The Norns—the sisters who serve as the three goddesses of fate in Norse mythology—are a vital link in the Norse pantheon. They consist of Urd, who governs the past; Verdandi, who governs the present; and Skuld, who governs the future.
In the comics, they are NPCs with very few appearances, so few that almost no major works are directly related to them. However, Peter vaguely recalled that they were supposedly the same as the Moirai of Greek mythology, as their dwelling place housed the Loom of Fate, a staple of Greek myth.
Thus, Peter simply asked Thor, "Who exactly are the Three Goddesses of Fate? I mean, aside from the myths everyone already knows."
"I do not know either. Whether it be Nornheim or the Norn sisters, we have little contact with them. Nornheim is a unique region of Asgard, directly connected to the Well of Urd that nourishes the roots of Yggdrasil. The residents call themselves Norns rather than Aesir, making them seem somewhat out of place."
Thor was currently flying Peter toward Nornheim. After a moment of reflection, Peter brought up the only connection he had to them: "Could it be related to the Web of Life and Destiny? They have a Loom of Fate, and I am connected to the Web."
Hearing this, Thor chuckled for some reason.
"Well, it is indeed possible, though I suspect it is not in the way you imagine. The three Norn sisters do indeed command a certain degree of fate, but the Web of Life and Destiny is far too vast for them. All right, we have arrived: Norn Castle, home of the Norns."
The Asgardians guarding the place clearly held no affection for anyone, including Thor, and directly blocked his path. "Halt, Son of Odin. The Queen has not invited you."
"My presence here has nothing to do with your Queen. The Norn sisters have invited this mortal."
After staring at Peter for a while, the guard obediently stepped aside. Peter landed, feeling a bit bewildered, and followed Thor inside. The Norn Queen... wait, isn't that a Tyranid unit from Warhammer?
"The Norn Queen is..."
"Karnilla, the ruler of Nornheim. She is said to be a student of the Norn sisters, possessing the greatest mastery of magic in Asgard and the ability to skillfully wield Norn Stones—stones capable of opening dimensional portals anywhere. It was once said they were the only means of leaving our universe."
Ah, he seemed to remember now. She had appeared in the EMH animated series; she was on screen for just a few frames before being instantly defeated by some third-rate villain who could turn people to stone, after which Loki and Amora stole all her Norn Stones.
"Sounds like a place Loki would be very interested in."
Perhaps because Peter mentioned Loki, Thor let out a sigh. The two traversed the grand, ancient castle. Somewhat unexpectedly, Thor led Peter to a place resembling a cellar and walked right in. Peter glanced at the surroundings and followed.
The Three Goddesses of Fate sure live in a... distinctive place.
The two traveled beneath the cellar for some time. The environment remained unchanged until a light appeared ahead, signaling they were reaching their destination. Thor crossed through the tunnel first, with Peter following close behind.
The other side of the tunnel revealed a pond surrounded by lush flowers and singing birds. Massive tree roots plunged directly into the water. A simple, rustic hut sat by the water's edge, where three women were busy at a loom. The youngest, a maiden, sat at the loom spinning thread; a beautiful woman pulled the thread apart, determining its length; and finally, an elderly crone cut the thread with a pair of shears.
This wasn't Norse mythology; this was clearly Greek mythology.
"Norns, I have brought Peter Parker."
"Peter Parker, son of Richard," the crone said, cutting a thread with her shears. "Messenger of the Web of Life and Destiny, the Liaison. For what purpose have you come?"
For the first time, Peter was completely baffled by a question. Thor whispered a suggestion from the side: "The Norn sisters mean that if there is anything you wish to ask, they can provide a cryptic prophecy."
"No, thanks. I already have a riddle-speaking prophecy consultant. I don't know if you know her—Madame Web, the weaver of the Web of Life and Destiny."
Peter's answer caused the Three Goddesses of Fate to fall silent for a long while. Then, the beautiful woman continued, "Son of Richard, do you know what this is?"
She pulled out a length of thread. Peter looked at it, unsure of what it was supposed to be. "Generally speaking, you would say this is the thread of my fate, and that fate cannot be defied or something... right?"
"We cannot pull any thread from the Web of Life and Destiny; that is a creation of Neith's magic. We weave as Neith weaves—weaving fate. And that is exactly the point, Son of Richard. What we must warn you is that once your thread of fate is entangled in the story of Ragnarok, it will cause the entire course of destiny to become chaotic and uncontrollable."
Before Peter could say anything, Thor perked up. According to that logic, wouldn't Spider-Man be able to directly change the fate of Ragnarok?
"Ragnarok is an unchangeable fact, Odinson. He might be able to change the outcome of Ragnarok, but he cannot change its arrival." It was the young maiden who spoke last. Peter, having listened to all of this, fell into confused thought.
"Are you telling me this as a... warning?"
"We do not intend to stop any of your actions; we are merely informing you in advance of what may happen. And as compensation, you may ask a question of Fate."
Compensation? What compensation? The compensation of letting me continue to work myself to death?
Peter looked at the Three Goddesses of Fate with uncertainty, then asked his first question.
"Who exactly are the Gods Who Sit Above in Shadow?"
Thor looked at Peter in confusion; he had never heard of any Shadow Gods. Facing this question, the Three Goddesses of Fate remained silent for a long time before finally, feebly, choosing to yield.
"Please ask another question."
"Eh? Oh, fine." Peter didn't seem to care much about the answer; it seemed he was just testing the limits of these mystics. He then asked a question that was directly relevant to the present: "What kind of leverage do Loki and the others have to rebel against Odin? They shouldn't be able to beat Odin even if they all teamed up, right?"
Hearing this question, the Three Goddesses of Fate suddenly regained their vigor. The crone representing the past immediately spoke: "Odin created his own enemy—an enemy he himself can hardly defeat, and who may even kill him."
Then, the maiden representing the future added: "That enemy will utterly destroy Asgard, leaving Odin powerless to interfere with the other worlds of the Nine Realms."
"When?"
Peter and Thor asked the question almost simultaneously. Then, the Three Goddesses of Fate smiled in unison.
This was precisely why they had summoned Spider-Man.
To ensure the smooth arrival of Ragnarok.
"Now."