Thor

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Background

Powers and Abilities

Thor is an extremely powerful warrior, and one of the strongest beings on Marvel Earth, his strength having often been compared to that of the Hulk. He also wields a magical hammer that is not only very powerful, but also has numerous mystical powers.

Thor possess the superhuman physical attributes of an Asgardian. But as the son of Odin, lord of the Asgardians, and Jord, elder goddess of the Earth (aka Gaia), his strength, endurance, and resistance to injury are greater than those of the vast majority of his race.

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Like all Asgardians Thor is :

• Extremely long-lived (although not immortal like the Olympians).
• Superhumanly strong (the average Asgardian male can lift about 30 tons over his head).
• Immune to all Earthly diseases.
• Resistant to conventional injury (Asgardian flesh and bone is about three times as dense as similar human tissue, contributing to the Asgardians’ superhuman strength and weight).

Thor’s Asgardian metabolism gives him far greater than human endurance at all physical activities.

Although highly efficient and experienced, Thor has a tendency to rely more on brute guts that technique and finesse. Thus his fighting skills, while formidable, as not as high as someone who relies on finesse such as Wonder Woman. He has, however, the brawn to compensate against pretty much everything.

Like many powerful heroes, Thor tend not to spend Hero Points  and use only a fraction of his EV on minor opponents. Thus fights against minor bricks such as Mister Hyde or the Wrecker can be much longer than expected. However, during cosmic crises, he can muster enough HPs to, for instance, throw Mjolnir hard enough to make Galactus take a step back.

One of Thor’s most impressive traits is that he will almost always rise to match the situation, often going above his usual level of power or intelligence when needed.

Soundtrack

Not much of a choice here. We come from the land of the ice and snow / From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow / The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands.

Available for download on Amazon .

History

Thor is the son of Odin, and Gaea the goddess of the Earth. Odin wanted a child of Asgard and Midgard , which is why he mated with Gaea. Gaea gave birth to Thor in a small cave in Norway. A few months later, Odin took the baby Thor to Asgard to be raised by his wife, Frigga. Thor learned of Gaea many centuries later.

The young Thor was raised with Loki, his step brother. Loki had been the son of the Frost Giant leader Laufey, who had been killed by Odin. Even when they were growing up, Loki was jealous of Thor’s powers and popularity.

This later grew into all consuming hatred. When Thor was 8 years old, Odin sent him to Nidalvellir, the land of the dwarves. Thor was to order the dwarves Brokk and Entiri to create three special items for Odin. One of those items was the mystical hammer, Mjolnir. Loki sabotaged the creation of Mjolnir causing its handle to be too short.

Mjolnir was given several enchantments by Odin and set it aside for Thor on the day that he could prove that he was worthy. Thor trained to become a mighty warrior and performed many heroic deeds. At the age of 18, Thor offered his life to Hela in return for that of the young goddess Sif.

Hela was touched by this act of nobility, and released both Thor and Sif. For this act, Thor won possession of Mjolnir and was declared by Odin the greatest warrior of Asgard.

In the IX^th Century, A.D., Thor went to Midgard for the first time. While on Midgard he promoted his worship among the Vikings. Later on, the Norsemen and Germanic people would also come to worship Thor and the other Asgardians. While on Midgard, Thor encouraged his worshippers to glorify the ways of combat.

One day, Thor discovered that some of his Viking worshipers had killed the defenseless inhabitants of a Christian monastery. Shocked by the fact that some of his more fanatic worshipers were killing innocents in his name, Thor left Midgard and cut himself off from his worshipers. Over time, the worship of the gods of Asgard died out.

Incarnations

At one point in time, Odin had plucked out his eye and threw it in the Well of Wisdom. This eye attained sentience. The eye eventually told Thor many stories about himself and Odin, none of which Thor remembered. The eye told Thor that he was not the first Thor, the previous one having been killed during a Ragnarok while fighting the Midgard Serpent.

The eye also told Thor that Odin had once stripped Thor of his godly essence and placed it in two successive mortal forms.

These two incarnations were the two Germanic heroes of legend, Sigmund and his son Siegfried. In these two mortal guises. Thor played an important part in Odin’s schemes to regain the powerful cursed Ring of the Nibelung. Sigmund was killed by the warrior Hunding, but Thor was then born as Siegfried.

