Thor as a character in the Marvel universe is, for MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes, one of the boring members of the Avengers despite his powers. However, a new comic completely changes that by taking away his superpowers.
The Avengers have gathered many powerful heroes over time. One of the strongest is probably the God of Thunder, Thor, who also plays an important role in the MCU. Even though I liked his last movie, he is more of a boring character – yes, even compared to people like Hawkeye.
This is mainly because, as a God from Asgard, he usually has no direct connection to the people he helps. He always seems otherworldly
, exalted, and far removed from humanity.
This exact aspect is portrayed differently in the new comic The Mortal Thor No. 1
and offers one of the best interpretations of the character that should eventually make it to the big screen.
The Mortal Thor No. 1 was sent to us by Panini as an editorial review copy.
Without Memories, Without Magic Hammer
What is The Mortal Thor No. 1 about? Right at the beginning, we get to know Sigurd Jarlson. He is a quite muscular guy who remembers nothing but can handle a hammer well. He lives in a small apartment in New York and wants a job.
If you read the back and look closely at the character, you know: This is Thor. He and other gods from Asgard seem to have been forgotten and among the Avengers is Beta Ray Bill, who we have already introduced in an article.
Thor applies for a construction job with the company Roxxon, but he declines because he doesn’t want to be a scab. Others follow his example, and mean guys try to beat him up for it. But Sigurd can also handle a (regular) hammer without powers and can defend himself against the attackers.
This not only begins his journey in New York, but also initiates a larger fight with Roxxon.
It sounds like a simple story, but author Al Ewing and illustrator Pasqual Ferry conjure an opening that even the MCU could use.
An Approachable Guy with a Lot Beneath the Surface
What makes the comic so good? Just the title The Mortal Thor immediately sparked my interest. What does it mean for the former God of Thunder, and how does one weave mythology into the story? Unlike in the first Thor film of the MCU, Thor here doesn’t have to learn how humans live; he is one of those humans.
In New York, he belongs to regular workers, and as often happens in such stories, he fights against a company that exploits employees and plans evil in the background. This is interesting in itself because such grounded stories can hardly be found in the MCU anymore and even in the comics are usually only present in heroes like Daredevil, who can’t take on Thanos or Doctor Doom.
Thor is stripped of his exalted status
as a god, but not his heroism, fighting for the people who are being exploited. It has a poetic character. The drawings by Ferry also match this well. The fight scenes are visually clear, surprisingly explicit in their depiction, and they really represent a Thor without powers well. For instance, he uses a regular hammer with a rubber band to swing it back and forth like the known god.
However, they don’t completely discard the mythology, as the question remains of what has actually happened to Thor and how other well-known figures from his family fit into the story. But anyone expecting more of the mythology in the 1st volume might be disappointed. I found the first mortal adventures
so captivating that I immediately wanted more and will follow the series further.
Reinterpretations Matter
The Mortal Thor already shows in the first volume how important it is to reinterpret characters. They do not need to be replaced or discarded, but to keep them modern, one must experiment with them, putting them into new situations that do not consist only of even more powerful enemies.
Of course, there is always the danger of losing the essence of a character, but without risk, no exciting stories can arise. The kickoff of The Mortal Thor is a great start that DC and Marvel could also learn from in the film and series world.
How can I read The Mortal Thor? The new volume from Panini, released on 10.03.2026, is a good entry point and contains the single issues Thor (2025) 1 to 3. The individual issues are also available in English as a digital version or physically as imports. The mutant Storm received a new good story last year: An underestimated heroine in Marvel finally gets the story she deserves
