The Incredible Hulk Returns is a 1988 American television superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk and serves as a continuation of the 1978–1982 television series The Incredible Hulk .
94-517: In The Incredible Hulk Returns , Dr. David Banner, a scientist who transforms into a green-skinned superhuman monster when enraged, believes that he has found a potential cure for his condition, but he is delayed by the inexplicable arrival of the arrogant Viking warrior Thor . Bill Bixby returns as Banner and Lou Ferrigno reprises his role of the Hulk. Eric Kramer makes his first and only appearance as Thor and Steve Levitt stars as Donald Blake. This
188-521: A berserker state and Thor is forced to kill him. As Bor was the rightful king of Asgard upon his resurrection, Thor is banished for regicide. While banished, Thor seeks out Sif, who was still lost from the destruction of the Asgardians. After Norman Osborn seizes power in the United States, he orders an attack on the new Asgard, and Thor returns to his home. Though Asgard is destroyed and Loki
282-540: A constant annoyance to Odin who, as punishment, has deprived Thor of his powers on at least three occasions. Each time, Thor's willingness to atone for his transgressions, his continued noble intentions, and his bravery, eventually convince Odin to restore his original powers and identity. As ruler and protector of the Asgardian people, Odin has been involved in a number of crises that have threatened Asgard and, on occasion, Earth. Notable examples included stopping Loki,
376-476: A cure. Unlike the preceding series which was produced by MCA/Universal , this film and the following two sequels were produced by New World Television (New World was Marvel's owner at the time) and Bill Bixby's production outfit, which, in association with NBC , took over the Hulk television franchise from former broadcaster CBS . Bill Bixby recruited Nicholas Corea , who wrote and/or directed many episodes of
470-437: A cure. Hulk, Blake, and Thor ambush the gang's hideout and fight them to rescue Shaw. McGee is once again the subject of ridicule for his obsession with the Hulk and Thor. Blake and Banner both agree that Shaw has likely figured out that Banner and the Hulk are one and the same. Thor and Blake, now at peace with each other, say their goodbyes to Banner. Banner is forced to end his relationship with Shaw and once again leaves to find
564-460: A god. I decided readers were already pretty familiar with the Greek and Roman gods. It might be fun to delve into the old Norse legends... Besides, I pictured Norse gods looking like Vikings of old, with the flowing beards, horned helmets, and battle clubs. ... Journey into Mystery needed a shot in the arm, so I picked Thor ... to headline the book. After writing an outline depicting the story and
658-502: A magic hammer, Mjolnir , which is enchanted so that only the worthy may lift it. Thor had existed in a past form more reminiscent of the mythological Thor, but he was eventually reincarnated as a new version. In the past, Thor fought alongside the Vikings, but he condemned them after an attack on a Christian monastery . Deeming him too arrogant, Odin banishes Thor to modern day Earth with no memory of his Asgardian origins, giving him
752-576: A massive battle against Surtur on Earth, with Odin apparently dying once and for all, when the Odin Force—the source of Odin's power—migrates to his son, Thor. As Thor eventually destroys the Loom of Fates and stops Asgard from perpetuating Ragnarok—which ends the entire Norse pantheon and Asgard itself—Thor believes Odin may be dead permanently. The Odin Force appears to him in humanoid form and says that this
846-431: A mortal who obtained Thor's power and that his secret identity of Donald Blake was a fabrication created by Odin to teach him humility. As Kirby's work on Thor came to an end, the setting shifted back to Earth and Jane Foster was reintroduced. Kirby stayed on as Thor's artist until Thor #179 (1970). Lee eventually ceded control of the titles he worked on to other writers, and Thor was given to Gerry Conway , who at
940-565: A prince and as a surgeon. Writers have intentionally sought to balance Earth-centric and Asgard-centric stories to keep the character interesting. Thor has a distinct manner of speech, inspired by the King James Version of the Bible and by the work of William Shakespeare . The extent of this style and how it is implemented has changed between writers. Thor's origin as a Norse god has allowed for religious themes to be invoked with
1034-515: A set of uru armor and a pair of iron gauntlets. When traveling with passengers or cargo as a consideration, Thor uses a chariot pulled by his two magic goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder . Thor's supporting cast includes the gods of Asgard: his father is the Asgardian king Odin, he was friends with Balder the Brave since childhood, and the Warriors Three sometimes accompany him. Thor
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#17327871672981128-515: A significant shift in Thor's characterization: the primary setting was moved from Earth to Asgard, Thor's love interest Jane Foster was written out of the story in favor of Sif, and Hercules became a major character. "Tales of Asgard" continued until Thor #145 (1967). The character's backstory was changed in Thor #159 (1968), when it was revealed that Thor was the actual mythological Thor rather than
