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Thor (Marvel Comics)
Encyclopedia
Thor is a fictional
superhero
who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics
. The character first appeared
in Journey into Mystery
#83 (Aug. 1962) and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee
, scripter Larry Lieber
, and penciller Jack Kirby
.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
, the character is based on the Thor
of Norse mythology
. He has starred in several ongoing series and limited series
, and has been a perennial member of the superhero
team the Avengers
, appearing in each of the four volumes. The character has also appeared in associated Marvel merchandise including animated television series, clothing
, toy
s, trading cards and video games.
In 2011 IGN
ranked Thor 14th in the Top 100 comic-book heroes.
The film Thor
, based on the character and comic, was released in 2011, with Kenneth Branagh
as director and Chris Hemsworth
starring as Thor. Hemsworth will reappear as Thor in the film The Avengers, set to be released in 2012 and Thor 2 in 2013.
superhero
Thor debuted in the science fiction
/fantasy
anthology
title Journey into Mystery
#83 (cover-date Aug. 1962), created by editor-plotter Stan Lee
, scripter Larry Lieber
, and penciller Jack Kirby
. Lee in 2002 described Thor's genesis early in the Marvel pantheon, following the creation of the Hulk
:
The 13-page feature "The Mighty Thor" continued to be plotted by Lee and scripted by Lieber or by Robert Bernstein, working under the pseudonym "R. Berns". Various artists penciled the feature, including Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott
, Don Heck
, and Al Hartley
. With Journey into Mystery #101 (Feb. 1964), the series began a long and definitive run by writer and co-plotter Lee and penciler and co-plotter Kirby that lasted until the by-then-retitled Thor (also called 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.
Journey into Mystery was retitled Thor (per the indicia
, or The Mighty Thor per most covers) with issue #126 (March 1966). "Tales of Asgard" was replaced by a five-page featurette starring the Inhumans
from #146–152 (Nov. 1967 – May 1968), after which featurettes were dropped and the Thor stories expanded to Marvel's then-standard 20-page length.
After Kirby left the title, Neal Adams
penciled issues #180-181 (Sept.-Oct. 1970). John Buscema
then became the regular artist the following issue. Buscema continued to draw the book almost without interruption until #278 (Dec. 1978). Lee stopped scripting soon after Kirby left, and during Buscema's long stint on the book, the stories were mostly written by Gerry Conway
, Len Wein
, or Roy Thomas
. Thomas continued to write the book after Buscema's departure, working much of the time with the artist Keith Pollard
; during this period Thomas integrated many elements of traditional Norse mythology into the title, with specific stories translated into comics form. Following Thomas's tenure, Thor had a changing creative team.
Walt Simonson
took over both writing and art as of #337 (Nov. 1983). Simonson's run as writer-artist lasted until #367 (May 1986), although he continued to write – and occasionally draw – the book until issue #382 (Aug. 1987). Simonson's run, which introduced the character Beta Ray Bill
, was regarded as a popular and critical success.
After Simonson's departure, Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time, Tom DeFalco
, became the writer. Working primarily with artist Ron Frenz
, DeFalco stayed on the book until #459 (Feb. 1993).
As a consequence of the "Heroes Reborn
" crossover
story arc of the 1990s, Thor was removed from mainstream Marvel continuity and with other Marvel characters re-imagined in an alternate universe
for one year. The Thor title reverted to Journey into Mystery
with issue #503 (Nov. 1996), and ran four different, sequential features ("The Lost Gods"; "Master of Kung Fu
"; "Black Widow" and "Hannibal King
") before ceasing publication with #521 (June 1998).
When the character was returned to the mainstream Marvel Universe
, Thor was relaunched with Thor vol. 2, #1 (July 1998). As of issue #36, the title used dual numbering in a tribute to the original Thor series, and the caption box for said issue became #36 / #538 (June 2001). The title ran until issue #85 / #587, dated December 2004. Dan Jurgens
wrote the first 79 issues, with Daniel Berman and Michael Avon Oeming
completing the series.
The third volume debuted as Thor #1 (Sept. 2007), initially written by J. Michael Straczynski
and penciled by Olivier Coipel
. Beginning with what would have been vol. 3, #13 (January 2009), the third volume reverted to issue #600, reflecting the total number of published issues from all three volumes. Kieron Gillen
took over from Straczynski in Thor #604 with artists Billy Tan
, Richard Elson
and Dougie Braithwaite, with his final storyline finishing in issue #614. Afterward, Matt Fraction
took over Thor in issue #615, after having been announced as starting in Thor #610 and #611.
To coincide with the Thor
film, Marvel launched a number of limited series
in mid-2010. These include Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge
and Chris Samnee, Thor: First Thunder by Bryan J. L. Glass
and Tan Eng Huat, and Thor: For Asgard by Robert Rodi
and Simone Bianchi
, An Iron Man/Thor limited series by writing duo Dan Abnett
and Andy Lanning
was announced at the San Diego Comic Con, to begin publication at the end of 2010.
In April 2011, Thor is scheduled to revert to its original title of Journey into Mystery
with issue #622, reuniting writer Gillen and artist Braithwaite. A new ongoing series
titled The Mighty Thor is also scheduled to kick off in April 2011 with writer Fraction and artist Coipel, who helped relaunch the title in 2007.
Thor's father Odin decided his son needed to be taught humility and consequently placed Thor (without memories of godhood) into the body and memories of an existing, partially disabled human medical student, Donald Blake. After becoming a doctor and on vacation in Norway
, Blake witnessed the arrival of an alien
scouting party. Blake fled into a cave after they heard him and began to pursue him. After discovering Thor's disguised hammer Mjolnir, and striking it against a rock, he transformed into the thunder god.
Defeating the aliens, Thor shared a double life with his alter ego
: treating the ill in a private practice with nurse - and eventual love - Jane Foster
and defending humanity from evil. Thor's presence on Earth almost immediately attracted the attention of his stepbrother and arch-foe Loki; who returned repeatedly to Earth in a bid to destroy Thor. Loki was also responsible for the emergence of three of Thor's principal foes: the Absorbing Man
; the Wrecker
, and the Destroyer
. On one occasion, Loki's tactics were accidentally beneficial - although successful in using an illusion of the Hulk
to draw Thor into battle, it resulted in the formation of the superhero team the Avengers
, of which Thor was a founding and longstanding member.
Thor's other early foes included the Red Army; Zarrko
, the Tomorrow Man; the Radioactive Man; the Lava Man; the Cobra
; Mister Hyde
; the Enchantress
and the Executioner
and the Grey Gargoyle
.
Falling in love with Jane Foster, Thor disobeyed his father and refused to return to Asgard, an act for which he was punished on several occasions. Thor's natural affinity for Earth was eventually revealed to be due to the fact that he was the son of the Elder Goddess
Gaea. Although Thor initially regarded himself as a "superhero" like his teammates in the Avengers, Loki's machinations drew Thor into increasingly epic adventures, such as teaming with father Odin and Asgardian ally Balder against fire demon Surtur and Skagg the Storm Giant, and defeating an increasingly powerful Absorbing Man and proving his innocence in the "Trial of the Gods". This necessitates an extended leave of absence from the Avengers.
Thor also encountered Greek God Hercules
, who became a loyal friend. Thor also saved Hercules from fellow Olympian Pluto; stopped the advance of Ego the Living Planet
; rescued Jane Foster from the High Evolutionary
and defeated his flawed creation, the Man-Beast. Odin finally relented and allowed Thor to love Jane Foster, on the proviso she pass a trial. Foster, however, panicked and Thor intervened. Although Foster failed the test, Odin returned her to Earth where she was given another chance at love, while a heartbroken Thor was introduced to Asgardian warrior Sif. Thor battled the Asgardian troll
Ulik
for the first time when he attempted to steal Mjolnir; defeated Avengers foe Kang the Conqueror
and the alien Super-Skrull
and with Odin and his Asgardian allies engaged in a battle to the death with the Enchanters Three
.
