Ah, Marvel and The View, the peanut butter and chocolate of popular culture. Wait, what? No, you read that right. On this morning’s episode of ABC’s The View, Marvel announced that Thor, the Asgardian God of Thunder, Original Avenger, and Breaker of Coffee Mugs, will now be a woman… in the comics, at least. Having proven himself to be unworthy, as per the inscription on his mighty hammer Mjolnir, Thor is stripped of his godly powers and this new mystery woman will take up the charge. The new storyline, launching this October, will be penned by writer Jason Aaron, which should come as a relief to Thor fans as he has written the character better than most in recent years. This comes as a major change for the Marvel Universe, especially considering that Thor is one of their oldest characters.
.@Marvel announces that Thor is no longer worthy of Mjolnir, and now a woman will be wielding the mighty Uru Hammer! #TheView
— The View (@theviewtv) July 15, 2014
Co-host Jenny McCarthy explained the change during the segment, “The story behind her is that she created herself. She was saved by Thor, and she came down from Earth – followed him – and made herself look like Thor. And now she’s taking over.”
Unworthy Thor by Esad Ribic
For those of you trying to reason out that this new Thor has an uncanny number of similarities to Thor Girl and even bears a strong resemblance to Tarene (Thor Girl’s secret identity), you can stop right there. Writer Jason Aaron laid it all out: “This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR. This is the THOR of the Marvel Universe. But it’s unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before.” Marvel editor Wil Moss also insists that this “isn’t a temporary female substitute” and that “she’s now the one and only Thor.”
Thor #1 cover by Russell Dauterman
While this isn’t the first time another character has wielding Mjolnir — Captain America, Beta Ray Bill, and Superman have all — it is definitely the most exciting identity change Thor has had in a long time. That being said, comic book continuity is not made of the same sturdy stuff as Thor’s hammer. Characters die and rise from the grave in less time than it takes to order an iced latte at Starbucks, and identities shift with the tides. From the tenor of the announcement, Marvel seems committed to making one of its big three heroes a strong female presence in the Marvel Universe, and I can see them keeping this change set in stone for at least the next year. Here’s hoping that come Comic-Con, Marvel will put their money where their mouth is an and announce a Captain Marvel or Black Widow movie for Phase III and show that they’re really committed to bringing their strong female characters to the forefront.
Thor #1 cover by Esad Ribic
What do you think of Thor’s new identity? What Marvel female superhero deserves her own major motion picture? Let us know in the comments below or tell me on Twitter.
HT: The View, Marvel
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UPDATE: For more on this story, check out today’s episode of Nerdist News!
Captain Marvel isn’t a woman. You’re thinking of Miss Marvel.
Im outraged Marvel has little respect for the scandinavian people and their god of thunder. First of all Thor in norse mythology he has red hair and a full proud beard, was borderline close to a villain and oh ya does t have a vagina. Since marvel doesnt mine ruining one religions god we might as well destroy others because it doesnt matter as long as you make money. This is why DC comics is better
No most of the masses aren’t really PC but they aren’t bigots either, and they get along fine, until some asshole decides to overemphasize their minor faults and turn it into an unforgivable sin.