In a historic announcement today, Marvel Group formally acknowledged that many of the characters and worlds in its comics, film and tv series, are based on figures that are of historical and religious significance to the Viking heritage, by agreeing to a 99 year franchise deal for use of names, characterisations and permission to construct both factual and fictional plotlines based on the pantheon and history of the Vikings, with the World Viking Organisation, a recently formed body representing the interests of persons of Viking heritage, wherever in the world they may be.
At a joint press conference, Marvel head Stan Lee, and World Viking Organisation head Thrud Aasgard signed the agreement, and issued a joint statement where Marvel praised the humanitarian work undertaken by the World Viking Organisation and stated its joy at being able to contribute financialy to that work in a formalised way, and the World Viking Organisation praised the honesty of Marvel in the characterisations and plotlines of its characters, and in their couragous decision to be the first worldwide commercial organisation to recognise that Vikings as a displaced nation with a vast cultural history and social significance in the world today.