Hello, my friends. While otherworldly and mythological beings have been worshiped throughout the ages, they usually never associate themselves with the human race in a physical presence. For one particular being however, he’ll find himself on an unlikely journey that sees him beginning to interact with them which will lead to him forging numerous relationships of various degrees. As for how his initial adventure got off to a thunderous start, we’ll be seeing how it translated to the page as I welcome you back to another entry of…
The first half of Phase 1 has brought us a technical genius who fights crime within an armored suit, along with a scientist who struggled to separate himself from his Gamma Giant half while also trying to fend himself off from being captured & getting worked on by the U.S. military. Also, there was a sexy super spy mixed in there as well. While these three figures will make their marvelous return, it’s time for us to ascend to a higher plane and strike like lightning as we expand ourselves to a higher being who’ll go on an unexpected venture and make a connection that will help himself along with others as well. With that in mind, let’s set our sights upon the movie that serves up our main subject for this review.
Originally distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film made its Hollywood debut on May 2, 2011 before getting its general release four days later. It was helmed by director & actor Kenneth Branagh while its story was created by Mark Protosevich and comic book writer J. Michael Straczynski. As for its screenplay, that was handled by Ashley Edward Miller, Don Payne and Zack Stentz. Made on a $150 million budget, it went on to rake in over $449 million while also receiving mostly positive praise from critics. In terms of tie-in comics, the movie would only receive a single two-part book which serves as the main focus of this review.
Published in January & February 2013, Issue 1 would end up selling 5,068 copies while the second issue managed to get 4,209 books purchased. Christos Gage would handle the writing duties, Lan Medina was put in the penciling role, Don Ho takes care of the inks and Overdrive Studio is in charge of the colors. So, how does this handle the Norse God of Thunder’s translation from the comics to the big screen and back again? Let’s rumble on in and find out.
We open in Tønsberg, Norway in 965 A.D. as the Allfather himself Odin narrates about how mankind used to accept the simple fact in that they’re “not alone in this universe”. While they believed that some worlds were home to their Gods, there were others that they feared. This was especially true when the Frost Giants invaded and threatened to plunge the planet into their own ice age. Fortunately, humanity had some otherworldly help from Odin and his Asgardian army. After a lengthy and costly struggle, the Frost Giants were driven back to their home realm of Jotunheim and their king would fall in the process. Not only that, their power source known as the Casket of Ancient Winters was taken as a result. With this last great war brought to an end, both sides had reached a peace agreement before the Asgardians returned to their home realm of Asgard where they remained as a hopeful beacon. They eventually fell into “man’s myths and legends” before it’s then revealed that Odin was telling this tale to his two sons named Thor and Loki in front of said casket placed within the weapons vault, to which he adds that the day will come when one of them will need to defend their peaceful status. While the youthful Thor is eager to hunt monsters down as king, Odin tells him that a wise king doesn’t go looking for war yet must also be ready for said conflict. With both of his sons saying that they’re ready, Odin escorts them out of the vault while telling them that only one of them will become king even though they’re both worthy of said title. We then shift to the present day where Thor Odinson is the main focus of a coronation ceremony and is about to be named king by his father. During the massive gathering, Odin mentions how his son’s fabled hammer named Mjolnir was “forged in the heart of a dying star” and that it properly serves as a kingly companion. After Thor swears to guard the Nine Realms, preserve peace and put aside his “selfish ambition” in order to pledge himself towards “the good of the realm”, his crowning moment suddenly gets halted due to Odin sensing some Frost Giants nearby.
