The (Insert Synonym for "Official" Here) Thor Thread

[TheCorpulent1]

I searched but there's nowhere else to discuss general Thor stuff.

Anyway, the preview for #75 is up at milehighcomics.com:

http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/030304/thor75cvr.gif
http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/030304/thor75p1.gif
http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/030304/thor75p2.gif
http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/030304/thor75p3.gif
http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/030304/thor75p4.gif

I'm guessing the person in the robe is Sif. It would make sense; she'd eventually see the wrongness of Thor's regime but Thor could probably never bring himself to kill her like Thialfi or Balder (I realize he didn't actually kill either, but you get what I mean). So she's hanging out in the mountains now.

What does everyone else think?

... this is gonna turn into another Thor vs. Hulk thread, I bet. :(

[Guyverjay]

HULK ROXXORS!!

It WAS PROFFEXR THAT GOI BEAT BY KGIN TOHR NOT SAVGE HLKU
HULK BAET FLAM OF LIFE AND GET TO CALETSIAL LEVL BEFORE

[TheCorpulent1]

The truth finally comes out! Guyverjay and GAMMA MONSTER are one and the same!!

[Guyverjay]

Originally posted by GAMMA MONSTER er I mean guyverjay
HULK ROXXORS!!

It WAS PROFFEXR THAT GOI BEAT BY KGIN TOHR NOT SAVGE HLKU
HULK BAET FLAM OF LIFE AND GET TO CALETSIAL LEVL BEFORE


My secret shame:(

It wasn't always this way. I was born different. Gamma monster is in my blood, my very DNA. You could say I'm a son of gamma monster. I had around 90% gamma monster inside of me. But now that I've been exposed to Mr X's Hulk thread, I've been inadvertantly given the extra 10% of gamma monster.

Now every time someone mentions hulk I turn into the creature who wrote the above post and I can't stop quoting myself:(




















I'm only teasing GM:)

[TheCorpulent1]

:D

Have you started reading those Thor trades yet, guyver? I thought I remembered you saying you were interested before you turned arguing with me into your favorite pasttime.

[Guyverjay]

No I have not:(

Money is a bit tight at the mo

[Razorbat]

How many trades have there been since (and I guess including) The Death of Odin? I haven't read Thor in a long time except for the odd issue here and there, but I'm really missing out on some good stuff now. I'd like to catch up.

[newnoiseimage]

5 including death of odin

[TheCorpulent1]

Death of Odin
Lord of Asgard
Gods on Earth
Spiral

I think "The Reigning" is gonna be collected soon, probably in April or May. You should also check out the Thor: Vikings mini and the Walt Simonson TPBs if you haven't.

[Razorbat]

Thanks. I'll pick them up. I've been meaning to get Vikings anyway.

[TheCorpulent1]

Sweet. Come back here and let everyone else know what you thought when you get through them. :)

[Johnny Blaze]

Originally posted by TheCorpulent1
Death of Odin
Lord of Asgard
Gods on Earth
Spiral

I think "The Reigning" is gonna be collected soon, probably in April or May. You should also check out the Thor: Vikings mini and the Walt Simonson TPBs if you haven't. Huh? There's no TPB called Lord of Asgard. It goes from Death of Odin, to Gods on Earth, to Spiral, to The Reigning, right? :confused:

[Guyverjay]

http://www.econbooks.com/The_Mighty_Thor_Lord_of_Asgard_0785110208.html

[Johnny Blaze]

I sit corrected. Thanks for clearing that up guyverjay.

[TheCorpulent1]

Lord of Asgard has a lot of stuff with Balder. His internal conflict about Thor's leadership abilities that ultimately come to a head in 2070. Jurgens really had this run planned out well in advance.

[Johnny Blaze]

Just finished reading issue #75, part one of Gods And Men. Not a bad read all in all. I ain't gonna go into too many spoilers just yet, don't want to ruin it for anyone, but Corpy...You are correct. It is indeed Lady Sif in the robe.

[Mr. Fear]

Anyone going to pick up the Thor: Son of Asgard series?

[Johnny Blaze]

I'll probably get it when it comes out in a TPB.

[Razorbat]

Ditto. I've been relying on trades more and more. It's so much easier, and I don't mind the wait usually.

[TheCorpulent1]

Originally posted by Johnny Blaze
Just finished reading issue #75, part one of Gods And Men. Not a bad read all in all. I ain't gonna go into too many spoilers just yet, don't want to ruin it for anyone, but Corpy...You are correct. It is indeed Lady Sif in the robe.
Awesome. I am so the man. :D

Anyway, I'm gonna get the Thor: Son of Asgard issues as they come out. I generally prefer that to TPBs because I tend to be impatient. Plus those covers by Granov are so droolworthy I'm not gonna be able to resist picking them up right when I see them.

Don't worry, I'll be sure to come here and spoil every detail for all of you. ;)

[Mr. Fear]

I never really picked up any early Volume 2 Thor, was the Dark Gods good, I can never find it.