1222-412: A soul away from the arch-demon Mephisto . The Odinforce makes Odin capable of destroying entire galaxies, allowing him to engage entities such as Galactus on their own terms. In some stories, Odin has been portrayed at a universal or even multiversal scale of power. In battles against opponents of similar power, Odin carries the magical spear Gungnir ("The Spear of Heaven"), an artifact made of
1316-461: A superhero team, forming the Avengers. Odin eventually restores Thor as an Asgardian, revealing that Blake was a persona that he had invented for Thor. When Thor is defeated by Beta Ray Bill, Odin transfers the ability to transform into Blake from Thor to Beta Ray Bill. To continue living among mortals, Thor takes the name Sigurd Jarlson and becomes a construction worker. Odin later binds Thor to
1410-518: A tie in to the Avengers Disassembled storyline that saw major changes to Marvel's main characters. Issues #80–85 (2004) follow the events of Ragnarök as the story's primary setting, Asgard, is destroyed. This story arc was written by Michael Avon Oeming and drawn by Andrea Di Vito . A third volume of Thor began publication in 2007, written by J. Michael Straczynski and drawn by Olivier Coipel . This volume began by addressing
1504-519: A young Odin defeats the fire demon Surtur ; later, Odin reveals that his brothers were killed by Surtur, but gave their power to Odin. Later Surtur was imprisoned inside the Earth. Odin thereafter became ruler of Asgard , where he received the epithet of All-Father , and eventually fell in love with the elder goddess, Gaea, by whom he is the father of Thor . After Thor's birth, Odin returns to Asgard, where his wife, Frigga , acts as Thor's mother. Odin
1598-570: A younger and an older version of himself to defeat Gorr. Gorr's condemnation of the gods shakes Thor's confidence, and he finds himself unable to lift Mjolnir. The hammer is taken by Thor's ally Jane Foster , who temporarily becomes the new Thor before inspiring his confidence and returning the role to him. When Malekith the Accursed wages the War of the Realms , Thor sacrifices his eye in exchange for
1692-407: Is Thor's hubris that he finds himself unable to lift Mjolnir. He remains steadfast, consolidating his power over Earth for many years before he remorsefully goes back in time to prevent himself from seizing power over Earth. As Ragnarök begins, Thor learns that the Asgardians undergo an endless cycle of death and rebirth through Ragnarök, enforced by higher beings. To break the cycle, Thor destroys
1786-748: Is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics , based on the Norse Mythology god, Thor ( Þór ). Created by artist Jack Kirby , writer Stan Lee , and scripter Larry Lieber , the character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) and first received his own title with Thor #126 (1966). Thor is an adaptation of the deity of the same name from Norse mythology , and many aspects of Thor's character are based on his mythological counterpart. Comic books featuring Thor have been published across several volumes since
1880-683: Is a founding member of the superhero team the Avengers , and has played a significant role in Marvel crossover events, including Avengers Disassembled (2004), Siege (2010), and " The War of the Realms " (2019). Chris Hemsworth portrays the cinematic adaptation of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , first appearing in Thor (2011). Thor was created by Stan Lee , Jack Kirby , and Larry Lieber . After initially drafting
1974-400: Is also the adoptive father of Loki , a child of Giant ancestry whose father King Laufey is killed by Odin in battle: adopted in a deal with Bor's spirit, unaware of Bor's intention that the child would bring about Odin's downfall. Despite Odin's intentions, Thor and Loki become bitter enemies. Odin also was the father of Balder from Frigga. Thor's preoccupation with Midgard (Earth) is
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#17327871672982068-471: Is killed after coming to Thor's aid, Thor ends the attack and his banishment is commuted. After Thor discovers that Loki has been reborn as a child with no memories, they reunite as brothers. Odin's brother Serpent returns and wages war on Earth . Thor fights and defeats Serpent, sacrificing his own life. Kid Loki seeks out Blake to resurrect Thor. Thor then faces Gorr the God Butcher and teams with
2162-657: Is killed, Loki and Balder have Thor exiled for regicide. During the " Siege " storyline, Norman Osborn sends the Thunderbolts to steal Odin's spear Gungnir from the Asgardian weaponry. Loki calls on Odin to return the Norn Stones to him so he can empower the heroes to defeat the Void. Odin returns from the dead after Asgard is invaded by the World-Eaters. During the " Fear Itself " storyline, Odin senses
2256-424: Is neither Asgardian nor a god (though he does once claim to be the "son of Odin "), and is instead described as a long-dead Viking king who was denied access to Valhalla for the sin of arrogance, for which he must perform a number of heroic acts, similar to the trials of Heracles . Additionally Thor's powers are heavily limited; while he has superhuman strength, he cannot fly or control the weather and his hammer
