The Mighty Thor/Characters

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This page refers to characters from The Mighty Thor comic book series. If you're looking for characters from the 2011 Thor film, go here.

The Mighty Thor features characters from Norse mythology in a superhero setting, as well as many original creations that have been added over the years. Thanks to the long history and having virtually his own universe many characters have been created over time. The page below are either characters who appear on a regular basis or time and again.

WARNING! There are unmarked Spoilers ahead. Beware.

Aesir/Asgardians

A race of gods that inhabit the dimension of Asgard, the highest of the nine worlds. Their culture is very similar to Medieval Europe where they were once worshiped. All Asgardians possesses some degree of superhuman strength and other physical abilities. A select few have these powers above the average of their race often along withe other superhuman abilities. They are commonly referred to as Asgardins. Aesir tends to be the more proper mythological name.

Tropes exhibited by virtually all Asgardians include:
  • Badass Army: Fighting against monsters for thousands of years requires this.
  • Complete Immortality / Immortality Inducer: The gods are immune to conventional forms of death like poisons and disease. They can usually survive injuries fatal to mortals and heal. The amount of injury depends on the power level of the gods. They age, but at a rate so slow they are considered immortal by other races of gods and extremely long-lived beings. However, they must consume the apples of immortaility at regular (but unknown) intervals to maintain their youth and powers.
  • Magitek: In older stories Asgardians were shown using a combination of magic and super-science. Over time, that was eliminated, but generally even if their weapons look primitive, thanks to being powered by magic, they are far more powerful than mortal versions. Example, an arrow from a bow can destroy a fighter jet.
  • Master Swordsman: Most of the major Asgardians are considered this: Thor, Sif, Balder, etc. Fandral of the Warriors Three is usually considered the best.
  • Physical God
  • Proud Warrior Race: Asgardian culture is heavily devoted to war. Without an external enemy they have in the past turned on themselves.

Thor

Thor is the son of Odin and strongest of the gods of Asgard. He has grown fond of humanity during his years on Earth, and considers it his duty to protect Midgard. Following the death of Odin, Thor inherited the Odinforce and took over as Lord of Asgard.

Tropes exhibited by Thor include:
  • Adaptation Dye Job: In the original myths, Thor is a Fiery Redhead. This is justified by the cyclic nature of Ragnarok in the Marvel Universe: each time Thor is reborn, minor details are changed.
  • Apotheosis: Zig-zagged. In the earliest version of Thor's origin story, ordinary human Dr. Donald Blake discovered Mjolnir, the possession and use of which let him turn into Thor, Norse god of thunder. (The story is written such that the reader might conclude that the original Thor no longer exists for some reason, and Blake has become a "new" Thor to replace him — which might also explain why he's blond and clean-shaven when Norse myth describes Thor as a bearded redhead.) Later expansions and Retcons subverted the trope when they revealed that Blake had been Thor all along, reduced to merely human and stripped of his divine identity by Odin as a punishment for arrogance.
  • Badass Beard: Thor has sometimes sported a beard.
  • Badass Boast: He is the master of these. The arrogant smack-talk is part of his charm.
  • Badass Long Hair
  • The Berserker: If really pressed in combat, Thor can enter a state called the "Warrior's Madness", which is claimed to increases his strength tenfold (keep in mind that Thor has the greatest physical might of all Asgardians already) and makes him more resistant to harm. The problem is that he can no longer distinguish friend from foe in this state.
  • Big Brother Instinct: In 616 continuity, Thor was very protective of Loki when they were children/teenagers. Sadly, this only aggravated Loki's raging inferiority complex, putting him on the path to villainy. After Loki dies and returns as a child after Siege, Thor takes it Up to Eleven, seeing this as a second chance for them.
    • And because without the threat of Thor's wrath, many, many citizens of Asgard would have killed Kid!Loki by now.
  • The Big Guy: Always plays this role among The Avengers. He is also physically the strongest warrior in Asgard.
  • Brains Evil, Brawn Good: In comparison to Loki.
  • Catch Phrase: Thor has some of the best. If you don't believe us, try shouting "I SAY THEE NAY!" next time someone cuts you off in traffic and see how awesome it feels.
  • Clark Kenting: Averted when he transforms into Donald Blake, but played very straight when he adopts his Sigurd Jarlson persona, which is heavily lampshaded. He even runs into the Trope Namer immediately after donning his glasses.
  • Drop the Hammer: Mjolnir is a very important part of Thor's character. It lets him focus his innate weather powers, and also grants him the ability of supersonic flight.
  • God in Human Form
  • Good Is Dumb: He ranks pretty low in terms of intelligence according to his official Marvel stat sheet. Subverted in The Avengers when he learns English in two weeks.
    • His intelligence is usually ranked about average for a normal person. He can be a good tactician and show surprising levels of intelligence. He tends to look stupid by being treated as Dumb Muscle and standing next to super-geniuses Reed Richards, Tony Stark, Odin, and Loki.
    • The actual comics themselves on the other hand have averted this multiple times by showing that Thor has all of Donald Blake's medical knowledge (after Blake was written out) and having him perform surgery on more than one occasion, making him something of a Genius Bruiser.
  • Hijacked by Jesus: Occasionally. Less extreme examples merely feature Christian themes and subtext alongside the classic Norse inspirations. Egregious cases feature Thor quoting the gorram New Testament.
  • Messianic Archetype: Not quite to the point of actually being The Messiah, but Depending on the Writer can come across as Jesus WITH A HAMMER! sometimes. It should also be noted that this can occasionally be awesome.
  • Popcultural Osmosis: Say "Thor" to most people, and they'll picture this version instead of the original.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: Often plays this role among The Avengers.
  • Super Strength
  • Thou Shalt Not Kill: Generally played straight, although Thor can and will kill enemies who piss him off enough. Blockbuster, a member of Mister Sinister's Marauders and an enemy of the X-Men, learned this the hard way.
  • When All You Have Is a Hammer: If Thor is confronted with a problem, his response is generally to throw his hammer at it. If things get really tough, he'll whip out his weather powers. To be fair, Thor is an expert in the art of magic hammer throwing.
  • Willfully Weak: Thor often intentionally holds himself back when he's fighting on Earth. Part of this is due to his not wanting to kill his enemies or make his friends feel weak (see World of Cardboard Speech below), but part of it is also likely due to the fact that he's often fighting in urban areas with lots of innocent bystanders. If he unleashed his full power, he could cause a lot of unnecessary collateral damage.