Soon enough, it turns out that a trio of them had broken into the weapons vault and have slayed a pair of guards. They then attempt to reclaim the Casket of Ancient Winters, only for them to be met upon and annihilated by the Destroyer. Shortly afterwards, Odin, Thor and Loki arrive in the vault as Thor demands for the Jotuns to pay for this act. Odin assures him that these Frost Giants have already paid with their lives before he then asks his son on the action that he would take given how they already have a truce with their king, to which Thor says that he would march into their realm and “break their spirits” in order to teach them a lesson as Asgard’s king. However, that rash act has convinced Odin to remind him that he’s only thinking “as a warrior” (not that it’s mentioned in the adaptation) and that he’s “not king” yet. Later, Thor is in the dining hall as he angrily flips over a table containing various foods on it. He’s then met upon by Loki who assures him that he agrees with his choice of action since the Frost Giants have possibly found a way to sneak into Asgard and could do so again with an army. However, he tells his brother that there’s nothing he can do about it without defying their father. Just then, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three come in as Loki notices a familiar look on his brother’s face. Thor then tells his comrades that they’re going to Jotunheim (“for answers” as he mentions only in the movie), to which Sif tells him that it’s forbidden. However, he’s able to remind his friends about the past ventures that they’ve shared. This includes leading Fandral & Hogun into several glorious battles, helping Volstagg acquire such delectable foods and even supporting Sif’s choice to prove herself as “one of the fiercest warriors the realm has ever known”. As such, he ends up convincing them and his brother into following him towards the opposing realm. Soon enough, they arrive at the observatory where Heimdall stands as its gatekeeper. He then tells the group that an enemy has never slipped past him until recently, to which Thor instructs him to not tell anyone where he and his comrades have gone to. As they head inside, Heimdall warns them that he stands by his oath to protect Asgard and that he’ll close the Bifrost if their return should threaten their realm. Volstagg then asks him if he could simply leave it open for them, but Heimdall says that leaving the bridge open would unleash the Bifrost’s full power and would result in Jotunheim along with everyone on it obliterated. From there, Thor and company proceed to get transported to the opposing realm.
Once they arrive, they eventually proceed to fight the opposing Frost Giants (which is different from what’s presented the film since it initially had the Thunder God and company in a tense conversation with the enemy realm’s ruler before Loki initially accepts an offer for them to be allowed to leave, yet his older brother gets goaded into the skirmish) as Thor demands to know how some of their individuals got into Asgard. Jotunheim’s king named Laufey tells him that his father’s kingdom is “full of traitors”, to which he even calls Odin “a murderer and a thief” before telling Thor that he’s merely a boy trying to prove that he’s a man. During the scuffle, a Frost Giant manages to grab Volstagg’s arm and causes him to suffer some severe frostbite. Shortly after the warrior tells his comrades to not let their enemies touch them, Loki then gets grabbed by a Frost Giant. To his surprise however, his skin ends up turning just as blue as his enemy before he stabs the frigid foe which causes his outer layer to revert back to his white tone. Things start to turn grim for the group when Fandral gets stabbed by some sharp icicles as they’re forced to retreat. However, they get pinned by a cliff’s edge before they find themselves completely surrounded. Fortunately, Odin arrives via the Bifrost as Thor thinks that his father will help him smite their foes. However, the Allfather tells him to be quiet before telling Laufey to end this conflict since this should be seen as “the actions of a boy” and that they can avoid greater bloodshed. However, Laufey says that they’re officially past diplomatic negotiations since this act has effectively shattered their peace deal. As such, Odin takes his leave alongside Thor and company. Shortly after they return, Heimdall proceeds to join Sif, Volstagg and Hogun in order to help Fandral reach the Healing Room. As for Odin, he proceeds to berate Thor for his poor attempt at defending their kingdom when he couldn’t even keep his own friends safe. Thor argues that they won’t have a home to protect if they don’t act and if the Jotuns are able to fear them. Odin tells him that he’s forgotten his king-based teachings since his outburst exuded pride and vanity, yet Thor refuses to simply give speeches while Asgard falls. The final straw then arrives when Odin calls him “a vein, greedy, cruel boy”, to which Thor angrily calls his father “an old man and a fool”. As such, Odin chastises his son for breaking their peace treaty via his “arrogance & stupidity” before he strips Thor of his armor and reclaims Mjolnir while deeming him unworthy. With his staff (known as Gungnir), Odin activates the Bifrost before using the fabled hammer to banish Thor. Afterwards, he gives the famous incantation onto Mjolnir where it can only be held by whomever is worthy before he also throws the hammer into the portal.
