The Mighty Thor



""Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of... THOR!""

- The original inscription upon the mighty Mjölnir.

The Son of Odin. The God of thunder. The God with The Hammer.

Marvel Comics' version of the Norse God of Thunder. Also one of Marvel's major superhero characters since the 1960s. He first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (August, 1962), created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. His series was featured regularly there until issue #125 (February, 1966). With issue #126 (March, 1966), the comic was renamed The Mighty Thor.

Volume #1 lasted from 1966 to 1996, ending with issue #502 (September, 1996). At that point, Thor was supposedly dead. The series was renamed back to Journey into Mystery and continued featuring the tales of the surviving Asgardians. Until issue #513 (October, 1997), where the Asgardians' tales concluded. They were replaced as series protagonists by a couple of other characters (Master of Kung Fu, Black Widow, Hannibal King). But the comic was canceled with issue #521 (June, 1998). It was cancelled however only to be replaced by The Mighty Thor (vol. 2), which lasted for 85 issues (July, 1998-December, 2004). The series ended with the supposed death of Thor and most of the Asgardians. The series remained in hiatus for a few years, then was revived as simply Thor in 2007. It has been renamed and renumbered a couple of times since, but otherwise it is still the familiar tale of the immortal hero and his extensive supporting cast.

Originally, Thor was supposed to be one Dr. Donald Blake, a handicapped physician; he had a injured leg and required a walking stick. While Blake was visiting Norway, an Alien Invasion drove him to hide in a cave, where he found a wooden stick; when he struck it on the ground, it transformed into Thor's magic hammer, Mjölnir, and Blake found himself changed into Thor! Using his new powers, Blake defeated the invaders and decided to become a superhero in his native New York City, keeping the secret even from his love interest, Nurse Jane Foster. It turns out, however, that Blake really was Thor, having been given amnesia and a new form by his father, Odin, the ruler of the Asgardian gods, to "teach him humility" (it was revealed years later that this was actually part of a Xanatos Roulette of Odin). After learning the truth of his identity, Thor decided to stay on Earth (where he even co-founded The Avengers) and continued romancing Jane, much to Odin's displeasure. Thor's half-brother, Loki, became his Arch Enemy and created many of Thor's other foes.

Eventually, Thor and Jane broke up, and he started a relationship instead with Lady Sif, who in the original myths was Thor's wife. Incidentally, the differences between Marvel's version and the actual myths were eventually explained by stating that Ragnarok (the final battle in which the gods would be killed) was a cyclical event that recreated the gods every two thousand years or so, and the current Asgardians were only the latest version. This also explains the existence of many deities invented for the series, such as The Enchantress and her minion, The Executioner. Odin's schemes were mostly a way to prevent Ragnarok from happening (again).

Eventually, Thor abandoned his Dr. Blake identity (who may or may not have been an actual person - it's confusing) and even was replaced temporarily by other heroes such as Beta Ray Bill and Thunderstrike. After Odin was Killed Off for Real, Thor gained his powers and responsibilities. He finally managed to end the Ragnarok cycle, though all of Asgard was destroyed in the process. Currently, Thor is re-creating Asgard (and its people) in the middle of the United States, on land he legally bought! But Loki's also back, badder than ever (as a woman), and is set on making life miserable for Thor once again. Thor has now returned to the brand-new Avengers lineup.

As of 2011, he's dead again, and Loki is a now Creepy Child who genuinely cares for Thor, though whether he is good is something of an enigma, having shown he is more than willing to capitalize on his past reputation as a Complete Monster to get what he wants. Loki is also planning something, as per usual.

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Thor is still a Messianic Archetype, but his godhood is put in question. Through the efforts of Loki, Thor's words are twisted and not taken very seriously.

A cartoon series made in 1966 for the anthology The Marvel Superheroes lasted for 13 episodes. A clearly Ultimates-inspired Thor appears in the Ultimate Avengers movie. He's also made guest appearances in other animated Marvel shows, and also became one of the main characters of The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. An extremely altered version of Thor appeared in the 1988 TV movie The Incredible Hulk Returns.

Thor is also a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portrayed by Chris Hemsworth and appearing in his eponymous movie in 2011 and in The Avengers in 2012.


