Comic Browser:

#74
#75
#76
#77
#78
#79
#80
#81
#82
#83
#84
#85
Selector

Thor #84

Nov 2004
Daniel Berman, Andrea Di Vito

Thor #84 cover

Story Name:

Ragnarok, Part the Fifth


Synopsis

Thor #84 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

Thor has blinded himself to gain the wisdom of a god; he sees the compassion Odin had for his people, even Loki, especially in view of the endless cycle of death and rebirth that diminishes the deeds and sacrifices of gods and men. A further act is needed: in imitation of his father Odin, Thor hangs by his neck from Yggdrasil the World-Tree to gain the knowledge of the runes. He comes to understand all things and the purpose his father had in sending him: to bring an end to the cycle—and Thor refuses, as it means the final end of all things. Dying, Thor descends into the land of Hela, Goddess of Death—but he draws a rune and he is rescued by the spirit of Odin who carries him away…

…and Thor finds himself in the dark presence of Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, a race of powerful beings who are superior to even Odin. Thor confronts them, calling them giant children, and accuses them of feeding on the endless cycle. He then demonstrates his new power by teleporting back to Hildstalf, where he discovers that his magic goats have been slain and destroyed by Loki’s army. Having been reborn, Thor now has the Odin force and he transports himself to Valhalla, rebuilt by Loki in his own image. There the Thunder God encounters Mangog and easily destroys him. Loki appears and mocks his brother, but the wisdom gives Thor insight into the inner pain that has motivated all of Loki’s actions though his life. Stung by the truth, Loki summons trolls to kill Thor but Thor’s rune magic easily wipes them out, devastating the city at the same time. Thor pronounces Loki’s punishment and plucks the Trickster’s head from his body and carries it on his belt so that the villain may accompany him to the end of his journey. He explains that there must be an end to this cycle which renders all events meaningless; only a final death can save them—Ragnarok must come by Thor’s hand….


 

Review / Commentaries


Thor #84 Review by (August 22, 2012)
Review: Thor is both God and man? He sacrifices himself by hanging from a tree? The issue is epic and in its way moving but this comes across as a blatant steal from the story of Jesus Christ—and despite what skeptics may claim, Christianity had taken root in Scandinavia centuries before the Eddas (the primary sources for the Norse myths) were written. It is clear that any similarities between Christ and the Aesir are the result of the latter borrowing from the former. In light of the New Testament, this Thor issue just makes me sad, as Thor is trying desperately to earn godhood by putting himself though pains and by dying and rising, he gains magical abilities to fight comic book bad guys. On its own terms, this attempt at introducing something deeper and more philosophical is vulgarized by the necessities of a superhero comic. To a thoughtful reader, though, it all seems like a pathetic parody of Christ.

Comments: "Thor Disassembled"--Cover. Cover says “4 of 6;” cover is wrong.


> Thor comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
Kotobukiya Marvel Universe: Thor The Bronze Age ARTFX Statue, Multicolor
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Andrea Di Vito
Andrea Di Vito
Laura Villari
Steve Epting (Cover Penciler)
Steve Epting (Cover Inker)
Frank D'Armata (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Hela
Hela

(Goddess of Death)
Loki
Loki

(Loki Laufeyson)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, Trolls.

The Marvel Heroes Library is a fan Marvel Comics site
Version 14.8.18 (Nov 3, 2024) - VS2022

Copyright © 1997-2024 Julio Molina-Muscara (creator, webmaster)
Site content is a collective effort by the MHL team and Marvel aficionados

Characters are copyright © Marvel or their respective owners. All portions of this Marvel fansite that are subject to copyright are licensed under a creative commons attribution 3.0 unported license All rights reserved