We then shift to the desert area of Puente Antiguo, New Mexico (which is where the movie actually starts) where a small team of scientists, led by astrophysicist Jane Foster, are out chasing a series of “occurrences”. Just then, an abnormal storm pops up as they proceed to drive towards it. Suddenly, they accidentally sideswipe Thor (which is where the In Medias Res officially wraps around in the film) before they get out to check up on him. He manages to get up and calls for his hammer to no avail, to which he also calls out to his father & Heimdall to reopen the Bifrost yet he winds up with the same level of success. He then demands to know what realm he’s on, to which Jane’s intern named Darcy Lewis says that he’s in New Mexico while holding a stun gun up at him. He then scoffs at her attempt to threaten him, yet she fires it at him and he gets just enough of a shock to get knocked out. Afterwards, the group proceeds to carry him into their vehicle as Erik Selvig says that they need to take the guy to the hospital. After omitting the scene where Thor tries to muscle his way past several nurses & guards in order to flee only to get subdued with a sedative along with Mjolnir getting initially discovered by a civilian at its impact site followed by his unsuccessful attempt to lift it, we then shift to their base of operations the next day as Jane tells Erik that what they recently saw wasn’t solely a magnetic storm since the lensing around its edges are similar to an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Darcy (who’s revealed in the movie that she’s actually a political science major and was the only student who signed up for her current internship) wonders what that is, to which Selvig explains that it’s a theoretical connection between two different points of space-time. Jane then shows some pictures that she took of the occurrence and that the stars within it weren’t there own, to which Lewis then discovers something within their findings and presents it to them as they notice a body within it. Realizing that it’s the same mystery man that they came across, Foster decides that they need to meet up with him at the local hospital. When they get there however, they soon discover that he broke out. As they head out, Jane is bummed that she lost her “most important piece of evidence” and decides that they’ll go search for him. Fortunately, they don’t have to go far as Thor strolls behind their vehicle and she accidentally backs up into him. We then shift to Mjolnir’s impact site (which is credited as “50 miles west of town”) as several guys try to pull it out of its spot, but are all unable to do so (and is also where Stan Lee’s cameo occurs). Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson arrives and informs his boss that they found it.
The comic then omits a scene where Thor gets brought back to Foster’s building and he receives some clothes that used to belong to her prior boyfriend named Dr. Donald Blake (a nod to the Thunder God’s Earth-based alias in the comics) before he suddenly gets a massive hunger. It then leaves out a scene in Asgard where Sif and the Warriors Three wonder how a guard was able to go inform Odin about them sneaking out to Jotunheim before Loki reveals that he informed the sentry prior to them leaving towards said realm; to which Sif then begs him to convince Odin into reversing his banishment decision yet Loki says that even if he did do so, they don’t need a king who’s “arrogant”, “reckless” and “dangerous”. After he takes his leave, Sif mentions that he’s always been jealous of his brother before Hogun remembers what Laufey said about there being “traitors in the House of Odin”, especially since “a master of magic” could’ve helped those three Frost Giants into their realm. However, Fandral isn’t willing to believe that Loki would actually go that far. We then shift back into the adaptation and within the Weapons Vault where Loki reaches for the Casket of Ancient Winters and grabs it. Suddenly, he’s stopped by Odin before he confronts the Allfather in his original form and demands to know who he truly is. From there, Odin explains that following the fierce fight against the Frost Giants, he found an abandoned baby within the Jotun Temple who was too small for a giant’s offspring and was left to perish. As such, he took the suffering youngster with him in addition to the casket. Sure enough, he reveals to Loki that he’s actually Laufey’s son. Loki then demands to know why he was taken from his home realm, to which Odin says that he could’ve been used to help unite both realms in eternal peace. Loki then gets angry at the Allfather for seeing him as nothing more that a “stolen relic” that must be locked away until there’s need for his use. He then wants to know why he was never told of this, to which a suddenly weary Odin says that he wanted to protect him from the truth. Loki then says that he understands why Thor was constantly favored when he was growing up in that the Allfather couldn’t bear to have a Frost Giant sitting on Asgard’s throne. He then notices that Odin has passed out before he worriedly calls for some guards to help him. Back in Puente Anitguo, Thor and company are at a local diner before a pair of