[TheCorpulent1]

It's all right. Jurgens seemed to be trying to emulate Simonson a lot with that arc. He almost pulled it off, but it falls short of a true Simonson tale.

[Johnny Blaze]

When you pick up Thor #75 tomorrow Corpy, maybe you can tell me who the guy at the end is. He looks familiar, but I just can't place the face. :o

Oh, and does anyone know what issue it was where Thor fought and killed the Midgard Serpent?

[TheCorpulent1]

Originally posted by Johnny Blaze
When you pick up Thor #75 tomorrow Corpy, maybe you can tell me who the guy at the end is. He looks familiar, but I just can't place the face. :o

Oh, and does anyone know what issue it was where Thor fought and killed the Midgard Serpent?
#379-380. Great story. I just read it. :)

I'll see if I can recognize the guy tomorrow when I get my comics.

[TheCorpulent1]

Originally posted by Johnny Blaze
When you pick up Thor #75 tomorrow Corpy, maybe you can tell me who the guy at the end is. He looks familiar, but I just can't place the face. :o
That would be Desak. He was a member of a race of people who got screwed over by their gods. A future version of Tarene, the Designate, scoops him up and grants him power in the form of an amulet so that he can exterminate deities throughout the universe. He finally tracks down what he thinks is Thor (it's actually just the Jake Olson aspect of Thor granted some of the real Thor's power through a magic mirror the Enchantress had given him) and he nearly kills him before the real Thor shows up. Thor takes back the rest of his power from Olson and kills Desak with the Bloodaxe in vol. 2 #49. The future Tarene once again shows up and takes Desak's body in #50, placing it on a mountain in some weird dimension to heal until she calls on him to do another task. I'm guessing, given the fact that he woke up at the end of this last issue, his task is to kill either Magni or Thor now that Mjolnir is back in play.

[Johnny Blaze]

Ok, thanks for clearing that up for me Corpy.

Was he the same one who destroyed the Dark Gods in the Death of Odin TPB?

[TheCorpulent1]

Uh ... I don't know, what issues was that in?

[Johnny Blaze]

Nevermind. I just gazed through the TPB, and it was indeed Desak. He didn't kill them though...they escaped. :o

[TheCorpulent1]

Ok, you had me worried there. I was sure I remembered King Thor kicking Perrikus' ass a few issues after he "killed" Desak in #50.

[slipalong]

Damn. I'm so out of touch. I haven't read Thor since Kevin MAsterson was Thor and the big mystery was the secret identity of Bloodaxe!!

After that, I only ever picked up Thunderstrike...

WHO THE HELL WAS BLOODAXE ANYWAY???

[TheCorpulent1]

Jackie Lukas, according to http://users.ev1.net/~peanut/

[slipalong]

Can't read sod all on the website but thanks for that Corpy!!

I'll have to dig out my comics from the attic to have a look at the character.

Wasn't she a fellow architect and possible love interest for Kevin Masterson??

[TheCorpulent1]

I think she was. My Thor collection's kind of lacking in the Masterson years. That's actually the next part I was gonna hunt down after the Simonson stuff.

[Johnny Blaze]

Originally posted by TheCorpulent1
Ok, you had me worried there. I was sure I remembered King Thor kicking Perrikus' ass a few issues after he "killed" Desak in #50. You probably remembered right...I gotta go hunt down the Lord of Asgard trade now...eBay here I come...

[JINoside]

Go here, and Click on the link to the Dan Jurgens Interview. It just finished....

http://www.comicboards.com/thor/

[TheCorpulent1]

RC: Maybe you should take this time to get back in good with all of the Thor fans you ticked off with your take on Superman and Thor’s powers? Superman vs. the Odin-Powered Thor . . . who wins?

DAN JURGENS: The Odin-powered Thor.

RC: By a big margin?

DAN JURGENS: Yeah.
Woohoo! :D

Nice interview but it's more a commentary on the state of the business than anything about Thor or the other projects he's working on.

Oddly enough, Jurgens also has the same favorite Marvel hero and villain I do: Spider-Man and Dr. Doom. :D

[Razorbat]

Take That, Supes! Shame we'll likely never see it.

[TheCorpulent1]

I know. I wish Marvel and DC could work this kind of thing out more often. It doesn't even have to be a big event to explain why they cross over. Just a simple story where the two characters run into each other, same as any other cameo.

[TheCorpulent1]

Thor #76 preview:
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/11/tc.jpg
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/11/t1.jpghttp://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/11/t2.jpg
http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/11/t3.jpghttp://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/11/t4.jpg

Good GOD I can't wait for this issue!! I love so much about these 4 pages. The text on Thor's hammer finally being in a font that makes some damn sense, the way those pages mimic Don Blake's discovery of Thor's hammer in Journey Into Mystery #83 ... it's all so perfect! AAAAAAH, NEXT WEEK NEEDS TO GET HERE!!! :(

[Johnny Blaze]

Lookin' good. I hope to see Magni lay the smacketh down on Loki and his Mom. :D

[LobokDaikon]

I just started reading Thor a couple of days ago, with v2. I'm on issue 15 or so now, it's been pretty sweet. I thought that Thor's speech would get annoying, but instead I really enjoy it now. Jurgens and especially JRjr kick so much ass. Hopefully I'll catch up to the new issues soon so I can stay current with the rest of you. I'm going to be starting on Iron Man v2 really soon as well.

