#aldrif

Fans of the Thor comics may be aware of Aldrif “Angela’ Odinsdottir. What they might not be aware of is that she was created by Neil Gaiman, and does NOT originate in Marvel Comics. In 1993, Neil Gaiman was contracted by Todd McFaralane to write a single issue of Spawn, which is an Image Comics series. In this issue, he introduced the character of Angela, an angel who is a bounty hunter. Todd McFarlane, Spawn’s creator, continued to use Angela in Spawn comics throughout the next decade. Gaiman, however, claimed that Angela was their joint property, not solely McFarlane’s, and that McFarlane was using her without his permission, thus violating copyright. Litigation ensued, which Gaiman won. He then sold the rights to Angela to Marvel Comics, and was given the backstory of really being Odin and Frigga’s long-lost daughter Aldrif. Angels, gods, and Neil Gaiman---what a pedigree this girl has!