Despite repeated attempts by Loki to destroy Thor with a series of past and new foes, Thor was victorious, and even avoids being claimed by Asgardian death goddess Hela. The thunder god returned to Asgard to prevent Mangog
from drawing the Odinsword
and ending the universe; learned the origin of the cosmic entity Galactus
(and encountered Ego once again); and stopped the child-like Him (who would eventually become Adam Warlock) from kidnapping Sif.
and his pawn the Abomination
and overpowered an outmatched Doctor Doom
. Thor only returned to Earth sporadically, forced to deal with a constant wave of Asgardian (e.g., Mangog; Ulik); godly (e.g. Pluto;) and cosmic threats (e.g., Infinity; Xorr).
Courtesy of the manipulation of the Elder of the Universe the Collector
, Thor was present to aid the Avengers against their greatest foes (Graviton
; Ultron
; Count Nefaria
and ultimately Korvac
). Thor prevented another attempt by Mangog — disguised as Odin — to draw the Odinsword; was saved by the intervention of ally Volstagg
when the "Odin Force" became a semi-sentient destructive force and was rescued from death when Odin engineered a false Ragnarök
(the "Twilight of the Gods") and had reporter Red Norvell die in his place battling the Midgard Serpent.
Fourth Host, and after an extended series of encounters learned of the apparent true origin of Asgard and Odin's plans to defend Earth from the alien judges. Despite the attempt by Odin to stop the Celestials by occupying the Destroyer armour (now 2,000 feet tall as holding the life essence of every Asgardian) and wielding the Odinsword (and aided by the Uni-Mind
, an entity composed of the Eternals
) and Thor himself, the aliens departed when presented with an offering by Gaea on behalf of the "Skymothers" (e.g. Frigga and Hera
) of twelve perfect humans. Thor also learned Gaea was his birth mother.
After restoring the Asgardian gods (courtesy of a gathering of energies donated by Skyfathers from other pantheons) Thor had a series of adventures on Earth, including encountering two Heralds of Galactus in swift succession; stopping Mephisto
from taking human souls; clearing his name when framed by Asgardian god of war Tyr
; aiding Drax the Destroyer
; with ally Iron Man defeating the Bi-Beast
and Man-Beast; engaging the former king of Nastrond Fafnir
(transformed by Odin into a dragon
) in combat when freed by Loki and battling Dracula
. Thor also learned of the existence of the "God Eater", a creature summoned when the death gods of several pantheons temporarily merge their realms. Thor thwarted the creature - revealed to be in humanoid guise Atum
, the son of Gaea, and therefore Thor's half-brother - and ensured the cosmic balance was restored.
Whilst exploring an approaching space vessel at the request of Nick Fury
, Thor encountered Beta Ray Bill
, who after a brief battle proved himself worthy of lifting Thor's hammer Mjolnir. After initial misunderstandings, Bill formed an alliance with the Asgardian gods, and was empowered by Odin to aid Thor and his allies in a war with an approaching army of demons which was revealed to be led by fire demon Surtur, now wielding "Twilight", the gigantic "Sword of Doom". After a series of extended battles - including a battle to the death with Fafnir and thwarting the Dark Elf
Malekith — the gods were finally triumphant, although during combat Odin and Surtur disappeared through a rift and were presumed dead.
Thor remained in Asgard to deal with the vacuum left by Odin's apparent death, and drove off Hela; met Tiwaz, his great-grandfather; forced Loki to cure him from the effects of a love potion; with allies entered Hela's realm and rescued lost mortal souls. Returning to Earth, Thor and Beta Ray Bill defeated the transformed Dark Elf Kurse
, although Loki also used the power of Surtur's discarded sword to change Thor into a frog
. After an adventure in Central Park
, Thor managed to partially restore himself and then forced Loki to reverse the spell. While rescuing X-Factor
member Angel from torture by the mercenary team the Marauders
, Thor was cursed by Hela, who made his bones as brittle as glass and unable to heal if damaged; and rendered him truly immortal and unable to die no matter how severe his injuries. Thor was injured again during a battle with the Absorbing Man (engineered by Loki), and was ultimately saved by Loki during a battle with the Dark Elves.
Eventually forced to wear armour to protect his broken body, Thor and Loki defeated a group of Ice Giants, who sought revenge by trying to locate the Midgard Serpent
, hoping it would kill the thunder god. The Giants instead found the dragon Fin Fang Foom
, who was revealed to be the Midgard Serpent
in disguise. Time slowed as the pair - mortal enemies due to prophecy that stated they would kill each other during Ragnarök — battle to the death. Thor killed the Serpent, although his body was completely pulverized. Loki restored the Destroyer, and after killing the Ice Giants found Thor's now liquid form. The Destroyer attempted to disintegrate the thunder god but could not do so due to Hela's curse. Thor assumed mental control of the Destroyer, and forced Hela on pain of death to restore his true form. The thunder god then broke Loki's arm as punishment for his actions.
and on Earth battled X-Men
foe the Juggernaut
and many other opponents. When Thor killed Loki in single combat, he was banished by the Asgardian Heimdall
(acting as temporary ruler of Asgard while Odin entered the Odinsleep) and replaced by the mortal Eric Masterson, who became the hero Thunderstrike
. When Odin awoke, Thor was forgiven and returned. During a battle Thor was driven into a "warrior's madness
" by a Valkyrie
. After overpowering everyone who attempted to stop his rampage, Thor was brought by the Eternal Thanos
before Odin, who cured his son of the madness.
Thor, together with Avengers; Fantastic Four
and other heroes, became trapped in alternate universe
after defeating the villain Onslaught
. The heroes lived alternate lives for a year in what was revealed to be an artificial creation until returning to their own universe. Thor rejoined the Avengers; and with several members of the team battled the Destroyer. Thor was saved by an enigmatic being called "Marnot", who bound the life-force of a mortal called Jake Olson to the thunder god. Thor entered into a war with the Dark Gods
(with Marnot revealed to be Hescamer, one of Odin's ravens); battled the returning Enchanters Three and entered into a prolonged struggle against Thanos when he sought to remake the universe.
of the Dark Gods; the U.S. Government, and even his fellow Avengers. Thor married Amora (the Enchantress), and had a son, Magni, who upon reaching adulthood doubted his father's judgment. Wracked with guilt, Thor was drawn into battle with his former ally Tarene
and the Destroyer (occupied by former foe Desak
), and undid the timeline via time travel
.
When the timeline was reset, Loki revived Surtur, who forged new uru hammers for Loki's Storm Giant followers and began Ragnarök. Thor learned that Ragnarok was the result of the self-styled "gods to the gods" known as Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, who feed on the cycle. Thor confronted the Norns
(Fates), and severed the tapestry of Asgard's existence. After breaking the Ragnarok cycle and being advised by the Odinforce that this was his father's plan, Thor entered into hibernation
. With his fate unknown to the Avengers, he was believed to be missing in action.
Thor's hammer Mjolnir was eventually found on Earth and put under U.S. Army protection. When the supervillain Doctor Doom
escaped from Hell, Mjolnir fell through the dimensional plane, and Doom tried unsuccessfully to lift the hammer. Mjolnir then came into the possession of a man carrying a bag with the initials "D.B". Donald Blake, upon touching the hammer Mjolnir, was transported to the void of non-existence in which Thor resided. Blake explained that when Odin originally removed the Blake persona from Thor, Blake was consigned to the void that Thor now inhabited. With Odin's death, however, Blake was suddenly restored into being in New York City
. Blake convinced Thor to wield Mjolnir once more, return to Earth, and renew the dual identity with Blake. Blake also revealed that Thor's fellow Asgardians still lived in the minds and hearts of mortals and only needed to be found and released.
Thor rebuilt Asgard over the state of Oklahoma
, learned of the events of the Civil War
and was angered that Tony Stark
and others used his DNA
to create a Thor clone
in a battle between pro and anti-registration heroes. He battled Stark, easily defeating him. Thor accepted an offer by Stark for Asgard to be considered a foreign embassy
with diplomatic immunity
granted to its inhabitants. Thor searched for his fellow Asgardians, and restored each with the exception of Sif, who had been trapped in the body of an old woman dying of cancer, her real form stolen by Loki. The thunder god eventually searched for his father, and located Odin in part of the afterlife, waging constant battle with the fire demon Surtur. Odin advised his son that Thor must lead the Asgardians.