guys return from where Mjolnir is at as one of them mentions about a “satellite” that’s currently in a crater and is now being looked over by some “feds”. Erik then asks the man about it, to which the guy says that it was heavy and that no one could remotely lift it. Thor realizes that he wass talking about the fabled hammer and asks him where it’s located, to which he then begins to head towards it. Jane and company chase after him before she asks him if he’s seriously going to take something that the government has now taken claim to. Thor says that he is before he then promises that he’ll explain everything if she takes him out to the site. A concerned Selvig then takes Foster off to the side and tells her not to go through with this since he sees the guy as “delusional” in his descriptions of the Norse mythology stories that he grew up with as a child. Ultimately, Jane declines to help Thor out as he proceeds to kiss her hand like a noble gentleman before saying his good-byes and taking his leave. Afterwards, Foster & company soon discover several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents confiscating her notes and science equipment as Phil explains that they’re investigating a security threat which requires them to take her “records and atmospheric data”, yet he promises to compensate her for all of it. Jane argues that she’s on the verge of an extraordinary discovery and that everything she knows about it is either in her lab or within her book, yet another agent simply swipes it from her as Erik holds her back while telling her that she needs to let this go since it’s gotten much more serious that she realized. Afterwards, there’s a scene omitted from the adaptation where Foster mentions how thorough S.H.I.E.L.D. were in taking her several years of research along with all of their back-ups before she wonders who these guys are. Selvig then mentions how he knew a scientist who was “a pioneer in Gamma Radiation” before the organization showed up and he was never heard from again. After she vows to get her research back, he then offers to e-mail a colleague who’s previously dealt with them, yet Lewis reminds him that his laptop was also taken in the siege. Back in Asgard, Sif and the Warriors Three reach the throne room in order to talk to their king. To their surprise, Loki is on the throne as he explains that his father has fallen into the Odinsleep and that his mother is so afraid of him never waking up from it, she hasn’t left his side. As such, Loki assures them that they’re allowed to inform him of any urgent matter now that he’s their main majesty. Sif requests for him to end Thor’s banishment, but Loki says that he can’t undo Odin’s last command since they need some “sense of continuity” and that they must stand together due to their kingdom being on the brink of war. As such, he tells them to wait for his word before they’re dismissed. Back in New Mexico (and after the omission of a scene where Erik e-mails his colleague in the local library before he comes across a book about Norse mythology within the children’s section), Jane offers Thor a ride (omitting a brief moment where he unsuccessfully tries to buy a horse from a pet store, especially due to them not having said creature) before they eventually reach the crater once night has fallen. The comic then skips past their drive over to the site which mainly has them sharing a pleasant conversation with each other, followed by a scene in Asgard where Loki and his mother named Frigga observe the Allfather during his Odinsleep where she mentions how he’s put this off for a long time and admits that she’s unsure how long it will last since “it’s different”. Loki would then ask her why Odin lied to him, to which she says that her husband kept the truth hidden in order to help him not feel different. She also tells him that they mustn’t lose hope that both he and Thor will eventually return, to which Loki then asks her why there should be hope for his banished brother. In response, Frigga then says how there’s always a purpose to everything that Odin does.
With S.H.I.E.L.D. having built a base around the sight, he then tells her to stay put while he goes to retrieve their stuff. She then calls out how poor his plan is in that he just expects to walk out, yet he tells her that he’ll “fly out”. From there, he sneaks his way in and subdues Agents Delancey & Jackson along the way. Once another agent discovers that they’ve been attacked, the perimeter alarm goes off as Thor dashes inside and fights several more agents along the way while Foster calls up Selvig in order to tell him to come search for her at the crater if she doesn’t turn up within an hour. Back at the base, Coulson tells Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye to be his “eyes up high” as the latter takes his position within a high-end crane. He then has Thor in the targeting sight of his bow-and-arrow and asks for his call, yet Phil tells him to hold off since he wants to see something. From there, Thor reaches Mjolnir and tries to pull it out of the crater. However, he’s unable to do so and discovers that he’s not worthy. Afterwards, Issue 1 ends with Coulson sending his agents in as they proceed to arrest Thor.