Question about Thor, though. How exactly (if there is an 'exactly') does Thor fly with Mjolnir? Does he throw it and then instanteously catch it again? Or does he never let go, and the spinning is simply a wind-up? Also, can he change his trajectory or is his flightpath essentially just a huge jump? I know he can hover, as he's done so by spinning Mjolnir beside him, though that doesn't make sense going by how I think his hammer-flying works.

[TheCorpulent1]

Supposedly he puts his wrist in the leather thong at the end of Mjolnir's hilt, spins it, throws it, and then catches the thong before it slips off his wrist. However, he flies with Mjolnir exactly as if he's flying through his own means (a la Superman or Vision) rather than Mjolnir propelling him, so I've just decided to assume that Mjolnir has some kind of anti-gravitational power in it. Beyond that I think it's just chalked up to suspension of disbelief.

With the Odinpower, though, Thor is able to fly on his own. I think I remember seeing Magni flying unaided in an earlier issue too.

[LobokDaikon]

Ok, cool, thanks. I'm fine with a little suspension of disbelief, but I just didn't know what was really going on.

[Mr. Fear]

bump

[Docker2.0]

Crap! Didn't know there was an official Thor thread. I'll close the one I opened up.

[TheCorpulent1]

In response to your question in your other thread, I love Thor bunches. Jurgens is rocking with the future Thor stuff. Magni's an awesome character. Loki's the best he's been in years.

I've got mixed feelings about the revamp to coincide with Avengers. I do miss seeing Thor on the Avengers and in regular continuity but the future Thor stuff is really, really good right now. Jurgens' run since the death of Odin has been on par with some Walt Simonson's greatest stories but, on the other hand, Oeming has a deep affinity for Norse mythology, which gives me some hope that he may not totally botch Thor. At this point I'm just constantly trying to remind myself that people say change is good. Some people do.

[ThorFan]

Joe Quesada announced that the new writer on Thor will be Michael Avon Oeming, and on Captain America, the writing chores will be handled by Robert Kirkman. Both titles will tie into the "Avengers Dissasemble" storyline. Scott Eaton will pencil Captain America and Andrea DiVito will pencil Thor titles.On his Image Message Board Kirkman commented

"Scot Eaton is on interiors, he's doing Thor right now... I know his Cap will be great. I just had a nice phone conversation with the guy and we are totally on the same page with what we want to do here.

You guys should enjoy it."

and on Bendis' Board, Oeming commented

"Thanks guys. I guess thanks to Brian panel in LA its official now:) Six issues, and its a self contained story, so if you never read Thor before, you can pick this up and not feel like your trying to catch up in the middle of something."

[ThorFan]

Oh yeah >

After the upcoming writers on Captain America, Thor and Iron Man tie up their arcs, the titles will start again with a new #1

[Mr. Fear]

I hate when they change volumes, it was ok when they went from Heroes Reborn to Buesik's era, but now it's just really annoying.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, that's Thor's son Magni. He's the god of strength, and is supposedly strength embodied, so he'd probably be even stronger than Thor. Which is... y'know... really, really strong.

[ThorFan]

It sucks how when this arc is done, we mignt not see Magni for a long, long time. I really liked him. I think Jurgens should have brought him a long time ago that way he already would have been a regular.

[TheCorpulent1]

I like Magni a lot, too. Making him essentially like Thor's younger self but even stronger was a pretty smart of Jurgens because he basically gave the young Thor's idealism and affinity for mortals a mouthpiece in the Reigning.

What I'm really interested in seeing is whether Odin will return after the future stuff. If he does and Jurgens is still writing, there should be some damn intriguing developments given that Odin displayed knowledge of the Reigning in Thor #35, long before he died.

[Johnny Blaze]

So Corpy, you psyched for the Loki mini that's in the works? :D

[TheCorpulent1]

Haven't heard about it, but now that I have, yeah. Loki's been on the sidelines too long. The Jake Olson arc and the Reigning are pretty much the only places he's been important during Jurgens' run.

[ThorFan]

What's up guys? Read Thor 77 yet? Man that was good, but it's really sad to know that Jurgens is 2 issues away from his last.

What he has done for Thor was so special. He made him matter once more. I'll be honest I loved each and every comic from the 2nd volume except issue 59 which he did not write. So I know there are only 2 issues left, which was your favorite from the Jurgens era? Mine had to be the one that didn't have a script, where Thor, Loki and everyone else had their own memories of Odin, man was that special.