During the events of the Secret Invasion
, Thor rescued and healed ally Beta Ray Bill
, who after being temporarily given Mjolnir, aided Thor in a battle against an invading force of alien Skrull
s. Thor also participated in the final battle against the Skrull forces, and was forced to sacrifice Avenger ally the Wasp
. Due to a deception by Loki, Thor battled and killed his grandfather Bor, and was banished from Asgard. With Thor's hammer Mjolnir damaged in that battle, Thor sought out Doctor Strange
, who was only able to repair the hammer by transferring the Odinforce from Thor to Mjolnir, binding the two in a symbiotic relationship. With the repaired hammer, Thor was able to draw out the imprisoned Sif, and return her to her own body, thereby restoring Loki to his male body in the process.
storyline, Thor rushed to the defense of Asgard against Norman Osborn
and his invading Dark Avengers
. Although the invading forces were ultimately defeated, Asgard itself was toppled and Loki killed by the Sentry
who in turn was killed by Thor. As a result of the victory, the Superhuman Registration Act was dissolved and Thor joined the rebranded Avengers, who had come to his aid during the battle. The next day Balder lifted Thor's exile and appointed Thor as his adviser.
Thor aided Amadeus Cho
in a quest to find the necessary ingredients to bring back their mutual friend Hercules from a parallel universe
. During the events of the Chaos War
, Thor joined Hercules' God Squad
to battle the Chaos King
, who was set on destroying all of existence.
With Asgard in ruins on Earth, the nine worlds were left undefended and are invaded by a force known as "The World Eaters". Seeking counsel on the matter, Thor restored his father Odin. Thor also restored his brother Loki, whom Thor had missed since his death.
During the Fear Itself
event, Sin frees Odin's long-forgotten brother, The Serpent: the god of fear, from his underwater prison. Once free, The Serpent dispatches his generals known as The Worthy, each armed with magical uru hammers of their own, to descend the Earth into a state of fear. Although Thor and The Avengers manage to defeat The Serpent and his followers, Thor dies in battle. At Thor's funeral, Thor and the memories of Thor are replaced by Ulik
under the guise of Taranus, a new thunder god.
" ("berserkergang" in Norwegian), which will temporarily increase his strength and stamina tenfold, although in this state he attacks friend and foe alike.
Thor possesses a very high resistance to physical injury that approaches invulnerability. Thor also possesses keen senses that allows him to track objects traveling faster than light and hear cries from the other side of the planet. Thor has the ability to travel through time. His stamina allowed him to battle the entire Frost Giant army for nine months without any sustenance or rest; Thor has also shown the ability to regenerate wounded portions of his body, including entire limbs or organs, with the aid of magical forces like Mjolnir, Thor has superhuman speed, agility, and reflexes, enabling him to deflect bullets with his hammer. Like all Asgardians he has immunity to all Earthly diseases and some resistance to magic. However, exceptionally powerful magic can overwhelm Odin's enchantment that transforms him between Asgardian and mortal forms.
As the Norse god of Thunder, Thor can summon the elements of the storm (lightning; rain; wind; snow) and uses Mjolnir as a tool to focus this ability, although the hammer cannot command artificial weather, only natural. He can cause these weather effects all over the world and destroy entire buildings; by whirling his hammer he can also lift entire buildings with the wind. As the son of the Earth goddess Gaea, Thor has shown some control over the Earth.
Thor is a superb hand-to-hand combatant, and also skilled in armed combat, excelling in the use of the war hammer
, sword
and mace. Thor possesses two items which assist him in combat: the enchanted Belt of Strength, and his mystical hammer Mjolnir. The first item doubles Thor's strength and endurance while the second is used to control his weather abilities; flight; energy projection and absorption; dimensional travel; matter manipulation and the most powerful of his offensives, the God Blast (which taps into Thor's life force), the Thermo-blast, and the Anti-Force (which counteracts another force). Using Mjolnir by throwing in the desired direction and then holding on to the handle's leather loop, Thor can also fly at supersonic
speeds in Earth's atmosphere and travel faster than light in space. When Thor has to transport companions and/or objects to a destination by himself, he has a chariot
drawn by two huge mystical goats called Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder
that can fly nearly anywhere he desires almost as easily as with Mjolnir. He can throw an object out of Earth's atmosphere using his strength, and throw his hammer to Asgard from where it will return.
When Mjolnir was damaged, Doctor Strange bound Thor's soul into Mjolnir, meaning that if the hammer were to be broken again, Thor may also die.
versions of Thor.
In the limited series Earth X
, Thor and the other Asgardians are members of a shapeshifting alien race, with forms and identities determined by the imagination of "Odin", a human Norse storyteller. Due to Loki's trickery, Thor is female in this universe.
In the MC2 title A-Next
, Thor is the King of Asgard, while Eric Masterson's son, Kevin
, is a member of A-Next, a next-generation version of the Avengers.
The limited series Marvel 1602
is set in the 17th century, and a version of Thor appears with an alter ego of an elderly Christian monk named Donal — an allusion to Thor's original secret identity, Donald Blake. Donald fears and despises his alter-ego, believing that summoning a non-Christian deity will damn him.
The Marvel 2099
title Spider-Man 2099
reveals the role of Thor is taken by Cecil MacAdam, who belongs to a class of priests known as "Thorites" and worship the original version of Thor.
As a result of the temporary "Age of Apocalypse
", the title X-Universe #1 (May 1995) features a version of Donald Blake that never discovers he is 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.
The limited series Thor Corps reveals that Dargo Ktor is the host of a 26th-century version of Thor while in the Marvel Mangaverse
title Marvel Mangaverse: Avengers Assemble! Thor is virtually all-powerful and aids the heroes against an other-world version of the villain Dormammu
.
In the limited series Marvel Zombies
, set in Earth-2149, Thor appears as a cannibalistic zombie
wielding a makeshift version of a hammer composed of a concrete block and pipe as he is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir.
In the title Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham
, Thor appears as a dog called Thrr, Dog of Thunder.
The Ultimate Marvel
imprint title the Ultimates
features a version of Thor
who is generally not believed to be a god. Regarded as a delusional former mental patient, Thor proves his godhood when summoning an army of Asgardian warriors to fend off an attack by demonic forces commanded by Loki.
In the Next Avengers animated movie, he has taken his place as ruler after his father Odin had died. Torunn, his and Sif's daughter, is left on Earth in the care of Tony Stark along with the other Avenger children. At the end of the movie, he welcomes Torunn into the kingdom, but she turns the offer down as she wishes to stay with her friends on earth.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The character first appeared
First appearance
In comic books and other stories with a long history, first appearance refers to the first occurrence to feature a fictional character.-Monetary value of first appearance issues:...
in Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
#83 (Aug. 1962) and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, scripter Larry Lieber
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. "Larry" Lieber is an American comic book artist and writer, and the younger brother of Marvel Comics' writer, editor and publisher Stan Lee....
, and penciller Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
, the character is based on the Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
of Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
. He has starred in several ongoing series and limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, and has been a perennial member of the superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, appearing in each of the four volumes. The character has also appeared in associated Marvel merchandise including animated television series, clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s, trading cards and video games.
In 2011 IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked Thor 14th in the Top 100 comic-book heroes.
The film Thor
Thor (film)
Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
, based on the character and comic, was released in 2011, with Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
as director and Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth is an Australian actor most notable for portraying Thor in the Marvel Studios film Thor. Hemsworth is set to reprise his role as Thor in the upcoming films The Avengers in 2012 and Thor 2 in 2013. He also starred as Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera Home and Away...
starring as Thor. Hemsworth will reappear as Thor in the film The Avengers, set to be released in 2012 and Thor 2 in 2013.
Publication history
The Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Thor debuted in the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
/fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
title Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
#83 (cover-date Aug. 1962), created by editor-plotter Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
, scripter Larry Lieber
Larry Lieber
Lawrence D. "Larry" Lieber is an American comic book artist and writer, and the younger brother of Marvel Comics' writer, editor and publisher Stan Lee....