 * Power of the Storm

"Odin: FOR ASGARD! Thor: FOR MIDGARD! Loki: FOR MYSELF!"
 * Adaptation Dye Job: In the original myths, Thor had red hair.
 * A God Am I: Thor realizes and exclaims this when he picks up Mjölnir and is bestowed with his powers.
 * A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Ragnarok, Thor's android clone, was a homicidal maniac who, for a time, believed himself to be the real Thor.
 * Aliens in Cardiff: A major element of modern Thor stories is that Thor moved Asgard to Earth and the gods are integrating themselves with their mortal neighbors - in Broxton, Oklahoma.
 * All Your Powers Combined: The Absorbing Man collects powers through contact.
 * But never uses them combined - only sequentially.
 * Alternate Company Equivalent:
 * In terms of power level, Thor was created to be Marvel's main equivalent to Superman. They decided not to make him a man, but make him a god. Older stories had Thor using Super Breath and even Super Ventriloquism, making the comparison all the more obvious.
 * By the way, JLA-Avengers has the answer of who'd win in a fight between the two: Superman, but he'd be so exhausted by the end of it that he wouldn't have much fight left to take on anybody who jumped him immediately after.
 * When Thor first adopted the alias of Sigurd Jarlson, he literally bumped into a man who looked exactly like Clark Kent - quite intentionally, since his own 'disguise' consisted of changing his hairstyle and putting on glasses. The Kent-expy was also used to lampshade the situation: "Hey, he looks just like... no, it couldn't be."
 * In Thor #371-372, Thor meets Justice Peace, a lawman from an authoritarian future Mega City who has travelled to the present to Set Right What Once Went Wrong. He bears a striking resemblance to Judge Dredd.
 * Always Someone Better: Technically, "Always Someone More Worthy"; this was the entire reason Beta Ray Bill was created. The writers wanted to explore the idea that there was another person out there who was an even more worthy wielder of Mjölnir than Thor himself. Bill defeated Thor in single combat to claim the hammer, and even saved Thor's life because he was a Worthy Opponent. Odin was so damn impressed that he copied Mjölnir into an equally-powerful hammer called Stormbreaker.
 * An Ice Person: Ymir and Skurge, the Executioner.
 * Skurge may have a cold personality (and even that is debatable), but he is not an ice giant. Ice giants, on the other hand, are ice giants. Although they look like large humans, they actually get smaller when exposed to great heat. Then there are the ice giants who actually look like moving ice sculptures, like smaller versions of Ymir himself.
 * Animal Superheroes: Puddlegulp, the frog that Thor befriended when he himself was turned into a frog, has recently became Throg using a sliver of Mjölnir in the Pet Avengers crossover.
 * Animal-Themed Superbeing: The High Evolutionary was fond of making these due to his studies in genetics. One of the more famous being the Mongoose who was so fast, Thor had to call in Spider-Man for help.
 * Arch Enemy: If there's trouble in Asgard, Loki is behind it 9 times out of 10.
 * Ascended Extra: In the original myths, there's almost no mention of Laufey other than to mention that she's Loki's mother. To flesh Loki out as a character, this adaptation makes her a him, the King of the Frost Giants who was killed by Odin.
 * Attack Reflector: Mjölnir can reflect attacks in this manner, sometimes amplifying the return volley 10 to 100 fold.
 * Attractive Bent Gender: Thor was turned into a woman once; Recently, it was Loki who had been switched.
 * There's also a What If issue that reveals what would have happened if Jane Foster had been the one to find the walking stick, instead of Donald Blake. Essentially, she becomes Thor's Distaff Counterpart.
 * The Earth X series had Thor transformed into a woman before the start of the story as another attempt to teach him humility.
 * Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other: Some writers will make it clear that, beneath all the betrayal and rivalry, Thor and Loki love each other. This is especially obvious during Siege and its aftermath, and Matt Fraction has stated that this is the approach he's taking during his run.
 * Badass Beard: Odin, many others in Asgard. Thor himself was clean-shaven for many years, before growing a beard during the Simonson run (with Lampshade Hanging about how this made him slightly more like the Thor of legend) to cover the damage his face sustained in a battle with the death goddess Hela.
 * Badass Boast: This one springs to mind: "All the power of the storm, from all the world, flows through my veins, and can be summoned by mine hammer at any time, wherever it is. A lightning storm in Japan? Mine. A hurricane off the coast of Barbados? Mine again. A brace of tornadoes in Kansas? Aye... mine. All that might, all that destructive force, mine to command. Channeled and guided through the mystic might of this hammer, guided right at thee!"