Odin

Odin is the king of the gods and Lord of Asgard. He is also, apparently, the creator of mankind. Thanks to Hijacked by Jesus, often has just as much in common with the Christian God as he does with the Norse deity he's based on.

Tropes exhibited by Odin include:
  • Authority Equals Asskicking: When Thor alone is not enough, Odin will step in to defend Asgard, even at the cost of his own life. Unless Thor is using his power (the Odin Force) or the runes magic, Odin is the strongest of Asgard too. This is different from the myths, where Odin did lead Asgard but Thor was the biggest, strongest resident.
  • Badass Beard
  • Badass Grandpa
  • The Chessmaster: At times even shown with a chess board representing whatever scheme he currently is working on.
  • Elderly Immortal
  • Eyepatch of Power: Depending on the Artist, he either sports one blind, scarred eye or one of these. The film version, as portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins, has a particularly impressive one.
  • Killed Off for Real: He has been killed off for real once or twice when he isn't really missing, but is always brought back.
  • King Incognito: Odin will at times disguise himself to accomplish things he has to do himself without the interference of his kingship.
  • Nice Hat: Odin has a different hat in almost all of his appearances.
  • Omniscient Morality License: Odin's justification for some of the crap he pulls.
  • Story-Breaker Power: Odin's magical abilities at times are able to do just about anything. He either is killed or enters a hibernation called "Odinsleep" to remove him from the story. Several stories are about Odin being unavailable and Asgard only holding out long enough for Odin to return and easily solve the problem.
  • Top God: Mostly fits the "King of the Gods" type, but thanks to be so much more powerful than the other Asgardians combined with at times being practically worshipped by them has elements of the "God of Gods" type.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: Occasionally displays elements of this, especially when invoking his Omniscient Morality License.
  • Vetinari Job Security: Maybe because Status Quo Is God but just about any time disaster strikes Odin is needed to lead Asgard. Part of it is due to his vast powers. The other part is due to the fact that his replacement often acts very, very stupid.

Balder

Balder the Brave is the Norse god of light whose death is supposed to signal the beginning of Ragnarok. Because of this, Odin has made him nearly invulnerable. Balder considers it his duty to guard Asgard and do everything possible to prevent Ragnarok. He is also a son of Odin and half-brother to Thor.