2350-530: Is not restricted by the "worthiness enchantment" from the comics. The hammer itself, not named Mjölnir, is used to summon Thor into the mortal world, by which Blake must say Odin's name. The film was filmed between November 1987 and January 1988 in Los Angeles. This film is the first time another character from the Marvel Universe or any genuinely supernatural or otherworldly elements appeared in
2444-466: Is romantically involved with Sif , a fellow Asgardian. When Thor was banished to Earth as Dr. Blake, he met the nurse Jane Foster. Both Thor and his alter-ego Blake developed an attraction to Foster, creating a love triangle . When Thor returned to Asgard, he reunited with Sif. Thor's relationship with Foster has been the subject of disagreement between Thor and his father. Hercules of the Greek pantheon
2538-485: Is romantically involved. By chance, he is recognized by a former student of his, Donald Blake . Blake reveals that, on an expedition in Norway, he was bound into possession of a magical hammer containing the soul of Thor , an immortal Viking warrior banished from Valhalla and reluctantly compelled to serve Blake, who can summon Thor by speaking Odin 's name. Thor is summoned and clumsily angers Banner until he turns into
2632-485: Is severed. When Odin seemingly dies, Thor becomes the king of Asgard. To cure humanity's ills, he relocates Asgard above Earth and takes control of human affairs to give them clean energy, healthcare, and economic prosperity. The extent of the entanglement and the resulting loss of liberties cause strife within Asgard and resentment from humanity. This leads to military conflict that destroys Asgard and New York City . Such
2726-611: Is the embodiment of Asgard and the source of power for Mjolnir and the Norn Stones. He is killed by the Children of Tomorrow, but returns to assist Thor as a spirit. Odin appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Anthony Hopkins . He first appears in the live-action film Thor before making further appearances in the live-action films Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok . Additionally, alternate timeline variants of Odin appear in
2820-568: The Incredible Hulk TV series, to write and direct The Incredible Hulk Returns . Stan Lee was a consultant on the film. Kenneth Johnson , the creator/executive producer (and sometimes writer/director) of the TV series, was not invited to contribute to the film. This television film acted as a backdoor pilot for an unproduced television series featuring Thor, another Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby based on
2914-430: The Marvel Cinematic Universe , appearing in Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). This version of Thor was introduced as a member of a technologically advanced alien race, placing less emphasis on
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3008-465: The Marvel Now! relaunch. This run was written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Esad Ribic . The first eleven issues followed Thor, accompanied by an elderly Thor from the future and a young Thor from the past, battling Gorr the God Butcher . In the 2010s, Marvel began substituting its main characters with a new diverse cast of characters. Thor was replaced by Jane Foster as part of this trend during
3102-463: The Norse mythological deity of the same name . Much like the television treatment of the Hulk, Thor's backstory has been altered from his original comic book appearance: while in the comics Donald Blake and Thor shared the same body and could transform by use of an enchanted cane, Thor is here depicted as being a servant of Blake and they are two separate entities. In The Incredible Hulk Returns , Thor
3196-495: The Phoenix Force about their previous love affair. He is revealed to have been part of a past incarnation of the Avengers in 1,000,000 BC alongside Agamotto , Black Panther , Ghost Rider , Iron Fist , Phoenix, and Star Brand . During the "Death of Thor" arc, Odin faces the return of Mangog and is unable to defeat it. Jane Foster sacrifices herself to stop Mangog before Odin and Thor resurrect her. In The War of
3290-720: The Ultimate Universe , Thor 2099 in Marvel 2099 , Throg the Frog of Thunder, and King Thor from the future. Wonder Woman of DC Comics wielded Thor's power after lifting Mjolnir in the 1996 miniseries DC vs. Marvel . According to Martin Arnold, Thor's existence as a comic book superhero has moved the ideas of Norse mythology from high culture to low culture , shifting it away from both its reputation as an academic topic and its association with Nazi iconography. Although
3384-622: The " Original Sin " storyline, it is revealed to Thor that Angela is the daughter of Odin and Frigga; "killed" as an infant during Asgard's war with the Angels of the Tenth Realm, whereupon Odin severed the tenth realm from the other nine as "punishment". Odin was later freed from his self-exile by Loki as he is set to return to Asgard. The fight between Thor and Angela is interrupted when Odin recognizes Angela as his daughter and reveals Angela's true history, wherein an Angel raised her as one of
