One of Thor's greatest villains,
Amora, also known as
Enchantress, is a sorceress famous for using her charm to dominate her enemies.
Working alongside Loki or following her own agenda, the character shifts between being an enemy and an ally to Thor, torn between her love for the God of Thunder and her own goals for more power.
But who, in fact, is Enchantress? Come with me. I'll tell you everything!
It should be pointed out that there are
two Enchantresses in Marvel comics. The first is a Thor villain who first appeared in the comics in 1964, also known as
Amora.
The second is
Sylvie Lushton, who takes Enchantress' name precisely in reference to the first because of the similarity between their powers. Both are powerful sorcerers.
I will talk about them both!
Enchantress First Appearance in Marvel
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Enchantress debut in the comics![/caption]
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Enchantress first appeared in comics in April 1964, during
Journey into Mystery #103.
Amora and The Executioner are introduced together as the new antagonists of the God of Thunder. The issue sold the duo as "two of the strangest super-menaces of all time" and promised that fans would never forget the breathtaking Enchantress.
The Pains of Seduction
Amora is introduced in Marvel as part of a plan by Odin and Loki. Unhappy with the romance between Dr. Don Blake - Thor's human cover - and Jane Foster, the All-Father thinks of ways to end this emotional attachment that inhabits his son's heart.
That's when Loki suggests making the God of Thunder meet someone more exciting and desirable since this would be enough to make him forget Jane. So he asks for help from Amora, an Asgardian Goddess who takes on the title of Enchantress.
When she arrives on Earth, Amora conquers all men with just one look. She kisses Blake and makes sure Jane sees the scene.
Noticing that her seduction has failed, Enchantress takes on a more aggressive approach, requesting the help of Skurge The Executioner, a giant warrior who was in love with her, to banish Jane. Accepting her request, the villain uses his axe to create an interdimensional rift and throw Jane into a dark world.
When Thor arrives, Skurge offers to trade Jane for the hero's hammer, who immediately accepts. However, thanks to Mjölnir's enchantment, The Executioner is unable to wield the hammer.
Seeing that her partner had betrayed her plans, Amora partially transforms The Executioner into a tree while trying to transmute the Hammer into serpents (which doesn't work thanks to Odin's previous enchantment).
Reunited with his beloved, Thor uses the Mjölnir to create a vortex that drags Amora and Skurge from Asgard. The comic ends with an enraged Odin promising that his son's rebelliousness will be punished.
Origin
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The beautiful Enchantress in the Marvel comics[/caption]
Amora was born in Asgard from an unknown lineage, but her parents were never mentioned. The only family is Lorelei, her younger sister. The latter is also a seductress and masters the art of manipulation.
When Amora was a teenager, she ran away to the land of the Norns, learning magic from Karnilla, one of the greatest sorcerers in her dimension, until she was expelled for her rebelliousness and lack of appreciation for the rules.
However, Amora's magical training continued through the mages and wizards she seduced over time, acquiring their esoteric knowledge and techniques and increasing her power.
Who is Amora?
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Amora at one of her most recent comic book appearances[/caption]
Elegant, arrogant, and highly seductive, Amora is a character of questionable behavior, both acting as hero and villain. Usually referred to as a minor enemy, she is known for her passion for Thor and lust for power.
Although she is shown as a ruthless figure, capable of torturing and attacking innocents without a second thought, she is not considered cruel. Instead, Enchantress' actions are usually based on her goals or revenge, but never just for the simple pleasure of causing others suffering.
Extremely powerful, but not to the point of letting her confidence in her abilities blind her, Amora does not insist on a battle that she knows she cannot win. That's the reason why we see the villain fleeing several times, either because she considers herself outnumbered or because she understands that she will not get what she wants.
Famous for seducing men to achieve her plans, Amora uses her beauty as a weapon. Combining this with her immense cunning, she quickly dominates and manipulates people, turning powerful men into loyal lackeys.