Tropes exhibited by Balder include:

Amora the Enchantress

An Asgardian sorceress who has attempted to seduce Thor on numerous occasions to marry and become queen of Asgard. Her plots generally revolve around seducing him or trying to destroying him for rejecting her advances. She uses her natural looks and magics to enthrall others to fight for her. Despite her villainous ways, she truly cares for Thor and has put her life on the line for him in the past. She also has aided Asgard in the past against even worse evils.

Tropes exhibited by the Enchantress include:
  • Anti-Villain or Anti-Hero: Can switch back and forth.
  • Blondes Are Evil: Varies sometimes but her first appearance when she tries to kill Jane Foster, counts.
  • Dating Catwoman: Thor and her.
  • Femme Fatale: Amora in a less villainous role.
  • Manipulative Bitch: Manipulates others rather than fight herself. She will even manipulate a person's natural feelings without the use of magic like Skurge.
  • Squishy Wizard: She is physically tough compared to mortals, but lacks any real warrior training or strength compared to nearly all of the other Asgardians. She makes up for it by seducing/enthralling others to serve as her muscle.
  • The Vamp: Amora at her most villainous.
  • World's Most Beautiful Woman: Said to be physically the most beautiful woman in the nine realms. In past lives, she has been incarnated as the goddess of beauty Freya and in the comics acts as a stand in of sorts.
  • Yandere: If pushed too far, she'll go nuts.

Heimdall

Heimdall is the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge. His extraordinary senses allow him to see into all Nine Worlds, and even the future. He has stars for eyes, and is a certifiable Badass. Oh, and he had his own game for the Amiga back in the mid-nineties.

Tropes exhibited by Heimdall include:

Kelda

Kelda is a beautiful Asgardian introduced early in volume 3 of the comic. Her romance with the mortal Bill provides a heartwarming subplot that ends up being quite important.

Tropes exhibited by Kelda include:

Sif

Sif is the sister of Heimdall, a noble warrior of Asgard, and Thor's lover.

Tropes exhibited by Sif include:
  • Action Girl: As is the norm for females of Asgard.
  • Adaptation Dye Job: Justified. This version of Sif was born with the golden hair that is a defining characteristic of the deity she's based on, but Loki cut it off and replaced it with magic black hair. This is actually based on an old Norse myth, but the in the myth Sif's magic hair was still golden, until Loki neglected to pay the dwarfs for their work and the hair turned to black.
  • Hot Chick with a Sword
  • Last Girl Wins

Tyr

Tyr is the Asgardian god of war and son of Odin. He is famous for sacrificing his hand to originally bind the Fenris wolf. He developed a fierce jealousy of Thor due to being overshadowed by him, leading him to battle both Thor and Odin. Despite this, he is still loyal to Asgard and has fought beside Thor to defend it from threats.

Tropes exhibited by Tyr include:
  • The Archer: Before he lost his hand.
  • Four-Star Badass: Stated by Thor to be the best general Asgard has and often depicted in a military leadership role.
  • Handicapped Badass
  • Overshadowed by Awesome: Despite being the god of war in a society of warriors and a great general, everyone else in his family overshadows him in one or more ways.
  • Sibling Rivalry: His conflicts with Thor take on a new light with the recent revelation of his parentage.

Valkyrie

The greatest female warrior in Asgard and leader of the Valkyries, choosers of the slain. A long-term member of The Defenders. Her real name is Brunnhilde.

Tropes exhibited by Valkyrie include:

Bor

The father of Odin, Vili & Ve, and original King of Asgard. He was presumed deceased after Loki traveled back in time to seal Bor into the snow around him, and such as he remained until recent times where Loki freed him and placed him under a spell that confused his senses. When he met his grandson Thor, he was tricked into thinking Thor to be a demon (and sensing the Odinforce within him, thought he had killed Odin) and lapsed into a titanic battle where the great warrior would finally meet his end.

Tropes exhibited by Bor include:

Vizier/Grand Vizier

An Asgardian wizard/seer who serves as an adviser to Odin. Despite appearing off and on for decades his role has been minimum as the only constant government official of Asgard. He often appears giving needed advice to other characters or performing acts of needed magic.

Tropes exhibited by the Vizier include:


The Warriors Three

The Warriors Three are original characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby not found in Norse mythology. They're powerful Asgardian warriors and Thor's best friends.

Volstagg

Volstagg the Valiant is an enormously fat, bearded Viking. He's technically based on Falstaff, but his enormous appetite, red beard, and Hot-Blooded nature actually make him seem quite a bit like... Thor, from the original Norse myths.