[TheCorpulent1]

Just read in the "Buzz Bin" column in Wizard that Neil Gaiman is rumored to make an appearance on Thor. It's unconfirmed and I'm not holding my breath for it or anything, but if it happened... that would kick indescribable amounts of ass...

[TheCorpulent1]

Well... the end has come. Has anyone else read Jurgens' last issue, and the conclusion of all the crazy future Thor stuff that's been going on for the better part of this year? If not, I'll wait until tomorrow to talk about it. I will say that I was about equally happy and disappointed overall, but I was happier than I was disappointed with the story itself. If that makes any sense.

[Johnny Blaze]

It does, and I feel the same way. It was a good way to end it, but it would've been better if he had another issue or two to do it in and draw it out alittle more. It just felt rushed to me.
Other then that, I loved it and will be sad to see Jurgens go. :o :(

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I figured that'd be the way it would happen, but I'm glad that Jurgens at least didn't skimp on some poignancy. I absolutely loved his last words to Sif. :)

Anyway, I'm kinda happy that Thor's still got the Odinpower though.

[Johnny Blaze]

Yeah, I kinda figured that he'd lose it when it was all said and done. It will definitely make the upcoming "Disassembled" crossover more interesting. :)

I'm just glad Jurgens' didn't cop out and bring Odin back. That would've ticked me off.

[TheCorpulent1]

Seriously. And I'm glad King Thor went out with a bang. What he did to Desak was insane. :eek:

[Mr. Fear]

I'm pissed, I keep have to delaying buying 78, so I have to get that and 79 now.

Is anyone else dropping the book like me after Jurgens leaves. The artwork doesn't look that bad, but I've never read any Oeming before, and I wish the King Thor story would continue. I'll pick it up if Gaiman comes on though.

[Johnny Blaze]

Nope, I ain't dropping it. I give all new writers that I am not familiar with an arc. After that, then I'll decide whether to drop it or keep it. From what I've heard though, I'll probably be keeping it.
As for the King Thor story, I am glad it's ended. It went on long enough, though I still would've liked another issue so Jurgens could've wrapped it up better. If it kept on going, getting drawn out even further, it would be no different then Jones' Hulk. Well, Jurgens can write, but still...you get the point. :D

[TheCorpulent1]

All good things must come to an end, and frankly I think it's kind of stupid to drop a book with a character you've enjoyed for a while just because of a creator change. At least without giving the newbies a chance, anyway. Maybe Oeming will revolutionize Thor in ways Jurgens could never dream of. Not likely, but you wouldn't know if you stopped reading. I've made some colossal mistakes that way, like missing a lot of Priest's great run on Deadpool after Kelly left.

[Mr. Fear]

I'm not sure, I wasn't interested in Thor until the King Thor story, but I might skim some issues to see.

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, if you want to really get into the best of the older Thor stuff, I recommend the Walt Simonson run. Most of it is available in the Thor Visionaries: Walt Simonson TPB volumes (there are 3 now, I think). Really, really great stuff. And, if you've got any questions, feel free to ask around here. I'm happy to help get anyone into Thor that I can. :)

Or you can check out http://www.immortalthor.net. That's got a lot of Thor info, including summaries of a lot of the older issues.

[newnoiseimage]

finally found a place that had death of odin and lord of asgard, so now it just has to arrive.

[TheCorpulent1]

Originally posted by newnoiseimage
finally found a place that had death of odin and lord of asgard, so now it just has to arrive.
:up:

You know, I actually haven't read a lot of the Death of Odin stuff myself... I had stopped collecting Thor for a while just before King Thor came about. I may have to get that TPB myself...

[Red X]

Bump I guess :huh:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/Red_X123/thor.gif http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/Red_X123/thor.gif http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/Red_X123/thor.gif

[TheCorpulent1]

Haha, I forgot I even made this thread. I saw the title and was like, "Which wannabe-clever douchebag couldn't figure out a synonym for 'official'?"

Those Thor smilies are cool, though. :up:

[The Question]

Cool stuff. Can't wait for the new series. Hope it's good.

[TheCorpulent1]

Me, too. I have a feeling it won't be, but it's Thor, so I'm setting aside my usual pessimism and hoping it'll beat the odds.

[The Question]

Truth be told, were I set with the task of reviving Thor, I would hav gone about it a bit differently from the direction JMS seems to be taking it. Basically, I'd have it be that even without Those Who Sit above The Shadows, the universe won't allow for there not to be an Asgard. That's why Those Who Sit Above The Shadows came into being in the first place. To ensure that Ragnarok or no, there would always be an Asgard, thus maintaining a certain cosmic balance. Without them, different actions are taken. Asgard and it's associated worlds, or at least aspects of them, begin to bleed over into our world. Places and objects of Asgard lay dormant as objects and places in our world. The Gods and other creatures of Asgard find themselves reborn as humans (or super humans, as some begin to regain knowledge of their godly atributes). The only one who remembers everything (or, more acurately, the first one to remember everything) is Volstagg. He then, naturally, charges himself with the task of tracking down Hogan and Falstaff, The Lady Sif, and Asgard's royal family and reawaken their true natures. The quest is hastened as more hostile aspects of the nine worlds, such as Fire Giants and Dark Elves, re-emerg and begin wreaking havoc in our world. The culmination of the first storyline or two is the triumphant return of Thor to kick some major ass when it's needed most.

