In comics, it’s not uncommon for creators to take a mythical or legendary figure and turn them into superhero or villain. Hercules and Ares are a couple of examples. These are fun characters, and it is interesting to see how the comic creators tie their ancient stories in with modern lore. It seems like an easy, yet effective way to create a new hero. You have a back story already, a cast of characters, including a main bad guy. It works. None of them have been as successful, though, as today’s character.
Thor
There first appeared in the title Journey into Mystery, issue 83 in August 1962. He has been a Marvel staple ever since. The first time I remember being aware of Thor was when I saw the 80s classic Adventures in Babysitting, which featured a character that was obsessed with Thor. It even featured an appearance of the golden locked hero. Kind of. After that, I wanted to learn more about this hero, and found out he was pretty cool.
He’s as powerful as Superman, and just as good. Because his power comes from his hammer, and he has to be worthy to be able to use his hammer, he stays pretty much on the straight and narrow. He is a god, but has compassion and love for mortals like us. He is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, and all around pretty decent guy.
Why Thor?
Now I am older, and I have a few daughters of my own. Lucy, my middle daughter, has always done her own thing, including becoming obsessed with Thor all on her own. We never really figured out why she loves Thor so much, or how it started, but a few years ago she let us all know that Thor is the best, ands she has been obsessed ever since. And, like any dad, if my daughter likes it, then I love it.
I’m not really sure why she loves Thor so much, but it’s every version of Thor. I think maybe it’s the hammer. In any case, I really like the character too. Part of it is my Danish roots, maybe connecting me to the Norse origins of the god of thunder. Plus, he’s just cool. Anything viking is cool. He has a hammer. A giant, all-powerful hammer.
And he is a good guy. He wants to help and protect people who are weaker than him- which is almost everyone. He makes mistakes, and he’s arrogant, but at the end of the day, he is all about helping the little guy. He is an example of what someone with incredible power should be like. He takes the whole with great power comes great responsibility thing to the next level. That’s why I love Thor. Mostly, I think Lucy likes the hammer. And maybe the golden locks.
30 Days 30 Characters
Miss some of the other days? No worries, I can help you out there. Feel free to check out the rest of the series and please share it with friends who may be interested.
Day 3- Captain Jean Lucy Picard