Tropes exhibited by Volstagg include:
  • Acrofatic
  • Big Eater: VOLSTAGG. There's an exemplary scene in the Warriors Three miniseries where he misunderstands the purpose of an "all you can eat" buffet and takes it as a challenge—and proceeds to eat EVERYTHING IN THE RESTAURANT.
  • Boisterous Bruiser: One of the best. And biggest.
  • Expy: of Shakespeare's Falstaff.
  • Large Ham: Even by Asgardian standards.
  • Miles Gloriosus: In the older stories Volstagg would always claim what a great warrior he was while fleeing the battle or somehow being a clumsy oaf. Often he was just as effective at defeating the enemy with his own clumsiness. In later stories he was turned into a very brave and skilled warrior, but he still has shades of this.
  • Papa Wolf: Volstagg is a cheerful, amiable, obese fellow who loves a good meal and a joke...but do NOT threaten one of his children, whether biological or one of the human orphans he adopted from Earth.
  • Simple Staff: Older stories often have him use a staff in battle and be quite effective with it.
  • Stout Strength
  • Took a Level in Badass

Fandral

Fandral the Dashing is Asgard's resident Lovable Rogue. He's handsome, witty, romantic, and the greatest swordsman in Asgard.

Tropes exhibited by Fandral include:

Hogun

Hogun the Grim is, well, grim. He's much more taciturn than his expressive companions, and is the only one of the Three who is not an Aesir. He is also a complete and utter Badass, even by Asgardian standards.

Tropes exhibited by Hogun include:


Mortals

Donald Blake

Dr. Donald Blake is Thor's alter ego. Originally a separate character, it has since been retconned that Blake has always been Thor, made into a mortal by Odin in punishment for his arrogance. Or something. Blake has since gained a life and sentience of his own, separate from Thor, so the whole thing seems to have come full circle.

Tropes exhibited by Dr. Blake include:

Jane Foster

Jane Foster is an oncology doctor (formerly a nurse) who was Thor's original love interest. She has evolved into a strong character in her own right. She often has an on-again off-again relationship with Blake, which is understandably strained by his frequent bouts of death, intangibility, and other Asgardian stressors.

Tropes exhibited by Jane Foster include:
  • Apotheosis: When she gained the powers of Thor.
  • Distaff Counterpart: In one alternate universe, she's the one who finds Mjolnir instead of Dr. Blake and uses the hammer to become a female version of Thor, having many of the same advantages Blake had in the 616 universe.
  • Divine Date
  • Dressed to Heal: Usually played straight. She's immediately identifiable as a nurse by the swiftest glance at any of the early Tales to Astonish covers.
  • Hospital Hottie: Yes.
  • Shallow Love Interest: Generally averted. She may have started off as this, but her relationship with Don is as complex as one would expect, given the years spent fighting aliens and giant serpents.

Beta Ray Bill

Beta Ray Bill is an alien Super Soldier from beyond our galaxy, tasked with defending his entire sleeping civilization from a race of demons. Initially presented as a rival to Thor who desired the power of Mjolnir to defend his people, he has since been given his own mighty hammer, Storm Breaker.

Tropes exhibited by Beta Ray Bill include:
  • Aliens Speaking English: Handwaved via a translation program.
  • Apotheosis: When he gained the powers of Thor. With the acquisition of Storm Breaker, he gets to keep the powers.
  • Beauty Equals Goodness: Subverted in his first appearance. When Bill attacks Thor, who is investigating his ship, he seems an ugly evil monster. However, Thor is separated from Mjolnir long enough to transformed back into Don Blake and the walking stick respectively, which leads to Bill accidentally picking it up and striking it in anger. When he is transformed immediately in a variant of Thor's form, a clear indication of his heroic worthiness to wield the hammer, everyone, both Thor and the readers, was taken aback.
  • Body Horror: The process which turned him into a Super Soldier was not pretty.
  • The Grotesque: Bill was this amongst his own people, but the Asgardians look at martial prowess first and looks second. Hell, Sif even wanted to tap that!
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: The main reason why he gets along with Asgardians so well.
  • The Rival: In every possible way. Thor and Bill are buddies, but when Bill was first introduced he had his own claim to Mjolnir, an Interspecies Romance tease with Sif, and even Odin talking about how he was his son's match.

Bill

Bill (AKA William the Warrior) is an Oklahoma diner owner and fry cook introduced in volume three. He falls in love with the Asgardian beauty Kelda.

