Immortal Thor #4, written by Al Ewing and drawn by Martín Cóccolo, is out in comic book stores, and it continues the audacious story of Thor’s battle against gods even more ancient and powerful than he is. But Thor’s got allies, and he’s not afraid to recruit them!
Spoilers for Immortal Thor #4 ahead!
In Immortal Thor, Thor faces an uber-god named Toranos. Toranos is from Utgard, “the shadow-lands, home to those who sit above even the Gods,” and he immediately proves to be far too powerful for Thor to face alone. After Loki preps Thor on a far-off planet through a series of labyrinthine tests, Thor decides to form a team. His first pick? Ororo Munroe, a.k.a. Storm of the X-Men.
Storm is, of course, a natural pairing for Thor, since they’re both storm gods. Immortal Thor isn’t their first team-up, but it’s still fun to watch them banter, especially since Ororo isn’t too pleased at being abruptly summoned to help fight Thor’s battle. (She softens up when she sees what they’re actually up against.)
But Storm is only part of Thor’s—and Loki’s—plan. While Thor is talking to Ororo, Loki recruits Beta Ray Bill, the alien hero capable of wielding Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. Once the four of them are together, Jane Foster shows up in her guise as Valkyrie—and is transformed back into the iconic Mighty Thor. At the end of the issue, we finally see what Thor is up to: he gives each of his allies the power of Thor, turning them into temporary thunder gods. He’s created the Thor Corps!
Myths are the best when they feel mythical
What’s great about Immortal Thor—and Marvel’s Asgardian storylines in general—is that it has the feel of a modern myth. The stakes are colossal without feeling artificial. The story has an elevated, timeless quality to it, even as the characters trade modern-sounding quips. Plus, thanks to issue 1, we know that Toranos isn’t Thor’s final challenge. Back in Utgard, Utgard-Loki is waiting to strike.
It’s interesting that Immortal Thor is running as Loki season 2 wraps up, since the Loki finale also had a weighty, mythological feel to it. (Spoilers ahead!) Why does Loki turn the Sacred Timeline into Yggdrasil? How is he able to revive the timelines with only his magic and his bare hands? Why does he have to lock himself away in order to save the multiverse? Because he’s a god, and that’s how myths work. Even (or especially!) when they seem to operate according to dream logic, myths and legends are a pleasure to experience again and again.
Immortal Thor #5 comes out on December 13th, so we’ll get to see the Thor Corps in action.
(featured image: Marvel Comics)
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Julia Glassman
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