3478-408: The 2014 Original Sin story arc, and she became the main character in the Thor franchise. The original Thor was called The Odinson during this period, and he starred in a separate series, The Unworthy Thor , written by Aaron and drawn by Olivier Coipel . Thor was relaunched with Marvel's Fresh Start branding, still written by Aaron, restoring The Odinson as Thor and leading up to " The War of
3572-552: The Angels under the name of Angela. Due to her services for the Angels, the Queen pardoned Angela her life, but exiled her from Heaven for her lineage. After leaving Heaven, Odin tells Thor, Loki, and Angela that he still loves his children. Angered that someone else is wielding Mjolnir , Odin sends the Destroyer after the new female Thor , appointing Cul Borson as his new 'Minister of Justice' to enforce his new decrees and operate
3666-476: The Asgardians, Thor is one of the most powerful. He possesses superhuman strength , and centuries of combat have trained him as a proficient warrior. Thor is also educated in human medicine from his experience as Blake, who was a surgeon. Thor wields an enchanted hammer, Mjolnir, which is crafted from the fictional metal uru, making it nearly indestructible. Wielding it grants him control over wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, amplifying his natural control over
3760-512: The Asgardians, while Odin continues in a state approximating the Asgardian equivalent of heaven , to prevent Surtur from reentering the world. Loki assuages Doctor Doom's fears about Odin's potential wrath if the Asgardians move to Latveria, assuring him that "Old One-Eye is yesterday's god" and "a relic". Later, Odin's absence from the Nine Worlds leads his revived father Bor to wage battle against Thor after Loki and Hela revive him. When Bor
3854-530: The Destroyer, but Odinson and Freyja assemble an army of female superheroes to aid her, forcing Odin to stand down. In Secret Wars , Odin dreams of the end of all existence in an event greater than Ragnarok. He additionally battles King Loki, an evil alternate timeline variant of Loki who threatens to destroy Asgard. In All-New, All-Different Marvel , Odin has become a tyrant ruling Asgard with an iron fist ever since Thor's disappearance. He makes use of
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3948-499: The Hulk, who contends with Thor and leaves. In the morning, Banner scolds Blake for setting back his experiment and demands that he make amends. Journalist Jack McGee hears of sightings of the Hulk and attempts to track him down. Thor bonds with Blake at a bar, briefly entertaining the possibility of Thor using his powers to fight crime. A Mercenary gang outside the Joshua-Lambert Institute seek to kidnap Banner and
4042-537: The Realms , Malekith attempts to kill Odin. However, he survives and appoints Thor as his successor. As King of the Norse Gods, Odin possesses vast strength, stamina and durability far greater than that of a normal Asgardian, along with resistance to all Earthly diseases and toxins, incredible resistance to magic and, as a courtesy of the Golden Apples of Idunn , a greatly extended lifespan. Odin has all
4136-418: The Realms " (2019). A new volume of Thor began publication in 2020, written by Donny Cates and drawn by Nic Klein , which follows Thor as the ruler of Asgard. The next series, The Immortal Thor , premiered in 2023. Thor was born to Odin , the king of Asgard, and Gaea , the Earth goddess. He was then raised by Odin's wife, Frigga , believing her to be his mother. As Thor comes of age, Odin gifts him
4230-714: The Soviet Union. Other major villains include Surtur , Enchantress , Executioner , Hela , Malekith the Accursed , Ulik , Mangog , the Destroyer , Serpent , Ymir , Laufey , Fafnir , Perrikus , Gorr the God Butcher , the Midgard Serpent , Kurse , the Wrecking Crew , Ragnarok , and Galactus . Other characters have taken the title of Thor, including Jane Foster, Beta Ray Bill, Eric Masterson, Volstagg , and Storm . The Marvel Multiverse features many variants of Thor, including Ultimate Thor in
4324-745: The Storm Giant Skagg, and Surtur (with the aid of Thor and Balder); defeating the Absorbing Man after he absorbs almost all of Asgard; banishing the monster Mangog ; sacrificing his right eye to Mimir for the wisdom to stop Ragnarök (Twilight of the Gods); attempting to stop the Celestials in the armor of the Destroyer ; engaging inter-dimensional tyrant Dormammu in a "cosmic chess" match as champions of Master Order and Lord Chaos respectively, and preventing Surtur from lighting
4418-527: The Sword of Doom, Twilight. Odin has also died three times in defense of Asgard. On the first occasion, Odin is killed by Mangog, and later revived by Hela . On the second occasion, the Celestials melt the Destroyer, and thus stifle all Asgardians except Thor, who collects a portion of energy from each pantheon and uses it to revive Odin, who in turn resurrects the Asgardians. The final occasion involves