Tropes exhibited by Bill include:

Thunderstrike/Eric Masterson

A mortal who through one of Loki's schemes became blessed with Thor's powers after the latter was banished to parts unknown. Thor was eventually found and Loki's plot foiled. As a reward for his work and to leave Earth a protector when Thor was in Asgard, Eric was given the less powerful Thunderstrike mace. After a number of adventures, he died stopping the Egyptian death-god Seth and sacrificing his own life to keep the Bloodaxe from possessing him and using him to kill.

Tropes exhibited by Thunderstrike include:
  • Anti-Hero Substitute
  • Apotheosis: When he gained the powers of Thor. Gaining Thunderstrike let him keep a reduced version of the power.
  • Arch Enemy: Bloodaxe, a vigilante empowered by a cursed Asgardian weapon. His/Her identity is a major plot point in the series.
  • Badass Beard
  • Carry a Big Stick: His mace
  • Darker and Edgier: Thunderstrike (Actually, he was nice enough, but he looked like a Nineties Anti-Hero).
  • The Everyman: One nickname of his is "The Everyman Avenger"
  • Evil Weapon: Forced to use the Bloodaxe, a cursed Asgardian weapon, to battle foes too powerful for the Thunderstrike mace.
  • Killed Off for Real
  • Legacy Character: Started as one for Thor. Later he son became one when he inherited the Thunderstrike mace.
  • Poor Man's Substitute: When he had the power of Thor and later with the less powerful Thunderstrike mace Eric was often treated with less respect and even as a joke by the public and his fellow Avengers due to being a civilian and not the real deal.
  • Pure Energy: His mace can use the mace to fire powerful concussive blasts of mystical energy.
  • Unskilled but Strong

Giants

The primary enemy of the Norse gods who live in the world of Jotunheim, the land of giants. Ranks includes Frost Giants (including similar ones like Ice Giants or Rime Giants), Storm Giants, Mountain Giants, and even just regular ol' Giants.

Tropes exhibited by Giants include:
  • Art Evolution: What giants have looked like over the years various from artist to artist and giant to giant. Sometimes they are shown as primitive, large humans to things far more monsterous.
  • Stupid Evil: With rare exception giants are not that bright. Their magic tends to be weak and their society only as advanced as a hunter-gatherer at best. Their fighting strategies tend to be simplistic as well. Often, they are mean to for the sake of being mean which usually pisses of the gods when the giants would live a lot longer by just staying home.

Loki

Loki is the biological son of Frost Giant chieftain Laufey. After Odin killed Laufey in battle, he adopted Loki and raised him as his own son. It was recently[when?] revealed that Loki engineered his own adoption through means of a Stable Time Loop as part of his plan to destroy the Aesir.

