Marvel Comics first introduced Thor Odinson in 1962, and since then, this hero has embarked on numerous adventures. He has become an iconic member of the Marvel Universe, playing various roles over the years. He’s been a leader of Asgard, a fallen warrior, and of course, a fan-favorite member of the Avengers. The advent of the multiverse opened the door to even more adventures and twists, giving rise to some of the most creative takes on this well-known and loved hero. It’s hard to believe that even after all these years, Marvel has found so many ways to surprise its readers.
Thor, aka the God of Thunder, is often considered to be one of the strongest heroes in Marvel Comics. His Asgardian status is only part of his strength, as it’s also his indomitable will and determination that have gotten him through some of the worst times possible. Fans find it easy to root for this hero, but change is good for everyone, including Thor. Perhaps that is what makes some of these versions of Thor so interesting or compelling. They’re certainly unforgettable.
1) Ragnarök
Sadly, not every version of Thor can be a mark of triumph. For example, this version of Thor came from a horrible time in Marvel history, when the superhero society was torn apart by a Civil War. Thor Odinson was deceased when this war came about, and perhaps that is why Tony Stark and Reed Richards felt comfortable using some of his hair to create a clone.
The cloned Thor became known as Ragnarök, and he was meant to fight against the Secret Avengers. Naturally, that didn’t go to plan. They quickly lost control over Ragnarök, who killed Goliath in battle. While they were able to shut down Ragnarök following that massacre, it wasn’t long before he escaped and joined the Dark Avengers.
2) Storm Thor
Ororo Munro is the Goddess of Thunder, the Thor of Earth-904. Her powerful hammer, Stormbinger, was given to her by Loki of all people. Yet she stands between Asgard and destruction. As such, she is Asgard’s Queen. Her story comes from one of many Marvel What If…? tales, which explains the unique beginning.
In this world, Thor and Ororo were married before everything turned to chaos. This led to Thor giving Ororo his title, making her the Goddess of Thunder through and through. Since then, Marvel has experimented a bit more with Ororo as Goddess of Thunder, and it’s safe to say fans love seeing it happen.
3) Thor Unleashed
Thor and Hulk have always been a little bit at odds. It’s natural when two strong personalities clash, after all. However, that hit new heights in Banner Of War (2022), as the two heroes battled it out. There’s one very important detail to know about this battle, as it wasn’t the Thor most fans know all about.
In this battle, Hulk is being supported by the All-Father, while Thor is the gamma-infused monster. Yeah, it’s the polar opposite of what readers were probably expecting. This version of Thor is merciless and extremely deadly, attacking without pause or provoking. To put this into perspective, he very nearly kills Hulk.
4) Rune King Thor
Thor has faced the threat of Ragnarok many times in many ways. Thanks to the multiverse, this threat will always feel somewhat present. That brings us to Rune King Thor, a version of Thor who saw the event rising and became desperate to save his beloved Asgard. he did the only thing he could do, at the time, and open himself to Hildestalf, unlocking his full potential in the process.
To be clear, this process didn’t come without cost. First, Thor had to gouge out his eyes (yes, really) and drop them into the Well of Mimir. Then he sacrificed his own life (again, really), allowing him to travel through Hel and begin the resurrection/rebirth process. With this, Thor was able to return to the living, but this time as Rune King Thor. This ultimate version of Thor was able to prevent Ragnarok and even easily defeat Loki, to put things into perspective.
5) Jane Foster
There was a time when Thor Odinson was not up for wielding Mjolnir, and thus, another hero rose to fill his position. Against all odds, Jane Foster became the new Thor. Jane Foster stepped into the mantle of Thor, even knowing that it would likely kill her. She faced insurmountable odds during this time, from a furious Odin (who wasn’t pleased at the idea of a mortal woman wielding the hammer) to a war, unlike anything we had ever seen before.
