Thor has a long history in Marvel Comics, having first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #83 in 1963 by Don Rico, Hy Rosen, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber. He has since become a founding Avenger, a protector of planets across the cosmos, and one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes.
However, questions began to arise in all that time. Some factoids are lost in an avalanche of obscure issues of Thor or Avengers, and readers can be left confused about how certain things came to be in the Thor side of the Marvel Universe. Who has killed Thor? Has he ever lifted any other hammers? What is his connection to Donald Blake?
10 Who Has Killed Thor In The Comic Books? Thor Has Been Slayed By Numerous Figures
Marvel heroes dying and then coming back to life is far from a new concept. However, Thor has a unique case, as he is an Aesir and therefore caught in the endless cycle of Ragnarok. He has actually died several times in comics continuity, and several figures have done him in.
He technically almost died when killed by the serpent Jormungandr at the end of Walt Simonson’s legendary run on Thor. Thor was blasted into nothing by Michael Korvac in the Avengers, and Eric Masterson as Thor was turned to glass and shattered by Thanos armed with the Infinity Gauntlet. Thor technically died during the Final Ragnarok when he defeated Those Who Sit Above In Shadow. He later died fighting his uncle Cul, God of Fear, during Fear Itself. The Odinson went out fighting alongside Hyperion when the Beyonders invaded during Time Runs Out. Eric Masterson, who later became Thunderstrike, killed himself to remove the corruption of the Bloodaxe. Red Norvell, another person who became Thor, was killed by a rampaging Donald Blake. Finally, King Thor, the most powerful Thor who exists in the far future at the end of time, died while slaying Gorr the God-Butcher for the final time.
9 What Is His Connection To Donald Blake? Their Connection Is Long And Complex
Originally, Donald Blake was a person who found an enchanted stick in a cave. The stick promised to give its wielder the power of Thor so long as they strike it on the ground three times. He was attacked by the stone aliens known as Kronans (think of Korg from Thor: Ragnarok), and Blake struck the stick on the ground and became Thor for the first time. Thor spent years connected to Donald Blake, the two swapping places as needed. It was revealed that this relationship was created so that Odin could teach Thor humility. The drawback was that, should Thor lose control of Mjolnir for a full minute, he reverts to Donald Blake. Other heroes took on the mantle of Thor for a time during this period, including Eric Masterson and Red Norvell–but they retained their personalities and didn’t become a traditional Thor. After the Final Ragnarok, it was Donald Blake who found Mjolnir and returned Thor to existence.
Donald Blake seemed to fade from existence after this. When Thor was no longer worthy to lift Mjolnir, Donald Blake didn’t return to existence. Thor was just now “The Odinson.” It was recently revealed that Donald Blake was created completely by Odin to be a vessel for Thor, and Blake would spend time in a fabricated reality when he swapped places with Thor. Years in that realm made Blake insane, and he rampaged across reality with the intent of killing everyone connected to Thor until Thor and the Asgardians stopped him.
8 Has He Ever Used Any Other Mystical Weapons? Briefly, But Each Attempt Was Quite Short-Lived
While left unworthy to lift Mjolnir, the Odinson sought out the Mjolnir of Earth-1610, the Ultimate Universe, which had landed in the Earth-616 universe. Beta Ray Bill offered Thor Stormbreaker in this time, but the Odinson declined. He later got into a battle with the Collector and Thanos over this Mjolnir, but the Odinson ended up relinquishing this hammer–as it was not truly Mjolnir.
When Mjolnir was destroyed in a fight between the Mangog and Jane Foster as Thor, Thor Odinson reclaimed his name and tasked the Dwarves of Nidevillir to create a new hammer for him. Unfortunately, these were not nearly as stable and often broke in combat with the likes of Juggernaut and the Hulk. Since then, Mjolnir has been reforged. Thor once wielded Beta Ray Bill’s Stormbreaker in a fight with Bill, and Thor shattered it upon Mjolnir.
7 Why Was He Sent To Midgard In The First Place? He Needed To Learn Humility
Thor has spent centuries on Midgard, as he had a vested interest in it and its people. He fought foes like Apocalypse and one of Knull’s Grendel symbiotes in years past, as well as all other manner of monsters. However, Thor was brash, arrogant, and careless, and, after a tavern brawl in Asgard, Odin decided it was time Thor learned humility.
It was this act that led to the creation of Donald Blake, Thor’s time with the Avengers, and the rest of Marvel history as we know it.
6 Why Can More Than One Person Become Thor? Access To His Powers Can Grant The Person The Title
This is a complex concept, as Thor Odinson is a person, but his powers can grant someone the title of Thor. Unlike in Thor: Ragnarok, Thor doesn’t have access to his control over storms and lighting without Mjolnir–though that potential has been hinted at recently. Thor only has the strength and durability innate to an Asgardian without Mjolnir. When Odin stripped Thor of his title and powers, that created a differentiation between the Odinson and Thor. During Thor’s time as Donald Blake, he could only maintain the Thor form while keeping in constant contact with Mjolnir. This tied the identity of Thor to Mjolnir.