However, even though her personality is somewhat vile and futile, Amora proves to be a complex figure. When Asgard needs help, she is usually there to protect her home - even if she has to pay with her own life for that choice.
In addition, Enchantress shows a vulnerable and lonely side at times, as when she was willing to destroy the Nine Realms to bring the man she loved back to life.
Enchantress' Stories in The Comics
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With long blond hair and a green outfit, Amora is a memorable figure in Marvel.[/caption]
Although a mighty sorceress, Enchantress is used as a villain with little potential in Marvel comics. Her primary motivation is to seduce Thor, using enchantments to conquer the God of Thunder. Beyond this, what drives her is a desire for absolute power, resulting in Amora seeking to conquer kingdoms or power sources to increase her magical talents.
Enchantress has been known to work closely with villains. For example, she teamed up with Loki, Baron Zemo, Mandarin, and Arkon to take revenge on their enemies and conquer continents; or when she worked closely with Doctor Doom, helping him destroy Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman's marriage.
Enchantress's greatest ally is The Executioner, her most loyal sidekick that functions as her primary source of physical strength despite other occasional partnerships. Most of the time, the duo is seen antagonizing Thor and the Avengers in short stories.
However, Amora's greatest enemy seems to be Valkyrie since, in one particular comic, Amora managed to imprison Brunnhilde in a crystal for many years - a grudge the heroine carries to this day.
Secret Wars
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Volcana beggs Enchantress to take her to her beloved[/caption]
During the Secret Wars, Amora was more prominent, being taken by Beyonder to the Battleworld. The villain is quickly knocked out by She-Hulk in their first fight and rescued by Thor, who wanted the help of an Asgardian companion during the pandemonium.
Taking advantage of the moment, Enchantress spends much of the story trying to seduce the hero or being rescued by him - since apparently, she was unable to use her magic to attract him and defend herself at the same time.
Their plans for conquest fail, and eventually, Enchantress and Thor find themselves surrounded by villains. Even though the God of Thunder believes that Amora will fight at his side, she abandons him and lets him die. Or so it seems since Thor escapes at the last minute.
Later, Amora tries to seduce Doctor Doom. Rejected once again, she shows up again to help Volcana, who begged Enchantress to take her to her beloved, the Molecule Man, promising that she would give anything to the sorceress.
Amora decides to collect on her promise by using the other villain's life force as fuel for her to teleport to Asgard. The plan fails when Molecule Man and the Lizard arise to save Volcana. Despite being injured in the process, Enchantress manages to return to her home.
Anti-heroine
But Enchantress does not live by seduction and evil alone. After being exiled from Asgard by Odin, who condemned the sorceress' actions and her crimes, Amora and Skurge returned during a Surtur attack.
Assisting the heroes, Enchantress and The Executioner used all their talents to face the villain, which earned titles and honors for both of them. Despite this, Amora continued pursuing her own goals, gaining more power and control over all of reality.
The Executioner and Grief
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Amora and Skurge[/caption]
When Skurge tires of being manipulated by Amora, we see the villain sacrificing himself to protect Thor on a mission in Hela's kingdom. Surprising everyone, Enchantress actually shows feelings for The Executioner and grieves her loss.
After the death of her partner, Amora searched for a suitable replacement by seducing mortals or trying to turn Magnum into her lover and ally.
Saving Asgard
Amora is once again a hero during the Massacre arc. After being kidnapped by Frost Giants and escaping, Enchantress discovers that Thor had sacrificed himself to defeat the villain that gives the Marvel event its name.
Upon hearing the news, Amora takes it upon herself to find the Gods of Asgard who had been turned into mortals by Odin, helping each deity awaken their powers and assume their immortal status.
Ragnarok and the Return of Enchantress
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The Enchantress' death[/caption]
During Ragnarok, Loki and his allies elaborate a terrible plan to overthrow Asgard. Discovering how Mjolnir was made, the God of Mischief manages to create several hammers for the villains. Even though they are not as powerful as Thor's weapon - since they lack Odin's magic - the artifacts are powerful enough to cause plenty of destruction.