While Odin didn’t approve of this new Thor, ironically, Thor Odinson did. He told Jane to use the mantle of Thor. This was a noteworthy time, as she wasn’t She-Thor or Lady Thor, as a few characters were quick to realize and appreciate. Jane fought valiantly during the War of the Realms, doing what she could to save lives in the process. She even fought for the Gods of Asgard, despite Odin’s shunning of her mantle. She fell at this time, and shockingly, it was Odin who went to Valhalla and brought her back to life. While Jane is no longer Thor, she now carries the title of Valkyrie.
6) Unworthy Thor
Earlier, we mentioned a time in which Thor wasn’t able to wield Mjolnir, and it all had to do with a few horrible words whispered into Thor’s ear during Original Sin. These words, which asked if maybe Gorr was right all along, were enough to make Mjolnir drop from Thor’s fingers and stay that way. What followed was a humbling time for Thor, bringing the character back to his roots. First, he encouraged Jane Foster to carry the mantle of Thor, while he continued as Odinson.
His hammer wasn’t the only thing Thor lost during this time, as he also lost his left arm. This led to the Unworthy Thor arc. Thor had to seemingly lose everything to understand that his power and value come from within, not without. For those wondering, Unworthy Thor’s tale ends in redemption, as he lifts a small piece of Mjolnir, and the realization hits. He’s worthy.
7) Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is not an Asgardian, though he is certainly worthy. Beta Ray Bill is a cybernetically enhanced Korbinite and champion of his people. As the champion, he was responsible for bringing his people to safety following the destruction caused by Surtur. It was around this time that he bumped into Thor, and the two battled. Against all expectations, Beta Ray Bill won the battle. While Thor was unconscious, Beta Ray Bill picked up Mjolnir, out of curiosity more than anything.
Unsurprisingly, Thor didn’t react well to seeing Beta Ray Bill wielding his hammer. The two battled, this time for the right to Mjolnir, in which Beta Ray Bill won again. To keep the peace, Beta Ray Bill was given Stormbreaker, an equally powerful weapon, allowing both heroes to wield a weapon appropriate to their status.
8) Necro King Thor
The Necro Sword is a dangerous and terrifying weapon, originally seen in the hands of Gorr the God Butcher. It was perfect for Gorr’s deeds, easily killing gods. The weapon was forged by Knull, the same Knull who leads the symbiotes, and that should be cause for concern. It leaks into wielders, leading us to Necro King Thor.
Necro King Thor picked up the infamous Necro Sword. The two are matched in terrifying ways, both lending powers to enhance the other, to horrible effects. With this newfound well of power, Necro King Thor defeated Galactus on his own. It’s probably a good thing that this is the standard version of Thor.
9) Old King Thor
Readers have seen many versions of Thor’s past and future, which is probably why we were so inclined to accept Old King Thor. This version of Thor comes from Jason Aaron’s time writing the series, bringing three versions of the hero into the continuity. Much like Rune King Thor, this version of Thor has seen some things and gained quite a bit of power in the process. Old King Thor is what most readers could probably picture an elder Thor looking like, long after he took over Odin’s role (and powers). But there’s more to it, as this version of Thor had also bonded with the Phoenix Force at one time.
Thanks to timeline shenanigans, Old King Thor was once the future of Thor from Earth-616, but now he’s his own entity. In other words, readers don’t know what will happen to the current Thor.
10) Iron Hammer
Iron Hammer is arguably one of the least likely characters to hail from Marvel Comics, yet here he is. He hails from the Infinity Warp series, where different heroes were fused together as the universe continued to combine in different ways. In case the name didn’t give it away, Iron Hammer is a combination of Tony Stark and Thor. Also known as Stark Odinson, Iron Hammer was captured by a dangerous foe (Malekith) and forced to create weapons.
In a story that should feel familiar, the hero rose up and broke out, but only after forging the Iron Hammer Armor. To put it another way, this hero combined Tony’s tech and armor know-how with Thor’s strength, and that’s as terrifying and amazing as it sounds.
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