Everything about Thor Marvel Comics totally explained
Thor (sometimes called
The Mighty Thor) is a
fictional character that appears in
comic books published by
Marvel Comics. Based on the god of the
same name from
Norse mythology, the character was created by editor-plotter
Stan Lee, scripter
Larry Lieber, and penciller
Jack Kirby, and
first appears in
Journey into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962). The uncredited initial inker was
Joe Sinnott.
Publication history
Writer-editor Stan Lee described Thor's genesis as following the creation of the
Hulk:
Following Thor's debut in the
science fiction/
fantasy anthology title
Journey into Mystery, the 13-page feature "The Mighty Thor" continued to be plotted by Lee but scripted by Lee's brother
Larry Lieber or
Robert Bernstein (working under the pseudonym "R. Berns"). Penciling was by either Jack Kirby,
Joe Sinnott,
Don Heck, or, for a single issue,
Al Hartley. Then with
Journey into Mystery #101 (Feb. 1964), the series began a long and definitive run by Lee and Kirby that lasted until the by-then-retitled
The Mighty Thor #179 (Aug. 1970).
The five-page featurette "Tales of Asgard" was added in
Journey into Mystery # 97 (Oct. 1963) followed by "The Mighty Thor" becoming the dominant cover logo with issue #104 (May 1964). The feature itself expanded to 18 pages in #105, which eliminated the remaining anthological story from each issue; it was reduced to 16 pages five issues later.
Protector of Midgard
Being the son of the Elder Goddess
Gaea, Thor has a natural affinity for Earth and feels obliged to protect the mortals that occupy it. Thor's time on Earth is marked by battles against
supervillains, monsters, cosmic beings, and even other gods.
Thor's principal foe is his adopted brother
Loki, who has hated Thor since childhood. Although a master of magic with power that rivals even that of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme
Dr. Strange, Loki prefers to employ the use of minions in his battle against Thor. Ever the schemer, Loki is cautious not to be seen to be directly involved for fear of angering Odin. To that end, Loki creates two ubiquitous foes of Thor — the
Absorbing Man and the
Wrecker. Loki also tricks others into fighting on his behalf, such as the Asgardian troll
Ulik, the
Fenris Wolf, the dragon
Fafnir, and the
Silver Surfer.
Sometimes, however, Loki overreaches himself and faces disaster. Guiding a mortal to the shrine of the Asgardian
Destroyer — which then absorbs the mortal's essence and battles Thor — almost proves fatal for Loki, as Odin became aware of the conflict and promises that should Thor perish, the trickster god would quickly follow. On another occasion, Loki uses the
Hulk as a lure to draw Thor out; while this proved successful, it resulted in the formation of the superhero team the
Avengers, of which Thor is a founding and longstanding member.
Thor's other mortal foes include the
Radioactive Man,
Grey Gargoyle, and
Wrecking Crew, but among his most powerful foes are the Asgardian monsters
Mangog, the Frost Giants, the
Enchanters Three, the
Midgard Serpent, and the fire-demon
Surtur. Thor's gallery of mystical/cosmic rogues extends to
Mephisto,
Thanos, the
God Eater, the
Dark Gods, the Sh'iar Praetor
Gladiator, and the god-slayer
Desak. Thor has even fought against the combined might of the
Celestials, when their Fourth Host arrived to judge Earth.
The Reigning
Much of the second volume of the title deals with the consequences of Thor's decision to intervene in the affairs of Earth. After reluctantly assuming the throne of Asgard, Thor sees mortals at their worst and reshapes the world in his image.
A nightmarish future follows as Thor and the Asgardians conquer Earth and slay or imprison those who oppose them, including a young religious mutant called Davis;
Zarrko the Tomorrow Man;
Perrikus of the Dark Gods; the U.S. Government, and even his fellow Avengers. He marries Amora, the
Enchantress, and has a son,
Magni.
Wracked with guilt, Thor is eventually drawn into a final battle with Tarene and a Desak-occupied Destroyer in a
time travel bid to undo what he's done. As soon as the timeline is reset, Loki revives Surtur, who forges new uru hammers for Loki's Storm Giant followers and begins Ragnarok, a.k.a. Götterdämmerung or "the twilight of the gods".
Thor learns that the Ragnarok cycle is the result of self-styled "gods to the gods" known as Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, who feed on the cycle. Thor confronts the
Norns (Fates), breaking the Ragnarok cycle, and then enters a stasis, sleeping "the sleep of the gods." With his fate unknown to the Avengers, he's believed to be missing in action.
Civil War
Two years later and just prior to the events of
Civil War, Thor's hammer
Mjolnir is found on Earth and put under U.S. Army protection. Six months later,
Doctor Doom - who escapes from Hell as Mjolnir falls through that dimensional plane - tries unsuccessfully to claim the hammer. The hammer is later claimed by a mysterious man carrying a bag with the initials "D.B". During a battle between the two Civil War superhero factions, "Thor" appears and kills
Goliath. This version of Thor is later revealed to be a fusion of cloning technology and cybernetics created by
Reed Richards and
Henry Pym. Anti-registration heroes Storm and
Hercules destroy the clone in a final battle between the factions. The remains of the clone are currently stored in the laboratories at
Camp Hammond.
