Thor Thursday
By Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@dragonkingkarl.com)
Today we celebrate Thursday's namesake - Thor! It is #ThorThursday here at When It Was Cool and we want to celebrate the God of Thunder (but not of Rock & Roll... we did that yesterday on #WarMachineWednesday).
Thor is the Norse mythological hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, and the protection of mankind. So, if you want to know who is responsible for the Oak Oppression that Rush sings about, well, blame it on Thor.
Who is Thor? Let's take a look.
Original Recipe Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor bears at least fourteen names and is the husband of the goddess Sif. Thor is described in Norse writings as fierce-eyed, red-haired and red-bearded. And, oh yes, Thor is the son of the head-god All-Father Odin. He also has a sweet chariot pulled by goats... and, of course, a hammer. Lightning was believed to be Thor's hammer flashing across the sky and thunder to be the rumble of the wheels of his chariot.
Marvel Comics Thor
The Thor of Marvel Comics is probably the most famous modern interpretation of the character. This version of Thor is also the Asgardian god of thunder and possesses the enchanted hammer Mjolnir.
Thor debuted in the Silver Age in Journey into Mystery #83 (August 1962) and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. He is also a founding member of the superhero team the Avengers.
In current Marvel continuity, Thor has become unworthy to lift the enchanted hammer Mjolnir and now stars in his own book called "The Unworthy Thor" while the main Thor comic book is helmed by a female Thor, Jane Foster, who was able to lift Mjolnir and gain it's powers.
DC Comics (Yes, they have one) Thor
While much lesser known than Marvel Comics Thor, DC Comics has also used the Thor character in their stories as well. Thor appears in the first issues of Jack Kirby's Fourth World by John Byrne. This variation of Thor is more faithful to the original mythology having red hair, a beard and a more brutish personality.
Movie Thor
Now, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we know that movie Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has a new hair cut in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok movie. This is the third solo Thor movie from Marvel Studios, not counting his appearances in other Marvel Studio movies like The Avengers.
Marvel classic comics style Thor 3.75 inch action figure from my collection. This is probably my favorite Thor action figure as he actually comes with an inscribed hammer and features the classic Marvel comics styling.
Beta Ray Bill is an alien from the Marvel Universe who was granted the power of Thor when he was worthy enough to lift Mjolnir. He ultimately returned the hammer to Thor and was given his own weapon - Storm Bringer - by Odin himself. Very cool looking action figure with a moveable jaw.
Modern style Thor 3.75 inch action figure. I really like the bulk this figure has. He just screams "power!" The only negative is that he doesn't feature the nice inscribed hammer like the classic version does.
Classic style Thor Eaglemoss statue.
Both Avengers movies have featured promotions by Dr. Pepper cola. The original The Avengers movie featured all the characters on regular Dr. Pepper cans. Age of Ultron spread the characters out among the various brands of Dr. Pepper and Thor ended up on Dr. Pepper Ten cans.
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