 * "ULTRON! We would have words with thee!"
 * Thor is, of course, "the consummate smack-talker of the Marvel Universe."
 * To Red Hulk, after a little "misunderstanding" : "I am Thor Odinson of the Vikings, Giant. I am not the god of reason and understanding. I am the god of THUNDER AND LIGHTNING!"
 * To Tony Stark, after obliterating the Iron Man suit and tearing it off Tony's body: "Give your orders and ultimatums to those who choose to obey, or are too cowardly to fight. Not to me. Or learn again the difference between a god of thunder and a mortal man in a metal suit."
 * Desak the God-Slayer had a nice one... when the forces of Asgard raced at him, heaving swords and shields, and shouting their famous battlecry "For Odin! For Asgaaaard!!" he responded "For NOTHING!" as he blew them away.
 * Badass Cape: Thor can use his to generate whirlwinds.
 * Badass Normal: In a world populated by supernatural creatures all far more powerful than your average human every once in a while through brains, training, or just pure grit holds their own or triumphs. A prime example is Roger Willis who held his own against Dark Elves and Fire Demons in Walt Simonson's run.
 * Baleful Polymorph: The memorable storyline, beginning in Thor #363, where Thor is turned into a frog.
 * Bare-Fisted Monk: Although they're probably not as effective as Mjölnir, Thor is quite willing to use his bare fists against an enemy. He did this to very nearly defeat The Juggernaut while he was using Mjölnir to neutralize Juggy's defensive powers.
 * Batman Can Breathe in Space: Thor can not only breathe in space, but hold a verbal conversational as well.
 * Battle Cry:

"Loki: Aaarrgggggggggghhhhh! My arm! You've broken my arm! Thor: There speaks the wily Loki at last! As always, his cunning mind pierces to the heart of the matter!"
 * Beyond the Impossible: Nothing can stop the Juggernaut once he begins moving in one direction, right? Wrong.
 * BFS: The Odinsword and the Twilight Sword; the latter in particular is about 500 foot long.
 * Big Applesauce: Given that NYC is the main setting of the Marvel Universe, it shouldn't be a surprise that this runs through this book like almost all others; however, special note should be taken of the famous run of Walter Simonson; after an epic cross-dimensional battle left much of Asgard in ruins and the dimensional bridge broken, the Asgardians were forced to stay in New York for several months (real world time; roughly a month or so comicbook time). With no battles to fight, they acted like tourists, seeing the sights, besting all comers in drinking contests and bar brawls, and collecting mortal weaponry and knickknacks to take back home (Volstagg in particular could be seen wearing an "I [Heart] NY" shirt for months afterward). You could tell that Simonson really loved New York City.
 * Big Badass Wolf: Fenris.
 * The Big Bad Wolf: Again, Fenris. Hela (correctly) believes his unleashing could bring about Ragnarok ahead of schedule.
 * Big No: When in Thor #371, Thor spends an entire page smashing stuff up while shouting "NO!" . He ends up kneeling in the wreckage, saying one final, very small, "No."
 * Blond Guys Are Evil: Averted by Thor and Thunderstrike.
 * Boisterous Bruiser: Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three, allies of Thor.
 * Pretty much comes with being from Asgard. Thor himself, while more reserved than his fellow Asgardians, is downright hammy when compared to his fellow Avengers, as demonstrated in Marvel Ultimate Alliance: "SOULLESS MACHINE!!! HOW DARE YOU STRIKE THE SON OF ODIN?!?!"
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: Thor, the Warriors Three, and the Executioner have all fallen victim at one point.
 * Brainwashing for the Greater Good: Thor has also been on the giving end of an occurrence of brainwashing. Though in this case, he just helped some children get some sleep.
 * Brick Joke: In Journey Into Mystery 625, Loki is dealing with the aftermath of bring some dire news to Hela. When he recives worse news, he reports to her handmaiden Leah, who tells him he "already brought" dire news, sp he corrects himself with "Dire-er news!" Almost at the end of the issue, he runs up to Hela and Mephisto, who are having Parley, and loudly declares "DIRE-EST NEWS!" and Hela looks exasperated.
 * Especially funny since Hela is his daughter.
 * Cain and Abel: Thor and Loki, though in the case it's Loki, the younger of the two, who is the villain.
 * Calling the Old Man Out: More then one story arc has ended with Thor calling Odin out for being a dick. Most notably the "Blood and Thunder" crossover where Thor is driven insane by all the crap Odin has put him through.
 * Captain Obvious:
 * The Recorder, an alien android who appeared on some older Thor stories.
 * In Thor #382, Simonson's final issue, Thor decides to give Loki a reminder that although he puts up with a lot from Loki, this is not a sign of weakness, nor is it without its limits:

