6 Years Ago, Marvel Ruined Thor’s Best Story in Decades (& It’s Still a Huge Mistake)

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Thor has become one of Marvel’s most beloved superheroes. Although he’s been a part of the Marvel universe since the 1960s, he hasn’t always been among the most popular characters. Often, fans favored heroes like Captain America, Spider-Man, Hulk, or Wolverine; titles such as The Mighty Thor and Thor had strong story arcs, but they weren’t consistently the top-selling comics. Readers enjoyed good Thor stories, but the character didn’t have a massive following for much of its history. However, everything shifted in an unexpected way. It actually took a completely new version of Thor to propel the character to the top of the sales charts.

Original Sin concluded with Thor proving unworthy to wield Mjolnir, causing him to lose his title as the God of Thunder. Thor (Vol. 4) #1 began with him being rescued from Dark Elves by a woman who possessed Mjolnir and identified herself as Thor. This introduced a powerful new Thor into the Marvel Universe, and readers were left wondering about her identity. It was ultimately revealed to be Jane Foster, Thor’s former girlfriend, who went on to have a highly successful period as the God of Thunder. While the Odinson eventually regained his worthiness during The War of the Realms, he hasn’t achieved the same level of popularity as Jane. In fact, many believe Thor should not have been deemed worthy of Mjolnir again, and here’s the reasoning.

Jane Was a Better Thor and the Odinson Had Stories Left to Tell Without Mjolnir

Many people underestimate just how popular Jane Foster’s run as Thor actually was. When she first appeared in 2014, it was a rare instance of a major hero being temporarily replaced, marking a changing of the guard at Marvel. Even though Thor wasn’t always the most popular character in the Marvel Universe, he was still a significant figure, so this change really resonated with fans. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was also incredibly popular at the time, meaning the comics were getting more attention than usual. The announcement that Thor would become a woman was made on Good Morning America, which helped Thor (Vol. 4) consistently rank among the best-selling comics each month. Readers were also captivated by Jane’s experiences navigating the lore of Asgard.

Over the years, many characters have taken on the role of Thor; Jane wasn’t the first. However, writer Jason Aaron, alongside artist Russell Dauterman, truly made Jane’s time as Thor stand out. Her fight against cancer and her strong wish to use her powers for good were captivating, and seeing her navigate the challenges of Asgard offered fans a fresh perspective in the Thor comics. Interestingly, despite everything Jane accomplished as Thor, there was still much more potential for her story.

The story of Thor Odinson was equally compelling. Though still a warrior of Asgard, Thor wasn’t as strong as he used to be. He continued to fight against evil and attempted to prove himself worthy of Mjolnir again, as seen in stories like The Unworthy Thor, where he sought out the Mjolnir from the Ultimate Universe. Armed with the Celestial weapon Jarnbjorn, we saw a different side of Thor. We witnessed his growth as a character, watching him cope with loss in a way more relatable to mortals-similar to how someone might grieve the loss of a loved one. Thor’s journey during this period was fascinating, and it left a lot of potential for future stories.

The Immortal Thor has been great, but the story hasn’t really shown why Thor needed to be worthy again. Keeping Jane Foster as Thor would have allowed for a strong character arc, while also opening up new possibilities for Thor Odinson. Instead, the comic has returned to the familiar setup of Thor being king of Asgard and battling overwhelmingly powerful foes-something we’ve seen repeatedly. To be honest, The Immortal Thor would have been even stronger if Jane remained as Thor, and Thor Odinson had to find a way to sacrifice himself to save the Ten Realms without relying on Mjolnir or his full power, essentially following the book’s journey at a disadvantage. We’ve missed out on so many interesting paths for both Jane as Thor and Thor as the Odinson.

Jane Needed the Power and the Odinson Doesn’t

Thor can be a bit distant and difficult to reach. He’s a powerful warrior and a king, but his personality often feels predictable. You generally know what you’re going to get with Thor. However, the version of Thor known as Thor Odinson was notably different. He was grappling with his purpose and striving to maintain his warrior spirit despite having diminished power. Meanwhile, when Jane Foster became Thor, it revealed entirely new sides to both her character and to Thor himself. This offered a fresh perspective on multiple characters, and the story still had much more to explore.

I’ve always loved Thor, especially after he proved himself worthy, but honestly, most of his stories felt…familiar. They just kept retreading the same ground. But the run with Jane Foster as Thor, and seeing Odinson grapple with being unworthy? That was something completely different! It felt genuinely fresh and exciting, and I really think we were onto something special there. I feel like Marvel really dropped the ball with Thor, and it honestly makes me a little sad to think about all the amazing stories we might have gotten.

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2025-10-02 15:40