Algrim - also known as "Kurse" - is a supporting character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He appears in Thor: The Dark World and is portrayed by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje.
Algrim was a lieutenant of the Dark Elves' leader Malekith. Loyally serving his master during the war against the Asgardians, he was one of the few Dark Elves who survived the catastrophe that almost wiped out their race and lost them the Aether. Five thousand years later, Algrim did not hesitate to sacrifice himself to transform into the last of the Kursed, a Dark Elf "super soldier", so they could unleash their revenge on Asgard.
History[]
Algrim served his race as Malekith's most loyal lieutenant. When the Dark Elves attempted to unleash the power of the Aether into the Nine Realms during the Convergence, they were confronted by the Asgardians and their leader, Bor. Algrim led the Dark Elf forces, sending out legions of Kursed soldiers using Kursed Stones to gain strength. Eventually, Malekith realized the battle could not be won at that time and they escaped into their ship while the rest of their race was killed. Algrim joined Malekith and the surviving Dark Elves in hibernation until the next Convergence would occur.
Remaining in their hibernation cells for five thousand years, the time of the Convergence finally came when Jane Foster of Earth unintentionally discovered and absorbed the Aether, becoming a host body to its power. The Dark Elves sensed the Aether and awoke from their slumber. Malekith awakened his soldiers, including Algrim and told them of the Aether's return before returning to Svartalfheim.
Algrim before becoming Kursed
Horrified at seeing the remains of their homeworld, Algrim comforted Malekith. Discovering the Aether host was on Asgard, Malekith set his sights for revenge before turning to Algrim for his loyalty. Algrim readily agreed to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Dark Elves and volunteered to become the last of the Kursed, a type of Dark Elf super soldier created from pure darkness. Malekith stabbed Algrim in his stomach and inserted a Kursed Stone within him.
Departing from the Dark Elf flagship, Algrim disguised himself as a member of the Marauders, hiding his face beneath a horned, bestial mask helmet. Falling into ranks with a group of Marauders, Algrim allowed himself to be captured by the Asgardians. Alongside other Marauders, Algrim was taken by Fandral and Volstagg into Asgard via the Bifrost Bridge where he was marched past Heimdall and taken to the Asgardian Dungeons.
Inside the Asgardian Dungeons, Algrim removed the Kursed Stone from his stomach and crushed it with his fist. The stone began to melt into lava and to be absorbed into Algrim's entire body, merging his clothes and helmet into his skin, turning him into a giant beast. The other prisoners in his cell began banging on the cell's walls and calling upon the Einherjar for help, horrified by the sight, before Kurse unleashed an explosion within the cell which knocked them all to the ground.
Using a terrified Marauder, Kurse, now full of new and immense power, smashed his way out the cell using his victim's face. Using his newfound strength, Kurse let loose the rest of the imprisoned Marauders on the Asgardian guards. Kurse grabbed two guards by the throats, whose swords were unable to penetrate his body, and burn the skin off their faces with his new power. Kurse then freed the other prisoners, including Lorelei, to begin a riot.
Before leaving the dungeons with the battle between the Marauders and the Guards in full force as the Warriors Three and Thor came to assist to subdue the rioters, Kurse encountered the smiling Loki still locked in his cell. Believing that Loki was of no benefit to him during this skirmish due to his lack of physical strength, Kurse decided to leave Loki inside his cell, who went on to give Kurse directions as to find what he was looking for within Asgard.
With the invasion of Asgard going ahead, Kurse then went on to search for Malekith, finding him in mid-duel with Queen Frigga. Disarming her and holding her hostage under his powerful arms, Kurse watched as Malekith attempted to take the Aether from Jane Foster, revealed to be an illusion created by Frigga. Knowing she would not reveal Foster's location, Kurse stabbed her in the back with her own sword, killing her. Witnessing the death of his mother, Thor, the Asgardian Prince, rushed to the scene and threw a bolt of lightning at Malekith from Mjølnir, burning his face. Kurse grabbed his master and ran for the balcony with Thor throwing his hammer at Kurse, only for it to knock the duo over the balcony and onto the Dark Elf Flagship. Escaping from Asgard, Kurse had Malekith put into hibernation to recover from his wounds and regain his strength.
Returning to Svartalfheim as they remained within the Dark Elf Flagship and they awaited their chance to attack again, Malekith awoke from his sleep. Kurse advised him to recovery quickly as they were ready to once again attack Asgard to regain their prize. However, Malekith informed them that Asgard was now meaningless as he sensed that the Aether was now on their own home planet again. Kurse joined his master's side as they left their ship and sighted Thor, Loki and Jane Foster standing on a hilltop. Out of the blue, Loki then betrayed Thor, stabbing him and kicking him down the hill and chopping off his hand. Grabbing Foster as his prisoner, Loki revealed that he originated from Jotunheim and wanted to see Asgard's demise. Kurse confirmed this to Malekith, stating that he was a prisoner in the Asgardian Dungeons.
Malekith accepted Loki's aid mocked the Asgardian Prince for his failure to stop him, before he began to draw the Aether out of Foster's body while Kurse watched on. Loki, however, revealed his betrayal as a trick at the very moment the Foster's body was cleared of the Aether's power. Loki returned Thor's hand who summoned his hammer, Mjølnir, and struck the Aether with lightning, shattering it into a thousand pieces across the wasteland planet.
Death[]
Fortunately for the Dark Elves, Malekith revealed the Aether was too strong to be destroyed so easily and absorbed it into himself, becoming all powerful while Thor looked on in horror. Leaving with his master for the Dark Elf Flagship, Kurse threw a Black Hole Grenade at Loki, only for Thor to save him before he could be killed. Staying behind as his ship left, Kurse challenged Thor to a final fight to the death, throwing him around Svartalfheim with his vastly superior strength.
Proving himself stronger, Kurse threw a huge boulder at the Asgardian price and even deflected Thor's hammer before he began savagely beating him on the ground in an attempt to beat him to death. Before he could kill Thor, Loki suddenly stabbed Kurse through the chest with a sword, only for the unaffected Kurse to grab him and force him against his body, pushing the blade straight through Loki before throwing his bleeding body to the ground.
As Kurse prepared to finish of the God of Mischief, Loki managed to gain the last laugh against the Dark Elf. Loki had used the opportunity to activate Kurse's Black Hole Grenades attached to the monster's belt, telling the monster that he would see him in Hel. Seeing the deception too late, Kurse attempted to save himself but was unable to remove the grenade in time, Kurse was sucked into the Black Hole and ultimately killed as his body was crushed from the inside.