Siegfried was the son of Sigmund and his lover Sieglinde. Siegfried gained the Ring of the Nibelung after killing the giant Fafnir, who had taken the form of a dragon (this is not the same Fafnir that Thor has fought many time before). Siegfried also gained the Tarn Helm, which enabled its wearer to magically appear as someone else.

During the battle with Fafnir, Siegfried accidentally tasted some of Fafnir’s blood, which gave him the ability to understand the speech of animals and to also read the minds of those nearby.

Siegfried then fell in love with Brunnhilde, a Valkyrie who had been stripped of her godly abilities by Odin when she had disobeyed his commands. Using the last of her powers, she enchanted Siegfried so that he could be harmed only by attacks from behind. Siegfried was eventually killed by Hagen, the son of Albreich, the dwarf who had originally created the Ring and placed a curse on it.

Odin then resurrected Siegfried as Thor, but wiping out all the memories of his two mortal identities.

Exile on mortal street

As the centuries passed, Thor had may perilous adventures in Asgard. But over time Odin became concerned with Thor’s headstrong behavior and lack of humility. After Thor broke a truce by chasing a foe into the land of the Frost Giants and almost causing a war, Odin decided to teach Thor a lesson of humility.

Using the body of Don Blake, Odin merge his son Thor so that he may learn mortality and humility.

Don Blake never knew of the presence of Thor. He had a normal life and fell in love with a normal woman, Jane Foster. Odin, knowing that such a love could only end in despair, became worried.

About that time, Odin sensed the arrival of an alien space ship in the Solar System. The ship was a scout ship for a main invasion fleet of the alien Kronans. They planned to land on Midgard and scout it out for the main fleet.

Odin magically altered the ship’s course so that it would land in Norway. Working quickly, Odin placed a compulsion in Blake’s mind causing him to suddenly go to Norway for a vacation. While walking along the Norwegian coastline, Blake came upon the Kronan ship and he was discovered by the aliens.

Losing his walking cane during his flight from the aliens, Blake took refuge in a cave. A secret door opened up in the back of the cave, and he found a chamber containing nothing but a gnarled wooden walking cane. Unknown to Blake, the chamber was where Thor had been born many centuries earlier.

Exploring, Blake found that the only other way out was blocked by a huge boulder that he could not budge at all.

Frustrated, and scared by the thought of the eventual arrival of the aliens, Blake struck out at the boulder with the wooden cane. Blake was surrounded by a blazing light, and then he found that his body transformed into a powerful form. The cane had been transformed into a mighty hammer. Blake instinctively knew that he had become the legendary Thor.

At this time Blake only believed that he had obtained the power of Thor since he had no prior memories of being Thor. Thor went on to defeat the aliens and went home with his new found power.

Whosoever holds this hammer…

Back in New York, where Don Blake worked, Thor became the champion of justice. Thor in these early days fought many villains and super villains. Each time becoming more and more aware of his many powers.

Oddly enough, Thor did not seem to question his gradual return of his memories of his father and of Asgard or the fact that his essence was also gradually manifesting itself in his mortal form.

With each transformation into Thor, Don Blake was becoming stronger, braver, and more Asgardian in behavior. While fulfilling Odin’s lesson in humility, Thor was developing a strong appreciation and love for mortals and the place they called Earth. Thor began to interact more with them as a member of the super hero team, the Avengers. In fact, he was a founding member of this team.

The love affair between Thor and Foster continued for many years. It eventually ended when Jane Foster failed to pass the test of immortality, that Odin had granted. Odin sends Jane Foster back to Midgard with no memory of what had transpired and she fell in love with another doctor, Kevin Kincaid.

Thor, unsure of his love and disappointment, went off in search of the Unknown One that had caused Jane Foster to fail her test. While on this adventure he was aided by a young, beautiful, warrior goddess who turned out to be Sif, his childhood sweetheart. With her new found love, Sif joins Thor on many of his adventures.

More and more Thor was doing battle in space and Asgard, and began to question who he was, Blake or Thor? Then Odin finally lifts his memory block completely and Thor realizes he has always been the god of Thunder, but does not give up his mortal identity.