Tropes exhibited by Loki include:
  • Abusive Parents: Laufey was not a good father. In one particularly poignant scene, a time-travelling adult Loki took revenge on a wounded Laufey with a sword, screaming "YOU WILL NEVER STRIKE ME AGAIN!"
  • A Day in the Limelight: As of #622, Kid!Loki has taken over the main Thor books as the protagonist (Thor is the protagonist in another one) and they have been renamed Journey in Mystery. It is arguably (YMMV) an amazing arc thus far.
  • Always Someone Better: Thor was this to Loki during their childhood in Asgard. This, coupled with Abusive Parents above, is basically Loki's Freudian Excuse.
  • Amnesiac Dissonance: The whole point of the New Journey into Mystery Arc-Loki is a preteen again, with apparently no memories form before his preteen years (except for possibly in his nightmares). He therefore does not remember his hatred of Thor, which apparently started when they were teens. He has a huge case of Big Brother Worship instead and has become the protagonist of the book to stop something called "The Serpent."
  • Arch Enemy
  • Big Bad: Of many Thor stories, as well as the first Avengers story.
  • Big Brother Worship: As far as Loki is concerned, his big brother Thor is the center of the universe. Kid-Loki practically worships Thor and nothing he does can ever be bad. Even if daddy doesn't like it.
    • Kid Loki is justified with this line of thought, as Thor is currently the only person who likes him at all and is nice to him.
  • Black Magic
  • Brains Evil, Brawn Good: In comparison to Thor.
  • Cain and Abel
  • Dark and Troubled Past: Loki's early childhood which is littered with implications of neglect and possible physical abuse. Also the fact he's a runt giant, which means he's like 1/5 the size of his kindred. This is often an explanation for his self-loathing and mean behavior.
  • Distaff Counterpart: Loki bears the dubious honor of being one of the few characters to become his own Distaff Counterpart.
  • Easily Forgiven: Thor and Odin always forgive Loki in the end and give him another chance. Loki is so convinced that they secretly hate him that he never takes it.
    • Though averted hard with Loki's recent return as a kid Odin has apparently run out of patience with Thor being the only reason Kid Loki has not been banished or killed. The only person who has forgiven Loki is Thor. Everyone else wants to kill him.
  • Evil Is Petty: His main motivation is simply showing up Thor, by any means necessary.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: Loki actually hates himself and has a raging inferiority complex. However, he loves to hide it behind false arrogance and superiority.
    • We see more of the unmasked inferiority complex with Loki as a child, since he's a kid who knows everyone but his big brother hates him...and worse, that the person he used to be means he deserves it.
  • Lean and Mean
  • Manipulative Bastard: He has manipulated pretty much everyone in Asgard at some time or another. Fitting, given that he is the personification of deception.
    • He actually insists that he's not really the "God of Lies", just mischief. Of course, he's such a good liar anyway, who could ever tell?
    • He's so good that even when people know not to trust him (which has been Status Quo for fifteen real time years), he still ends up manipulating them anyways.
    • Kid Loki in the current books is a good version of this (he needs to be, since he doesn't have his magic, manipulation is all he's got).
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Frost Giants are mostly depicted as very big, very stupid, and typically Dumb Muscle. Loki is a brilliant schemer, a powerful sorcerer, and is usually shown as slightly shorter than Thor (the horns on his helmet notwithstanding) and pretty darn skinny. While he is still very strong and durable, that is primarily in comparison to Earth superheroes/villains, not Asgardians and other Frost Giants.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: He once schemed to pit Thor in a deadly battle against the Hulk, but some other heroes showed up as well. Loki's plot was soon uncovered, and - much to his later irritation - he ended up inadvertently bringing the Avengers together.
  • Third Person Person: Has a habit of doing this in various comics.
    • Now Ikol is doing it, but it makes sense since he is no longer Loki, Kid!Loki is. Of course, Ikol also refers to "Loki" in the sense of what Loki means to the world at large and as a being, not directly referencing Kid-Loki.
  • The Unfavorite: He definitely thinks of himself as Odin's least favorite son.
    • Your Mileage May Vary on whether that's accurate or not, and if it is accurate, whether Loki caused that himself by being an asshole his entire life.
  • Weaksauce Weakness: When he first appeared, he had one-he couldn't use his powers when wet. Against Thor, who could easily make it rain. No wonder this is ignored now.

Hela

Hela is the daughter of Loki and sorcerer-giantess Angerboda. She is the goddess and ruler of the spirits of the dead, but not of the souls of Valhalla, which Odin alone has dominion over. She receives those who for whatever reason were not admitted into Valhalla. Her realm Hel tends to be neutral with rewards or punishments based on the individual.

Tropes exhibited by Hela include:
  • Cool Ship: Nailgar, made from the fingernails of the dead.
  • Clothes Make the Superman: Much of her life essence is found in her cowl, and being separated from it weakens her greatly.
  • Daddy's Little Villain: Subverted. As a Goddess of Death, per the way the Marvel cosmology works she is one of the most important and powerful deities in her pantheon, which means she can kick her dads ass. Loki is afraid of her, and she doesn't tolerate his antics.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Hela has several times been impressed by acts of courage or love. When Thor first lifted Mjolnir to save Sif, who through other circumstances had died. Thor was willing to trade his life for hers. Hela was so impressed by Thor's nobility she restored Sif to life.
  • Everybody Hates Hades: Often Justified. She has schemed to take control of Valhalla more than once, and on at least one occasion was shown killing mortals indiscriminately. In Norse myth, she is on the side of evil (or destruction, at least) during Ragnarok, though this hasn't carried over to the comics as of yet, so the trope has precedent. Nonetheless, she serves a crucial and indespensable function managing the souls of the Asgardian dead.
  • I Call It Vera: Her "Nightsword".
  • I Just Want to Be Loved: Her motivation for some of her schemes against Thor. She is stuck in the underworld and wants some companionship.
  • Large and In Charge
  • Reclining Reigner: Hela is depicted in this manner within an issue of X-Factor. Hominahominahomina!! [dead link]
    • Not the first time she's done that. [dead link] Though there is the fact that she's talking to her FATHER there.
    • And you might not wanna take her up on the offer she makes with such a pose. If her cloak is fully removed (like say, if she was going to be intimate), her face reverts to her true self. Which is this. [dead link] But hey, maybe she'll be happy you're not shallow...
  • Touch of Death

Laufey

Laufey is the former chieftain of the Frost Giants and the father of Loki. He was killed in battle by Odin when Loki was an infant.