One must be worthy to lift Mjolnir, and a few others have over the years, including Beta Ray Bill, Captain America, Superman, Wonder Woman, Storm, Red Norvall, Eric Masterson, and Jane Foster. Of those, only Norvall, Masterson, and Foster took on the name of Thor. There is also Throg, a frog who has his own tiny Mjolnir. Also, Volstagg became the War Thor for a time when he took the Mjolnir from the Ultimates Universe. For those other than the Odinson who became Thor, the name “Thor” was more of a superhero title to match the aesthetic and powers. However, after Mjolnir was destroyed in the battle with Mangog, Jane Foster convinced the Odinson to keep his name, regardless of whether he had Mjolnir.
5 Does He Ever Become The King Of Asgard? He Ascended To The Throne Several Times
Thor has actually ascended to the Throne of Asgard several times over the years. He once established Asgard in the fictional nation of Slokovia while Odin went off to battle Surtur the Fire Demon. Thor became King of Asgard and began considering taking over the Earth to finally bring peace to humanity. This prompted Iron Man to build the Thorbuster Armor and try to humble Thor. After this, the Final Ragnarok occurred, and Thor once again became King of Asgard in the aftermath. He reestablished Asgard in Broxton Oklahoma and ruled from there while finding the missing Asgardians. After a time, however, Odin once again returned and became king. More recently, Odin abdicated the throne in the wake of War of the Realms, and Thor became King of Asgard again.
In Robert Rodi and Simone Bianchi’s Thor: For Asgard, Thor became a king while Odin was dead for a time (he hung himself from Yggdrasil to show penance for past mistakes and to gain insight). Thor wasn’t worthy to lift Mjolnir then, and Asgard seemed to be collapsing around him. In the far future, Thor is King of Asgard, but the other Asgardians are all gone. The universe is in its final days, and Thor only has his granddaughters, known as the Daughters of Thunder, and a small colony of humans on Earth to keep him company.
4 Who Is Thor’s Mother In The Comic Books? Gaea Was Revealed To Be His True Mother But It Might Be The Phoenix Force Instead
This question has become surprisingly complicated in recent years. Freyja was believed to be Thor’s mother for a long time, but Gaea an Elder God of Earth (who is assumedly still connected to the Greek pantheon) was revealed to be Thor’s true mother–giving him his close connection to Midgard. For a time, Freyja, Gaea, and Idunn, a Vanir, for a time ruled Asgardia as the All-Mother.
Recently, it was revealed that Thor’s true mother might actually be the Phoenix Force, who apparently had a tryst with Odin 1,000,000 years ago.
3 How Many Siblings Does Thor Have? Thor Has Several Siblings
Loki is Thor’s adopted brother. Loki was a Frost Giant of Jotunheim and son of Laufey, but Odin adopted Loki after a brutal battle between the Aesir and Jotuns.
However, Thor actually has other siblings. Angela, or Aldrif Odinsdottir, is the daughter of Odin and Freyja and half-sister to Thor. Laussa Odinsdottir is still a child and is also a half-sister to Thor, born of Odin and Freyja. Balder, Hermod, and Tyr are also sons of Odin and Freyja and therefore half-brothers to Thor. Finally, there is Vidar, who is the son of Odin and a Jotun named Grid and is, therefore, another half-brother to Thro.
2 What Is His Relationship With Other Marvel Heroes? He Is Cordial
Thor has generally tried to be cordial to other heroes in the Marvel Universe. He is a stalwart ally to the Avengers, though he seems to have a special dislike for the Black Knight. He is close friends to Captain America, Hercules, Beta Ray Bill, and Valkyrie Jane Foster. He has had a contentious relationship with Iron Man–not helped when Iron Man made a cyborg clone of Thor called Ragnarok during Civil War. He was as enraged as other heroes when the Illuminati was outed. Thor also became quite close to Hyperion during his time on the Avengers. He also seems to greatly respect Silver Surfer, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. Thor, as Donald Blake, had a long-term relationship with Jane Foster before her own days as Thor, and Thor currently is in a nebulous relationship with She-Hulk.
Thor and Hulk have a special relationship as well. They have seemed to respect one another in the past, but they also get into frequent fights. The Immortal Hulk era has done nothing to help this, as Thor no longer trusts the Hulk and seems very eager to show the Jade Giant who truly is the strongest there is.
1 Why Did Marvel Decide To Adapt The God Of Thunder As A Superhero? Stan Lee Wanted To “Make Someone Stronger Than The Strongest Person”
In Excelsior! The Amazing Life of Stan Lee, Stan says that he wanted to “make someone stronger than the strongest person.” That led him to come up with a god, but he didn’t want to use Roman and Greek gods because they were so commonly adapted in Western fiction. This, and apparent affection for Vikings, led Stan Lee to Thor, and he put Thor in Journey Into Mystery because it “needed a shot in the arm.”
Jack Kirby on the other hand had already used Thor for DC Comics, so he already had some ideas floating about how to adapt the God of Thunder to a comic. He always had an interest in legends and gods, and that made it easy for Kirby to come up with a creative vision for Thor.