What Is Odinsleep in Marvel Comics & The MCU?
Odin and Thor as two of the most famous and most powerful Asgardians in Marvel Comics, and as such, they have unique powers and abilities at their disposal. We know that Odin-Force is one of the mightiest sources of power in the Universe that allows Odin, and sometimes Thor, to stand up to even the most powerful cosmic beings imaginable. But using Odin-Force comes with its price, as Odin regularly needs “Odinsleep” to recharge his powers. Even though the term is commonplace, many fans are wondering what Odinsleep is, and how long does it lasts?
Odinsleep is a state of deep sleep that Odin needs to enter periodically to recharge his powers, most notably Odin-Force. Odinsleep leaves Odin vulnerable to all external dangers, and this is why Odin, in some cases, postpones going to Odinsleep. The duration of Odinsleep depends on Odin’s current state of powers and can last between a day and a week. Thor is also required to enter Odinsleep when he has access to Odin-Force, which is the only way to maintain access to this sort of power.
Now that we’ve briefly explained what Odinsleep is, it’s time to explain how it’s connected to Odin-Force and why the two usually come hand in hand. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!
Odinsleep and Odin-Force are closely connected
By now, we’re aware that Odin is among the most powerful characters in the Marvel comics. He is a borderline cosmic being that serves as the mightiest Asgardian god. His powers are nearly unlimited, and his wisdom and authority are unparalleled, and at the core of everything lies Odin-Force.
Odin-Force is a powerful energy source wielded by the ruler of Asgard. In most cases, that’s Odin. This mystical force is said to be one of the most potent energies in the Marvel Universe, granting its wielders nearly-unlimited power.
Odin-Force is the source of Odin’s authority, power, and wisdom. It allows him to maintain the balance between the Nine realms and protect Asgard from internal and cosmic threats. Odin used Odin-Force to perform unimaginable feats. He was able to resurrect the dead with it, manipulate reality, and create life, even new planes of existence.
Odin is not the only one with access to Odin-Force; however, since the power is available to all legitimate rulers of Asgard, Thor, as Asgard’s ruler after Odin’s passing, inherited access to Odin-Force. Jane Foster was likewise given access to Odin-Force when Odin tried to test her to see whether she was worthy.
Anyway, Odin-Force is not without its drawbacks; however, the sheer power of the energy can be overwhelming for the individual (which is what happened with Jane Foster). Those who wield the Odin-Force need to be careful in order not to lose control. Odin himself sometimes struggled to control the Odin-Force. He was known to be consumed and overwhelmed by the power, endangering everyone around him.
Odin-Force likewise requires an individual that wields it to periodically enter Odinsleep, and this is what we’re going to discuss next.
Odinsleep recharges Odin-Force, but also leaves the wielder mortally vulnerable
Using Odin-Force puts quite a toll on the wielder’s body, even when the body in question has Asgardian physiology. This is why regular intervals of Odin-Force are required. Odinsleep is a deep state of sleep that Odin, or any wielder of Odin-Force, must enter regularly to recharge Odin-Force.
Entering Odin-Force leaves Odin vulnerable as a mortal, and there’s no answering exactly how much that state will last. In the MCU, we’ve seen that Odin postponed entering Odinsleep for a long time up to that point, and Frigga wasn’t even sure whether Odin would wake up from it. We’ve also seen that Odinsleep not only left Odin vulnerable, it likewise left the entire realm vulnerable to dangers, and Loki used the opportunity to wreak chaos.
This is, in part, why Odin delays the Odinsleep as much as he can. While Odin-Force packs some serious powers, Odinsleep is a drawback requiring constant monitoring. During Odinsleep, Odin usually rests inside the Casket of Odinsleep.
Thor has his version of Odinsleep it’s called “Thorsleep”
When Thor inherited the title of Asgard’s ruler, it wasn’t in name only. As the ruler of Asgard, he gained access to Odin-Force and everything that comes with it, including Odinsleep. Thor’s version of Odin-Sleep is called Thorsleep (and his version of Odin-Force is called Thor-Force). Like Odin, Thor is vulnerable while in Thorsleep, but he attempted to remedy this issue by creating a custom-made casket that was supposed to speed up the process of recharging the Thor-Force.
Thor gave Odin’s metalsmith Falki the task of creating a magical casket that would be able to protect him and speed up the process of Thorsleep. Falki delivered, and the casket was incredibly useful. It was enchanted on several fronts. First, it created a state between life and death, which itself shortened the duration of Thorsleep, but it also resulted in Donald Blake’s persona temporality separating from Thor.
Second, the casket could not be opened from the outside by any means. Neither magical nor physical in nature. It is said that even gods themselves are not able to open Thorsleep casket. The only person who is able to do that is Thor, from within.
But still, the question of the stability of the realm still stands. Even though Thor is well protected from all external threats, the realm is still unguarded while he sleeps. This is why it is necessary for Thorsleep (and Odinsleep) to be as short as possible.
And that’s it. As you can see, any individual who wields the Odin-Force is required to recharge it through Odinsleep, and this in itself is dangerous because it leaves the wielder and Asgard vulnerable to threats.