4512-640: The Thunder Guard and the Destroyer Armor to protect his kingdom and even went so far as to imprison Frigga and anyone who gets in his way. His reason for imprisoning Frigga is because she assisted the female Thor against the Destroyer. Odin fought the female Thor when she interrupted Frigga's trial. After the battle is halted when Loki used a poisoned dagger on Frigga, Odin took Frigga's body to his Odinsleep chamber where he placed some of his powers into her. In Generations , Odin reminisces with
4606-491: The Transponder, but the Hulk effortlessly dispatches them. The mob leader Jack LeBeau targets Dr. Shaw instead of Banner. Mob members disguised as police officers ambush Banner and Shaw and kidnap Shaw despite the combined efforts of the Hulk and Thor. LeBeau blackmails Banner into handing over the Transponder in return for Shaw's life. Banner sabotages the Transponder so it cannot be used as a weapon, removing his chance of
4700-553: The Unexpected #16 (1957). Shortly after Thor premiered, Lieber moved on to other projects, and Thor was given to other writers. Various artists worked on Thor in his first issues, including Don Heck and Joe Sinnott . Lee soon took over writing duties for several Marvel superhero titles, as the writers did not meet his expectations, and he became the writer for Thor beginning in Journey into Mystery #97 (1963). Kirby became
4794-658: The Workshops of Svartalfheim, to stop the Serpent before his shadow falls on the World Tree. Captain America and the Avengers bring an unconscious Thor to Broxton so that Odin can heal Thor. As he tends to his son, Odin confesses that he has always tried to prevent Thor's prophesied death by the Serpent, not to prevent Ragnarok, but because he loves his son and does not want to see him perish. Odin prepares Thor by giving him
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#17327871672984888-502: The abilities of his son Thor, but to a much greater degree. Odin is capable of manipulating the Odinforce—a powerful source of energy—for a number of purposes, including energy projection; creation of illusions and force fields ; levitation ; molecular manipulation, communicating telepathically with other Asgardians even if they are on Earth and he is in Asgard, hypnotizing humans; channelling lightning to Earth from Asgard, controlling
4982-450: The ability to travel through time, but it has since lost this power. When Thor transforms into a human, Mjolnir takes the guise of a walking stick that he can use to transform back into Thor. During these times, being separated from the hammer for sixty seconds reverts him back to his human form. Besides his hammer, Thor possesses a magic belt that doubles his strength, but it drains him of energy and he uses it only sparingly. He also owns
5076-580: The armor and helmet that he himself wore the last time he cast out the Serpent and gives Thor the Odinsword, named Ragnarok (which was forged to end all things). While Thor kills the Serpent at the cost of his own life, Odin frees those affected by the Hammers of the Worthy, and returns to Asgard with the corpse of the Serpent sealing off Asgard from Hermod and a number of other Asgardians left on Earth. In
5170-417: The artist shortly afterward, beginning in Journey into Mystery #101 (1964). When Marvel's distributor allowed them more monthly releases, The Avengers was developed as a new comic book series. Thor was included as an inaugural member of the titular superhero team . By 1965, the difficulty of maintaining continuity between The Avengers and the titles of the individual characters prompted Lee to write
5264-493: The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #86 (Nov. 1962), and was adapted from the Odin of Norse mythology by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . The character is depicted as the father of Thor and, traditionally, as the king of Asgard . Sir Anthony Hopkins portrayed the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017). Although Odin
5358-705: The character's fantasy origins. Hemsworth also portrayed Thor in the animated series What If...? and in the Team Thor short films. Thor is featured in two video games: Thor: God of Thunder and Thor: Son of Asgard . He also appears in several other video games that feature rosters of Marvel characters. Odin (Marvel Comics) Odin Borson, the All-Father is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics . First mentioned in Journey into Mystery #85 (Oct. 1962),
5452-452: The character's introduction. Thor is one of the gods of Asgard and the son of the Asgardian king Odin . In addition to his Asgardian strength and extended lifespan, Thor wields control over the weather, including rain and lightning. He also carries the enchanted hammer Mjolnir , that enhances his abilities and grants him the ability to fly. Thor was first introduced as the alter ego of surgeon Donald Blake , who acquired Thor's power, which
5546-504: The character, Lee gave the project to his brother Lieber to write the stories. Kirby developed Thor's visual design, and he had an interest in ancient mythology that lent itself to the character's creation and design. Bulfinch's Mythology was used as a reference during Thor's creation. As superhero comics became more popular, Marvel began replacing its previous comic book lines with superheroes. Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962). Like other superheroes created at