So in the very first attack, Loki and his allies succeeded in killing Amora, who was fighting together with Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, Balder, and the Valkyries to protect Asgard. The attack that destroys the sorceress is the same one that severely injures Thor and incapacitates other heroes in the process.
When Asgard is reborn on Earth after Ragnarok, Thor begins to awaken the Gods who were living as humans. But, despite her heroic death, Amora is not considered worthy of awakening by Thor, who decides to keep the troublesome deities (as well as Loki and Hela) in this mortal state.
Thanks to Loki's tricks, Amora ends up returning, going to the edges of the Earth, and continuing her plans far from Asgard. One of her first missions was to bring Skurge back to life, finally realizing that she loved the warrior.
The sorceress began manipulating reality by attacking Yggdrasil, trying to rip Skurge from Valhalla. She only stops when Thor, Loki, and Balder argue that she would be dishonoring The Executioner's memory and his noble sacrifice.
Ally and Enemy
Later, Amora antagonizes Thor again, in the story where we discover that the nine realms were being combined into Hel, Hela's land of the dead. Despite swearing that she would take revenge on the God of Thunder, Enchantress helps Thor when hindered by the Goddess of Death, even facing Hela in a fight after this.
Thor is saved again by Amora in another fight with Hela, and Enchantress heals the hero with her magic. After saving the day - and preventing the realms from merging into Hel - Enchantress transports Thor and his allies back to where they were, while the hero promises that he will not forget what Amora had done.
Axis
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"Every creature deserves to feel love, at least once..."[/caption]
After more stories antagonizing Thor and being banished to harsh locations, Amora came back into the spotlight during the Axis saga, when villains and heroes had their morality reversed.
Acting as a heroine, Amora played an essential role in assisting Magneto and Loki in their confrontation with the Red Onslaught - a more terrible and powerful form of the Red Skull. Amora wreaks immense havoc on the villain by using her magic and seduction, making him want to serve the sorceress and feel love.
Later, we see the sorceress trying to stop the X-Men (now turned villains) from extinguishing humans with a genetic bomb. When the reversal spell is undone, Amora returns to her normal state and starts acting as before.
War of the Realms
Returning to villainy once again, Enchantress is one of Malekith's allies in his War of the Realms, using her magic to manipulate the minds of others, gain power, and control her enemies.
After the invasion, the villains divided the world into different kingdoms, and Amora became the queen of South America. She relied on the Draugr, an army of dead warriors, to fight under her command.
All was going well until Enchantress had a vision that showed her surrendered by Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel. Once the heroes arrive to face her, Amora tries to confuse them with her magic, causing them to switch bodies.
The villain's plan doesn't work, and despite being unaccustomed to her powers, the heroic duo successfully defeats the sorceress. Enchantress is sentenced to be imprisoned under Asgard at the Watchtower Tree's roots as punishment for her crimes.
The last time we saw the character was in
Strange Academy #10 when young Iric reveals himself to be her son and visits her in prison.
What Are The Enchantress' Powers?
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Enchantress cursing the whole earth[/caption]
Enchantress does not lack talent and power. As Asgardian, Amora possesses the attributes of this species. She is endowed with superhuman strength, stamina, agility, longevity, speed, and durability.
Her healing factor is also quite impressive, so she can recover quite easily even though it is difficult to hurt her. Her physiology also ensures that Amora is immune to all kinds of diseases and infections on Earth.
But, it's in sorcery that Amora distinguishes herself. Being considered one of the most powerful magic users in Asgard, she is ranked above Loki, second only to Karnilla. Moreover, her power is so great that she can hide from Doctor Strange and the Eye of Agamotto.
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Sorceress and seductress, a character of many talents![/caption]
With her magic, Amora can cast powerful and far-reaching spells - something we saw when she cursed the entire planet Earth, causing blood to rain down while all corpses were reanimated, something that not even Odin was able to reverse.