Following a brief omission of Heimdall having seen this from his observatory, we then have another scene left out of the adaptation where Jane managed to return to her base of operations before arguing with Erik about how they can’t leave Thor locked up in custody after what she saw from him over at the impact site. She proceeds to mention to Selvig that he was the one who previously inspired her to pursue “every possibility” & “alternative”. While he specifies that he was referring to science, she brings up Arthur C. Clarke’s claim about how magic can actually be science that they don’t yet understand and can serve as “a precursor to science fact”. She then says that if an Einstein-Rosen Bridge does exist, then it’s possible that other beings could’ve crossed over within it, to which Darcy even adds that Vikings worshipped the aforementioned Norse figures as deities. From there, Issue 2 properly begins at the Crater Investigation Site with Phil interrogates the former Thunder God and mentions how our main man was able to easily defeat his highly-trained agents, even though his agency doesn’t know who he is yet promises that they’ll ultimately find out. Shortly after Phil steps out, Thor is then confronted by Loki who tells his imprisoned brother that their father is dead. Thor mournfully asks him how that happened, to which Loki says that his banishment and the impending war was too much for the Allfather to bear. As such, he now finds himself carrying “the burden of the throne”. Thor asks him if can return to Asgard, but Loki informs him that their truce with Jotunheim will only stand if he’s exiled and that their mother has even forbade him from returning. Thor then says that he’s sorry before Loki takes his leave (and omits a brief scene where he tries to pull Mjolnir out of the crater but isn’t able to due to his own unworthiness), right before Erik arrives to retrieve him. Coulson then asks Selvig about his “co-worker”, to which Erik says that “Donald Blake” became distraught when Jane’s research was taken. Phil then wants to know how the guy managed to force his way through several agents, to which Erik simply exclaims that it was steroids. During this, Thor manages to discreetly reclaim Foster’s research journal before he and Selvig are allowed to leave. Later, they arrive at the local bar as Thor tells him that he doesn’t know what to do for the first time in his life. Erik says that anyone who ultimately finds their way have to initially admit that they don’t know where they are to begin with. After begin thanked for helping him out, Selvig then tells Thor that he did this for Foster since he taught with her father in college and that he was a good man who didn’t listen. Thor then admits to doing the same thing by ignoring his father’s attempt to teach him a valuable lesson. Erik then tells him that he simply cares about Jane due to how she’s been looking at him, to which Thor says that he had no intention of causing her any harm. As such, Selvig offers to buy him a round of drinks if he promises to leave town tonight.
