Thor 101

[3atman]

K, so I hope this is the right place, if not, please move it. I am not an expert by any means on thor. However, I would like to become more educated. I'm broke so i can't really go out and buy comics, so I would like for people on here, who are thor fanatics to give me some info.

First off, just give me a rough overview of the Thor mythology. What's the realm he exists in, where (like "Gotham" or "Metropolis") does he spend most of his time. How he came to be. Who his main villains are. What internal conflicts he has.

Also could you go in depth as to his personality and the personality of his allies and villains.

I imagine Thor as a guy who speaks in shakespearian and is confident in his abilities to the point of it almost being a Chuck Norris joke like "who dareth mess with thor's action figures" type of stuff. Not exactly like that because, obviously I did that for comedic effect, but you get the gist (I hope).

 

[Vartha]

Well the BEST site for much of the Info we older Thor fan's know can also be found here,

http://www.immortalthor.net/

There's villians and all kinds of info there.



Stan Lee originally created Thor to be Hulks Equal.
History wise today if you were to Read the comics out right now. You'd start with Tales of Asgard, Son of Asgard, and the Ages of Thunder trade, all dealing with Thor before he was banished to Earth/Midgard.

Thor's volumes one through Three cover after the banishment.

Journey into mystery #83 is Thor's origin issue as a superhero and the beginning of Thor's banishment from Asgard. (also some the story is used in the Planet Hulk movie)
Don Blake is a mortal Form Odin created for teaching Thor Humility and in those first early issues Don/Thor doesn't actually KNOW he's Really Thor.

Up to Thor volume two #44 until Odin dies, Thor pretty much did alot of Superheroing along side the Avengers, and had even said he'd follow Captain America into battle.

After Odin's death, Thor becomes Lord of Asgard without having his Humanity in him, who originally was Blake, and beginning with Vol2 it was Jake Olsen. Because he had no Humanity, Thor couldn't understand the human way of Thinking and couldn't be reasoned with.
That was the Reigning arc which is now an alternate future where Thor becomes Ruler of EARTH.
At then end of the Reigning he realizes with the help of his SON Magni, that what he was doing was wrong so he comes to the past and re-merges his humanity with himself.
THEN ragnarok begins and Thor's most powerful incarnation "RuneThor" stops the Ragnarok Cycle which brings us to today's run on Thor.

For info on the books
http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=321019