Jane Foster remained apart of Thor’s life when she became deathly ill and Sif had to merge with Foster to save her life. The two were later separated when Foster was sent to limbo and Sif and Thor rescued her. Sif continued to fight along side of her lover and they where joined from time to time with their Asgardian friends, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg.

Nick Fury, leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. later helped Thor set up a new identity as Sigurd Jarlson, a construction worker. In this identity, Thor simply pulled back his hair, wore glasses, and dressed like a normal human.

… if he be worthy…

Meanwhile, in a distant galaxy known as the Burning Galaxy by its peaceful inhabitants, Surtur was making his first move toward Ragnarok. Surtur caused the core of the Burning Galaxy to explode, creating enough energy to reforge his Sword of Doom. The disaster destroyed most of the alien empire. The survivors fled in a fleet of ten thousand star ships, hoping to find a new home.

The aliens were all put into suspended animation, except for the one named Beta Ray Bill. Bill had been converted into a super-cyborg and given a sentient spaceship named Skuttlebutt. Bill was to guard the fleet on its long journey. The fleet was being closely followed by horde of Surtur’s demons.

Upon entering the Milky Way Galaxy, the fleet was discovered by a S.H.I.E.L.D. hyper space probe. Nick Fury asked Thor to fly out and investigate. Beta Ray Bill was awakened by Skuttlebutt when Thor breached the hull of the ship. The two fought, and during the fight Thor was separated from his hammer, causing him to turn back into Don Blake.

Bill picked up the wooden cane (Mjolnir) and struck a wall of the ship. Bill was transformed into an alien version of Thor, holding Mjolnir. This happened because Odin’s enchantments, design to bestow Thor’s powers on anyone worthy enough. Odin had thought that Thor was the only one worthy enough, but Bill was also worthy.

Skuttlebutt landed on Earth, and Odin then summoned Thor to Asgard. The summons carried Bill to Asgard instead. Odin then summoned Blake to Asgard and transformed him into Thor. Thor and Bill became friends, but Bill refused to give up Mjolnir; Bill felt that he had taken it in fair combat, and he needed the hammer to protect his people.

Odin ordered a trial by combat, which Bill won. But Bill felt guilty about taking the hammer that had been made especially for Thor. Odin then ordered a new hammer to be made, with the same enchantments and materials as Thor’s. Odin gave this new hammer, Storm Breaker, to Bill.

… shall possess the power of… THOR

Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and Sif then went to Bill’s armada and drove off Surtur’s demons. Since then, Bill has helped protect Earth and Asgard from Surtur and other menaces.

Surtur then joined forces with the renegade Dark Elves. The Dark Elves and Surtur’s demon army attacked Earth, after opening the Ancient Casket of Winters on Earth, where Bill and an Asgardian army, along with a number of super heroes, drove the invaders back.

Meanwhile, Thor, Loki, and Odin protected Asgard from Surtur himself. The three gods mingled their essences, which increased their powers so that they might be able to defeat the demonic fire elemental. During the battle, a great deal of Asgard was destroyed, including the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge.

Surtur and Odin ultimately grappled with each other. The two combatants then fell down a huge chasm, which then closed up.

While Beta Ray Bill and the Asgardian army prepared to return home, preparations were made to select a new leader since Odin had disappeared. Lorelei, with the help of Loki, enchanted Thor and caused him to fall in love with her. Loki planned to get Thor to choose him as the new leader.

Thor broke free of the enchantment, but the incident had strained Thor’s relationship with Sif. Sif later forgave Thor but did not return with him to Midgard.

Thor, Balder, and some Asgardians then traveled to Hel, the realm of the Asgardian death goddess, Hela. They went to rescue a number of Earth souls that had been unrightfully taken by Hela. Thor and his allies, among those the powerful but villainous Executioner, were able to save the souls, but Thor’s face was badly scarred in a fight with Hela herself. The Executioner’s sacrifice made it possible to save there captive souls, however.

Thor returned to Earth and returned the souls to their mortal bodies. While on Earth, Thor also became involved in the Beyonder’s Second Secret Wars. The Beyonder resurrected the leader of the Dark Elves, increased the Elf’s powers, and renamed him Kurse. Thor was able to beat Kurse, and send him to Hel, where he caused Hela many problems.