"Narrator: ...and New York being what it is, almost nobody notices."
 * Cast From Life Force: Thor can channel his life force into Mjölnir, unleashing an attack powerful enough to drive away a hungry Galactus.
 * Catch Phrase: "I SAY THEE NAY!"
 * "SO SAYS THOR! So says the god of thunder!"
 * City of Weirdos: During Walter Simonson's run there was a story arc where the hosts of Asgard were trapped on Earth for a few weeks, and spent the time hanging out in New York City.

"I did think Odin missed the boat there; would you trust an advisor on your staff named Seidring the Merciless?"
 * Clone Jesus: During the Civil War, people attempted to clone Thor since he had a not-so-convenient disappearance through that arc.
 * Combat Compliment: Thor will praise his opponent in battle, especially if they demonstrate great physical strength.
 * The Commies Made Me Do It: Thor #358 features a Soviet plot to destroy the USA's economy; one of the key players is an immigrant who's being blackmailed into helping for the sake of his parents who are still in Soviet hands.
 * Cool Helmet: Plenty to go around in Asgard, especially Loki's.
 * Costume Copycat: Several other people have wielded Mjölnir when Thor was indisposed, including Beta Ray Bill and Eric Masterson. Eric even grew longer hair and a beard when he transformed, to the point where he actually looked very similar but not identical to the thunder god. This was Lampshaded by the Absorbing Man when he got a good look at Eric up close.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Being one of Marvel's strongest, Thor has many of these against even other heavy-hitters: The Ragnarok clone, Namor the Sub-Mariner, Mr. Hyde, the Wrecking Crew, Iron Man multiple times, Abomination, Mr. Fantastic, Poor a Ares with both his strength tripled and later Pluto's aid., Black Bolt, Skruge, the Executioner, death-goddess Hel,Wolverine Wonder Man, and Sentry.
 * Cut Lex Luthor a Check: One of the earliest Stan Lee-written stories featured a scientist who invented a device that could duplicate matter, essentially creating the duplicate out of nothing. Having achieved what's arguably the most amazing scientific discovery in human history, what does he do with it? He... creates an evil twin of Thor and sends him after the real one. Go Figure...
 * Mister Hyde is another example. Along with his Super Strength formula, he's also invented a "Time Reversal Ray" that shows events that occurred in the past of whatever he points it at. What could have been used for everything from police investigations to historical research is instead simply used by Hyde to track down Thor so he could indulge his petty grudge. Yeesh...
 * Dating Catwoman: The Enchantress, a goddess of Asgard, spent years hatching plans to harass and seduce the god of thunder. He eventually relented and had a brief romantic relationship with her.
 * Balder and Karnilla also have one of these relationships. They actually hooked up for a while during Simonson's run.
 * Deflector Shields: Thor can create "dimension disruptions" with his hammer to protect himself or his allies. In Journey into Mystery #112, he created a disruption around himself that was "impossible for the Hulk to break through."
 * Determinator: Thor even when his power has been halved. The earliest, and maybe coolest, was during an epic battle with Hercules back in the 60s. Odin was pissed at Thor for something and cut his power in half; despite that Thor kept battling until he was finally knocked out, but man it was awesome!
 * Deus Exit Machina: Thor, during the Civil War Event. It seemed that halfway through he had taken a side,
 * Distaff Counterpart: In 616, there's Thor Girl. An issue of What If? also speculated on what would happen if Jane Foster found Mjölnir instead of Don Blake. Predictably, it turns her into a female version of Thor.
 * Dramatic Irony: After spent decades trying (and failing) to kill Thor,
 * Dream Team: Thor and  in JLA-Avengers.
 * Drop the Hammer: Thor's most effective battle tactic is to introduce his foes to Mjölnir, one of the most powerful weapons in the universe.
 * The Dreaded: Its very rare considering their power and courage, but a few villains have this effect on all of Asgard including Odin and Thor. Two in particular are Surtur, a fire giant rivaling Odin in power destined to burn the entire universe and the Disir, the Asgardian equivalent of the boogeymen who are pretty much immune to all but very specific magic and weapons (including Thor's hammer) and merely saying their name can cause them to appear and kill you. Ego the Living Planet is one of the few villains not related to Norse Mythology that intimidates Thor. Even a god has trouble fighting an entire world. Another example is the Mangog, who habitually beat the living daylights out of the thunderer and just refuses to go away - "so long as hate endures, I exist". When Desak, the God-Slayer who had destroyed several pantheons throughout the universe, came upon Asgard, the Asgardian troops were practically shaking in their boots, and, as it turns out, rightly so.
 * And there is the Destroyer, of course.
 * Recently, The Serpent has added himself among this list quite nicely.
 * Gorr the God Butcher also follows this trend.
 * Elemental Absorption: In Thor #288, Thor absorbs all of the electricity directed at him, using it to regain his strength.
 * Elemental Powers: Innate, but can also be granted through possession of Mjölnir.
 * Lightning - Thor can summon lightning from the sky, channel it through Mjölnir, or even project it from his hands. According to Thor #421, the God of Thunder can amplify the power of lightning 10,000 fold. Thor can also use lightning to create electromagnetic pulses capable of disabling Iron Man's armor.
 * Wind - Thor can use Mjölnir to generate powerful whirlwinds. In Thor #177, he generated a "spear of wind" powerful enough to push back Surtur, the 1000-foot tall Fire Giant. These whirlwinds can also be used for containment, as was the case in Secret Invasion #8 when he isolated, who had been turned into a.
 * Although it didn't happen in his own comic, Thor once used Mjölnir to control the winds and spread a chemical agent developed by Spider-Man throughout the global atmosphere to neutralize another chemical agent released by Doctor Octopus that was destroying the ozone layer.
 * Thor can utilize his breath and exhale with the force of a hurricane which can close dimensional openings, as seen in Journey into Mystery #86.
 * Fire - Mjölnir can emit fire blasts hot enough to melt steel. Thor has also created expanding waves of fire and used Mjölnir to absorb fire attacks. The God of Thunder also has a natural resistance to heat, as he can be submerged up to the neck in lava with no ill effects.
 * Earth - Thor can start earthquakes in two ways: physically slamming Mjölnir to the ground or by summoning lightning bolts while in flight. He has demonstrated enough control to generate unidirectional shockwaves that can be aimed at a single opponent.
 * Empathic Weapon: Mjölnir. It's not how strong you are, it's how worthy you are. The Hulk and Juggernaut have both tried with all their might to budge it and cannot lift it an inch. However, Captain America can lift is easily. Times it has been mistaken to be lifted by the non-worthy include alternate realities/versions where the enchantment did not apply, fake duplicates, or machines that have no worthiness to measure like robots.
 * Enemy Mine: Loki, occasionally, when the threat is really dire.
 * He once reneged on a promise to help Tyr overthrow Asgard, because the reason he'd set the plot against Odin into motion was that he thought Odin had dishonored Frigga. When he realized he'd been wrong about that, he switched sides.
 * When Surtur tried to destroy the universe by taking the Eternal Flame from Asgard, Loki tricked him with illusions, which he was able to do because he'd fooled everyone into thinking that he was on the Dark Elves' and Surtur's side. But Loki wants to rule over everything -- which he couldn't do if an Omnicidal Maniac destroys it all.
 * Loki doesn't really want to rule Asgard though; every time he gets the throne, he hates it. It's all about hurting and humiliating Thor and Odin while simultaneously getting their approval. At the end of the day, Loki is mostly a mean, scared, mentally ill, insecure child... albeit a dangerously clever and powerful one.
 * During Siege, Loki eventually switched sides and helped the Asgardians.
 * Energy Absorption: Mjölnir can be used to absorb and redirect virtually unlimited amounts of energy. Thor has used Mjölnir to absorb Hyperion's atomic vision, the Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic attacks, and Heimdall's blue cosmic flames. Absorbed energy can be amplified 10 to 100 fold before being redirected at Thor's attacker. One of Mjölnir's greatest feats occurred in Thor #407, where the hammer managed to contain the galaxy-destroying power of a Null Bomb before using the power to reignite a dying sun.
 * Evil Chancellor:
 * Seidring the Merciless was Odin's chief advisor until Thor #127, when he gained control of the Odinpower and tried to take over Asgard.