5640-530: The character. He is also reminiscent of the Vikings and invokes positive aspects of their image, but he has rejected the brutality associated with Viking raids . Thor is one of the gods of Asgard, granting him exceptional strength, durability, and endurance. Though not fully immortal, Asgardians have immense lifespans and are immune to disease. Until Thor ended the Ragnarok cycle, the Asgardians went through an endless series of deaths and reincarnations. Among
5734-494: The characters I had in mind, I asked my brother, Larry, to write the script because I didn't have time. ...and it was only natural for me to assign the penciling to Jack Kirby... The idea for adapting Thor as a superhero was first developed when Lee and Kirby heard of Marvel being discussed as "twentieth-century mythology". Thor was well-suited to be recreated as a superhero, as the mythological character already had an established supporting cast, superpowers, and sense of justice. At
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#17327871672985828-549: The coming of the Celestial Fourth Host. The character also on occasion uses the eight-legged steed Sleipnir and the enchanted ship Skipbladnir , which can navigate the "sea of space" and shrink to the size of a toy. In Spider-Punk 's universe, Odin is the source of Eric Masters ' powers. An alternate universe variant of Odin from Earth-1610 appears in the Ultimate Marvel universe. This version
5922-414: The direct applicability of Marvel's Thor to the mythological Thor is limited, Marvel's Thor is a prominent representation of Norse mythology in popular culture and represents an entry point for the understanding of Norse folklore in modern times. The character created a 20th century American audience for Norse myth that expanded significantly when Marvel's Thor was adapted to film. Thor has appeared among
6016-519: The dynamic of Thor introducing a second character who Odin recognized as worthy of Thor's power. In the 1990s, Marvel briefly supplemented its main superheroes with more violent anti-hero versions. During this time, Thor was replaced with Eric Masterson . During the Heroes Reborn event, many of Marvel's superheroes were given new volumes, restarted at issue #1, but Thor's series was not renewed. A new volume of Thor instead launched during
6110-481: The high expectations directed to it as a reunion of the Incredible Hulk TV series. This television film was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on May 13, 2008 along with The Trial of the Incredible Hulk as a DVD double feature to coincide with the release of The Incredible Hulk . They were re-released by Image Entertainment on October 11, 2011. Thor (Marvel Comics) Thor Odinson
6204-403: The identity of Donald Blake. As Blake, Thor visits Scandinavia where he stumbles upon a walking stick, which he discovers can turn into Mjolnir and give him the powers of Thor. In a plot to defeat Thor, Loki provokes the Hulk into attacking a train. While Loki is successful in luring Thor out, he is accompanied by Iron Man , Ant-Man , and Wasp . After defeating Loki, the heroes come together as
6298-476: The king of Asgard , giving him political power that he abused. An alternate version of the Avengers, the Ultimates , debuted in 2002 as part of the Ultimate Marvel branding that re-imagined Marvel characters in an alternative universe. This universe's version of Thor has the same powers, but he is a pacifist and it is left unclear whether he is truly a god or mentally unstable. Thor volume two ended with
6392-513: The lifeforces of all Asgardians, and teleportation . The character has also used the Odinforce for greater feats such as transporting the entire human race to an alternate dimension; stopping time; pulling the remains of distant planets down from outer space to crush his foes, compressing the population of an entire planet into a single being, the Mangog and then recreating the race and taking
6486-537: The metal uru , that can be used to channel the Odinforce. Even without the Odinforce it can still match Thor's hammer in battle. Once a year, during the Asgardian winter, Odin must undertake the Odinsleep for 24 hours to regenerate (and is closely guarded as he is vulnerable during this period), although he can be weakened by potent spells, such as those of Karnilla . Odin is also a master tactician and schemer, and has prevented Ragnarok, and planned for centuries for
6580-416: The mortal Donald Blake and the immortal Thor. Thor finds himself split between Asgard and Earth, having an established life and loyalty to both. Though he is an Asgardian, he was born to Gaea, the Earth goddess, and he is imbued with an intrinsic connection to Earth. While he is bound to Dr. Blake, Thor holds significant responsibilities in both realms, and he is often forced to choose between his role as
6674-530: The mortal Eric Masterson to save Masteron's life. Thor is exiled for seemingly killing Loki, but Masterson retains the powers of Thor and becomes the superhero Thunderstrike . During the Onslaught attack, Thor is one of the heroes who is transported to an alternate dimension by Franklin Richards , but they are soon returned. Thor is again bound to a mortal, this time to Jake Olson, but this connection too