, and penciller Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
. Lee in 2002 described Thor's genesis early in the Marvel pantheon, following the creation of the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
:
The 13-page feature "The Mighty Thor" continued to be plotted by Lee and scripted by Lieber or by Robert Bernstein, working under the pseudonym "R. Berns". Various artists penciled the feature, including Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott is an American comic book artist. Working primarily as an inker, Sinnott is best-known for his long stint on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, from 1965 to 1981 , initially over the pencils of industry legend Jack Kirby...
, Don Heck
Don Heck
Don Heck was an American comic book artist best known for co-creating the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, and for his long run penciling the Marvel superhero-team series The Avengers during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books.-Early life and career:Born in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New...
, and Al Hartley
Al Hartley
Henry Allan Hartley , known professionally as Al Hartley, was an American comic book writer-artist known for his work on Archie Comics, Atlas Comics , and many Christian comics...
. With Journey into Mystery #101 (Feb. 1964), the series began a long and definitive run by writer and co-plotter Lee and penciler and co-plotter Kirby that lasted until the by-then-retitled Thor (also called 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.
Journey into Mystery was retitled Thor (per the indicia
Indicia (publishing)
Indicia is the plural of the Latin word indicium, meaning distinguishing marks.In magazine publishing, indicia refers to a piece of text traditionally appearing on the first recto page after the cover, which usually contains the official name of the publication, its publication date, information...
, or The Mighty Thor per most covers) with issue #126 (March 1966). "Tales of Asgard" was replaced by a five-page featurette starring the Inhumans
Inhumans
The Inhumans are a fictional race of superhumans, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. This race appears in various comic book series published by Marvel Comics and exists in that company's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe....
from #146–152 (Nov. 1967 – May 1968), after which featurettes were dropped and the Thor stories expanded to Marvel's then-standard 20-page length.
After Kirby left the title, Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
penciled issues #180-181 (Sept.-Oct. 1970). John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
then became the regular artist the following issue. Buscema continued to draw the book almost without interruption until #278 (Dec. 1978). Lee stopped scripting soon after Kirby left, and during Buscema's long stint on the book, the stories were mostly written by Gerry Conway
Gerry Conway
Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...
, Len Wein
Len Wein
Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...
, or Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
. Thomas continued to write the book after Buscema's departure, working much of the time with the artist Keith Pollard
Keith Pollard
Keith Pollard is an American comic book artist. Originally from the Detroit area, Pollard is best known for his simultaneous work on the Marvel Comics titles Fantastic Four, Thor, and The Amazing Spider-Man in the late 1970s-early 1980s.Pollard made his professional comics debut in 1974 with...
; during this period Thomas integrated many elements of traditional Norse mythology into the title, with specific stories translated into comics form. Following Thomas's tenure, Thor had a changing creative team.
Walt Simonson
Walt Simonson
Walter "Walt" Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist. After studying geology at Amherst College, he transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 1972. His thesis project there was The Star Slammers, which was published as a black and white promotional comic book...
took over both writing and art as of #337 (Nov. 1983). Simonson's run as writer-artist lasted until #367 (May 1986), although he continued to write – and occasionally draw – the book until issue #382 (Aug. 1987). Simonson's run, which introduced the character Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....
, was regarded as a popular and critical success.
After Simonson's departure, Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time, Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco
Tom DeFalco is an American comics writer and editor, well known for his association with Marvel Comics and in particular for his work with Spider-Man.-Career:...
, became the writer. Working primarily with artist Ron Frenz
Ron Frenz
Ronald Wade Frenz is an American comic book artist known for his work for Marvel Comics. He is well-known for his 1980s work on Amazing Spider-Man, and more recently, for his work on Spider-Girl...
, DeFalco stayed on the book until #459 (Feb. 1993).
As a consequence of the "Heroes Reborn
Heroes Reborn
"Heroes Reborn" was a 1996-1997 crossover story arc among comic-book series published by the American company Marvel Comics. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former...
" crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
story arc of the 1990s, Thor was removed from mainstream Marvel continuity and with other Marvel characters re-imagined in an alternate universe
Multiverse (Marvel Comics)
Within Marvel Comics, most tales take place within the fictional Marvel Universe, which in turn is part of a larger multiverse. Starting with issues of Captain Britain, the main continuity in which most Marvel storylines take place was designated Earth-616, and the multiverse was established as...
for one year. The Thor title reverted to Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
with issue #503 (Nov. 1996), and ran four different, sequential features ("The Lost Gods"; "Master of Kung Fu
Shang-Chi
Shang-Chi is a Marvel Comics character, often called the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created by writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin....
"; "Black Widow" and "Hannibal King
Hannibal King
Hannibal King is a fictional character, a supernatural detective appearing in publications from Marvel Comics. He first appeared as a supporting character in the 1970s comic book The Tomb of Dracula.-Fictional character biography:...
") before ceasing publication with #521 (June 1998).
When the character was returned to the mainstream Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
, Thor was relaunched with Thor vol. 2, #1 (July 1998). As of issue #36, the title used dual numbering in a tribute to the original Thor series, and the caption box for said issue became #36 / #538 (June 2001). The title ran until issue #85 / #587, dated December 2004. Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for creating the superhero Booster Gold, and for his lengthy runs on the Superman titles Adventures of Superman and Superman , particularly during The Death of Superman storyline...
wrote the first 79 issues, with Daniel Berman and Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming
Michael Avon Oeming is an American comic book creator, both as an artist and writer. He is known for using a stark art style to tell stories with sophisticated and mature subject matter.-Career:...
completing the series.
The third volume debuted as Thor #1 (Sept. 2007), initially written by J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
and penciled by Olivier Coipel
Olivier Coipel
Olivier Coipel is a French comic book artist, known for his work on books such as House of M, Legion of Super-Heroes andThor.-Career:...
. Beginning with what would have been vol. 3, #13 (January 2009), the third volume reverted to issue #600, reflecting the total number of published issues from all three volumes. Kieron Gillen
Kieron Gillen
Kieron Gillen is a British computer games and music journalist, as well as a comic book author. Gillen has worked for many years as a video game journalist and has, more recently, worked on various comics. He is perhaps best known for his creator-owned comic Phonogram, created with artist Jamie...
took over from Straczynski in Thor #604 with artists Billy Tan
Billy Tan
Billy Tan Mung Khoy, commonly known as Billy Tan, is a Malaysian comic book artist.-Early ife:Billy Tan grew up in Malaysia and moved to the United States in 1989 to study business at the University of Kentucky. He began working as a penciler for Image Comics in the 1990s.-Career:Tan became the...
, Richard Elson
Richard Elson
Richard Elson is a British comic book artist best known for his work on Sonic the Comic, 2000 AD and Thor.-Biography:Richard Elson is a fine art graduate with over sixteen years experience as a cartoonist and illustrator....
and Dougie Braithwaite, with his final storyline finishing in issue #614. Afterward, Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction
Matt Fritchman, better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of The Invincible Iron Man, The Immortal Iron Fist and Uncanny X-Men for Marvel Comics and Casanova for Image Comics.-Career:Fraction wrote two...
took over Thor in issue #615, after having been announced as starting in Thor #610 and #611.
To coincide with the Thor
Thor (film)
Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
film, Marvel launched a number of limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
in mid-2010. These include Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge
Roger Langridge
Roger Langridge is a New Zealand-born comics writer/artist/letterer, currently living in Britain.-Biography:Langridge originally came to public prominence most notably with the Judge Dredd Megazine series The Straitjacket Fits , a surreal, hallucinatory, convention-bending strip set in an insane...
and Chris Samnee, Thor: First Thunder by Bryan J. L. Glass
Bryan J. L. Glass
Bryan J. L. Glass is an American comic book creator, and writer.-Bibliography:Glass' writing credits include:* Quixote: A Novel : A modern day retelling of Don Quixote published in 2005...
and Tan Eng Huat, and Thor: For Asgard by Robert Rodi
Robert Rodi
Robert Rodi is an American novelist, playwright, comic book writer, essayist, and performance artist.-Biography:...
and Simone Bianchi
Simone Bianchi (artist)
Simone Bianchi is an Italian comic book illustrator, painter, graphic designer and art instructor, known to Italian audiences for his work in comics, CD covers, music videos, TV commercials and role-playing games, and to American comic book readers for his work on Detective Comics, Green Lantern...