Meanwhile, the gods of Asgard began the Great Althing, to chose a new king. Thor tried to return to Asgard, but before he could, he was turned into a frog by Loki. Thor then helped the frogs of Central Park defeat their enemies, the rats. Thor the frog then regained his hammer, and turned into a frog-like humanoid, the Thunder Frog.

In Asgard, Harokin, an Asgard warrior, pretended to be Thor. This deception postponed Loki’s attempt to become the new leader of Asgard. Thor arrived in time and secretly captured Loki before the evil god revealed the deception. Meanwhile, Volstagg discovered Surtur’s sword. Loki had hidden the sword and was using a machine to drain magical energy from the sword.

The magical energy had provided Loki with the power to transform Thor into a frog. Volstagg destroyed the machine, which freed Thor from the spell and transformed him back into his normal form. Thor then talked the Asgardians into making Balder their new king.

Death curse undying

Hela, who had guessed that Thor had sent Kurse to Hel, cursed Thor that so his bones became as brittle as a normal human’s. She also cursed him so that he could not die from his injuries.

Thor grew a beard to conceal the facial scars caused by Hela, and donned a suit of armor to support his fragile body. Despite the curse, Thor was able to kill the Midgard Serpent.

Thor survived the battle, even though the prophecies said that he should die in the fight also. He survived partially thanks to Hela’s curse. Unfortunately, his body was completely broken and battered, still alive, but unable to move and in a great deal of pain.

Loki sent the Destroyer armor to torment Thor, but instead Thor was able to send his spirit into the Destroyer armour and command this ultimate weapon.

Thor then travelled to Hel, planning to force Hela to free him of the curse. Hela was stunned by his new form, as the Thor Destroyer set about obliterating Hel. Thor pretended that the basic soul of the Destroyer had taken over, which meant that he acted like he was going to destroy Hela and Hel.

The desperate Hela had no choice but to return Thor to his original body, and in return, release him from her curse.

Thor make Hela promise never to take a soul she was not entitled to by the ancient laws, before he agreed to return his soul to his original body. the frightened Hela agreed and sent Thor back to Asgard. Thor arrived in time to save Asgard from a invasion by the Frost Giants, who were secretly backed by Loki.

Evil stalks Heliopolis

Thor and Asgard next became embroiled in a battle with the Egyptian god of death, Seth. While Seth and his armies attacked Asgard directly, Thor and some of his friends attacked Seth’s Black Pyramid, the source of Seth’s powers. Thor discovered that Seth’s power were backed by the captured Bes, the Egyptian god of luck.

Thor also found and rescued the lost Odin from the pyramid. Odin had been captured by Seth after separating from Surtur during the long fall and battle with Surtur.

Odin and Thor’s allies returned to Asgard to stand in the final battle against Seth and his army. Odin granted Thor a portion of his power and left him behind in Seth’s dimension, to battle the arriving Surtur. As Surtur and Thor fought, the near by Black Pyramid was destroyed. The resulting energy backlash thrust the grappling does through time and space.

Meanwhile, Odin led the surviving Asgardians in a desperate battle with Seth and his army. While Odin was busy fighting Seth, Hogun killed the death god with the Black Knight, whose body had been cursed to become a living magical blade.

Thor and Surtur then arrived in Asgard, and Thor managed to stun Surtur. Odin then absorbed Surtur’s like essences, imprisoning the demon within his own body.

Description

As we all know, Thor speaks in a great pseudo-Shakesperian idiom. Forsooth.

Personality

A bigger than life Viking warrior and protector, with great heroic resolve and honor (he can be slightly arrogant at times, however). While one-dimensional, he can be quite cunning when circumstances need him to be.

Quotes

“Yield ? Thor says thee NAY !” (KRA-THOOM !!)

(After apocalyptic events caused by Ultron and winning a seemingly impossible battle against his forces)
Thor (sternly but calmly): “Ultron. We would have words with thee.”

DC Universe History

The Thor that was witnessed in the DCU is incompatible with this version of the character, even though Simonson was one of the closest to the mythological material.

However, people such as Odin, Karnilla or Access have the necessary power to send Thor to the DCU, as evoked in the DCU History for the Warrior Three.

By Sébastien Andrivet.

Source of Character: Thor comics (Marvel Universe).

Helper(s): Most of the vocal DCH community ; Dan. The history was archived from ionet.net/~ecreno/History.html, which is long since defunct.