[Still A ThorFan]

Bless thee Corpulent for the creation of this thread. I'm currently reading The Eternals Saga. Roy Thomas has skills! I just love to see Thor in battle not being afraid to show a bit of arrogance and smashing his enemies at will.

[TheCorpulent1]

He then, naturally, charges himself with the task of tracking down Hogan and Falstaff,
It's Fandral, actually (provided you're talking about the third member of the Warriors Three after Hogun there). Your take sounds decent, but it might be a little too similar to the Eternals mini for Marvel's liking. Granted, by the time Thor's new comic launches, it looks like the Eternals mini will be long finished at this point. :o

[The Question]

It's Fandral, actually (provided you're talking about the third member of the Warriors Three after Hogun there).

Damn. I always get stuff like that messed up.

Your take sounds decent, but it might be a little too similar to the Eternals mini for Marvel's liking. Granted, by the time Thor's new comic launches, it looks like the Eternals mini will be long finished at this point. :o

Well, I had the basics of the idea (the gods being reborn on Earth to fit a sort of cosmic balance) before Gaiman's Eternals. Still, I guess it could be reworked. Maybe it could be said that the Dark Elves or the Jotun were the first to be reborn before the Aesir, and were able to track them down and capture them as they did return. Volstagg was the only one to slip under their radar. So, as the bad guys plan to invade Midgard, Volstagg has to try and free his compatriots as to save the day.

[TheCorpulent1]

I didn't mean to imply you got the idea from Eternals or anything, just that it happened to be really similar. Of course, on the other hand, there've been numerous stories in the past where the Asgardians have forgotten who they are and someone's gotta track them down.

[The Question]

True. But now, I kind of like the idea of the Dark Elves tracking them down before they return to their full selves and capturing them. They could use certain Asgardian artifacts, such as Odin's all seeing eye, as super weapons or power sources. And maybe brainwashing some Asgardians into being their footsoldiers. Maybe the reason Thor comes back is because Balder has been turned into a super soldier for the Dark Elves and none of the Asgardians are strong enough to defeat Balder besides his big brother.

[Mistress Gluon]

Dude, Hulk would so kick Thor's ass.

[TheCorpulent1]

totally lolz Hulk is teh bets!!!11

[The Question]

You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I really think Balder should get a bit more respect in the Thor books. Not that I think he's disrespected, but I think he deserves more credit than he gets. Not only is a highly skilled warrior and in excelent physical condition for an Asgardian, but he possesses unique to him amung all of the Aesir the ability to manipulate photons, thus bending light to his will. If you think about it, that actually has the potential to be much more powerful than weather control. Invisibility, shadow projections, creating illusions, generating intense heat, and cutting through even the toughest materials with laser light are all possibilities, and those are just the ones I came up with off the top of my head. Also, years worth of protection spells placed upon him by his mother make him imune to all forms of violent death (besides any directly involving mistletoe), instead of just beaing very very very highly resistant like all other Asgardians. My point is, while Thor is Asgard's number one badass, I think Balder should at least be considered to be number two.

[TheCorpulent1]

Balder is considered Asgard's number two badass. He's been said to be second only to Thor in combat prowess and nobler, even, than Thor himself. He's also reigned as lord of all Asgard in Odin and Thor's absence and is only one of three people to ever have wielded the Odinpower (the other two should be obvious).

That said, however, I do think he deserves boatloads more credit and focus than he's gotten for years. The guy's Asgard's best warrior after Thor, basically equal to Brunnhilde, a brilliant strategist and tactician, wielder of one of the most fearsome weapons in Asgardian history (the Sword of Frey, for the uninformed), able to control light and heat, general of Asgard's armies, most trusted of both Odin and Thor's courts, etc., but there's rarely ever any stories focused on him. Whenever there are stories focused on him, they're usually focused on taking him out of his rightful place as one of Asgard's best, too--his death, rebirth, and swearing off of violence, his contending with Karnilla's affections, his being forced to steal Thor's power for a war in Asgard while he was ruler, his betraying Thor in "The Reigning," etc. Not that those stories weren't all great, but I'd really love to see Balder being Balder at his best for a mini-series or an arc. Maybe Oeming could write it. Blood Oath and Ares are testaments to his ability to draw out all of the best, most iconic elements in Marvel's myths. I'd love to see that talent focused on Balder.

[The Question]

True. You know, since Balder is completely imune to all forms of violent death save for any caused by mistletoe, maybe it could be revealed that he survived Ragnarok and is the key to Asgard returning.

