Thor (Marvel Comics)

Did You Know?

• Kirby had intended to replace Thor and his cast of characters with a new pantheon of deities; this idea was nixed by Lee, but it eventually became the New Gods and Fourth World stories that Kirby created for DC Comics.
• Thor influenced the comic book Black Hammer, which features various homages to the character.

Publication history

Thor's journey to becoming a Marvel superhero began with Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber. Lee first sketched out the character, then handed the writing to his brother Lieber. Kirby, who had a personal interest in ancient mythology, designed Thor's look, and the team used Bulfinch's Mythology as a reference. At the time, Marvel was shifting its comic book lines to focus on superheroes, which were growing in popularity.

Thor made his debut in Journey into Mystery #83 in 1962, taking over an anthology that had previously featured monster stories, much like other new superheroes of the era. Lee wanted a hero stronger than the Hulk or the Fantastic Four, and the idea to adapt the Norse god came after Lee and Kirby heard Marvel described as "twentieth-century mythology." The mythological Thor already came with a supporting cast, powers, and a sense of justice, making him a natural fit.

There were about 15 million Scandinavian Americans at the time, and American culture was familiar with Vikings and Leif Erikson. A previous version of Thor had appeared in Venus #11 in 1950, published by what is now Marvel, and Kirby had drawn Thor for DC Comics in Adventure Comics #75 in 1942, Boy Commandos #7 in 1944, and Tales of the Unexpected #16 in 1957.

Not long after Thor's first issue, Lieber moved on, and other writers took over. Artists like Don Heck and Joe Sinnott worked on early issues. Lee, dissatisfied with the other writers, began writing many Marvel superhero titles himself, taking over Thor with Journey into Mystery #97 in 1963. Kirby became the artist soon after, starting with Journey into Mystery #101 in 1964. When Marvel's distributor allowed more monthly releases, the company created The Avengers. Thor was one of the founding members of that team. By 1965, keeping the storylines consistent between The Avengers and the individual character titles became too difficult, so Lee wrote the original Avengers lineup, including Thor, out of the series.

Characterization

Thor is the son of Odin, king of Asgard, and Gaea, the Earth goddess, though he was raised by Odin’s wife Frigga, believing she was his mother. When Thor came of age, Odin gave him the enchanted hammer Mjolnir, which only the worthy can lift. Thor originally existed in a form closer to the mythological version, but was later reincarnated as a new being. In ancient times, he fought alongside Vikings but turned against them after they attacked a Christian monastery.

Odin, judging Thor too arrogant, banished him to modern Earth without memories of Asgard, giving him the identity of Donald Blake. While visiting Scandinavia, Blake found a walking stick that could transform into Mjolnir, granting him Thor’s powers. Loki, seeking to defeat Thor, provoked the Hulk into attacking a train. Thor responded, but was joined by Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Wasp.

After they defeated Loki, these heroes formed the Avengers. Odin later restored Thor’s Asgardian identity, revealing that Blake was a persona he had created. When Beta Ray Bill defeated Thor, Odin transferred the ability to become Blake from Thor to Bill. To live among humans, Thor adopted the name Sigurd Jarlson and worked as a construction worker.

Odin later bound Thor to the mortal Eric Masterson to save Masterson’s life. After Thor was exiled for apparently killing Loki, Masterson kept Thor’s powers and became the hero Thunderstrike. During the 1996 Onslaught event, Thor was transported to an alternate dimension by Franklin Richards, but soon returned. Thor was again bound to a mortal, Jake Olson, but that link was also broken.

When Odin seemingly died, Thor became king of Asgard. Seeking to fix humanity’s problems, he moved Asgard above Earth and took control of human society, providing clean energy, healthcare, and economic prosperity. This interference caused loss of liberties, leading to conflict within Asgard and resentment from humans. A military battle destroyed both Asgard and New York City.

Thor’s hubris grew so great that he could no longer lift Mjolnir. He remained in power for many years, consolidating control over Earth, before finally traveling back in time out of remorse to stop himself from seizing power.

Supporting characters

Thor's world is filled with the gods of Asgard. His father, Odin, rules as king, and Thor has been close friends with Balder the Brave since they were children. The Warriors Three often join him on adventures. His romantic partner is Sif, another Asgardian. When Odin banished Thor to Earth as the mortal Dr. Donald Blake, Blake met a nurse named Jane Foster. Both Thor and Blake felt drawn to Foster, creating a complicated love triangle. After Thor returned to Asgard, he and Sif rekindled their relationship, and Thor's feelings for Foster have caused tension between him and Odin. The Greek hero Hercules first appeared as Thor's rival, but they later became allies. Beta Ray Bill earned Thor's friendship by proving himself worthy, and Odin gave him his own hammer, Stormbreaker. On Earth, Thor is a founding member of the Avengers.

Thor's greatest enemy is his adoptive brother, Loki. Because Thor is heir to Asgard's throne, Loki burns with envy and constantly schemes to take power for himself. Thor regularly battles mythological creatures like trolls and giants. He also fights human foes, including Soviet agents. Other major villains include Surtur, the Enchantress, the Executioner, Hela, Malekith the Accursed, Ulik, Mangog, the Destroyer, the Serpent, Ymir, Laufey, Fafnir, Perrikus, Gorr the God Butcher, the Midgard Serpent, Kurse, the Wrecking Crew, Ragnarok, and Galactus.

Several other characters have taken up the title of Thor, including Jane Foster, Beta Ray Bill, Eric Masterson, Volstagg, and Storm. Across the Marvel Multiverse, many variants exist, such as Ultimate Thor from the Ultimate Universe, Thor 2099, Throg the Frog of Thunder, and King Thor from a future timeline. In a 1996 crossover, DC Comics' Wonder Woman once lifted Mjolnir and wielded Thor's power.

In other media

Thor was first adapted in The Marvel Super Heroes, an animated television serial, in 1966. Thor has since appeared in various animated television programs featuring Marvel characters, as a main character in ensemble casts and through guest appearances in other Marvel properties. The character also stars in the animated direct-to-video film Thor: Tales of Asgard. A live action adaptation of Thor appears in The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), portrayed by Eric Allan Kramer.

This version of Thor was considered for its own spin-off, but this was not seen through due to an ongoing writers strike and concerns about the character's design. A Thor movie was set for production with Universal Pictures in 1981, but it was one of several planned Marvel projects that were not produced. Lee also pitched a Thor film to Fox Studios, but it was not accepted. Chris Hemsworth portrays an adaptation of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

This version of Thor was introduced as a member of a technologically advanced alien race, placing less emphasis on the character's fantasy origins. Hemsworth also portrayed Thor in the animated series What If...? and in the Team Thor short films. Thor is featured in two video games: Thor: God of Thunder and Thor: Son of Asgard. He also appears in several other video games that feature rosters of Marvel characters.