The Dark Elf conflict is a conflict that lasted for thousands of years. Dating back to 2988 B.C., when Malekith, the insane, genocidal leader of the Dark Elves, attempted to use the Infinity Stone known as the Aether to eradicate the Nine Realms. After the the Dark Elves were defeated by Asgardians led by the then-king Bor, Malekith and several others of his species went into hibernation. In 2013, during the Convergence, Jane Foster located the Aether and unintentionally attracted the attention of Malekith. A series of confrontations followed, spanning across all the Nine Realms, ending with Thor defeating Malekith at the Battle of Greenwich.