The adaptation then skips a scene where Loki uses the Bifrost to reach Jotunheim in order to talk with Laufey. It’s revealed there that the Norse God of Mischief was the one who revealed a hidden way into Asgard to them in order to ruin his “brother’s big day” and also prolong Thor from becoming king. He then offers to conceal the Jotun king and a handful of his own soldiers in order for them to reach Odin’s chamber and slay him within his Odinsleep. In return, he would give them their Casket of Ancient Winters which would allow them to make their realm glorious once again. Ultimately, Laufey agrees to his terms. Over in Asgard’s Observatory, Loki asks the kingdom’s long-time gatekeeper what’s troubling to him. Heimdall says that while he was able to observe the realm of Jotunheim, he wasn’t able to either see or hear the current Asgardian king since he was being shrouded just like the Frost Giants that managed to sneak into their kingdom. Loki argues that his senses are getting weakened after many years of service, but Heimdall believes that there’s “a way to hide” what they don’t want him to see. Loki then asks if Odin ever feared him given his own power, to which Heimdall says that the Allfather never did since he swore to obey him. As such, Loki says that Odin was their king and that he must serve him (while the comic omits his order to never open the Bifrost for anyone until he repairs the “damage” caused by his brother). Back in Puente Antiguo, Thor arrives at Jane’s trailer while carrying a drunken Erik before he’s allowed inside in order to properly place the elder man in bed. After Foster says that she usually never has guests, she invites Thor up to the roof of her building where he compliments her kindness towards him despite the fact that he’s been less than grateful. He then presents her with her journal and despite her being joyed now that she’s been reunited with her notes, she says that S.H.I.E.L.D. will do everything they can to make sure that her research never gets presented to the public. He then tells her that she shouldn’t give up before he opens her journal up to her sketch drawing of the observable cosmos, to which he explains that she categorizes science to what her ancestors call magic. He says that he comes “from a place where they’re one and the same” before he then explains that her realm of Midgard is one of nine worlds connected by the world tree known as Yggdrasil. He then presents the other known realms to her before revealing that he comes from Asgard. Back within said kingdom, Fandrall chastises Volstagg for constantly eating despite the banishment of their longtime friend, Loki acting as their king and their realm heading towards war. Sif manages to defuse the tension before telling the Warriors Three that they know what they have to do. Later, they reach the observatory where Heimdall mentions their intention to disobey their leader in order to bring Thor back. Fortunately for them, he allows them to do so before taking his leave since he’s not allowed to open the Bifrost due to him being honor bound to serve their king. Thankfully, he had left his sword behind as it allows Sif and the Warriors Three to venture to Midgard. However, Loki sees this from afar as he heads into the weapons vault and summons the Destroyer before telling it to make sure that his brother never returns. Over in Puente Antiguo, morning has arrived as Jane presents her theory to her scientific comrades yet Selvig rebuts with the notion that the scientific community would be hard-pressed to accept her query without any hard evidence. Suddenly, Sif and the Warriors Three arrive to their shock while Thor is thrilled to see his friends again. While his comrades tell him that they’ve come to take him home, Thor says that he can’t return due to the death of his father. However, Sif tells him that Odin still lives as he then realizes that he’s been lied to. Back at Asgard’s Observatory, Heimdall tells the approaching Loki of his discovery that he was the one who snuck those Frost Giants into their kingdom. Loki then explains that the Bifrost isn’t the only way to enter and exit the realm since there’s also several secret paths that’re beyond Heimdall’s own sight. Afterwards, he then tells the longtime Gatekeeper that it no longer matters before stripping him of his post as well as his Asgardian citizenship on the grounds of treason. Heimdall then tries to attack Loki, but the malevolent being uses the Casket of Ancient Winters to freeze him in place just before his sword strike starts to get dangerously close to him.
Over in the New Mexico desert, Coulson and his fellow agents discover the Bifrost site just before they’re approached by something else which is also noticed by Darcy and company back in town. With the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents now approached by the Destroyer, Phil assumes that someone is inside it and orders them to identify themselves. However, it proceeds to blast their cars before beginning its approach towards the town. Thor then tells Foster to leave, to which Volstagg gets thrilled that their longtime friend will be fighting alongside their fellow warriors. However, Thor tells his Asgardian friends that he’s nothing more that a mortal man and that he’ll only either get in the way or get them killed. As such, he’ll stay put to assist the townspeople in their evacuation to which Jane says that she’s staying put to help out. From there, Thor’s comrades proceed to engage the Destroyer as Fandrall and Hogun give a helpful boost to Volstagg in order for him to leap towards the powerful figure. However, the Destroyer is able to smack the warrior away as he wirily lands onto a car. Sif then leaps from the rooftops and slams her staff into the otherworldly automaton, but it doesn’t remotely work as it twists itself around in order to blast her, yet she manages to avoid it while telling her comrades to retreat.
