault on Asgard, and fought Balder again. With the Enchantress, he serves as Loki's lieutenant during his brief rule of Asgard. With the Enchantress, he joined with the forces of Asgard against Surtur.
Once Amora the Enchantress set her sights on Heimdall as a potential lover, Skurge sought to ease the wounds of his heart in battle, joining Thor, Balder, and the Einherjar on a rescue mission in Hel. A group of souls belonging to living humans had been trapped there by Malekith the Accursed, and Hela had refused to permit them to return to Midgard (Earth). Despite initial misgivings, Thor permitted Skurge to accompany the group. Skurge is tempted by Amora, who claims Heimdall had slain her. This was not Amora, but Mordonna, a shapeshifting sorceress in the employ of Hela. The disguise is revealed when Skurge decides to trust Balder more than the desires of his own heart. Hela whisks Mordonna away before Skurge can gain revenge.
Naglfar, the ship of the dead, is nearing ready to sail, and Hela promises Skurge a place of honor beside her on it at the battle of Ragnarok. Enraged at being manipulated, Skurge destroys the ship with his axe. The group is pursued out of Hel, with Skurge sacrificing himself to protect them from Hela.
Skurge has remained dead since, with his spirit residing in Hel. In "The War of the Realms", he helps battle Malekith and is transported to Valhalla.

### Brute Benhurst

After Skurge's death, Amora gave his Bloodaxe to a mortal called Brute Benhurst, making him a replacement Executioner. Thor initially thought the new villain might be Skurge returned from the dead, as he wore a mask. Thor tried not to fight him until the Executioner hit Kevin Masterson (son of Eric Masterson). Thor recognized hitting a kid as an ignoble thing which Skurge would never do, and defeated the new Executioner.

### Crazy Gang

The Executioner is a silent android swathed in a long robe and hood and armed with an axe. It follows the commands of the Red Queen and seems to lack any real intelligence. It was destroyed under unknown circumstances, but it had been destroyed and repaired before.

### Daniel DuBois

A character named The Executioner (Daniel DuBois) appears in Dark Reign: Young Avengers. He is described as "a rich and organized urban vigilante who hunts and kills criminal scum. And likes to hurt pets." It is later revealed that this Executioner is the son of Princess Python, and knows Kate Bishop from school, and is aware of her secret identity, knowledge that he uses to try to blackmail his way onto the team.
Executioner is not aware of his mother's identity as Princess Python until it is actually pointed out to him. However, it may be that he was simply in denial about this matter, as Norman Osborn comments that if his mother was Princess Python, then he would like to think he would know and Kate Bishop immediately realizes who she is upon meeting her.

## Powers and abilities

Skurge possessed the superhuman abilities of a typical male Asgardian. Due to his unique hybrid physiology, with a half Storm-Giant and half Skornheimian pedigree, Skurge's physical strength, stamina and durability were considerably greater than those of the average Asgardian male. He also possessed superhuman visual acuity. Skurge was extremely long-lived, aging at a much slower pace than human beings, though not truly immortal. His body was highly resistant to physical damage, and he was immune to terrestrial diseases, toxins, and some magic. In the event of injury, Skurge's godly life force would allow him to recover with a superhuman rate. Skurge had proficiency at hand-to-hand combat, and mastery of most Asgardian weapons. He would often fight wielding his large, enchanted, double-bladed battle axe that allowed him a number of abilities including cutting rifts into other dimensions and control over fire and ice that he could project at his enemies. Skurge also sometimes wore an enchanted impregnable horned helmet that completely covered his head. In his first appearance, Skurge demonstrated a 'super-human falcon hunting vision', that enabled him to find Jane Foster in a crowd.
The second Executioner is a vigilante with no super powers.

## Other versions

* An alternate universe variant of the Executioner from Earth-238 appears in Marvel Super-Heroes #377 as a servant of Mad Jim Jaspers.
* The Executioner appears in JLA/Avengers as a brainwashed minion of Krona.

## In other media
### Television

* Skurge the Executioner appears in The Marvel Super Heroes, voiced by Henry Comor.
* Skurge appears in The Super Hero Squad Show episode "Mental Organism Designed Only for Kisses!", voiced by Travis Willingham.
* Skurge the Executioner makes non-speaking appearances in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes as a member of the Masters of Evil.
* Skurge the Executioner appears in Ultimate Spider-Man, voiced again by Travis Willingham.
* Skurge the Executioner appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced again by Travis Willingham. This version is a member of the Cabal.

### Film

Skurge the Executioner appears in Hulk vs. Thor.

### Marvel Cinematic Universe

Skurge appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Karl Urban.
* First appearing in Thor: Ragnarok, this version replaced Heimdall as the guardian of the Bifrost and wields two M16 rifles that he acquired from Texas. Following Hela's takeover of Asgard, she recruits Skurge and dubs him her Executioner. However, he eventually reconsiders his actions and sacrifices himself to protect Asgard.
* An alternate universe variant of Skurge makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the What If...? episode "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?".

### Video games

* The Executioner appears as a boss in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Peter Lurie. This version is a member of Doctor Doom's Masters of Evil.
* The Executioner appears as a boss in Marvel Avengers Alliance.
* The Executioner appears as a playable character in Marvel: Future Fight.