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| Colin Gunderson | |
| First Appearance: | I Can Give You Frigg 1.08 |
| Last Appearance: | The End of the World As We Know It 3.13 |
| Played By: | Shane Cortese |
| Gender: | Male |
| Occupation: | As Colin: *Lawyer As Loki: (formerly) *God of Fire, Mischief and Trickery |
| God/Goddess: | Loki (formerly) |
| Power: | Formerly: *Pyrokinesis |
| Relatives: | Eva (daughter, deceased) |
Colin Gunderson was the reincarnation of Loki; God of Fire, Mischief and Trickery.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
His early history is unknown. He had a daughter named Eva with an unknown Goddess, who has apparently since died. He was either an only child or the youngest in his family—as he now has possession of the family sword (the lightening rod).
Before Eva turned 21, they had a massive falling out. Most likely due to her mother's death, or to his use of humor in dealing with tragedy. This resulted in Colin failing to enlighten her about the strange things that had been happening to her. Colin was unaware of Eva's new-found instability—a result of becoming Hel's host—and had her medicated. This interaction only made their relationship worse. (I Can Give You Frigg, Hunting Reindeer on Slippery Rocks)
Season 1[]
Colin was first mentioned by Eva when Michele and Stacey questioned what her parents had told her about Gods and Goddesses, and how they were never close. When Agnetha suspected that Eva was Frigg, she approached Colin and noted her power and importance, to which Colin agreed (I Can Give You Frigg), but apparently set her straight by telling her that Eva was actually Hel. Together they planned to spoil Odin's uniting with the real Frigg by setting him up with Eva.
The Odin in question, Axl Johnson, decided that Colin needed to be taught a lesson for being disrespectful to Eva after hearing how Colin treated her. After being forced to break into the house after being refused access, Axl confronted Colin and revealed himself as Odin, though this did not impress Colin. After Axl's attempt to convince him to be kinder to Eva had Colin finding the whole sitation amusing, he then set a rolled-up newspaper on fire and chased Axl out of the house with the flaming object. Colin then visited Eva at her home, and ignoring Stacey's defence of Eva, asked that she not have Axl talk on her behalf.
When Eva and Axl agreed to get married, they informed Colin, who seemed indifferent to the decision. Colin went to see Axl's older brother, Mike (Ullr), to impart a Gods marriage contract to formally seal the union (not telling him the full details or consequences). When Agnetha gave them a partial translation, Eva and Axl agreed to marry, leading to a conference in a forest where Colin, Axl, Eva and Mike, would sign the contract to seal it. Doing so, Colin said he would see everyone at the engagement ceremony, and then went to Agnetha to inform her of the progress of their plan, and then proceeded to go down on Var. (Hunting Reindeer on Slippery Rocks)
At the actual engagement party at his place, Colin saw fit to identify everyone present with tags identifying them with their God names (being more touchy when it came to placing the tags on the Goddesses). He then announced that he would impart a car and the location of a home for Axl and Eva to share once they were married. When problems arose, Axl and Eva decided to call the marriage off. Colin pointed out that doing so would end Mike's life since they were bound by contract, since it had been obvious that no one would ask for an English version of the marriage contract. When it was learned that Eva was Hel, Colin said that didn't affect the contract's outcome. However Ty Johnson stated that since someone from their family must marry Eva, he would take Axl's place, thus fulfilling the contract and foiling Colin and Agnetha's plan. Colin, for once seeming subdued, decided to give the marriage ceremony a miss. (Every Good Quest Has a Sacrifice)
Season 2[]
Colin pays for an "expensive" house for Eva and his new son-in-law to live and warns Ty in private not to harm his daughter or he will regret it. He also starts a relationship with Michelle at the start of the season. He later plays an elaborate and dangerous prank on Axl has revenge for Axl snubbing his offer to help search for Frigg. Despite this the prank reveals that Axl needs to get his act together if he will be their future leader. To undo the damage caused by Colin's prank, Mike engages in a "trial by fire" with Loki in order to clear Axl of the charges of which he's falsely accused. Mike wins with Olaf's help and wins the local bar which Colin owns.
In Charlie Truman, Colin ends up in the middle of a bar fight between his daughter and girlfriend which he finds a laugh but leaves when Ty and Eva's behavior sours the mood at the pub. Near the end of the episode he is awake unable to sleep due to an unexplained unease. This is later revealed to be the result of Loki sensing Eva and Hel in peril from Agnetha.
Season 3[]
When Ty attempted to move on with his life by selling the house that Colin had bought for him and Eva, he attempted to stop him. When it became clear that he would not be able to prevent the sale, and that the house was lacking insurance, Colin burned down the house with the currently mortal Ty inside. Ty managed to escape but lost his home and a lot of money due to paying damages to surrounding houses.