, An Iron Man/Thor limited series by writing duo Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett
Dan Abnett is a British comic book writer and novelist. He is a frequent collaborator with fellow writer Andy Lanning, and is known for his work on books for both Marvel Comics, and their UK imprint, Marvel UK, since the 1990s, including 2000 AD...
and Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning
Andy Lanning is a British comic book writer and inker, known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and for his collaboration with Dan Abnett.-Career:Lanning works primarily at Marvel Comics and DC Comics as an inker...
was announced at the San Diego Comic Con, to begin publication at the end of 2010.
In April 2011, Thor is scheduled to revert to its original title of Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
with issue #622, reuniting writer Gillen and artist Braithwaite. A new ongoing series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
titled The Mighty Thor is also scheduled to kick off in April 2011 with writer Fraction and artist Coipel, who helped relaunch the title in 2007.
1960s
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Blake witnessed the arrival of an alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
scouting party. Blake fled into a cave after they heard him and began to pursue him. After discovering Thor's disguised hammer Mjolnir, and striking it against a rock, he transformed into the thunder god.
Defeating the aliens, Thor shared a double life with his alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
: treating the ill in a private practice with nurse - and eventual love - Jane Foster
Jane Foster (comics)
Jane Foster is a Marvel Comics supporting character who for many years was the nurse employed by Dr. Donald Blake, the secret identity of the Norse god superhero Thor.-Publication history:...
and defending humanity from evil. Thor's presence on Earth almost immediately attracted the attention of his stepbrother and arch-foe Loki; who returned repeatedly to Earth in a bid to destroy Thor. Loki was also responsible for the emergence of three of Thor's principal foes: the Absorbing Man
Absorbing Man
The Absorbing Man is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #114 The Absorbing Man (Carl "Crusher" Creel) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first...
; the Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
, and the Destroyer
Destroyer (Thor)
The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 The...
. On one occasion, Loki's tactics were accidentally beneficial - although successful in using an illusion of the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
to draw Thor into battle, it resulted in the formation of the superhero team the Avengers
Avengers (comics)
The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in magazines published by Marvel Comics. The team made its debut in The Avengers #1 The Avengers...
, of which Thor was a founding and longstanding member.
Thor's other early foes included the Red Army; Zarrko
Zarrko
Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain, most commonly associated with Thor. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Journey into Mystery #86 .-Fictional character biography:...
, the Tomorrow Man; the Radioactive Man; the Lava Man; the Cobra
Cobra (comics)
The Cobra is the alias of two fictional comic-book supervillains that appear in the Marvel Comics universe.-Klaus Voorhees:Klaus Voorhees, the original Cobra, was also known as The Human Cobra and is currently known as the original King Cobra...
; Mister Hyde
Mister Hyde (comics)
Mister Hyde is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics supervillain. His first appearance was in Journey into Mystery #99, 1963.-Publication history:...
; the Enchantress
Enchantress (Marvel Comics)
The Enchantress is the name of two fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe, the first of which is a powerful sorceress named Amora and is one of the most notable antagonists of Thor.-Publication history:...
and the Executioner
Executioner (comics)
Executioner is the name of two fictional characters in the .-Skurge:Skurge is born in Jotunheim, and later becomes a warrior, gaining his name the Executioner after fighting in a war against the Storm giants. Skurge has always had feelings for Amora, the Enchantress, and regularly aids her in...
and the Grey Gargoyle
Grey Gargoyle
The Grey Gargoyle is a fictional comic book supervillain that appears in books published by Marvel Comics, often as an enemy of Thor, Iron Man, She-Hulk or the Fantastic Four. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #107 The Grey Gargoyle (Paul Pierre Duval) is a fictional comic...
.
Falling in love with Jane Foster, Thor disobeyed his father and refused to return to Asgard, an act for which he was punished on several occasions. Thor's natural affinity for Earth was eventually revealed to be due to the fact that he was the son of the Elder Goddess
Elder Gods (Marvel Comics)
The Elder Gods are fictional characters from the Marvel Comics universe. They were the first generation of Earth's gods, apparently inspired by Greek mythology and the Cthulhu Mythos.-Fictional group history:...
Gaea. Although Thor initially regarded himself as a "superhero" like his teammates in the Avengers, Loki's machinations drew Thor into increasingly epic adventures, such as teaming with father Odin and Asgardian ally Balder against fire demon Surtur and Skagg the Storm Giant, and defeating an increasingly powerful Absorbing Man and proving his innocence in the "Trial of the Gods". This necessitates an extended leave of absence from the Avengers.
Thor also encountered Greek God Hercules
Hercules (Marvel Comics)
Hercules is a fictional character that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery Annual #1 and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
, who became a loyal friend. Thor also saved Hercules from fellow Olympian Pluto; stopped the advance of Ego the Living Planet
Ego the Living Planet
Ego the Living Planet is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe. The character first appeared in Thor #132 and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
; rescued Jane Foster from the High Evolutionary
High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The High Evolutionary was first mentioned in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #133 , and first appears in The Mighty Thor vol. 1 #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby...
and defeated his flawed creation, the Man-Beast. Odin finally relented and allowed Thor to love Jane Foster, on the proviso she pass a trial. Foster, however, panicked and Thor intervened. Although Foster failed the test, Odin returned her to Earth where she was given another chance at love, while a heartbroken Thor was introduced to Asgardian warrior Sif. Thor battled the Asgardian troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
Ulik
Ulik
Ulik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ulik was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appears in Thor #137 ....
for the first time when he attempted to steal Mjolnir; defeated Avengers foe Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror
Kang the Conqueror is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #8 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby...
and the alien Super-Skrull
Super-Skrull
The Super-Skrull is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #18 The Super-Skrull (Kl'rt) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The...
and with Odin and his Asgardian allies engaged in a battle to the death with the Enchanters Three
Enchanters Three
The Enchanters Three are fictional characters that appear in comic books published byMarvel Comics. The Enchanters Three first appear in Thor #143-144 , and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
.
Despite repeated attempts by Loki to destroy Thor with a series of past and new foes, Thor was victorious, and even avoids being claimed by Asgardian death goddess Hela. The thunder god returned to Asgard to prevent Mangog
Mangog
Mangog is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Thor #154 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
from drawing the Odinsword
Odinsword
The Odinsword is a fictional weapon that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a huge magical sword several hundred feet in length...
and ending the universe; learned the origin of the cosmic entity Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
(and encountered Ego once again); and stopped the child-like Him (who would eventually become Adam Warlock) from kidnapping Sif.
1970s
Thor battled Surtur once again when the fire demon attempted to storm Asgard (with Loki temporarily seizing power courtesy of the Odin Ring); encountered the entity the StrangerStranger (comics)
The Stranger is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics.The Stranger first appeared in X-Men #11 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
and his pawn the Abomination
Abomination (comics)
The Abomination is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics...
and overpowered an outmatched Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
. Thor only returned to Earth sporadically, forced to deal with a constant wave of Asgardian (e.g., Mangog; Ulik); godly (e.g. Pluto;) and cosmic threats (e.g., Infinity; Xorr).
Courtesy of the manipulation of the Elder of the Universe the Collector
Collector (comics)
The Collector is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe.-Fictional character biography:Taneleer Tivan is one of the Elders of the Universe and is close to his fellow Elder En Dwi Gast . He apparently came to self-awareness billions of years ago, on the planet Cygnus X-1...
, Thor was present to aid the Avengers against their greatest foes (Graviton
Graviton (comics)
Graviton is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #158 and was created by Jim Shooter and Sal Buscema....
; Ultron
Ultron
Ultron is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Avengers #54 , and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist John Buscema...
; Count Nefaria
Count Nefaria
Count Nefaria is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Avengers #13 and was created by Stan Lee and Don Heck.- Fictional character biography :...
and ultimately Korvac
Korvac
Michael Korvac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Giant-Size Defenders #3 Michael Korvac (often called Korvac or The Enemy) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character...