New beginning
Donald Blake, upon touching the hammer Mjolnir, is transported to the void where Thor has been in
hibernation. Blake explains that when
Odin
originally removed the Blake persona from Thor, Blake was transported to the void Thor now inhabits, and was returned to
New York City when Thor broke the
Ragnarök cycle. Blake convinces Thor to wield Mjolnir once more, return to Earth, and renew the dual identity with Blake. Blake also reveals that Thor's fellow Asgardians are not dead but hidden on Earth.
Thor rebuilds Asgard in
Oklahoma and after paying for the land with Asgardian treasure, seeks his fellow Asgardians. Thor learns of the events of the superhero-registration "Civil War" and is angered that Tony Stark (
Iron Man) waged war on the heroes who had been their friends, and is also angered that Stark and others used his DNA to create the Thor Clone without his knowledge or permission. Seeking a compromise, Stark rationalizes that Asgard may be considered a foreign
embassy, with
diplomatic immunity granted to its inhabitants. Thor then begins to find the lost Asgardians, and although successfully restoring them all, doesn't attempt to find his father. During the Odinsleep, Thor has a vision in which he discovers that on a subconscious level he didn't do so as he wished to be free of his father. Finding his father in constant battle with Surtur in the Asgardian equivalent of
heaven, Odin advises Thor must continue to lead the Asgardians.
Powers and abilities
Like all Asgardians, Thor isn't truly immortal but relies upon periodic consumption of the Golden Apples of
Idunn to sustain his lifespan, which to date has lasted many millennia. The strongest of the Norse gods, Thor has performed feats such as lifting the World Serpent, hurling the Odinsword, an enormous mystical blade, through a
Celestial, and matching other beings of enormous strength, such as
Hercules and the
Hulk. If pressed in battle, Thor is capable of entering into a state known as the "Warrior's Madness", which will temporarily increase his strength tenfold. He also possesses virtually inexhaustible godly stamina, high resistance to physical injury (example include rocket fire, falls from orbital heights). and superhuman speed and reflexes.
Thor is a superb hand-to-hand combatant and has mastered a number of weapons such as the war hammer, sword, and mace. He is also very cunning and intuitive in battle, with many centuries of experience. Thor possesses two items that assist him in combat: the Belt of Strength, and his mystical hammer Mjolnir. The former item doubles his strength, while the latter is used for control of his weather abilities; flight; energy projection and absorption; dimensional apertures; matter manipulation, as well as the most powerful of his offensives: the God Blast, and the Anti-Force.
After his resurrection, Thor has accepted his heritage as a child of the Elder Goddess Gaea, and has demonstrated the ability to create country-spanning chasms in the Earth itself.
After Odin's death, Thor inherited his father's power, the Odinforce. Thor was then capable of feats such as reconstructing the Earth's Moon, willing the Asgardian monster
Mangog into nothingness, successfully challenging and defeating an alliance of
Surtur and
Ymir and by focusing his entire power into a hammer throw even decapitated a
Desak-occupied
Destroyer. Thor later briefly acquired mastery of the Runes, and a level of enlightenment that allowed him to free Asgard from the eternal cycle of Ragnarok, becoming even more powerful than his father.
Other versions
In mainstream comic continuity
Eric Masterson
Eric Masterson is initially bonded with Thor after Thor is punished for apparently killing Loki. Masterson carries the mantle of Thor for several years, continuing his roles as a member of the Avengers and protector of Midgard. Thor is eventually freed from Eric's mind, and asks that he continue serving as God of Thunder. Tricked by the
Enchantress Masterson attacks Thor, and soon after relinquishes the hammer to him. In gratitude for his services, Odin provides Masterson with an enchanted mace, which he uses under the alias of
Thunderstrike.
Red Norvell
Part of a documentary crew brought to Asgard by Loki,
Roger "Red" Norvell meets and falls in love with Lady Sif. Red Norvell is given Thor's
Iron Gauntlets and
Belt of Strength by Loki to compete with Thor for Sif's affections, with neither realizing this was part of a master plan by Odin to create a surrogate God of Thunder to die fighting the
Serpent of Ragnarok and fulfill the prophecy.
Alternate continuities
MC2
In the
MC2 alternate possible future, Thor remains active and has a daughter,
Thena, who possesses the same powers as he.
In the
Marvel 1602 alternate possible past, a version of Thor appears with an alter ego of an elderly Christian priest named
Donal — an allusion to Thor's original secret identity Donald Blake. Donal fears and despises his alter-ego, believing that the shared existence will damn him.
2099
Set in a possible future year
2099, the role of Thor is taken by Cecil MacAdam, who belongs to a class of priests known as "Thorites" who worship the original version of Thor.
Age of Apocalypse
In the
fictional crossover event "
Age of Apocalypse", Donald Blake never discovers that he's the reincarnation of Thor, and is instead an agent of the Human High Council and a doctor, traveling with
Gwen Stacy to provide aid in human refugee camps.
Dargo Ktor
Dargo Ktor is the host of a 26th-century version of Thor, who is empowered when holding Mjolnir, a subject of worship in that century.