Tropes exhibited by Laufey include:
  • Art Evolution: Along with most of the Frost Giants. Was originally depicted by Jack Kirby as large, but essentially human, with vaguely Asian features and traditional-looking armor. He is now depicted as gray-skinned and orcish, with primitive clothing and a necklace of fangs and teeth. Possibly Justified by Ragnarok.

Skurge the Executioner

Half Asgardian-Half Giant, Skurge was a long-time associate of Amora the Enchanter, even being a founding member of the Masters of Evil. However, when Amora one day abaonded him, feeling despondent, he offered to join Thor and some friends through Helheim on a rescue mission, and sacrifices himself to ensure their escape. Honoring his noble deed, eventually his soul finds refuge in Valhalla.

Tropes exhibited by Skurge include:

Surtur

A fire giant and Lord of Muspelheim, the land of fire and master of a race of fire demons. Seeks to start Ragnarok and cleanse the universe of all life save his kind.

Tropes exhibited by Surtur include:
  • Arch Enemy: To Odin and Beta Ray Bill.
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: As his largest, Surtur can exceed more then 1,000 feet tall.
  • Big Red Devil
  • Blade of Fearsome Size: Twilight is just as big as he is.
  • The Chessmaster: Contrary to most giants, demons, and trolls Surtur has shown himself to be quite cunning. He has carried out several well-planned attacks on Asgard and tends to have back up plans for his back up plans. Odin has been impressed with his ability to plan ahead in case of failure.
  • Depending on the Writer: More recent versions describe Surtur and the Sons of Muspel as Demons rather then Fire Giants. However, because they were Giants in the original myths, and because Surtur is very, very big, there is always some confusion.
  • Humanoid Abomination: Oldest living thing in the Nine Worlds who seeks to destroy all life alien to his own.
  • Meaningful Name: Not Surtur ("The Black One" in Norse) himself, but his sword, Twilight: as in Twilight of the Gods.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: He wants to kill everything that's not his kin, and is responsible for the death of the Burning Galaxy and the Korbanite race
  • Playing with Fire: Fitting for a fire giant. He can produce and control virtually unlimited amounts of fire in amounts greater than stars when at his peak.
  • Physical God
  • Satan: Contrary to mythology where he is a neutral force who merely fulfills a cosmic role, in the comics he actively tries to bring about Ragnarok instead of waiting. The whole devil look and feud with Odin are exclusive to comics.
  • The Dreaded: He is the most feared enemy of Asgard. Even Odin is somewhat afraid of him.
  • Time Abyss: Predates the giants and gods. No one save perhaps himself knows where he comes from.

Ymir

The first frost giant and source of all other frost giants if not all giants. According to myth in real world and the comics myth Odin and his brothers slew him and made the Earth from his body. He periodically returns from the dead and is one of the few beings that can challenge Odin with a strong chance of winning.

Tropes exhibited by Ymir include:
  • An Ice Person: Can create snowstorms and blizzards with enough force to plunge the entire Earth into a new ice age aside from freezing the air around him.
  • Immortality: A combination of Types I and III. Ymir doesn't age and it is very difficult to harm him. Should his body be shattered he can usually reform within moments. It usually takes banishing him for very, very powerful magics to kill him.


Other Enemies

Absorbing Man

Carl "Crusher" Creel was an ordinary criminal until he drank a liquid provided by Loki that gave him the power to absorb the properties of anything he touches, including Mjolnir. The definition of dumb muscle, Creel's intelligence lags far behind his incredible power, leading to his defeat more than once over the years.

Tropes exhibited by the Absorbing Man include:


Destroyer Armor

A suit of armor forged on Odin's command of an unknown metal and granted tremendous power. It was designed to defend Asgard against major threats, but generally is left in storage until Loki or someone else tries to use it to kill Thor.