- Walter Simonson, Foreword to Thor Visionaries: Walter Simonson

"Black Knight: But--but that scientifically impossible! Captain America: Not to a Thunder God!"
 * Loki, to the new prince Balder.
 * Expy: Volstagg, of Shakespeare's Falstaff.
 * The Fair Folk: Dark Elves are a recurring enemy to Thor and Asgard.
 * Flaming Hammer: Thor's "atomic flare" attack, which is performed by spinning Mjölnir so fast that its own atoms are set ablaze, creates a weapon that "burns with the might of a thousand suns", according to Thor #351.
 * Fan Nickname: Loki's reincarnated self is Kid Loki, or less often Little Loki. Loki as a woman is Lady Loki (with the official Marvel description of that period on their site being Loki looks like a Lady.
 * Fantasy Gun Control: On the whole, the realms of Asgard and beyond stick to an apparent technology level appropriate to the time of the Norse Myths. Somewhat averted during the Surtur Saga, however, when the hosts of Asgard and Valhalla fought alongside the mortal armies of Earth for the fate of the worlds; some of the warriors of Valhalla took a shine to the mortals' machine guns and took some home with them afterward.
 * Five-Man Band: Journey Into Mystery currently has this dynamic.
 * The Hero: Loki
 * The Lancer / The Chick: Leah
 * The Smart Guy / The Evil Genius: Ikol
 * The Big Guy: Thori
 * Sixth Ranger: Tyr
 * Flowery Elizabethan English: The Marvel Universe version of Thor used to speak in archaic English resembling Shakespearean prose. This was dropped in the most recent restart of the series; the Asgardians now speak modern English, though their speech patterns are both formal and faintly archaic.
 * Flying Brick
 * Fusion Dance: When Thor and Eric Masterson were in the far reaches of space trying to restore the Incredible Hercules to normal, Eric was mortally wounded when he performed a Heroic Sacrifice to save Thor. Thor saved Eric by binding their life-forces together, which saved Eric but forced him to share a body with Thor. When Thor was later banished from Earth by Odin, Eric was entrusted with Mjölnir and all of Thor's innate abilities.
 * Green-Eyed Monster: Loki, both literally and figuratively.
 * Gender Flip: In the comic, Laufey, the "king" of he frost giants, is male, but in the actual Norse myths, Laufey is in fact female.
 * A God I Am Not: Bordeline case. Generally speaking, he's fine with calling himself a god, or being called such (being part of a pagan pantheon helps), but doesn't encourage actual worship.
 * Good Hurts Evil: In Thor #180, the "power of good" in Thor's soul was so strong that exposing it to Mephisto left the demon begging for mercy.
 * The Good King: Odin, king of the Aesir.
 * Healing Hands: Thor can use his godly essence to heal beings. Combined with the energies of Mjölnir, Thor can literally make an old man feel young again.
 * Heart Light: The circles on Thor's armor are sometimes portrayed as glowing.
 * Hero Insurance: When you see some of the feats Thor is capable off, it's clear that one of the reasons he tends to hold back on Earth is because he wants to avoid this trope as much as possible.
 * Heroic Sacrifice: SKURGE. It is the definition of epic.
 * Also epic was Eilif the Lost, elderly last survivor of a Viking colony in Antarctica, dragging his mortally injured self into battle thinking, "The son ... of Odin ... must not ... perish ... because Eilif ... failed in his duty!"
 * Humans Are Special: Thor certainly thinks so. Few other gods in the Marvel Universe (and there are many) are as willing to stand up for and protect humanity as he is, and his best friends and teammates are just humans with exceptional abilities and dedication to good. His best friend amongst humans is Captain America (comics), if that tells you anything.
 * Humongous Mecha: The Destroyer.
 * Idiot Ball: Thor and Balder have been tossing this back and forth ever since their returns. First, it was Thor leaving Loki alive and not doing a thing to challenge his exile while disappearing for long periods of time leaving Asgardians without guidance in a strange, new world and using up a near-omnipotent power source to save his girlfriend. Balder picked it up and decided to trust Loki, not check up with the local mortals about Doom, and did not prepare at all for SIEGE. He recognized he was an idiot, but Thor has picked it up again.
 * Loki himself grabs the ball whenever he teams up with Dormammu, since Dormammu always screws him over when ever they team up.
 * Immune to Bullets
 * Incorruptible Pure Pureness: In Mephisto Versus #4, Mephisto admitted that he could not break Thor, even after devouring him whole.
 * Also, Balder.
 * Involuntary Battle to the Death: In the story-arc that introduces Beta Ray Bill, the otherworldly champion who is also worthy to wield Mjölnir, Odin declares that Bill and Thor must fight a duel to the death to settle the question of who gets to keep it.
 * Kill the God: Gorr's whole modus operandi - he hates the divine with a venomous passion for letting him, his people and his family down one too many times. Now armed with the All-Black the Necrosword, he seeks to slaughter all the divine across creation for what they did to him.
 * Large Ham: During Thor's '60s run, pretty much everybody who isn't an average guy. And even then...
 * Legacy Character: The power of the Thunder God is accessible to anyone else who can prove worthy of wielding Mjölnir (see below). Mortals such as human architect Eric Masterson and the alien nicknamed Beta Ray Bill would wield the hammer when Thor was otherwise indisposed. Later on, Masterson would get a slightly weaker hammer of his own to wield, becoming the hero Thunderstrike. Likewise, Beta Ray Bill was given his own hammer, Stormbreaker, with powers roughly equal to Mjölnir. Unfortunately, this means that Bill isn't seen that much anymore, because having Thor teamed up with an equally powerful pseudo-god is ridiculous overkill for most situations.
 * And there's Red Norvell, who's basically Thor, but if he was raised in the blue-collar midwest instead of Asgard. Though he was only able to lift Mjölnir after absorbing a copy of Thor's essence and was never actually worthy himself, he eventually gained his own imitation hammer. Interesting in that he's the only one of the legacy characters to not only claim the position of God of Thunder, but also the position of Odin's son, although that bit was mostly just Odin trying to tick Thor off. He's still alive, and has all his powers, but we haven't seen him in over a decade. It's possible that he died off-panel during Ragnarok, but in that case he'd probably be back anyways like the rest of 'em.
 * Just about anyone can wield Mjölnir in a crisis, provided that they do so for unselfish reasons.
 * Let's You and Him Fight: Justice Peace and Thor in Thor #371. This one has consequences: the fight delays Justice Peace's pursuit of the serial killer Zaniac, who kills several more people before they catch up with him.
 * Lightning Can Do Anything: Lampshaded in Thor #390, after Thor seals a hole in the ground with a "pin-point accurate" lightning bolt.