In addition, Enchantress can launch bursts of energy, teleport, fly, transmute men into trees or statues, create illusions and energy shields, paralyze enemies, use telekinesis, manipulate time, absorb other people's life force to power spells, use all the gifts of telepathy (reading minds, projecting thoughts, communicating with other people), hypnotize enemies, and perform astral projection.
As if this were not enough, Amora also possesses a magical sense, being able to detect the sources of magical energy around her, imminent danger, and the love people are feeling. Amora's tears are a treasure like the Goddess Freyja in mythology: the sorceress cries gold and diamonds.
Despite all these numerous gifts and talents, seduction has become Amora's main weapon. Gods or mortals, all men are eventually swept away by her beauty and charm, being stricken with immense desire. Enchantress' kisses are bewitching and can enslave virtually any human for up to a week, making them obey her every command.
What Are The Enchantress's Weaknesses?
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Enchantress has a few weaknesses![/caption]
Amora needs to have her hands and mouth free to cast her spells. However, her seductive aura and bewitching kisses continue to work even when she remains immobilized - something we saw when she seduced an Ice Giant with just one look.
Although gifted with immense physical strength and stamina - like every Asgardian - Amora has no experience in hand-to-hand combat, betting all her strength on magic. For this reason, she usually works with some partner, such as The Executioner, who serves as a brute force source for her plans.
Who is Sylvie, The Second Enchantress?
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Sylvie and the Young Avengers[/caption]
There is another Enchantress in Marvel comics, the infamous Sylvie Lushton. Born as an ordinary girl in Broxton, Sylvie awakened with magical powers after Asgard was formed in Oklahoma.
As the story progresses, we discover that this is a scheme of Lady Loki, who was sowing chaos by granting her magical gifts. To this day, it remains unclear whether Sylvie's entire existence was a villain's creation or whether she actually existed as an ordinary mortal at some point.
Taking on the name and style of Enchantress, Sylvie tries to join the Avengers, believing that she is an Asgardian who has finally awakened her true identity - which was not the case.
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Amora banishing Sylvie[/caption]
Desperate to be a hero, Sylvie joins the Young Avengers, using her magic to manipulate her allies to earn her place on the team, but is dismissed shortly after. Acting as an antagonist to the group, Sylvie even confronts the heroes later on.
Sylvie wanted to be a hero and improve the world despite getting involved with troublesome characters with violent and criminal tendencies. However, she ends up acting more and more like a villain, partnering with dangerous groups like the Damsels, taking on Valkyrie and the Defenders.
Sylvie ends up in the Illuminati, a group created by the villainous Hood. Trying to trick her allies into infiltrating Asgardia to gain more power, Sylvie is unmasked. The character's end comes at the hands of Amora at the conclusion of the Illuminati arc.
The original Enchantress is not happy when she discovers that another woman is stealing her style and name. So Amora banishes Sylvie to the most infamous of the Ten Realms, arguing that if the young woman was strong enough to overcome this challenge, they could be friends but that it was highly unlikely that Sylvie would survive.
Although young and inexperienced, Sylvie was portrayed as a villain of immense magical power, rivaling Amora at some points. In her stories, Sylvie goes head-to-head with Wiccano and even confronts Clea and Doctor Strange simultaneously.
Enchantress in Other Media
In addition to the comics, Enchantress appears in several other media. She and The Executioner are seen in
The Marvel Superheroes, a 1960s animated series, and
The Super Hero Squad Show.
More recently, in
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, she has become a recurring villain, and the same is true in
Marvel's The Avengers: Secret Wars.
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Enchantress in Thor vs. Hulk[/caption]
She appears briefly in the animated short
Thor: Tales of Asgard and
Hulk vs. Thor movie.
In video games, Amora is seen in
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance,
The Super Hero Squad Show Online,
Marvel: Avengers Alliance, and
Lego Marvel 2. Additionally, she is playable in
Marvel Future Fight and featured prominently in
Marvel Avengers Academy. 