After the gang regroups and takes cover, Thor tells Sif that she did what she could yet she must return to Asgard in order to stop Loki. He then tells his comrades that he has a plan before he proceeds to make his way towards the Destroyer while his teammates tell his Earth-based allies that they must fall back. Thor then communicates to Loki through the Destroyer that he’s sorry for whatever wrong he’s done which ultimately led his brother to this moment. He then mentions that taking the lives of innocent civilians won’t gain him anything and that he’s willing to sacrifice his life for them. In response, the Destroyer delivers a vicious backhand hit that sends Thor flying across the area. Foster then runs up to him as he tells her that she’s safe before he seemingly passes away, leaving her in mournful shock while the Destroyer begins to walk away. Just as Odin suddenly emits a tear during his seemingly endless sleep back in Asgard, Mjolnir comes to life and rockets out of the Crater Investigation Site before soaring its way back into town. Erik manages to get Jane away from Thor in time just as the hammer reaches him, revitalizes him and restores his status as the Norse God of Thunder. With him worthy of his title once again, Thor proceeds to engage the Destroyer by twirling Mjolnir fast enough in order to create a wind funnel that manages to pick the being up. Even when it fires its beam at him, he powers through the blast and smashes it with his hammer.
He then reunites with his combined friends where Foster compliments him on his outfit before he tells his regular comrades that they must return to the Bifrost Site since he needs to confront his brother. Just then, Coulson arrives with his agents before he tells “Donald” that he hasn’t been honest with him. Thor then lets “Son of Coul” know that they fight for the same cause and that he can be trusted as an ally only if they return Jane’s research to her. Phil agrees to his terms before Thor flies off with Foster towards “the bridge”, right before Coulson has a chance to debrief him. Back in Asgard, Loki has used the Bifrost to allow a small group of Frost Giants into the kingdom. Over in Midgard, Thor, his warriors and Foster arrive at the Bifrost Site (as the adaptation skips over Heimdall breaking free from his frozen state and slaying the two Frost Giants that were left behind to guard the Observatory) before he tells her that he must head back to his realm but he promises to return for her. She agrees to this as they proceed to share a kiss before Thor and his comrades make it back to their realm. With Volstagg retrieving Heimdall’s sword, Thor tells his friend to take their gatekeeper to the Healing Room while he goes after his brother. Over in Odin’s sleeping quarters, Laufey and another Frost Giant manage to fend off Frigga before the former prepares to assassinate the slumbering Allfather. However, they get eradicated by Loki. Afterwards, Thor arrives and demands for him to tell their mother that he sent the Destroyer to smite him along with his friends.
However, Loki manages to evade his brother and reach the Observatory in order to obliterate Jotunheim with the power of the Bifrost. He then delivers several strikes onto the Thunder God, but Thor refuses to fight him. Loki then wonders what has changed with him before he realizes that it was a certain “woman” as he decides that he’ll “pay her a visit” once this ordeal has passed. This causes Thor to finally fight him before their struggle reaches the Rainbow Bridge where he simply places Mjolnir on top of his traitorous sibling in order to prevent him from getting up, especially since he’s still not worthy of the hammer. Loki then tells him that the Bifrost has reached critical mass and that even he’s not able to get near it. However, Thor decides to make a judgment call as he summons Mjolnir before using it to smash and detach the Observatory from the Rainbow Bridge. As Loki gets to his feet, he’s gets stunned by this course of action before telling his brother that he’ll never see his beloved mortal woman again if he destroys the bridge. Despite that warning, Thor goes through with his act and smashes it up as the Bifrost gets demolished while the resulting explosion has sent the two brothers into the air before they begin to plummet towards the abyss. With Loki holding on by his staff, Thor manages to grab onto said rod before they discover that Odin has emerged from his seemingly endless sleep and is holding on to Thor by his leg. Loki then tells the Allfather that he could’ve wiped Jotunheim out for all of them, but Odin disagrees with his notion. As such, Loki lets go of his staff and proceeds to fall into the abyss. We then shift to some time later where Thor meets up with his dad as Odin tells him that he’ll be “a wise king”, yet Thor says that he’ll never be a wiser king or even “a better father”. Not only that, but he still has much to learn and that he hopes to make him proud, to which Odin says that he’s already proud of him. From there, the comic ends with Thor meeting up with Heimdall at the destroyed end of the Rainbow Bridge before asking the Gatekeeper if Earth is lost to them. Heimdall assures him that there’s always hope before he’s then asked if he can see Jane, to which he says that she’s searching for him much to Thor’s relief. The comic then omits the post-credits scene where Erik is in an underground facility and proceeds to meet Nick Fury, as the latter says that he’s heard about the “New Mexico situation”. He then tells Selvig that his work has impressed some people “who are much smarter” than he is, to which Erik mentions how he has plenty to work with on Foster’s theory about dimensional gateways. Nick then brings up how legend and history each tells them different things, yet they’ve found something that ties into both as he presents an otherworldly cube. Fury then says that they must figure out a way to tap into its vast power before it’s then revealed that Loki has survived. Not only that, but he’s somehow gained control over Selvig as he mentions how it’s “worth a look”.
