Alternative versions of Thor

This is a page that shows the alternate versions of Thor.

In mainstream comic continuity

Red Norvell

Part of a documentary crew brought to Asgard by Loki, Roger "Red" Norvell meets and falls in love with Lady Sif. Red Norvell is given Thor's Iron Gauntlets and Belt of Strength by Loki to compete with Thor for Sif's affections, beating him and taking his hammer, with neither realizing this was part of a master plan by Odin to create a surrogate God of Thunder to die fighting the Serpent of Ragnarok and fulfill the prophecy.^[1]

Beta Ray Bill

Beta Ray Bill is the champion of the Korbinites, an alien race. Debuting in Thor #337, the character was initially intended to be a surprise as an apparent monster who unexpectedly proves to be actually a great hero. As such, Bill becomes the first being outside of the Marvel Universe's Norse pantheon to be deemed worthy enough to wield Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. After an initial rivalry for possession of the weapon, both the Thunder God and the alien warrior reconciled as staunch allies. Bill is granted a war hammer of his own called Stormbreaker, which grants him the same powers as Thor.^[2] He has since made numerous appearances.

Eric Masterson

Eric Masterson is initially bonded with Thor after Thor is punished for apparently killing Loki. Masterson carries the mantle of Thor for several years, continuing his roles as a member of the Avengers and protector of Midgard. Thor is eventually freed from Eric's mind, and asks that he continue serving as God of Thunder. Tricked by the Enchantress Masterson attacks Thor, and soon after relinquishes the hammer to Thor. In gratitude for his services, Odin provides Masterson with an enchanted mace, which he uses under the alias of Thunderstrike.^[3]

Dargo Ktor

Dargo Ktor is the host of a 26th-century version of Thor, who is empowered when holding Mjolnir, a subject of worship in that century.^[4]

Alternative continuities

1602

A version of Thor appears with an alter ego of an elderly Christian priest named Donal — an allusion to Thor's original secret identity Donald Blake. Donal fears and despises his alter-ego, believing that the shared existence will damn him.^[5]

2099

Set in the year 2099, the role of Thor is taken by a man named Cecil MacAdam, who belongs to a class of priests known as "Thorites" who worship the original version of Thor.^[6] Later, in "2099: Manifest Destiny", a rejuvenated Steve Rogers finds Mjolnir and becomes the new Thor. He gives Mjolnir to Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099) at the end of the story.

Age of Apocalypse

In the fictional crossover event "Age of Apocalypse", Donald Blake never discovers that he is the reincarnation of Thor, and is instead an agent of the Human High Council and a doctor, traveling with Gwen Stacy to provide aid in human refugee camps.^[7]

Amalgam Comics

In the Amalgam Comics universe, Thor is joined with Orion to form Thorion ^[8] Thorion was the son of Thanoseid, but was traded to All-Highfather Odin in order to seal a truce between the realms of Apokolips and New Asgard.

During one adventure, L'ok D'saad (An amalgamation of Loki and Desaad), he for whom Thorion was traded, sought to use the Mother Cube and its Infinity Essence to awaken the Sleeping One called Surtur and bring about a second Ragnarok that would end everything. Thorion, however, invoked the power of the Source via his hammer to halt L'ok's evil wishes. Because of the great energies released during their conflict, Thorion was remade into a cosmic being known as The Celestial.

In Unlimited Access, a limited series which further explored themes introduced in DC vs. Marvel, the hero known as Access formed an amalgamation of what appeared to be the Silver Age versions of Thor and Superman. Together, they were known as Thor-El.

Marvel Mangaverse

A version of Thor appears briefly and aids the heroes against an other-world version of the villain Dormammu.^[9]

Marvel Noir

Whilst Thor does not appear in Marvel Noir, the Noir version of Baron Zemo reveals that his castle was previously inhabited by a mad Norse Man who believed that he was a God of Asgard, and would frequently attack people with a hammer. Zemo holds up his skeleton, and the skull is wearing a helmet reminiscent of Thor's original helmet in the 616 continuity. ^[10]

Marvel Zombies

Thor appears as a cannibalistic zombie wielding a makeshift version of a hammer composed of a concrete block and pipe as he is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir, which he breaks when trying to attack the Silver Surfer. When the Silver Surfer is finally struck down, only a handful of zombies manage to eat a piece of his body, and Thor is not one of them. Those who did consume the Silver Surfer acquire his cosmic powers, and Thor, along with the rest of the zombies, is slaughtered. Giant-Man can be seen throwing away his skeleton after burning his body.^[11]

Spider-Ham

Thor appears as a dog called Thrr The Dog of Thunder.^[12]

Ultimate Marvel

Thor is a member of the superhero team the Ultimates in the Ultimate Marvel Universe.^[13] Despite his claims to be a Norse god, he is regarded by many to be delusional during the first months of his career. It is not until he is seen summoning an army of Asgardian warriors to fend off an attack on Washington DC by demonic forces commanded by Loki that Thor's teammates realize he is exactly who he says he is.^[14]

What If?

In an early What If story, Jane Foster discovered the stick rather than Donald Blake, spending time as a female Thor before she was recalled to Asgard, allowing Odin to return the hammer to its rightful owner, although Jane went on to be elevated to godhood so that she could marry Odin.

In What If Rogue possessed the power of Thor?, Rogue accidentally permanently absorbed Thor when she and Mystique attempted to break the Brotherhood out of prison, resulting in her killing most of the Avengers and the Brotherhood when she was unable to cope with Thor's power. Although Loki attempted to manipulate her into waging war on Asgard after she was able to lift Thor's hammer, the sight of Odin's genuine sense of loss allowed Thor's remnants to manifest in her subconscious, affirming that he was an ideal as well as a person, allowing Rogue to inherit his power and position as she became the new Thor.^[15]

References