Forget Steve Rogers, Thor Was the REAL First Avenger

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Captain America earned the nickname “First Avenger” after battling evil since World War II, a title even used for his first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. Though he wasn’t one of the original Avengers in the comics, his experience and leadership led to the title. However, it’s recently been discovered that the idea of the Avengers goes back much further than anyone realized – even to the Viking Age! Because of this, Thor is actually the original First Avenger, being the only hero who was part of both the modern and ancient teams.

According to the comics Avengers #61 and Mighty Thor #7, a team of heroes resembling the Avengers existed in 1047 AD, during the Viking Age. While an earlier version of the team formed a million years prior, this Viking-era group was the first to include a member who would continue to fight with the modern Avengers: Thor. Though their adventures have been forgotten, Thor’s ongoing role as a key member of the team solidifies his place as one of Marvel’s most important heroes and truly makes him the original Avenger.

The Viking Avengers Assembled Because of Thor

The idea of Viking Avengers first appeared in a Marvel comic in 2016, titled Mighty Thor #7. The story revealed that Vikings once revered a young Thor for helping them win battles. However, one Viking named Bodolf the Black, sought revenge on Thor after Thor unintentionally aided his rivals. Loki told Bodolf he could get his revenge by killing a dragon and drinking its blood. Doing so transformed Bodolf into a massive, Hulk-like creature. The two then fought a global battle, which Thor ultimately won. This incredible fight was witnessed by a Ghost Rider and an Atlantean, both impressed by the god-like power on display. The comic concluded with a depiction of an ancient engraving featuring these early heroes.

While hints of a Viking-era team of heroes appeared before, it wasn’t until 2022 in Avengers #61 that they were fully introduced. The story reveals that when the modern Avengers get lost in time while battling the demon Mephisto, they encounter heroes from different eras, including the Viking Age. To defeat a massive dragon form of Mephisto, the most powerful heroes of 1047 AD united to save the world. This team included Thor, Princess Gale (an Atlantean with the Iron Fist), Murkfoot (a Sasquatch Sorcerer Supreme), Theodosia Szardos (a witch who hosts the Phoenix Force), the Native American Grizzly Rider, Iya Nehanda (the Black Panther), and even Bodolf, who had turned away from his previous ways. Thor led this ancient group of Avengers in their fight.

I’ve always believed Thor’s fight with Bodolf was the thing that really brought us all together. Seeing those two titans clash was something none of us could forget, and it shook the world to its core! Honestly, I don’t think we would have become a team if it hadn’t been for that battle. It’s kind of amazing when you think about it – just like Thor’s dad, Odin, was part of a team of heroes way back in the ancient past, Thor seems destined to bring Earth’s strongest defenders together. It’s in his blood!

Thor Is the Most Important Avenger

While Captain America is often called the First Avenger, the title actually belongs to Thor. He has a longer history with the original Avengers team. Captain America wasn’t part of the group from the beginning; he was frozen in ice during World War II and wasn’t revived until later. As shown in older comics like Mighty Thor #7 and Avengers #61, Captain America’s ancestors hadn’t even been born when Thor was already fighting alongside the earliest Avengers. Thor is the one consistent member connecting both the original team and later iterations.

Although Captain America bravely fought in World War II before joining the Avengers, Thor has far more combat experience. For thousands of years, Thor has defended Asgard from monsters and gods, always protecting those in need. Norse legends show he even felt responsible for safeguarding humanity. Despite periods of recklessness and being deemed unworthy of his hammer, Mjolnir, Thor was a well-known and honorable hero who battled evil for millennia. In Marvel Comics, Thor’s incredible acts of heroism inspired a religion and ultimately led to the creation of two different Avengers teams.

Thor played a key role in the origins of both the original Viking Avengers and the modern Avengers team we know today. Loki’s mischievous plans were actually what first brought the Avengers together. Loki tricked everyone into thinking the Hulk caused a train wreck, hoping Thor would try to capture him. While Thor fell for the trick, it also caught the attention of Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Wasp. As they battled the Hulk, Thor realized the Hulk was innocent and that Loki was behind everything. Thor captured Loki and convinced the other heroes to stop fighting. This moment – when Earth’s heroes put aside their disagreements and united – was the true birth of the Avengers.

Thor is among the most powerful, seasoned, and ancient heroes in Marvel Comics. Remarkably, he’s been instrumental in creating two versions of the world’s leading superhero team. Although Captain America might be a stronger leader and more consistently ethical, Thor’s overall influence on Earth and the Nine Realms has been more significant. From the Viking era to the present day, Thor truly deserves the title of the First Avenger.

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2026-02-19 19:19