"Loki (near start): Dire News! Loki (after an interrogation with a henchman): Dire-er news! Loki (after a momentus discovery in the final pages): Dire-est news!"
 * Literal Surveillance Bug: In Thor #357-8, the villains' secret base has an insect infestation that's actually a swarm of Literal Surveillance Bugs created by their own Gadgeteer Genius, who is working with them unwillingly and wants to know what they say when he's not around.
 * Medium Blending: Some of the Jack Kirby-drawn issues featured photography of models of objects in place of drawn art, such as with the first appearance of Ego, the Living Planet.
 * More Expendable Than You: The Executioner's heroic sacrifice, saving Thor's life.
 * Most Common Superpower: The Enchantress, Valkyrie, Hela, and Thor Girl.
 * Nakama: The Warriors Three.
 * New Powers as the Plot Demands: By today's standards, a lot of Thor's early Stan Lee-scribed appearances have the thunder god doing this when he comes up with everything from creating wind storms by blowing to using ventriloquism.
 * Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: In Thor #381, Hela has Thor on the ropes, completely incapable of lifting a finger to help himself -- until Loki decides to make things a bit more entertaining, and inadvertently gives Thor an out.
 * Nigh Invulnerability
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Rare considering his power level, but Thor has been subject to a few of these over the years from either the rare more powerful foe or a time when Thor has been depowered.
 * No More for Me: In Thor #364, a drunk stumbles into an alley and runs into the irate goats pulling Thor's chariot, who've been stranded in the alley while Thor is... temporarily discommoded. He promptly declares he's going on the wagon. At the end of the following issue, the same guy, drunk again, winds up in the same alley, where he's confronted with the goats, the chariot, and a 6'6" frog in full Thor regalia. As he flees, he swears that this time he really really is never going to touch the stuff again.
 * Oh My Gods: "By Odin's beard!" (and other variations) was Thor's catchphrase.
 * Only the Chosen May Wield: Only someone who is a hero judged worthy by Mjölnir's magic can lift Thor's hammer. This makes it a shock in Beta Ray Bill's premiere story when this seeming monster qualifies as such.
 * Only the Worthy May Pass: Thor's hammer (and its powers) could only be wielded by "someone worthy" such as Thunderstrike or Beta Ray Bill. Others who have briefly wielded, or at least lifted, Mjölnir include: Captain America (comics), Wonder Woman, Rogue (in an alternate universe where she permanently absorbed Thor's powers and personality, Superman thanks to an emergency suspension of the worthiness enchantment, an unidentified paramedic, and Alex Power in "Thor and the Warriors Four" (though this is out of continuity) and Red Norvell.
 * Wonder Woman easily wields it, which makes tremendous sense, since for one, she's obviously worthy, but she's also a literal demigod herself, albeit an Greek demigod, not Norse.
 * Our Giants Are Bigger: Ymir, Surtur, and the Celestials; the Masters of the Black Star, and in Avengers: Infinity which featured Thor as one of the main characters, the "Walkers" (who are planet-sized) and the Infinites (who can hold planets in their hands).
 * Parental Favoritism: Odin towards Thor. Poor Loki was made well aware of the fact he was less loved.
 * Balder, having recently discovered he is Odin's son, is also under this curse as well.
 * Physics Goof: Thor achieves flight by flinging his mystic hammer with all his strength, and then grasping the leather thong at the base of the handle (somehow managing to do so a split second after releasing the hammer, before it is out of reach); he is then pulled into the sky by Mjölnir, traveling upon the momentum of his own throwing strength. And yet, he can stop to hover in mid-air (sometimes shown doing so by twirling Mjölnir like a helicopter blade, but just as often not) and then resume flight at full speed... not to mention being able to throw the hammer as an attack, have it return to him, and then resume flight, all without plummeting to the ground while Mjölnir is out of his hands and he has no other visible means of staying aloft. Of course both Thor and the hammer are magical.
 * Pinball Projectile: Mjölnir can be used to take down several opponents in this manner.
 * Plot Armor: Odin's Destroyer armor.
 * Plot Relevant Age Down: After Loki sacrifices himself in Siege, Thor resurrects him... only to bring him back as a child.
 * Power Nullifier: In Thor #429, Thor created a vortex that negated all mystical energy within, robbing the Juggernaut of his invulnerability for a time.
 * Precision-Guided Boomerang: Mjölnir will always return to Thor after being thrown.
 * Proud Warrior Race Guy: Asgardians love the lusty song of battle.
 * Public Domain Character: DC Comics has had Thor appear in their Universe, since Odin and other Norse gods also exist. Their Thor is also a god, but is removed from human affairs.
 * Silver Age Batman and Robin dealt with Thor. See if you can detect any similarities that would appear in the Marvel version three years later.
 * There is the Kirby Connection, specifically via the Fourth World comics; when Kirby was not allowed to end Thor's story with Ragnarok, he moved to DC and created a new mythology. It started with the immortal line "There came a day when the old gods died..." (if you look very carefully at the illustration, you can even make out Thor); the ancient world from which New Genesis and Apokolips were formed is strongly implied to very much have been like Asgard, and in visions, revealed to have harbored equivalents of the Asgardians. The Asgardian gods of Earth, including Thor who actually had a walk-on role in the Fourth World comics, are believed to be "descendants" of them because they received an exceptionally large portion of the God Wave which empowered all "modern" gods (except for the Fourth World New Gods) after the Old Gods died...
 * Rage Against the Heavens: He is the God of Thunder. Of course this happens from time to time.
 * Red Skies Crossover: During the "Casket of Ancient Winters" Saga, the whole world was covered with snow; this was reflected in several other comics, though most people did not know the cause.
 * Retcon: An early example: the question of where Thor was before Donald Blake found the hammer is answered by Odin "revealing" that Don Blake had been and was always Thor, transformed into the form of mortal man as punishment for arrogance.
 * At the climax of the "Surtur Saga", Odin sacrifices himself to keep Surtur from ever entering the Nine Realms again. Later on, it's revealed that both Odin and Surtur now exist in a limbo state, where Odin must continuously fight Surtur to stop him from coming back to life, and this is the reason Odin cannot be revived. However, in Thor #618, Thor does revive Odin, but neither the writer of the comic nor the characters seem to remember that this should mean Surtur can now return as well.
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: During a fight between Thor and Algrim, Malekith (Algrim's boss) dropped them both down a shaft in an attempt to kill them in lava. Thor was able to fly out before hitting the lava; Algrim wasn't so lucky. He clung stubbornly to life out of sheer tenaciousness. The Beyonder, during Secret Wars II, noticed this. Intrigued by Algrim's desire for vengeance, he teleported him to safety with vastly increased strength and durability, and the new identity of Kurse. As his memory was damaged by his time in the lava, Kurse blamed Thor for what had happened and began to unleash a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. Thor was eventually able to hold his own by donning the power-doubling Belt of Strength... so the Beyonder increased Kurse's power again, to limits that even the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe claimed were immeasurable. It took Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and Power Pack working together to take him out even briefly. When he awoke, his memory had improved, and he remembered that not Thor, but Malekith who was truly to blame. The heroes didn't know where Malekith was, so they teleported him to Hel, to cause trouble for the death goddess Hela. How durable was he? Not all the armies of Hel could stop him, and nor could Hela's instant touch of death. Finally, he managed to track down Malekith (in Asgard in disguise). Malekith didn't last past the end of the issue.
 * Used as an Invoked Trope in the recent comics. The only reason no one has killed the reincarnated-as-a-kid Loki yet for his past deeds is becuase Thor has sworn to do exactly this trope if anyone hurts Loki and he finds out about it. Or if Loki just suddenly dies, even if there's no proof, becuase Thor's not an idiot.
 * Rogues Gallery: Many of Thor's enemies come from Norse myth, of course, including the rock troll Ulik, the fire giant Surtur and Arch Enemy Loki, although from the very beginning the Thunder God also tangled with a number of mortal criminals like the Wrecker, Mister Hyde, the Cobra, the Absorbing Man, Zarrko the Tomrrow Man, and the Grey Gargoyle. Later mortal additions included bad guys like Quicksand and the Mongoose.
 * Royals Who Actually Do Something: Thor is a prince (often crown prince) who would take action himself than endanger others. Odin often leads his armies into battle and will fight threats himself when he knows his army cannot handle it. The same with Tyr and Balder. Loki too is technically a prince and will do his own dirty work if he has too.
 * While Loki's  leaves both his royal staus and how long he can stay alive in question, it also means that almost no one trusts him so he has to work on his own. Within 3 issues, he's already put a good deal of a team together with only words and tricks, no magic at all.
 * The seem pretty involved in recent comics, and have Loki doing various jobs for them as well.
 * Running Gag: Journey into Mystery #625 involves Loki getting progressivly worse news and reporting it to Hela/Mephisto:
 * Running Gag: Journey into Mystery #625 involves Loki getting progressivly worse news and reporting it to Hela/Mephisto:

""I would have words with thee.""
 * Sadly Mythtaken: Many details were changed or invented for the series. Notably, Thor is blonde, clean-shaved, unmarried and spoke with a Shakespearean accent! It was all justified eventually, though; in the Marvel Universe, Ragnarok isn't a one-time event. Every time it happens, Asgard resets, and the same gods, giants, etc are reborn, but with mostly minor changes in appearance and personality.
 * Screw Destiny: Odin planned to break the cycle of Ragnarok, which was destined to eternally repeat itself through his son Thor..
 * Selective Magnetism: Thor has displayed some power over magnetism. He's used it to overcome Magneto's magnetic force field before in Journey into Mystery #109.
 * Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Thor #371-372 features a time traveller from the future trying to prevent a chain of events that will result in World War VII.
 * And now Kid Loki is out to prove that
 * Sharing a Body: Thor and Donald Blake, after Thor's resurrection seem to be doing this, with Thor more in control after Donald Blake calls for Mjölnir with his cane, and Don more in control in their mortal form. Whether or not they are the same person with different personas, or two separate people is when things begin to get hazy. They mostly converse in an odd spiritual void or an alternate version of where they currently are.
 * Sif and Jane Foster had to share one body for awhile. Valkyrie and Samantha Parrington had to thanks to the Enchantress.
 * Shooting Thor: Happened quite a bit in early Thor stories.
 * And, somewhat shockingly, in a Black Panther comic; for a little while, it is implied that Thor was actually shot dead, but when he gets up again, it is revealed the bullet pierced his skin and then bounced off his skull, briefly knocking him unconscious.
 * Shorter Means Smarter: Loki is considered short by frost giant standards which makes him normal size for everyone else. He also is far smarter than other giants and even most gods.
 * Depending on the Artist, Loki may or may not be taller than most mortals, however.
 * Small Reference Pools: This trope is part of what inspired Stan Lee to create this character: the Greek myths were well known in North America, but the Norse ones were much less so, thus giving Lee a fresh source of material for stories for the Marvel Universe. In doing so, Lee and Kirby provided generations of kids their first exposure to this mythology.
 * Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter!: Thor to Zeus..
 * Some Kind of Force Field: Mostly during Thor's space travels. He usually tries to smash through the barrier.
 * Spanner in the Works: In one alternate universe, Odin hid Mjölnir in a cave, intending for Don Blake to find it as he did in the 616 universe. Unfortunately, Odin's plans go awry when Jane Foster finds Mjölnir instead, and gets turned into Thor's Distaff Counterpart. She ends up fighting crime as "Thordis" for a long time, and eventually Odin has to personally intervene to make sure Mjölnir ends up with Blake. Jane, for her part, becomes a goddess herself and moves to Asgard permanently.
 * In another alternate universe, Loki's imprisonment in a tree was lifted slightly early, just early enough he was freed just before Blake found the hammer in its cane form. Loki stole the cane and Blake/Thor was killed by the Kronans; as a result, a war of the gods started up, requiring Odin to give up an eye in payment to Hela to see Thor restored to life (and I think Sif also died as she entered into Hel with Mjölnir, using Thor's gauntlets to be able to carry it to restore it to him so he might try and fight his way free).
 * Loki's resurrection is, depending on the scource, either the reason The Serpent is back, the key to the only way to defeat The Serpent, or both. Either way, by bringing him back, Thor caused the Fear Itself crossover.
 * Speed Blitz: In a fight with Hela, who, at the time, could take his soul with a touch, Thor attacked with speed and power beyond her comprehension.
 * Spin to Deflect Stuff: Thor uses this technique with his hammer to block incoming projectile attacks.
 * Splash Panel: Thor #380, chronicling Thor's epic battle with the Midgard Serpent, contains (with the exception of the final page) no panels less than a full page in size.
 * Standard Hero Reward: In Thor #364, a dying king offers it to Thor if he will save the kingdom from its attackers. Thor does save the kingdom, and the princess seems quite keen on the idea, but Thor politely declines the reward and suggests she should rule the kingdom in her own right.
 * Summoning Ritual: Not so much a ritual as it is Thor raising Mjölnir and speaking a few words but he did summon the spirit of Captain America in Thor (vol. 3) #11.
 * Summon to Hand: Thor can hurl Mjölnir across an entire galaxy. Mjölnir will return to Thor's hand in less than a minute's time.
 * Super Breath: In Journey into Mystery #86, Thor used this power with "Hurricane force".
 * Super-Hero Gods: Thor is the actual Norse god of thunder who has decided to engage in superheroics in the modern age.
 * Super Reflexes: Thor can react fast enough to block bullets and energy attacks, even those fired from a few feet away. He has snatched arrows, artillery shells, and missiles right out of the sky and dodged attacks from speedsters like Mongoose.
 * Offically, all the gods have this to some degree.
 * Super Speed: In Thor #354, Thor described himself as having the "swiftness of the very lightning itself." He has flown fast enough to catch Hermes, attacked Quicksilver faster than his Super Reflexes could register, and moved so fast that even fellow Asgardians Heimdall and Hela could barely see him. One of Thor's attacks, the Atomic Flare, requires Thor to whirl his hammer "faster than thought" in order to set its molecules ablaze. Finally, in order to use Mjölnir's time travel abilities in Journey into Mystery #85, Thor must spin the hammer "faster than light."
 * Super Strength: Compared to mortals, just about everyone in Thor's corner of the universe has this to some degree. Even elderly geriatric gods have been listed outright as considerably stronger than Spider-Man. Thor is strong enough to go toe-to-toe with opponents like Hercules or Juggernaut. However, a select few like Surtur, Kurse, and Mangog make Thor look like a weakling.
 * Super Weight: Normally Level 3, but bumped up to Level 4 when in possession of the Odinforce.
 * Superheroes Wear Capes
 * Superpower Lottery: Super Strength, Super Speed, Flight, control over the elements, time manipulation, teleportation, frogspeak...
 * Take It to the Bridge: Asgard, located in Another Dimension, was originally connected to Midgard (Earth) by Bifröst, the "Rainbow Bridge".
 * Teleportation: Thor can create "space warps" or "vortexes" that can transport people anywhere imaginable, even other universes.
 * This Means War: What Thor's Catch Phrase means in a nutshell.