[TheCorpulent1]

That's how one of the versions of the Ragnarok myth goes, actually. Balder and a few others survive to usher in a new age of the gods. It'd be cool if they adapted that in the context of Marvel's Ragnarok to mean that Balder somehow restores Asgard to its former glory, though.

Anyway, I was thinking about why Balder gets shafted and it occurred to me that he was, in the myths, basically what Thor is in the comics. The mythical Thor embodied all of the warrior ideals--strength, bravery to the point of stupidity, righteous wrath, etc.--while Balder embodied the noble aspects. So when Stan Lee re-imagined Thor for the comics as a more chivalrous and intelligent character, he kind of made Balder redundant. I think part of the reason why Balder got to shine in Son of Asgard was because, when they were younger, Balder was still the more introspective, tactical, noble god he is as an adult, but Thor was more of a reckless, fight first, think later type of kid, so they were different enough to have different story possibilities unique to each of them. Focusing a story on the adult Balder would be like having a story centered on a Thor stand-in in a lot of ways.

Still, I'm sure a Balder-centric could be done just as well as when Simonson did it in Balder's mini-series, and I hope one gets done sometime before I die.

[The Question]

That's how one of the versions of the Ragnarok myth goes, actually. Balder and a few others survive to usher in a new age of the gods. It'd be cool if they adapted that in the context of Marvel's Ragnarok to mean that Balder somehow restores Asgard to its former glory, though.

Yeah. Could be cool. They could have Balder, having survived Ragnarok due to his protection, making his way to Earth and rallying the Aesir together as the rest of the nine worlds bleed over into Midgard.

Anyway, I was thinking about why Balder gets shafted and it occurred to me that he was, in the myths, basically what Thor is in the comics. The mythical Thor embodied all of the warrior ideals--strength, bravery to the point of stupidity, righteous wrath, etc.--while Balder embodied the noble aspects. So when Stan Lee re-imagined Thor for the comics as a more chivalrous and intelligent character, he kind of made Balder redundant. I think part of the reason why Balder got to shine in Son of Asgard was because, when they were younger, Balder was still the more introspective, tactical, noble god he is as an adult, but Thor was more of a reckless, fight first, think later type of kid, so they were different enough to have different story possibilities unique to each of them. Focusing a story on the adult Balder would be like having a story centered on a Thor stand-in in a lot of ways.

Still, I'm sure a Balder-centric could be done just as well as when Simonson did it in Balder's mini-series, and I hope one gets done sometime before I die.

Well, they did push Balder's nobility much farther, to the point of pacifism. After being killed by Loki and going to Hella's domain, he was deeply disturbed to see what happened to the people who he had killed in the name of Asgard. Once Odin resurected him, he gave up the way of the sword for a while. They could make Balder more interested in diplomacy than combat, thus making him a foil to Thor who, while much more noble and in control of his anger thanks to his time spent as a doctor on Earth, is still very much an old school warrior and will often fight instead of reason. I guess if you want to use a Star Trek analogy, Balder would be like Picard, wheras Thor would be like Worf.

[TheCorpulent1]

Except Thor wouldn't get his ass kicked every episode like Worf did. ;)

I wouldn't mind seeing Balder turn more to diplomacy, but I don't think I'd really enjoy seeing him give up war altogether again. When Simonson did it, it worked because it was a running subplot. If Balder's meant to take a more prominent role, he'll have to be able to fight at Thor's side from time to time.

[The Question]

Except Thor wouldn't get his ass kicked every episode like Worf did. ;)

Of course. :woot:

I wouldn't mind seeing Balder turn more to diplomacy, but I don't think I'd really enjoy seeing him give up war altogether again. When Simonson did it, it worked because it was a running subplot. If Balder's meant to take a more prominent role, he'll have to be able to fight at Thor's side from time to time.

Whixh is why I used the Picard example. Picard uses diplomacy and non violent problem solving skills as much as possible, but when the time comes where he needs to throw down, he throws down with the best of them.

[Red X]

I don't pretend to have a vast knowledge of Thor, but can we assume when he returns he will still have the odin power?

[Ahura Mazda]

Just one point, did not Heimdall have use of the Odinpower as well at one point?

And I would hope Thor would still be Rune Thor unless they create some story line where rune thor wanted to start over as a human and....you get the point :whatever:

[bkhedr]

Balder is considered Asgard's number two badass. He's been said to be second only to Thor in combat prowess and nobler, even, than Thor himself. He's also reigned as lord of all Asgard in Odin and Thor's absence and is only one of three people to ever have wielded the Odinpower (the other two should be obvious).