). Thor prevented another attempt by Mangog — disguised as Odin — to draw the Odinsword; was saved by the intervention of ally Volstagg
Volstagg
Volstagg is a fictional character, a charter member of the Warriors Three, a trio of Asgardian adventurers and supporting cast of Thor in the . He is not taken from mythology but an original creation, modeled on Shakespeare's Falstaff in character and name....
when the "Odin Force" became a semi-sentient destructive force and was rescued from death when Odin engineered a false Ragnarök
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
(the "Twilight of the Gods") and had reporter Red Norvell die in his place battling the Midgard Serpent.
1980s
Thor eventually confronted the threat of the CelestialCelestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
Fourth Host, and after an extended series of encounters learned of the apparent true origin of Asgard and Odin's plans to defend Earth from the alien judges. Despite the attempt by Odin to stop the Celestials by occupying the Destroyer armour (now 2,000 feet tall as holding the life essence of every Asgardian) and wielding the Odinsword (and aided by the Uni-Mind
Uni-Mind
The Uni-Mind is a fictional composite being in the Marvel Universe. The Uni-Mind and the Eternals were the creation of Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
, an entity composed of the Eternals
Eternals (comics)
The Eternals are a fictional race of superhumans in the Marvel Comics universe. They are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth. The original instigators of this process, the alien Celestials, intended the Eternals to be the defenders of Earth which...
) and Thor himself, the aliens departed when presented with an offering by Gaea on behalf of the "Skymothers" (e.g. Frigga and Hera
Hera (Marvel Comics)
Hera is a fictional deity in the Marvel Comics Universe based on the Greek Goddess of the same name. Hera first appeared in the pages of Thor #129, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
) of twelve perfect humans. Thor also learned Gaea was his birth mother.
After restoring the Asgardian gods (courtesy of a gathering of energies donated by Skyfathers from other pantheons) Thor had a series of adventures on Earth, including encountering two Heralds of Galactus in swift succession; stopping Mephisto
Mephisto (comics)
Mephisto is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Silver Surfer #3 and was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema, loosely modeled on Mephistopheles - a character from the Faust legend.Debuting in the Silver Age of comic books,...
from taking human souls; clearing his name when framed by Asgardian god of war Tyr
Tyr (comics)
Tyr, in comics, may refer to:*Tyr , a DC Comics supervillain*Tyr , an Asgardian in Marvel Comics...
; aiding Drax the Destroyer
Drax the Destroyer
Drax the Destroyer is a fictional character appearing in books published by the Marvel Comics.-Publication history:Drax first appeared in Iron Man #55 , and was created by Mike Friedrich and Jim Starlin. He had a recurring role in Captain Marvel vol 1 beginning with issue #23...
; with ally Iron Man defeating the Bi-Beast
Bi-Beast
The Bi-Beast is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Bi-Beast first appeared in the Hulk #169 The Bi-Beast is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Bi-Beast first appeared in the Hulk #169 The Bi-Beast is a...
and Man-Beast; engaging the former king of Nastrond Fafnir
Fafnir (comics)
Fafnir is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in the title Thor #134 , and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.-Publication history:...
(transformed by Odin into a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
) in combat when freed by Loki and battling Dracula
Dracula (Marvel Comics)
Dracula is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. He is based on the vampire Count Dracula from the novel of the same name by author Bram Stoker, and is also influenced by Universal Studios' version of the character.-Publication history:A...
. Thor also learned of the existence of the "God Eater", a creature summoned when the death gods of several pantheons temporarily merge their realms. Thor thwarted the creature - revealed to be in humanoid guise Atum
Atum (comics)
Atum is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, based loosely on the Ra of Egyptian mythology. The character first appears in Thor Annual #10 and was created by Alan Zelenetz and Bob Hall....
, the son of Gaea, and therefore Thor's half-brother - and ensured the cosmic balance was restored.
Whilst exploring an approaching space vessel at the request of Nick Fury
Nick Fury
Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee, Fury first appeared in Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1 , a World War II combat series that portrayed the...
, Thor encountered Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....
, who after a brief battle proved himself worthy of lifting Thor's hammer Mjolnir. After initial misunderstandings, Bill formed an alliance with the Asgardian gods, and was empowered by Odin to aid Thor and his allies in a war with an approaching army of demons which was revealed to be led by fire demon Surtur, now wielding "Twilight", the gigantic "Sword of Doom". After a series of extended battles - including a battle to the death with Fafnir and thwarting the Dark Elf
Dark elf
Dark elf may refer to:* Dökkálfar or dark elves, a type of elf in Norse mythology* Svartálfar or dark elves, a type of elf in Norse mythology* Moriquendi, a fictional race of elves in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium...
Malekith — the gods were finally triumphant, although during combat Odin and Surtur disappeared through a rift and were presumed dead.
Thor remained in Asgard to deal with the vacuum left by Odin's apparent death, and drove off Hela; met Tiwaz, his great-grandfather; forced Loki to cure him from the effects of a love potion; with allies entered Hela's realm and rescued lost mortal souls. Returning to Earth, Thor and Beta Ray Bill defeated the transformed Dark Elf Kurse
Kurse
Kurse is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears as the Dark Elf Algrim the Strong in Thor #347 , is transformed into Kurse in Secret Wars #4 Kurse (Algrim) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel...
, although Loki also used the power of Surtur's discarded sword to change Thor into a frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
. After an adventure in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, Thor managed to partially restore himself and then forced Loki to reverse the spell. While rescuing X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
member Angel from torture by the mercenary team the Marauders
Marauders (comics)
The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita, Jr., the team first appear in Uncanny X-Men #210 The Marauders is a team of fictional supervillain characters in comic books published by...
, Thor was cursed by Hela, who made his bones as brittle as glass and unable to heal if damaged; and rendered him truly immortal and unable to die no matter how severe his injuries. Thor was injured again during a battle with the Absorbing Man (engineered by Loki), and was ultimately saved by Loki during a battle with the Dark Elves.
Eventually forced to wear armour to protect his broken body, Thor and Loki defeated a group of Ice Giants, who sought revenge by trying to locate the Midgard Serpent
Midgard Serpent (comics)
Jormungand, also known as The Midgard Serpent or World Serpent, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, which based on the creature of the same name from Norse mythology , was created by Gerry Conway and John Buscema and first appears in in...
, hoping it would kill the thunder god. The Giants instead found the dragon Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom
Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang Foom is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #89 Fin Fang...
, who was revealed to be the Midgard Serpent
Midgard Serpent (comics)
Jormungand, also known as The Midgard Serpent or World Serpent, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, which based on the creature of the same name from Norse mythology , was created by Gerry Conway and John Buscema and first appears in in...
in disguise. Time slowed as the pair - mortal enemies due to prophecy that stated they would kill each other during Ragnarök — battle to the death. Thor killed the Serpent, although his body was completely pulverized. Loki restored the Destroyer, and after killing the Ice Giants found Thor's now liquid form. The Destroyer attempted to disintegrate the thunder god but could not do so due to Hela's curse. Thor assumed mental control of the Destroyer, and forced Hela on pain of death to restore his true form. The thunder god then broke Loki's arm as punishment for his actions.
1990s
After another encounter with the Celestials on an alien world; Thor found Odin — a captive of Seth — and used the Odinpower to fend off a returning Surtur; defeated Annihilus while Asgard was in the Negative ZoneNegative Zone
The Negative Zone is a fictional setting, an antimatter universe depicted in publications from Marvel Comics, most frequently in Fantastic Four and Captain Marvel. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it first appeared in Fantastic Four #51 .-Fictional description:The Negative Zone in the Marvel...
and on Earth battled X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
foe the Juggernaut
Juggernaut (comics)
The Juggernaut is a fictional character that appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Men #12 , and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby....
and many other opponents. When Thor killed Loki in single combat, he was banished by the Asgardian Heimdall
Heimdall (comics)
Heimdall is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe, loosely based on the god Heimdallr of Norse mythology. He first appeared in a comic in Journey into Mystery #85 and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby...
(acting as temporary ruler of Asgard while Odin entered the Odinsleep) and replaced by the mortal Eric Masterson, who became the hero Thunderstrike
Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson)
Eric Masterson is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a superhero that has appeared as Thor and later Thunderstrike. The character was introduced as a supporting character in the Thor title, but continued in several other comic books, including the self-titled series Thunderstrike...