Marvel Mangaverse
A version of Thor appears briefly and aids the heroes against an other-world version of the villain
Dormammu.
Marvel Zombies
Thor appears as a cannibalistic
zombie wielding a makeshift version of a hammer composed of a concrete block and pipe as he's no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir. Thor is among the many killed by the cosmic powered zombies.
Spider-Ham
Thor appears as a dog called The Dog of Thunder.
Ultimate Marvel
Thor is a member of the superhero team the
Ultimates in the
Ultimate Universe. Despite his claims to be a Norse god, he's regarded by many to be delusional during the first months of his career. It isn't until he's seen summoning an army of Asgardian warriors to fend off an attack on Washington DC by demonic forces commanded by Loki that Thor's teammates realize he truly is a god.
In other media
Television
Thor's first appearance in television was in the segment "The Mighty Thor" of the syndicated, anthological animated television series The Marvel Superheroes, originally syndicated in 1966.
Thor's Donald Blake identity appeared in the 1980s Spider-Man episode "Wrath of the Sub-Mariner" voiced by Jack Angel.
Thor appeared in an episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends titled "Vengeance of Loki" (1981/1982).
Thor appeared in the live action TV-movie The Incredible Hulk Returns. Thor was played by Eric Allan Kramer, and Donald Blake by Steve Levitt. The TV-movie was to be a backdoor pilot for a Thor television series.
Marvel animated universe
Thor has a cameo in the second episode of the Phoenix Saga in the X-Men Animated Series.
Thor also guest stars in two episodes of the Fantastic Four animated series voiced by John Rhys-Davies.
John Rhys-Davies reprises his role as Thor in the Incredible Hulk episode "Mortal Bounds" with Mark L. Taylor voicing Donald Blake.
Thor is seen in the opening credits of .
Animated film
An animated version of Ultimate Thor appears in the direct-to-video animated features Ultimate Avengers and Ultimate Avengers 2. He is voiced by Dave Boat. The name of Thor's alter ego, Doctor Donald Blake, is mentioned over the hospital public-address system in the 2007 direct-to-DVD feature Doctor Strange. In November 2007, Marvel announced that Thor will star in a direct-to-video animated film,, set to be released in September 2009.
Live-action film
Screenwriter Mark Protosevich has been hired to write a script for a live-action Thor film. In December 2007, he described his plans for it "to be like a superhero origin story, but not one about a human gaining super powers, but of a god realizing his true potential. It's the story of a [sic] Old Testament god who becomes a New Testament god. It will be mythic, but also bear the unmistakable qualities of a Marvel movie, an epic fantasy adventure".
Professional wrestler Triple H was rumored to be one of the favorites for the title role of Thor. However though Marvel officials would be happy with his services, the proposed director Matthew Vaughn is greatly against Triple H starring in his movie. Two other candidates, who have a shot at landing the movie role are Brad Pitt and Kevin McKidd.
The day following the Iron Man film's highly successful opening weekend, Marvel Entertainment announced a release date of April 30, 2010, for Iron Man 2 in which Thor will cameo.
Video games
Thor is a partner assist in .
Thor is mentioned in the Spider-Man video game.
At the end of, the Daily Bugle runs an article stating that Thor was the hero who defeated Hyper-Electro.
Thor is a character in voiced by Cam Clarke.
Toys
In the 1970s, Mego released a Thor action figure, one of many Marvel characters released by them. This figure is one of the primary characters used by Toyfare: The Toy Magazine for their comic strip Twisted Toyfare Theater.
Toy Biz has released five different versions of Thor action figure.
Bibliography
Main series
Journey into Mystery #83-125 (Aug. 1962 - Feb. 1966)
Thor (a.k.a. The Mighty Thor) #126-502 (March 1966 - Sept. 1996)
Thor (a.k.a. The Mighty Thor) #1-85 (July 1998 - Oct. 2004)
- Cover-titled The Mighty Thor: Lord of Asgard from #45-67; The Mighty Thor: Lord of Earth from #68-#79
Thor (a.k.a. The Mighty Thor) #1- (July 2007 - )
Annuals
Journey into Mystery Annual #1 (1966)
Thor (a.k.a. The Mighty Thor) Annual #2-19 (1966 - 1994)
Thor Annual '98; '99; 2000; and 2001 (1998-2001)
One-shots and limited series
Thor - I, Whom The Gods Would Destroy (1988: Marvel Graphic Novel #33)
Thor Corps #1-4 (Sept.-Dec. 1993)
Thor: Rough Cut #1 (Sept. 1998; pencil-only reprint of Thor vol. 2, #1)
Thor: Godstorm #1-3 (Nov. 2001 - Jan. 2002)
Thor: Vikings #1-5 (2004)
Thor: Son of Asgard #1-12 (May 2004 - Jan. 2005)
Thor: Blood Oath #1-6 (Nov. 2005- Feb. 2006)
Footnotes
References
Marvel Directory: Thor
Grand Comics Database
The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
Larry Lieber interview, Alter Ego vol. 3, #2 (Fall 1999)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Thor Marvel Comics'.
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