Thor (Marvel Comics)

Thor Odinson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, based on the god from Old Norse religion and mythology, Thor (Þórr). Created by artist Jack Kirby, writer Stan Lee, and scripter Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) and first received his own title with Thor #126 (1966). Thor is based on the Norse deity Thor. Comic books featuring Thor have been published across several volumes.

Thor is one of the gods of Asgard and the son of the Asgardian king Odin. In addition to his Asgardian strength and extended lifespan, Thor wields control over the weather, including rain and lightning. He also carries the enchanted hammer Mjolnir, that enhances his abilities and grants him the ability to fly. Thor was first introduced as the alter ego of surgeon Donald Blake, who acquired Thor's power, which was later revealed to be a fabrication by Thor's father. Thor has since assumed other human identities and sometimes ruled as king of Asgard.

Thor's cast of supporting characters includes his fellow Asgardians Odin, Sif, The Warriors Three, and Balder the Brave, as well as other allies such as Jane Foster, Beta Ray Bill, and Hercules. Thor's arch-nemesis is his adoptive brother Loki. Thor is a founding member of the superhero team the Avengers, and has played a significant role in Marvel crossover storylines, including "Avengers Disassembled" (2004), Siege (2010), "Fear Itself" (2011) and "The War of the Realms" (2019). Chris Hemsworth portrays the cinematic adaptation of Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in Thor (2011).

Thor was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber. After initially drafting the character, Lee gave the project to his brother Lieber to write the stories. Kirby developed Thor's visual design, and he had an interest in ancient mythology that lent itself to the character's creation and design. Bulfinch's Mythology was used as a reference during Thor's creation. As superhero comics became more popular, Marvel began replacing its previous comic book lines with superheroes. Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962). Like other superheroes created at the time, Thor usurped a comic book anthology that had previously been dedicated to monster fiction. Thor arose from Lee's desire to create a superhero who was more powerful than Hulk or the Fantastic Four. Lee in 2002 described Thor's genesis early in the Marvel pantheon, following the creation of the Hulk:

[H]ow do you make someone stronger than the strongest person? It finally came to me: Don't make him human — make him a god. I decided readers were already pretty familiar with the Greek and Roman gods. It might be fun to delve into the old Norse legends... Besides, I pictured Norse gods looking like Vikings of old, with the flowing beards, horned helmets, and battle clubs.  ...Journey into Mystery needed a shot in the arm, so I picked Thor ... to headline the book. After writing an outline depicting the story and the characters I had in mind, I asked my brother, Larry, to write the script because I didn't have time. ...and it was only natural for me to assign the penciling to Jack Kirby...

The idea for adapting Thor as a superhero was first developed when Lee and Kirby heard of Marvel being discussed as "twentieth-century mythology". Thor was well-suited to be recreated as a superhero, as the mythological character already had an established supporting cast, superpowers, and sense of justice. At the time Thor was created, there were approximately 15 million Scandinavian Americans, and the United States had a general cultural awareness of historical Scandinavian culture through ideas of Vikings and Leif Erikson. A previous adaptation of Thor had first appeared in Venus #11 (November 1950), published by what is now Marvel Comics. Kirby had previously adapted Thor for DC Comics in Adventure Comics #75 (1942), Boy Commandos #7 (1944), Tales of the Unexpected #16 (1957).

Shortly after Thor premiered, Lieber moved on to other projects, and Thor was given to other writers. Various artists worked on Thor in his first issues, including Don Heck and Joe Sinnott. Lee soon took over writing duties for several Marvel superhero titles, as the writers did not meet his expectations, and he became the writer for Thor beginning in Journey into Mystery #97 (1963). Kirby became the artist shortly afterward, beginning in Journey into Mystery #101 (1964).

When Marvel's distributor allowed them more monthly releases, The Avengers was developed as a new comic book series. Thor was included as an inaugural member of the titular superhero team. By 1965, the difficulty of maintaining continuity between The Avengers and the titles of the individual characters prompted Lee to write the original cast out of The Avengers, including Thor.