seahammer
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I posted a version of this over in the main Thor: Ragnarok thread, but I thought it might be better to have a place just to talk about what comics we expect to see influence the movie, and a place for new readers to see what comics they should check out between now and the release. As I'm sure I'll miss some the first time around, I can keep updating this first post for people to check out.
So:
In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is the end of the world. It starts with the death of Baldur. Most of the gods die in battle (Thor is killed by Jormangund, the Midgard Serpent; Odin is killed by Fenrir the Wolf, etc), and the whole world, moon, and sun are destroyed in various ways (the sun and moon are eaten by giant wolves, for example). There is a three year winter on earth (if I remember right), but eventually the remaining gods start things over and the human race re-starts. (This was from memory, so if I made mistakes let me know and I'll fix it!)
There have been several versions of "Ragnarok" in the book, and a lot of Asgardian time and effort was spent delaying the Twilight of the Gods.
We have:
Thor Volume I #273-278
This had the death of Balder (one of my favorite covers ever, with Thor holding Balder like a pieta), mortals in Asgard (Red Norvell), etc. I don't expect this one to really influence the film since we are missing some key players, like Balder. However, I do suggest this run for anyone who likes the Thor of this era. I have fond memories of reading this as a kid (even though I never much liked Red Norvell)
Thor Volume I #349-353
Walt Simonson's "Surtur Saga." This is a biggie, and the one I think will influence the film the most. It has Loki, Thor, and Odin teaming up to stop Surtur, and is the culmination of a lot of long building plot threads. It's really a definitive part of Thor's history, and very Ragnarok-esque. (To be honest, I highly recommend reading the entire Simonsson run, which goes from 337-382. It has been a big influence on the movies so far, and it is revered for a reason!)
Thor Volume I #380
Thor vs The Midgard Serpent (his adversary in the mythological Ragnarok); Thor has been cursed by Hela with brittle bones, and is the most vulnerable he has ever been. It is not exactly a re-telling of Ragnarok, but a lot of mythological aspects of Ragnarok are referenced and incorporated. (Also, for those who haven't read it, it's a beautifully written and illustrated issue that can stand on its own.)
Thor Volume II #80-85
Oeming's tie in to Avengers Disassembled. This had Rune Thor (a super-powerful version of Thor who gained the Odinforce), the destruction of Those Who Sit Above In Shadow (who were sort of a set of "gods for the gods"), the "death" of every Asgardian (who were later resurrected after the Thor comic returned from hiatus by JMS). It's a great run, and not very long. It incorporates a number of elements and visuals from the mythology, gives wonderful closure to decades of Thor stories, and (I would guess) will have some influence on this film.
Other possibilities:
-"Ragnarok" is the name of the Thor Clone... the less said about that the better, and I hope that this film has nothing to do with that.
-Wasn't there a story in the Ultimates where Loki brings an army from the 9 realms to attack earth or something? I'd stopped reading the Ultimates by that time, but I remember seeing artwork from it online.
-There have multiple appearances of Surtur, and pretty much every time he shows up, Ragnarok is mentioned. I can add some of these later.
-Some other storyline from the comics that does not specifically deal with the Norse Ragnarok, but is very end-of-the-world-y. (think Celestials, Godbutcher, etc).
-Something completely new, not based on a storyline from the comics (like The Dark World).
I'm sure there's some that I forgot. Like I said above: if anyone tells me what I missed, I'll add it to this post. I pretty much did this from memory, except I had to look up a few issue numbers, so I'm sure it can be revised.
Discuss! Suggest! Read!
So:
In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is the end of the world. It starts with the death of Baldur. Most of the gods die in battle (Thor is killed by Jormangund, the Midgard Serpent; Odin is killed by Fenrir the Wolf, etc), and the whole world, moon, and sun are destroyed in various ways (the sun and moon are eaten by giant wolves, for example). There is a three year winter on earth (if I remember right), but eventually the remaining gods start things over and the human race re-starts. (This was from memory, so if I made mistakes let me know and I'll fix it!)
There have been several versions of "Ragnarok" in the book, and a lot of Asgardian time and effort was spent delaying the Twilight of the Gods.
We have:
Thor Volume I #273-278
This had the death of Balder (one of my favorite covers ever, with Thor holding Balder like a pieta), mortals in Asgard (Red Norvell), etc. I don't expect this one to really influence the film since we are missing some key players, like Balder. However, I do suggest this run for anyone who likes the Thor of this era. I have fond memories of reading this as a kid (even though I never much liked Red Norvell)
Thor Volume I #349-353
Walt Simonson's "Surtur Saga." This is a biggie, and the one I think will influence the film the most. It has Loki, Thor, and Odin teaming up to stop Surtur, and is the culmination of a lot of long building plot threads. It's really a definitive part of Thor's history, and very Ragnarok-esque. (To be honest, I highly recommend reading the entire Simonsson run, which goes from 337-382. It has been a big influence on the movies so far, and it is revered for a reason!)
Thor Volume I #380
Thor vs The Midgard Serpent (his adversary in the mythological Ragnarok); Thor has been cursed by Hela with brittle bones, and is the most vulnerable he has ever been. It is not exactly a re-telling of Ragnarok, but a lot of mythological aspects of Ragnarok are referenced and incorporated. (Also, for those who haven't read it, it's a beautifully written and illustrated issue that can stand on its own.)
Thor Volume II #80-85
Oeming's tie in to Avengers Disassembled. This had Rune Thor (a super-powerful version of Thor who gained the Odinforce), the destruction of Those Who Sit Above In Shadow (who were sort of a set of "gods for the gods"), the "death" of every Asgardian (who were later resurrected after the Thor comic returned from hiatus by JMS). It's a great run, and not very long. It incorporates a number of elements and visuals from the mythology, gives wonderful closure to decades of Thor stories, and (I would guess) will have some influence on this film.
Other possibilities:
-"Ragnarok" is the name of the Thor Clone... the less said about that the better, and I hope that this film has nothing to do with that.
-Wasn't there a story in the Ultimates where Loki brings an army from the 9 realms to attack earth or something? I'd stopped reading the Ultimates by that time, but I remember seeing artwork from it online.
-There have multiple appearances of Surtur, and pretty much every time he shows up, Ragnarok is mentioned. I can add some of these later.
-Some other storyline from the comics that does not specifically deal with the Norse Ragnarok, but is very end-of-the-world-y. (think Celestials, Godbutcher, etc).
-Something completely new, not based on a storyline from the comics (like The Dark World).
I'm sure there's some that I forgot. Like I said above: if anyone tells me what I missed, I'll add it to this post. I pretty much did this from memory, except I had to look up a few issue numbers, so I'm sure it can be revised.
Discuss! Suggest! Read!
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