"Next issue: Not a hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary story!! The story they didn't think we had nerve enough to tell! Thor croaks!!!"
 * This Was His True Form: In Thor #375-376, Thor battles a succession of foes that are actually innocent bystanders transformed by Loki. Each reverts to their own true form when they're defeated.
 * Time Master: Thor sacrificed most of Mjölnir's time manipulation powers (Time Travel, time reversal, etc) in Thor #282, but he retained the ability to create localized time freezes. These freezes are mostly used for protection, because they prevent supers from using their powers. Thor used one to prevent Hela from taking Odin's soul in Thor #198-199.
 * Tonight Someone Dies: Spoofed at the end of Thor #363:

"Thor: The reason I did fail, Captain America, is that I be the God of Thunder. I am not slow-witted, but my task in the All-Father's plan doth concern itself more with action than reflection! What I saw not till this battle is that, to adapt myself to thee mortals, I have accustomed myself to withhold my full might! 'Twas a gradual thing. In Asgard, I have struggled 'gainst Gods. On Midgard, we have mostly met human menaces. To avoid the murder of these men, and to avoid the humbling of my friends, I came to act as less than I am. To thrill, to the thunder of battle, I forgot I am the god thereof!"
 * Undying Loyalty: Thor is pretty famous in the Marvel U for being incredibly loyal to his friends and the cause of good. Hurting one of his fellow Avengers, a hero he respects or someone under his protection is a wonderful way to get Mjölnir repeatedly smashed against your face. He is also very fond of humanity, even going as far as challenging his own father in defense of them.
 * Thor often invokes this in his friends.
 * Unskilled but Strong: Thunderstrike initially possessed all the powers of Thor, but none of the Thunder God's centuries of experience. He would often ignore or completely forget Mjölnir's elemental powers in favor of brute strength, which left him frustrated and overwhelmed by skilled opponents.
 * Unstoppable Rage: Thor's always a formidable enemy in a fight, but if you push him hard enough, you'll learn just how scary and angry a thunder god can be. Mister Hyde, the Wrecking Crew, and Quicksand all found this out the hard way.
 * Thor also has the Warrior's Madness, which boosts his strength 10 fold, but leaves him in a berserker state.
 * Up to Eleven: The only reason Thor exists is because Stan Lee was stumped as to how he could top his last creation--The Hulk, who was the strongest man alive. For Stan, the answer was for his next character to not be a "man" at all!
 * Valkyries: Brunnhilde
 * Weather Control Machine: Thor's hammer allows him to summon storms of varying strength, which he can control and disperse at will.
 * Actually Thor's weather control is innate -- the hammer acts as a focus. It does however give the other people who lift it weather control.
 * What Could Have Been: Jack Kirby originally envisioned his New Gods as part of Thor's mythos, but jumped ship to DC before these plans materialized. Darkseid could have been a Thor villain.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Red Norvell is out there, somewhere, just dicking around with the Power of Thor (tm). He hasn't been seen in nearly a decade, despite being alive, well, and empowered. Partially justified because he was never as into the "superhero" side of things as the Asgardian side of things, but that still doesn't explain why he no-showed Ragnarok.
 * What Year Is This?: In Thor #371, time-travelling lawman Justice Peace appears out of thin air and asks a bystander "What's the date, citizen?" He has to ask a second time, less politely, before the bystander pulls himself together enough to reply.
 * The Wild Hunt: Invoked on Thor by an enemy.
 * The Worf Effect: Thor occasionally suffers this, most notably to Red Hulk and  in JLA / Avengers. Other gods are known to suffer this as well.
 * Worf Had the Flu: In the Red Hulk rematch, Red gets to discover what a beatdown from Thor is like the hard way. Odin too once or twice.
 * World of Cardboard Speech: Thor gives one of these in The Avengers (vol. 1) #149 after a battle with Orka.


 * World War Whatever: Thor #371-372 features a time traveller from the future trying to prevent a chain of events that will result in World War VII.
 * Worthy Opponent: Thor has a few; Hercules, the Hulk, The Sentry, the Midgard Serpent, and Beta Ray Bill, just to name a few.
 * Wrecked Weapon: Mjölnir has been broken many times over the years.
 * You Can't Fight Fate: Many prophecies are to pass in Asgard with the entirety of Asgard knowing of these prophecies many years before they occur, like Thor being slain by the Serpent. Despite all of Asgard's best efforts to keep this from happening.
 * You Didn't Ask: In Thor #337 -- though, since it's Thor, it's "Thou didst not ask."
 * You Shall Not Pass:
 * Skurge. "And when a new arrival asks about the one to whom even Hela bows her head, the answer is always the same: he stood alone at Gjallerbru. And that answer is enough."
 * Odin's two brothers, the first time the gods of Asgard tangled with Surtur.