Colin decides to run for Mayor of Auckland for both money and power, planning on enlisting Anders to abuse the powers of Bragi to this end. Employing JPR for campaign management, Colin gains a sexual desire for Dawn which he expects Anders to help satisfy.
Anders did in fact use his powers upon Dawn. When she is kissed by Colin, she leads him to an alleyway where Anders and Ty are waiting. Ty informs Colin that if he comes near any member of his family or person he knows, they will kill him. Colin is amused by this threat by a mere mortal, setting the alleyway on fire as a display of power. Ty grabs his wrist and demonstrates the return of the powers of Höðr by summoning a blizzard to extinguish the flames of Loki and freeze Colins arm, quite possibly killing him if Anders had not intervened.
After getting his arm treated, Loki arrives at Mike's bar informing him that he will destroy Ty, his home and his business. After failed attempts by Mike to get Loki to settle their differences in a game. Mike says that he'll stop him from harming any Johnson. Colin says that he bets that he won't, entering into a game with Ullr, not only giving Mike an advantage in combat against him, but essentially nullifying his powers against all Johnsons.
JPR has since stopped managing Colin's campaign, which is assumed to have ended.
Before the ascension ceremony, Colin burns down Mike's bar hoping to force some form of financial hardship upon him. However, Mike had been expecting this and had considerable fire insurance the bar. It is implied that he got very wealthy from the arson. It is not clear if Mike thought to do this simply because it was prudent or if it was a result of the game with Colin about never harming a Johnson.
Personality[]
Like his God incarnation Colin is very unpredictable; he can be your best friend one minute and your worst enemy the next. He normaly views everything like its one big joke and intially has little respect for Axl's authority though soon develops a begrudging respect for the young godling when he starts taking his role serious.
Colin is quite intune with Loki and as a result has a large degree of control over his pyrokenesis. It's uncertain if this is simply because Loki is a powerful god, Colin has a natural affinity for the power, or if his sexual relations with several Goddess' has boosted his strength.
He can be highly vindictive when he or a member of the family is crossed; when he believed Ty murdered Eva he goes to increasing violent legths to make him suffer. At one point he sets Ty's room on fire with his powers. When Ty confessed Agnetha was the true muderer he was able to forgive Ty when he admits that he is in just as much pain as Colin is over her death and that he wished he could have saved her.
Relationships[]
Eva[]
His relationship with his daughter was strained long before her 21st birthday, primarily because of his constant mocking and joking attitude, though he Eva states they were never that close in the first place. Their relationship deterioated further when she turned 21 and became the incarnation of Hel (ironically, Hel is the daughter of Loki). This relationship was further strained when she learned the truth and planned to marry Axl just to spite him, though he seemed to just take it in his stride.
However when she died, he felt her death but couldn't understand this until he realised she was actually dead. Only then did Colin show that he had ever actually cared about her by going so far as to give her a Norse funeral. He initially blamed Ty and tried to kill him, until learning Agnetha was the one responsible for her death. Only when he set her on fire (as she had been condemned to become a tree) did he feel he had truly avenged Eva.
Var[]
Colin employed Var at his insurance company (whether this was before or after he found out she was a Goddess is unclear), and the two often engaged in sexual relations. Little else is known about their relationship, particularly their beakup which led to him being with Michele.
Given Colin's personality, it's likely that Var was simply a casual relationship made more desirable by the power increase that results from gods and goddesses being together.
Michele[]
Though initially she was disturbed by his behavior at the engagement party of Eva and Axl, she apparently got over this and shacked up with him because of his great power. After their initial hook-up (taking place on Eva and Ty's bed) they proceed into a mostly sexual relationship, which was more about their needs and desire for power. However Colin never truly appreciated her, treated her more like a sex slave than a partner, which soon led to her kneeing him in the balls and breaking up with him.
About the god Loki[]
Loki, in Norse mythology, a cunning trickster who had the ability to change his shape and sex. Although his father was the giant Fárbauti, he was included among the Æsir (a tribe of gods). Loki was represented as the companion of the great gods Odin and Thor, helping them with his clever plans but sometimes causing embarrassment and difficulty for them and himself.
He also appeared as the enemy of the gods, entering their banquet uninvited and demanding their drink. He was the principal cause of the death of the god Baldr. Loki was bound to a rock (by the entrails of one or more of his sons, according to some sources) as punishment, thus in many ways resembling the Greek figures Prometheus and Tantalus. Also like Prometheus, Loki is considered a god of fire.
With the female giant Angerboda (Angrboda: “Distress Bringer”), Loki produced the progeny Hel, the goddess of death; Jörmungandr the midgard serpent; and Fenrir the wolf. Loki is also credited with giving birth to Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse.
Loki’s status in pre-Christian Scandinavia remains somewhat obscure. The medieval sources from which came much of what is known of Loki provide no evidence of a cult, unlike for other Norse deities, and the name Loki does not appear in place-names.