That said, however, I do think he deserves boatloads more credit and focus than he's gotten for years. The guy's Asgard's best warrior after Thor, basically equal to Brunnhilde, a brilliant strategist and tactician, wielder of one of the most fearsome weapons in Asgardian history (the Sword of Frey, for the uninformed), able to control light and heat, general of Asgard's armies, most trusted of both Odin and Thor's courts, etc., but there's rarely ever any stories focused on him. Whenever there are stories focused on him, they're usually focused on taking him out of his rightful place as one of Asgard's best, too--his death, rebirth, and swearing off of violence, his contending with Karnilla's affections, his being forced to steal Thor's power for a war in Asgard while he was ruler, his betraying Thor in "The Reigning," etc. Not that those stories weren't all great, but I'd really love to see Balder being Balder at his best for a mini-series or an arc. Maybe Oeming could write it. Blood Oath and Ares are testaments to his ability to draw out all of the best, most iconic elements in Marvel's myths. I'd love to see that talent focused on Balder.

Didnt Heimdall wield the Odinpower at one point while Eric Masterson was Thor?

[Ahura Mazda]

Hmmm I guess we are 2who have the same question.

[Mistress Gluon]

Didn't Hulk kick Thor's ass?

[TheCorpulent1]

Yes. On several occasions. Thor may arguably have won one or two fights with the Hulk, but I'm pretty sure the Hulk has at least a couple of uncontested victories over Thor. The majority of their fights are draws, though.
Just one point, did not Heimdall have use of the Odinpower as well at one point?
Didnt Heimdall wield the Odinpower at one point while Eric Masterson was Thor?
I don't know, maybe. I know Heimdall ruled Asgard for a while, but I don't know if he had the Odinpower for it. He probably did. I vaguely remember something about that, but I'm too lazy to look it up.

[Darthphere]

I like cheese.


Oh and Thor.

[TheCorpulent1]

Cheese likes cereal.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/thecorpulent1/cheese.jpg

[Darthphere]

Corp, hook it up with some info on heimdall, I need to whoop Ahura Mazda's ass with Nova.

[TheCorpulent1]

What do you mean by "some info" on him? He's Sif's brother, he has super-senses that he stands on Bifrost and uses to monitor people entering and exiting Asgard, his clothes tend to have a lot of fur on them in the comics... oh, he's got a wicked-sweet beard. Um, that's about it.

[Darthphere]

What do you mean by "some info" on him? He's Sif's brother, he has super-senses that he stands on Bifrost and uses to monitor people entering and exiting Asgard, his clothes tend to have a lot of fur on them in the comics... oh, he's got a wicked-sweet beard. Um, that's about it.


So Nova pwns him easily, kthanx.

[TheCorpulent1]

The current Nova, sure.

[Darthphere]

The current Nova, sure.


My Nova doesnt have the Worldmind, so its pre-Annihilation Nova.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I'd probably still give it to Nova. Nova's speed and maneuverability would probably more than make up for the difference in their strength levels. Plus, Heimdall tends to get his ass kicked by everyone. :o

[Mistress Gluon]

Yes. On several occasions. Thor may arguably have won one or two fights with the Hulk, but I'm pretty sure the Hulk has at least a couple of uncontested victories over Thor. The majority of their fights are draws, though.


I don't know, maybe. I know Heimdall ruled Asgard for a while, but I don't know if he had the Odinpower for it. He probably did. I vaguely remember something about that, but I'm too lazy to look it up.

You know I'm joking. :meow:

[The Question]

Okay. I've done some reaserch into the matter, and I've revised my idea:


Balder, due to the many protection spells placed upon him, survives Ragnarok and eventually makes his way to Midgard. Being all that remains of Asgard, he is understandably quite depressed. The thought of trying to resurect the people of Asgard crosses his mind, but even if he had the power to recreate their bodies, he would have no way of finding their spirits since both Valhalla and Hel were obliterated along with the nine worlds (besides Midgard, of course). He then sets off to find Beta Ray Bill and salvage what little remains of his people.

However, unknown to Balder, the remnants of the eight destroyed worlds began to spill over into Midgard, causing some aspects of it to take on new life on Earth. This process is hastened by the Dark Elves, who escaped to Midgard and survived Ragnarok. The Dark Elves have begun finding the remnants of the eight worlds and recreating them, bending them to their will. They have already succeeded in using Odin's all seeing eye to power a sort of techno/mystical super computer that gives them unlimited information access, and have bred a new streign of Idunn's golden apples that temporarily grant the eater vast regenerative abilities instead of restoring his or her youth. They have also sought out and recreated specific beings from the eight worlds, including members of the Aesir, the Vanir, the Jotun, the Fire Giants, and the Light Elves. The Dark Elves, like most other races of the eight worlds, possess a specialty unique to them. They control nightmares. This has made them masters of torture, and has allowed them to bend the revived beings of the eight worlds to their will. They plan to use their forces to conquer Midgard, turning it into their new base of operations, and then turn their atention towards the other pantheons.

When they become aware of the fact that Balder still lives, they atempt to kill him. This leads him to learn of their actions, and begin a quest to revive the people of Asgard before the Dark Elves can corrupt them. He manages to revive Volstagg and Sif, whereas Hogun, Fandral, and Heimdall have been brainwahsed by the Dark Elves. Eventually, Balder is able to revive Thor, who uses the Odin Force to set right the damage that the Dark Elves have caused and heal the fractired minds of the various creatures who they have perverted.