6768-476: The original cast out of The Avengers, including Thor. Lee created a second series that centered on Norse mythology, "Tales of Asgard". First appearing in Journey into Mystery #97 (1963), this series focused on Thor's mythological adventures and greatly expanded his roster of supporting characters, including Sif , Balder the Brave , and the Warriors Three . Journey into Mystery was eventually renamed to Thor , beginning with Thor #126 (1966). This marked
6862-645: The ramifications of Avengers Disassembled and slowly reintroducing Thor's supporting characters. Thor was then a central character in the Siege event in 2010, which featured Marvel's cast of superheroes defending Asgard from Norman Osborn . To coincide with the Thor film, Marvel launched a number of new series starring the character in mid-2010. These included Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee, Thor: First Thunder by Bryan J. L. Glass and Tan Eng Huat , Thor: For Asgard by Robert Rodi and Simone Bianchi , and Iron Man/Thor by
6956-647: The return of his elder brother, the fear god Cul . After a brief monologue with Uatu the Watcher , Odin commands his people to return to the Asgardian plane against the protests of Thor , and Asgard rebuilds into a war engine with which he intends to raze Earth completely, to destroy the Serpent. Thor convinces Odin to send him back to Earth instead, and Iron Man travels to Asgard-space for an audience with Odin, wherein Iron Man asks Odin if he can use one of Asgard's workshops to make weapons, and Odin allows him to use
7050-517: The subsequent Heroes Return event. This volume was written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by John Romita Jr. . To humanize Thor, he was again bound to a mortal to humanize him, this time giving him the alter-ego of paramedic Jake Olson. The subsequent period of Marvel's history reflected the political turmoil that followed the September 11 attacks and the War on Terror . For Thor, this involved becoming
7144-520: The tapestry of the Three Fates, reincarnating the Asgardians as mortals. In the meantime, a clone of Thor is created by the pro-registration faction during the civil war between superheroes. While in the afterlife, Thor once again binds himself to Blake to resurrect himself, and creates a new Asgard floating over Oklahoma , gathering the Asgardians who had been reincarnated as mortals. When Loki resurrects Thor's grandfather, Bor , Bor goes into
7238-466: The team in Avengers #159 (1977). In the mid-1970s, Marvel considered giving the character a second series as part of parent company Magazine Management 's line of black-and-white comics magazines . A story written by Steve Englehart for the aborted project appeared in Thor Annual #5 (1976). Doug Moench wrote for Thor from 1981 to 1983. This run was poorly received, which Moench argued
7332-576: The time Thor was created, there were approximately 15 million Scandinavian Americans , and the United States had a general cultural awareness of historical Scandinavian culture through ideas of Vikings and Leif Erikson . A previous adaptation of Thor had appeared in Venus #1 (1948), published by what is now Marvel Comics. Kirby had previously adapted Thor for DC Comics in Adventure Comics #75 (1942), Boy Commandos #7 (1944), Tales of
7426-403: The time was a teenager. John and Sal Buscema were the artists for this run. After Conway gave up the series, editor Len Wein took over as its writer. After returning to the Avengers, Thor was again removed in Avengers #151 (1976) because writer Steve Englehart believed that Thor was too powerful for the group. Fan backlash ensued, and the subsequent writer, Jim Shooter , returned him to
7520-552: The time, Thor usurped a comic book anthology that had previously been dedicated to monster fiction . Thor arose from Lee's desire to create a superhero who was more powerful than Hulk or the Fantastic Four . Lee in 2002 described Thor's genesis early in the Marvel pantheon, following the creation of the Hulk: [H]ow do you make someone stronger than the strongest person? It finally came to me: Don't make him human — make him
7614-461: The top five in several ranked lists of greatest Avengers characters. Kirby had intended to replace Thor and his cast of characters with a new pantheon of deities; this idea was nixed by Lee, but it eventually became the New Gods and Fourth World stories that Kirby created for DC Comics. Thor influenced the comic book Black Hammer , which features various homages to the character. Thor
7708-407: The universe of the Incredible Hulk TV series. Thor and the Hulk next appeared on-screen together in 2012's The Avengers , played by Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo respectively. On May 21, 1988, just one day before the film aired, Ferrigno appeared as a contestant on the game show Family Double Dare to promote it. The Incredible Hulk Returns was a major ratings success, outdoing even
7802-405: The weather. He can use the hammer to fly by throwing it into the air and grabbing the leather strap to pull himself off the ground. The hammer also allows Thor to travel between dimensions, moving him between Earth and Asgard. Mjolnir is enchanted so that it may only be lifted by those who are worthy. Another enchantment causes it to always return to its wielder when thrown. It previously gave Thor
