Klyntar

The Klyntar are a race of symbiotes that predate almost all biological life. They were one of the first creatures developed after the First Firmament was shattered by Oa in their endless war with the Celestials.

Their progenitor was the ancient malefic First God known as Knull. Knull gathered matter from the Realm Between Worlds and in an act of deep profanity, created a seething organic mass of millions of creatures linked into a single hive-mind. The Symbiotes, lacking any name or direction save for Knull's will to direct them, were responsible for thousands of planets being overrun with corruption or destroyed in order to purge the mutations. However, their attempts to invade several material demesnes-- the Quantum Realm, among others-- were repelled by sufficiently potent ideologues protecting their homes.

In the sixth century CE, two of Knull's most powerful personal symbiotes arrived in Götaland, later known as Sweden. They were called Grendel and Grendelmatre-- 'Grendel's Mother'. The terrorized the local populace for several centuries as dragons roaming the land, and in time a cult of cannibals arose that worshipped and revered them as deities.

After several centuries had passed, the symbiotes began pushing outwards from the lands in order to infect larger regions. They ran afoul of a young Thor, who defeated them both with his potent mystical lightning. Knull had taken direct control of Grendel, who was in turn trapped in an iceberg that was forced northwards into the Arctic Circle; Grendelmatre was grievously wounded and fell into the deep ocean. The combination of severe wounds and extraordinary pressures prevented the monster from reforming itself.

The injuries from Thor's divine power severed Knull's connection not just with the dragons, but with all symbiotes. In fear and lacking guidance, they began attaching to every possible host in an attempt to give their lives context and meaning. Concepts like 'justice' and 'compassion' were imparted to the Hive Mind; self-awareness drove deep horror and revulsion. In an attempt to cleanse themselves of their past and remake their image, the Symbiotes turned on Knull and imprisoned him in the heart of an artificial world. They called it 'Klyntar'-- the cage-- and began spreading a message across the universe of harmony and 'oneness' with the universe.