[The Question]

Also, something funny I kind of noticed about the Thor comics. They kind of changed up who was who's arch enemy. In the comics, Thor and Loki tend to concentrait on each other, but in the myths, while Loki did often vex Thor, his real arch enemy was Heimdall, and Thor's arch enemy was Loki's son, Jormungandr.

[TheCorpulent1]

It's kind of impractical for Thor to fight the Midgard Serpent every five minutes.

[Mistress Gluon]

Arch-enemy? I wouldn't so much as say that. Sure, the serpent pissed Thor off on more than one occassion, but then again, EVERYBODY pissed Thor off on more than one occassion. The serpent is just the one who kills him.

[The Question]

It's kind of impractical for Thor to fight the Midgard Serpent every five minutes.

True. Just something interesting I noticed.

[thor87]

SO does a neone know if the real thor will make an appearance in civil war.

[bkhedr]

I don't know, maybe. I know Heimdall ruled Asgard for a while, but I don't know if he had the Odinpower for it. He probably did. I vaguely remember something about that, but I'm too lazy to look it up.

I looked it up

He wielded a fraction of the Odinpower

[bkhedr]

Yeah, I'd probably still give it to Nova. Nova's speed and maneuverability would probably more than make up for the difference in their strength levels. Plus, Heimdall tends to get his ass kicked by everyone. :o

Heimdall never gets enough respect

he's a badass

[Red X]

I figured if I asked this here as I might get a better response.

How did Thor use the power gem from the Infinity Gauntlet?

[TheCorpulent1]

He beat the crap out of Drax and Beta Ray Bill (and the Silver Surfer, but the Surfer was trying to reason with him, so that doesn't really count).

[Red X]

How did Thor acquire the power gem and when did this happen?

[TheCorpulent1]

It happened in the "Blood and Thunder" crossover event, comprising about three or four issues (I can't recall exactly) issues of Thor, The Infinity Watch, The Warlock Chronicles, and Silver Surfer. Check this page (http://www.immortalthor.net/crossover-bloodandthunder.html) out for more information on the crossover as a whole.

Drax kept the Power Gem "hidden" as a member of the Infinity Watch by swallowing it. Thor punched Drax in the gut and Drax spat the gem out. Thor picked it up and used it to beat the living hell out of Drax, Bill, and the Silver Surfer before Thanos finally trapped Thor in suspended animation.

Awesome avatar, by the way.

[Mistress Gluon]

He beat the crap out of Drax and Beta Ray Bill (and the Silver Surfer, but the Surfer was trying to reason with him, so that doesn't really count).

I kinda like how in every Thor/Surfer fight, the Surfer seems to be incapacitated from going all out somehow.

[TheCorpulent1]

The first time they fought, he wasn't. In fact, he was augmented a bit by Loki's magic. But that was way back when the Surfer wasn't as powerful as he would become at his peak and Thor hadn't started his downward spiral from the top tier of Marvel's elite ranks.

[Mistress Gluon]

Surfer had actually made a comment in that fight how he felt slow, and not all there, like he couldn't control himself.

[Red X]

It happened in the "Blood and Thunder" crossover event, comprising about three or four issues (I can't recall exactly) issues of Thor, The Infinity Watch, The Warlock Chronicles, and Silver Surfer. Check this page (http://www.immortalthor.net/crossover-bloodandthunder.html) out for more information on the crossover as a whole.

Drax kept the Power Gem "hidden" as a member of the Infinity Watch by swallowing it. Thor punched Drax in the gut and Drax spat the gem out. Thor picked it up and used it to beat the living hell out of Drax, Bill, and the Silver Surfer before Thanos finally trapped Thor in suspended animation.

Awesome avatar, by the way.

Thanks for the help Corp :up:

So basicly anyone whom has the Power Gem is unbeatable?

Edit: Also Corp, have you see the pics for JMS's Thor relaunch?

[TheCorpulent1]

Not anyone. It depends on a lot of factors. The Champion, who lives to fight and is totally ruthless, was unstoppable with it. Drax, on the other hand, wasn't much more powerful with the gem than without because he was too stupid to use it well. Thor used the gem in the throes of madness, so he cut loose with it a lot more than he normally would, I imagine.

[Red X]

Let's say for arguments sake Iron Man managed to power a suit with the Gem, much like the Thor-buster. Given his intellect would be it reasonable to assume that he would be almost unstoppable?

[Mistress Gluon]

Let's say for argument Iron Man managed to power a suit with the Gem, much like the Thor-buster. Given his intellect would be it reasonable to assume that he would be almost unstoppable?

He'd basically BE unstoppable.

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, I'm sure Iron Man could make spectacular use of the gem. He's definitely smart enough for it, and we know from Civil War and the deal with the Hulk in Illuminati that he's got a mean streak several continents wide.