. When Odin awoke, Thor was forgiven and returned. During a battle Thor was driven into a "warrior's madness
Berserker
Berserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
" by a Valkyrie
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decides who dies in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle , the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin...
. After overpowering everyone who attempted to stop his rampage, Thor was brought by the Eternal Thanos
Thanos
Thanos is a fictional character that appears in comic books and other media published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Iron Man #55 and was created by writer-artist Jim Starlin....
before Odin, who cured his son of the madness.
Thor, together with Avengers; Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
and other heroes, became trapped in alternate universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
after defeating the villain Onslaught
Onslaught (comics)
Onslaught is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in X-Man #15 , and was co-created by writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, and artist Andy Kubert....
. The heroes lived alternate lives for a year in what was revealed to be an artificial creation until returning to their own universe. Thor rejoined the Avengers; and with several members of the team battled the Destroyer. Thor was saved by an enigmatic being called "Marnot", who bound the life-force of a mortal called Jake Olson to the thunder god. Thor entered into a war with the Dark Gods
Dark Gods (comics)
The Dark Gods are fictional characters appearing in comic books published byMarvel Comics. The characters first appear as a group in Thor #4 and were created by Dan Jurgens and John Romita Jr.-Publication history:...
(with Marnot revealed to be Hescamer, one of Odin's ravens); battled the returning Enchanters Three and entered into a prolonged struggle against Thanos when he sought to remake the universe.
2000s
When Odin died in battle against Surtur, Thor became ruler of Asgard. The thunder god extended his rule to Earth, with major repercussions. Thor and the Asgardians slayed or imprisoned those who opposed them, including a young religious mutant called Davis; Zarrko the Tomorrow Man; PerrikusPerrikus
Perrikus is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor vol. 2, #4 and was created by Dan Jurgens and John Romita Jr.-Publication history:...
of the Dark Gods; the U.S. Government, and even his fellow Avengers. Thor married Amora (the Enchantress), and had a son, Magni, who upon reaching adulthood doubted his father's judgment. Wracked with guilt, Thor was drawn into battle with his former ally Tarene
Thor Girl
Thor Girl is a superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Dan Jurgens and artist John Romita, Jr., she first appeared in Thor vol...
and the Destroyer (occupied by former foe Desak
Desak
Desak Sterixian, more commonly known as Desak the God Slayer, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Dan Jurgens and Tom Grummett and first appears in Thor Annual 2001....
), and undid the timeline via time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
.
When the timeline was reset, Loki revived Surtur, who forged new uru hammers for Loki's Storm Giant followers and began Ragnarök. Thor learned that Ragnarok was the result of the self-styled "gods to the gods" known as Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, who feed on the cycle. Thor confronted the Norns
Norns (Marvel Comics)
-Publication history:The Norns first appeared in Journey into Mystery #102 , and were adapted from mythology by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
(Fates), and severed the tapestry of Asgard's existence. After breaking the Ragnarok cycle and being advised by the Odinforce that this was his father's plan, Thor entered into hibernation
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
. With his fate unknown to the Avengers, he was believed to be missing in action.
Thor's hammer Mjolnir was eventually found on Earth and put under U.S. Army protection. When the supervillain Doctor Doom
Doctor Doom
Victor von Doom is a fictional character who appears in Marvel Comics publications . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Fantastic Four #5 wearing his trademark metal mask and green cloak...
escaped from Hell, Mjolnir fell through the dimensional plane, and Doom tried unsuccessfully to lift the hammer. Mjolnir then came into the possession of a man carrying a bag with the initials "D.B". Donald Blake, upon touching the hammer Mjolnir, was transported to the void of non-existence in which Thor resided. Blake explained that when Odin originally removed the Blake persona from Thor, Blake was consigned to the void that Thor now inhabited. With Odin's death, however, Blake was suddenly restored into being in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Blake convinced Thor to wield Mjolnir once more, return to Earth, and renew the dual identity with Blake. Blake also revealed that Thor's fellow Asgardians still lived in the minds and hearts of mortals and only needed to be found and released.
Thor rebuilt Asgard over the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, learned of the events of the Civil War
Civil War (comics)
Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
and was angered that Tony Stark
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
and others used his DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
to create a Thor clone
Ragnarok (comics)
Ragnarok is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in Civil War #3 , and was created by Mark Millar and Steve Mcniven.-Fictional character biography:...
in a battle between pro and anti-registration heroes. He battled Stark, easily defeating him. Thor accepted an offer by Stark for Asgard to be considered a foreign embassy
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
with diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws...
granted to its inhabitants. Thor searched for his fellow Asgardians, and restored each with the exception of Sif, who had been trapped in the body of an old woman dying of cancer, her real form stolen by Loki. The thunder god eventually searched for his father, and located Odin in part of the afterlife, waging constant battle with the fire demon Surtur. Odin advised his son that Thor must lead the Asgardians.
During the events of the Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion
"Secret Invasion" is a comic book crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled eight issue limited series and several tie-in books published by Marvel Comics from April through December 2008....
, Thor rescued and healed ally Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Thor #337 and was created by writer-artist Walt Simonson....
, who after being temporarily given Mjolnir, aided Thor in a battle against an invading force of alien Skrull
Skrull
The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics.-Publication history:The Skrulls first appeared in Fantastic Four #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby....
s. Thor also participated in the final battle against the Skrull forces, and was forced to sacrifice Avenger ally the Wasp
Wasp (comics)
The Wasp is a fictional character, a superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe and founding member of The Avengers. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44 ....
. Due to a deception by Loki, Thor battled and killed his grandfather Bor, and was banished from Asgard. With Thor's hammer Mjolnir damaged in that battle, Thor sought out Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange
Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in Strange Tales #110 ....
, who was only able to repair the hammer by transferring the Odinforce from Thor to Mjolnir, binding the two in a symbiotic relationship. With the repaired hammer, Thor was able to draw out the imprisoned Sif, and return her to her own body, thereby restoring Loki to his male body in the process.
2010s
During the events of the SiegeSiege (comics)
Siege is a fictional character, owned by Marvel Comics, who exists in the Marvel Universe.-Creative origins:John Kelly was initially created by Dwayne McDuffie and Gregory Wright as a pseudo-preview of their then-upcoming relaunch of Deathlok as well as to provide existing in-continuity backstory...
storyline, Thor rushed to the defense of Asgard against Norman Osborn
Green Goblin
The Green Goblin is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #14 ....
and his invading Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers
Dark Avengers was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is part of a series of titles that have featured various iterations of the superhero team the Avengers...
. Although the invading forces were ultimately defeated, Asgard itself was toppled and Loki killed by the Sentry
Sentry (Robert Reynolds)
The Sentry is a fictional character in the . The character first appears in The Sentry #1 and was created by Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee, with uncredited conceptual contributions by Rick Veitch.-Creation:...
who in turn was killed by Thor. As a result of the victory, the Superhuman Registration Act was dissolved and Thor joined the rebranded Avengers, who had come to his aid during the battle. The next day Balder lifted Thor's exile and appointed Thor as his adviser.
Thor aided Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho
Amadeus Cho, also known as Mastermind Excello, is a fictional comic book character appearing in books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Greg Pak and artist Takeshi Miyazawa, the character first appeared in Amazing Fantasy vol. 2 #15...
in a quest to find the necessary ingredients to bring back their mutual friend Hercules from a parallel universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. During the events of the Chaos War
Chaos War (comics)
"Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries Chaos War, written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-shot publications, and by three issues of Incredible Hulks, a...
, Thor joined Hercules' God Squad
God Squad (comics)
God Squad is the name fictional comic book character Amadeus Cho gave to a team of gods brought together in the Marvel Universe to face the oncoming Secret Invasion...
to battle the Chaos King
Amatsu-Mikaboshi (comics)
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a supervillain and demonic god of evil who is best known as an enemy of Hercules...
, who was set on destroying all of existence.
With Asgard in ruins on Earth, the nine worlds were left undefended and are invaded by a force known as "The World Eaters". Seeking counsel on the matter, Thor restored his father Odin. Thor also restored his brother Loki, whom Thor had missed since his death.
