transpired in Latveria to happen. Loki assures him he is a fine king. During the Siege storyline, Loki warns Balder that Norman Osborn is rallying up an army to invade Asgard following the incident with Volstagg and the U-Foes at Soldier Field. Balder is later informed about the situation with Volstagg by Hogun and Fandral. When Captain America arrives with the New Avengers and the Secret Warriors, Balder is pleased at the fact that Thor's allies have joined the battle. Balder remains King of Asgard after the failed Siege, but is stricken with great guilt, believing his rule has led to naught but ruin, but Thor persuades him to remain monarch and accept him as his new Chief Advisor. Balder attends the Council of Godheads convened to counter the imminent universal threat of the Chaos King and his impending Chaos War, to decide which mortal paragon they would choose to combat Mikaboshi. Vali Halfling later appears to the Council and challenges them to disprove their own impotence by stopping him before he himself attained godhood, and Balder tells Anansi that Halfling was the son of Loki and banished to Midgard long ago. When the Chaos War at long last nears Earth, the Council summons Hercules, Amadeus Cho and Delphyne Gorgon before them and command them to bow before their authority; in return, the newly restored and empowered Hercules fights and easily bests most of them, including Balder himself with a single rage-fueled blow. After the Underworld is overthrown by Mikaboshi, and Hela and Pluto are overwhelmed by his devastating forces, Balder calls for the Council to fight alongside him against the Chaos King, only for the Japanese sun goddess Amaterasu to seal the throne room of the Celestial Axis, the latter claiming that if he went now, Mikaboshi would be able to trace him back to the Axis and subsequently invade all their realms, but promising that they will aid Hercules and Thor in their "own time". However, Mikaboshi breaks into the Celestial Axis after Hercules pierced the veil shielding it, and launches an assault on all of Earth's pantheons, seemingly decimating all of them with brutal ease and slaughtering many of the deities, although Balder is one of the survivors and later encounters Hercules. Powers and abilities Balder is said to be the fastest and most agile of all Asgardian warriors, with his speed being rivaled only by Hermod.