7896-623: The wisdom to defeat him, and Thor then reunites with his past and future selves as well as Foster's Thor to win the battle. When Galactus arrives to warn of the Black Winter, he imbues Thor with the Power Cosmic and enlists him as a herald, only for Thor to use the power to kill him. As with many Marvel superheroes, Thor was created as a flawed character. He is conflicted between his sense of moral purity and his pride, and his father Odin seeks to teach him humility. For his arrogance, he
7990-452: The writing duo of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning . The limited series Thor: The Mighty Avenger was published across eight issues from 2010 to 2011, following Thor in his earlier years as a less serious, family friendly interpretation of the character. This series was written by Roger Langridge and drawn by Chris Samnee , and was met with critical praise. The next Thor series, Thor: God of Thunder , began publication in 2012 during
8084-420: Was Odin's plan all along. When Thor returns from hibernation in the void, he begins to find the lost Asgardians, but does not search for his father. During his Odinsleep, Thor finds Odin in a limbo wherein every day he does battle with Surtur. Odin declines Thor's offer of taking his place—noting that just Thor's offer has broken Bor's curse that he would be abandoned as Bor was—and states that Thor must lead
8178-516: Was also Jack Colvin 's last appearance as Jack McGee. Dr. David Banner has been gainfully employed at the Joshua-Lambert Research Institute (as David Bannion) where he and a team of scientists are putting the final touches on a Gamma Transponder, which he intends to use to cure him of his ability to turn into the Hulk. He has not changed into the Hulk for two years since he met a young widow, Maggie Shaw, with whom he
8272-421: Was considered for its own spin-off, but this was not seen through due to the ongoing writers strike and concerns about the character's design. A Thor movie was set for production with Universal Pictures in 1981, but it was one of several planned Marvel projects that were not produced. Lee also pitched a Thor film to Fox Studios , but it was not accepted. Chris Hemsworth portrays an adaptation of Thor in
8366-415: Was due to the limitations imposed by editor Mark Gruenwald . Walter Simonson subsequently took over the series, revitalizing it and increasing sales. Simonson's run was highly regarded by critics, and it included several major milestones in Thor's history, including "The Surtur Saga", "Skurge's Last Stand", "Mjolnir's Song", and "The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill". His introduction of Beta Ray Bill shifted
8460-663: Was first adapted in The Marvel Super Heroes , an animated television serial, in 1966. Thor has since appeared in various animated television programs featuring Marvel characters, as a main character in ensemble casts and through guest appearances in other Marvel properties. The character also stars in the animated direct-to-video film Thor: Tales of Asgard . A live action adaptation of Thor appears in The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), portrayed by Eric Allan Kramer . This version of Thor
8554-415: Was first mentioned in Journey into Mystery #85 (Oct. 1962), his first actual appearance was in Journey into Mystery #86 (November 1962). He was created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby . According to Norse mythology , Odin is the son of Bor (father, one of the first Asgardians ) and Bestla (mother, a frost giantess), and the full brother of Vili and Ve. With the aid of his brothers,
8648-593: Was forced by Odin to live as a mortal, and Thor's experience with humanity provides his character growth. When Thor was first created, he was an exception to Marvel's real world approach to storytelling, emphasizing the fantastical over current events and modern social issues. As he became more connected to the Marvel Universe, social commentary became more common. Thor was also one of several Marvel characters who underwent physical transformation to explore different aspects of his character, transforming between
8742-610: Was initially introduced as a rival to Thor, but the two eventually became allies. Beta Ray Bill became an ally of Thor after proving his worthiness and receiving a hammer of his own from Odin, Stormbreaker. On Earth, Thor is allied with the Avengers, of which he is a founding member. Thor's nemesis is his half-brother Loki . As Thor is the heir to Asgard's throne, Loki envies Thor and engages in plots to seize power over Asgard for himself. Thor regularly fights mythological creatures such as trolls and giants. Besides his supernatural opponents, Thor also fights human groups such as agents of
8836-464: Was later revealed to be a fabrication by Thor's father. Thor has since assumed other human identities and sometimes ruled as king of Asgard. Thor's cast of supporting characters includes his fellow Asgardians Odin, Sif , The Warriors Three , and Balder the Brave , as well as other allies such as Jane Foster , Beta Ray Bill , and Hercules . Thor's arch-nemesis is the Asgardian Loki . Thor
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