During the Fear Itself
Fear Itself (comics)
"Fear Itself" is a 2011 crossover comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics, consisting of a seven-issue, eponymous miniseries written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin, a prologue book by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Scott Eaton, and...
event, Sin frees Odin's long-forgotten brother, The Serpent: the god of fear, from his underwater prison. Once free, The Serpent dispatches his generals known as The Worthy, each armed with magical uru hammers of their own, to descend the Earth into a state of fear. Although Thor and The Avengers manage to defeat The Serpent and his followers, Thor dies in battle. At Thor's funeral, Thor and the memories of Thor are replaced by Ulik
Ulik
Ulik is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Ulik was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and first appears in Thor #137 ....
under the guise of Taranus, a new thunder god.
Powers and abilities
Like all Asgardians, Thor is not truly immortal but relies upon periodic consumption of the Golden Apples of Idunn to sustain his extended lifespan, which to date has lasted many millennia. Being the son of Odin and the elder goddess Gaea, Thor is physically the strongest of the Asgardians. If pressed in battle, Thor is also capable of entering into a state known as the "Warrior's MadnessBerserker
Berserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
" ("berserkergang" in Norwegian), which will temporarily increase his strength and stamina tenfold, although in this state he attacks friend and foe alike.
Thor possesses a very high resistance to physical injury that approaches invulnerability. Thor also possesses keen senses that allows him to track objects traveling faster than light and hear cries from the other side of the planet. Thor has the ability to travel through time. His stamina allowed him to battle the entire Frost Giant army for nine months without any sustenance or rest; Thor has also shown the ability to regenerate wounded portions of his body, including entire limbs or organs, with the aid of magical forces like Mjolnir, Thor has superhuman speed, agility, and reflexes, enabling him to deflect bullets with his hammer. Like all Asgardians he has immunity to all Earthly diseases and some resistance to magic. However, exceptionally powerful magic can overwhelm Odin's enchantment that transforms him between Asgardian and mortal forms.
As the Norse god of Thunder, Thor can summon the elements of the storm (lightning; rain; wind; snow) and uses Mjolnir as a tool to focus this ability, although the hammer cannot command artificial weather, only natural. He can cause these weather effects all over the world and destroy entire buildings; by whirling his hammer he can also lift entire buildings with the wind. As the son of the Earth goddess Gaea, Thor has shown some control over the Earth.
Thor is a superb hand-to-hand combatant, and also skilled in armed combat, excelling in the use of the war hammer
War hammer
A war hammer is a late medieval weapon of war intended for close combat action, the design of which resembles the hammer.The war hammer consists of a handle and a head...
, sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
and mace. Thor possesses two items which assist him in combat: the enchanted Belt of Strength, and his mystical hammer Mjolnir. The first item doubles Thor's strength and endurance while the second is used to control his weather abilities; flight; energy projection and absorption; dimensional travel; matter manipulation and the most powerful of his offensives, the God Blast (which taps into Thor's life force), the Thermo-blast, and the Anti-Force (which counteracts another force). Using Mjolnir by throwing in the desired direction and then holding on to the handle's leather loop, Thor can also fly at supersonic
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
speeds in Earth's atmosphere and travel faster than light in space. When Thor has to transport companions and/or objects to a destination by himself, he has a chariot
Chariot
The chariot is a type of horse carriage used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Ox carts, proto-chariots, were built by the Proto-Indo-Europeans and also built in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The original horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two wheeled...
drawn by two huge mystical goats called Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr
Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr are the goats who pull the god Thor's chariot in Norse mythology...
that can fly nearly anywhere he desires almost as easily as with Mjolnir. He can throw an object out of Earth's atmosphere using his strength, and throw his hammer to Asgard from where it will return.
When Mjolnir was damaged, Doctor Strange bound Thor's soul into Mjolnir, meaning that if the hammer were to be broken again, Thor may also die.
Other versions
There are several alternate universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
versions of Thor.
In the limited series Earth X
Earth X
Earth X is a 1999 comic book limited series written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon and published by Marvel Comics. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian future version of the Marvel Universe....
, Thor and the other Asgardians are members of a shapeshifting alien race, with forms and identities determined by the imagination of "Odin", a human Norse storyteller. Due to Loki's trickery, Thor is female in this universe.
In the MC2 title A-Next
A-Next
A-Next is the Marvel Comics' MC2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in What If? #105, the first comic featuring Spider-Girl, and the team's origin story was told in the A-Next #1, cover dated October 1998....
, Thor is the King of Asgard, while Eric Masterson's son, Kevin
Thunderstrike (Kevin Masterson)
Kevin Masterson, a fictional character that appeared in Marvel Comics. The character was first introduced as a supporting character in Thor and later in spin-off series Thunderstrike, as the son of Eric Masterson, the featured character of both series...
, is a member of A-Next, a next-generation version of the Avengers.
The limited series Marvel 1602
Marvel 1602
Marvel 1602 is an eight-issue comic book limited series published in 2003 by Marvel Comics. The limited series was written by Neil Gaiman, penciled by Andy Kubert, and digitally painted by Richard Isanove; Scott McKowen illustrated the distinctive scratchboard covers...
is set in the 17th century, and a version of Thor appears with an alter ego of an elderly Christian monk named Donal — an allusion to Thor's original secret identity, Donald Blake. Donald fears and despises his alter-ego, believing that summoning a non-Christian deity will damn him.
The Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099
Marvel 2099 is a Marvel Comics imprint, started in 1992, that explores one possible future of the Marvel Universe. It was originally announced by Stan Lee in his "Stan's Soapbox" column as a single series entitled The Marvel World of Tomorrow, which was being developed by Lee and John Byrne...
title Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
reveals the role of Thor is taken by Cecil MacAdam, who belongs to a class of priests known as "Thorites" and worship the original version of Thor.
As a result of the temporary "Age of Apocalypse
Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
", the title X-Universe #1 (May 1995) features a version of Donald Blake that never discovers he is the reincarnation of Thor, and is instead an agent of the Human High Council and a doctor, traveling with Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy
Gwendolyn "Gwen" Stacy appears as a supporting character in Marvel Comics' Spider-Man series. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, she first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #31 ....
to provide aid in human refugee camps.
The limited series Thor Corps reveals that Dargo Ktor is the host of a 26th-century version of Thor while in the Marvel Mangaverse
Marvel Mangaverse
The Marvel Mangaverse is a series of comic books published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2002, with a sequel "New Mangaverse" released in late 2005 and early 2006....
title Marvel Mangaverse: Avengers Assemble! Thor is virtually all-powerful and aids the heroes against an other-world version of the villain Dormammu
Dormammu
Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Strange Tales #126 Dormammu is a...
.
In the limited series Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series published from December 2005 to April 2006 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Robert Kirkman with art by Sean Phillips and covers by Arthur Suydam. It was the first series in the Marvel Zombies series of related stories...
, set in Earth-2149, Thor appears as a cannibalistic zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
wielding a makeshift version of a hammer composed of a concrete block and pipe as he is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir.
In the title Peter Porker, the Spectacular Spider-Ham
Spider-Ham
Spider-Ham is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic funny animal parody of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man, created by Tom DeFalco and Mark Armstrong....
, Thor appears as a dog called Thrr, Dog of Thunder.
The Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel
Ultimate Marvel is an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and updated versions of the company's superhero characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Fantastic Four. The imprint was launched in 2000 with the publication of the series...
imprint title the Ultimates
Ultimates
The Ultimates is a fictional group of superheroes that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team was created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, and first appeared in The Ultimates #1 , as part of the company's Ultimate Marvel imprint...
features a version of Thor
Ultimate Thor
Ultimate Thor is a superhero in the Ultimate Marvel Universe based on the Marvel Universe version of Thor who is in turn based on the god of the same name of Norse mythology....
who is generally not believed to be a god. Regarded as a delusional former mental patient, Thor proves his godhood when summoning an army of Asgardian warriors to fend off an attack by demonic forces commanded by Loki.
In the Next Avengers animated movie, he has taken his place as ruler after his father Odin had died. Torunn, his and Sif's daughter, is left on Earth in the care of Tony Stark along with the other Avenger children. At the end of the movie, he welcomes Torunn into the kingdom, but she turns the offer down as she wishes to stay with her friends on earth.