Before I close, I’ll briefly mention the third issue of “Guidebook To The Marvel Cinematic Universe”. Published in December 2015, this book informed its readers of the movie’s major players (along with the realm of Asgard) and gave them their cinematic-based descriptions that ranged from at least half a page to as much as four pages (to which only Thor and Loki each got that exclusive amount of coverage). Like the others from before, most of the featured characters were given brief blurbs as to how their regular comic book counterparts were presented. Here’s an interesting discovery that I found. While Darcy Lewis was originally created within this film (before she made her comics debut in November 2022’s Scarlet Witch, Vol. 3 Issue #1), there wasn’t a Dr. Erik Selvig from the comics. Instead, it mentions a quantum cosmologist named Dr. Eric Solvang as his closest counterpart. Quite an interesting nugget of wisdom provided here, but let’s get back on track. Unlike “Incredible Hulk” and “Iron Man 2” which were a shared flipbook, this was a standalone comic just like the initial “Iron Man” film. Either way, it’s an informative read and worth adding to your MCU collection alongside the other guidebooks.
Overall, this was a mostly good translation of a mostly good movie that could’ve benefited a bit more with a few scenes put back in. This does a nice job in following the movie’s plot which is filled with Shakespeare-esque drama & betrayal on one end, while the other has Earth’s citizens slowly discovering how they’re not alone in the vast scale of existence. Intertwined within all of this is a Thunder God who must go a humbling journey which ultimately has him putting his arrogance and warrior-fueled mentality aside in order to appreciate those who aren’t as powerful or physically able as he regularly is. In terms of the higher realm dramatics, it carries over how Odin would plant the seeds for turmoil that would eventually arise once his actual born and his adoptive son would each come of age. He meant well with helping both Thor and Loki each believe that they’re both worthy of great potential, but Loki’s own origin along with him never learning about it throughout a good portion of his life would leave the mischievous man resentful towards a sibling who received the slightly better end of things despite his own boastful pride. Through his own overarching scheme, he ultimately wishes to prove that he deserves to be the worthy heir to the Asgardian throne over his Asgardian-born brother. Unlike the film where there’s a pair of examples of him casting a projectile version of himself in order to fool whoever he wishes, he never displays it within the adaptation nor is their any mention of sorcery-based teachings from his time growing up. While we’re on stuff related to him not being here, there’s the scene where he reveals that he told a guard to tell Odin about their trip to Jotunheim. Even though him doing said moment was kept off-screen in order to keep the audience focused on the plot’s forward momentum, some mention of this moment would’ve helped especially since it also included some hints towards him being the tale’s ultimate villain due to his jealousy towards Thor.
Next Time: A weak and frail man from Brooklyn is eager to serve his country, but the regular armed forces have refused to take him on due to his physical condition. However, a certain scientist will set him on an unlikely path that will ultimately see him fighting in World War II in order to stop a group that can potentially be more evil than the Nazis ever could be. The Sentinel of Liberty will be forged and he’ll find himself flung into the fray in various ways as we tackle the various tie-in comics to “Captain America: The First Avenger”.
Thor (created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber & Jack Kirby) is owned by Marvel Comics.