THOR 633
works such as Ode to Kirihito (1970–71), Aya k o (1972–73), Buddha (1974–84), MW
(1976–78), Adolf (1983–85). However, several series were regretfully left unfi nished at
his death, including Phoenix (1956–), Dororo (1967–), and Ludwig B. (1987–).
Nhu-Hoa Nguyen
THOR. Based on the Norse mythological character of the same name and originally
adapted into comics by the Marvel Comics creative team of Stan Lee, Larry Lieber,
and Jack Kirby, Th or made his debut in the pages of Journey into Mystery #83 in 1962.
Th e son of Odin, ruler of Asgard (realm of the Gods) and Gaea, protector of Midgard
(realm of Earth), Th or was banished to Earth and forced to inhabit the mortal body of
Donald Blake, a physically impaired medical doctor, without any memory of his true
identity. After discovering his past on a vacation to Norway, Blake is able to transform
into Th or, and back again, at will with the help of Mjolnir, Th or’s mystical war ham-
mer given to him by his father. As the God of Th under, Th or has the power to create
and control weather phenomena, including rain, wind, and lighting. After centuries of
practice he is also highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and, with the help of Mjol-
nir, can fl y as well as open inter-dimensional portals, among other abilities. Since his
introduction, Th or has continuously proven to be one of the most powerful characters
in the Marvel universe, drawing on the magical Odinforce in battles against mortal,
superhuman, mythological, and cosmic villains. Th or is also a founding member of Th e
Avengers and regularly appears in major Marvel universe crossover events.
Writers and artists have been able to utilize the richly complex stories within Norse
mythology to propel Marvel’s version of the character. Th e primary confl icts within
the Th or narrative explore the tension between Th or’s allegiance to Asgard and his
innate desire to protect Earth from harm. Often compounding this strain is Th or’s
step-brother Loki, a shapeshifting master of dark magic who desires to rule Asgard
as his own. Other Asgardian characters, such as Balder, Th or’s lifelong friend; Heim-
dall, guardian sentry of Asgard; Tyr, Asgardian God of War; and Sif, Th or’s sometimes
love interest, off er the narrative ample amounts of depth and breadth in storytelling
options. Perhaps desirous of even more storytelling freedom, Lee and Kirby made sev-
eral additions to Asgardian lore throughout their tenure on the book; notably absent
in the original mythology, Th e Warriors Th ree—consisting of Fandral, Hogun, and
Volstagg—were introduced in Journey into Mystery #119 in 1965 and have since played
a popular supporting role within broader story arcs.
Like Th or’s family, friends, and allies, many of his enemies are drawn from mythol-
ogy as well. Fire demon Surtur, frost giant Ymir, and the Midgard Serpent all make
appearances as the most powerful enemies of Asgard, with new Lee and Kirby creations
the Mangog (Th or [Vol. 1] #154) and the Enchanters Th ree (Th or [Vol. 1] #143) also
testing Th or’s might. Besides these mythological creatures, however, Th or has devel-
oped several other foes on Earth, including Radioactive Man ( Journey into Mystery #93)
and the Wrecking Crew (Th or [Vol. 1] #304). Th or’s most dire threats have come from
villains empowered by the trickster Loki. Th ese include the Absorbing Man ( Journey
