[4] Heimdall first appeared in a comic in Journey into Mystery #85 (October 1962) and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby.

[20] When Asgard was invaded by the fire demon Surtur, Heimdall attempted to defend the gates, but was overcome, and the Rainbow Bridge was shattered.

[volume & issue needed] When Odin cast the Asgardians into the guises of mortals to protect them from a false Ragnarok, Heimdall became Donald Velez.

[volume & issue needed] Heimdall and the others regained their true forms and defeated Seth just as Asgard was attacked by the Dark Gods, and they were all taken prisoner.

[volume & issue needed] Around this time, Jason, a powerful member of the earth-based team the Pantheon, claims to have eluded Heimdall's senses during a trip through Asgard and over the Rainbow Bridge.

Asgard is struck by another Ragnarok, caused by Loki making weapons like Mjolnir for his army and enlisting the aid of Surtur, one from which there was no seeming reversal.

Upon his return to Asgard, Heimdall uses his near-omniscient power to locate the scattered souls of the other Asgardians with the notable exception of his sister Sif, due to Loki's interference.

[35] Heimdall is overcome by guilt when his supervision of all known worlds, including Earth, fails to spot the Fenris wolf savaging a small town in the state of Washington.

[38][39] Heimdall's duties and status are touched upon in the 'Avengers Prime' miniseries which takes place in the days following 'Siege'.

This Thunder God severely injures Heimdall, leaving him unable to protect the All-Mother and warn others of the mystery of his attacker.

[45] With his eyesight restored, Heimdall traveled to Midgard to help Jane Foster - the new Valkyrie - find the lost sword Dragonfang before being stabbed in the chest by Bullseye.

[46] Although his wounds proved fatal, Heimdall helped Jane accept that she had to be her own kind of Valkyrie rather than hold on to their legacy.

[48] Heimdall possesses the powers of a typical Asgardian, including superhuman strength, stamina, speed, agility and durability.

[volume & issue needed] Heimdall has been said to be capable of detecting the fluttering of a butterfly's wings "a thousand worlds away".

[volume & issue needed] Heimdall is able to sense the life essences of Asgardian gods throughout the Nine Worlds of Asgard, and has the ability to focus on certain sensory information or block it out of his consciousness as he chooses, being so alert that he requires no sleep at all.

[38] At least once, Heimdall has shown the ability to project an avatar (as an enlarged image of his face) to others from just outside Broxton to Manhattan, as he did with Thor, though he claims that he cannot maintain it for long, as his power has diminished with the fall of Asgard.

[51] Heimdall also briefly possessed the Odinpower which granted him the ability to channel vast magical energies, for various purposes, such as repairing the shattered dimension-linking Rainbow Bridge.

He has proficiency and great experience with edged weapons and wields a variety of swords, shields and spears and he wears a suit of armor.

Heimdall is armed with an enchanted uru[9] sword that has, on at least one occasion, allowed him to mystically disguise himself as a normal human while on Earth.

[52] Heimdall has also at least once wielded the powerful Sabre of Sorcery, which projected blasts of mystic energy and fire, against the Hulk when the latter was invading Asgard, but was unable to prevent him from entering the Realm Eternal.

[55] In Thor: The Mighty Avenger #6, Heimdall, much like his Marvel Universe incarnation, appears as the guard of the Bifrost bridge, sports a goatee and wears a horned helmet that casts his eyes in shadows.

[56] Heimdall first appeared in the Ultimate Marvel universe when he is confronted by Loki (disguised as Baron Zemo), who shot and killed him.