Tropes exhibited by the Destroyer include:
  • Animated Armor: Due to no body being in it. It requires a spirit to animate it.
  • "Hell Yes!" Moment: Kid Loki showing up with it an announcing that he's going to use it to take out Dark Asgard (save the real one by proxy).
  • Made of Indestructium: The best a group of Celestials could do was melt it to a puddle. It repaired itself good as new when imbued when brought close to someone's spirit. Blows from the Hulk and Thor have failed to dent it.
  • Powered Armor
  • Super Strength
  • Swiss Army Weapon: Writers have come up with a wide range of weapons it has ranging from slicing beams, atomizing matter to hurting astral beings.
  • 24-Hour Armor: Due to only the spirit inhabiting it it can be worn for any length of time.
  • Worf Barrage: Its disintegrator beam is supposed to destroy anything yet even when powered by all of Asgard save Thor it failed to do anything to a Celestial. Tends to be much more effective against Thor.

Fafnir

Fafnir was once the king of Nastrond, an extra-dimensional realm located in Asgard. When Odin destroyed Nastrond for its wickedness, Fafnir was left to die amongst the ruins of his kingdom. He saved himself by drinking from an enchanted pool, which also turned him into a dragon.

Tropes exhibited by Fafnir include:

Jormungand/Midgard Serpent

Jormungand is the son of Loki and sorcerer-giantess Angerboda. He is so large that he quite literal can wrap around the entire Earth. He usually exists in a parallel dimension to Earth or at the bottom of the sea. He is a sworn enemy of Thor and at Ragnarok the two are destined to kill each other. Due to this any Ragnarok story or where his appeares Thor knows there is a stronger than usual chance he could die in this battle.

Tropes exhibited by Jormungand include:
  • Abusive Parents: Loki one time manipulated events so Thor would kill him early believing Jormungand was growing too powerful.
  • Arch Enemy: A strong contender for the title.
  • Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Far, far bigger than 50 feet actually.
  • Badass: Even Thor can't kill him. That is one badass snake.
  • Hero-Killer: Much like in the original myths.
  • The Juggernaut: No one who isn't Thor stands a chance against Jormungand. And even then the fights leave Thor bruised, bloodied, and all too often, nearly dead.
  • Mutual Kill: The two of them in #380.
  • Reptiles Are Abhorrent
  • Shape Shifter: Has disguised himself as other beings, notably Chinese dragon themed villain, Fin Fang Foom.
  • Super Strength: Even given his size that is one strong snake.
  • You Can't Fight Fate: Thor and Jormungand tried to kill each other several times before Ragnarok in part to defy fate. Thor ended up killing the serpent several times, but it always returned for Ragnarok. Ironically though, it has never killed him at Ragnarok. Author's Saving Throw introduced a new Serpent who is supposed to be the one of the prophecy.

Kurse

A Dark Elf formerly known as Algrim the Strong, he was charged by his king Malekith the Accursed to fight Thor, but was betrayed by Malekith and left to die in a lava pit. However, he survived (albeit with amnesia) the encounter and eventually found his way to The Beyonder, who transformed him into Kurse. After rampaging through Earth to find Thor, he does indeed fight him, but as the battle rages on, Thor convinces him that Malekith is his enemy, who he then kills. Afterwords, Kurse is allowed into Asgard, and guards their children until Ragnarök, where he then dies.

Tropes exhibited by Kurse include:

Mangog

An entity that is an embodiment of the hatred of a race that once invaded Asgard, but were destroyed by Odin. Odin restored the race after the first attack, but Mangog has returned several times since feeding on other emotions or just out of nowhere.

Tropes exhibited by Mangog include:
  • Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Mangog was the wrath embodiment of an entire race Odin slew for reasons undisclosed at some previous point. Now it stands as the representative karma for every selfish act committed by all proclaiming godhood.
  • Call It Karma: Essentially what he's become. One of Mangog's new titles upon rebirth is "Judgment of all Gods".
  • Eleventy-Zillion: Often boasts about being the embodiment of the hatred of "a billion, billion beings."
  • Emotion Eater: Mangog depends on the emotions of others to exist, and without them it fades from existence. However, it can't just feed off anyone and needs a specific source.
  • First Law of Resurrection: He might be dead for good after Thor used the runes magic on him, but seeing how he came back even after Odin eliminated the source of his existence, who knows.
  • God Is Evil: Certainly comes to believe this in his recent incarnation. Going so far as to pronounce the diabolism of their kind destroying creation before Jane tossed him into the sun.
  • Implacable Man
  • Kick the Dog: Upon his return to Asgard, Mangog first splinters Heimdall's sword before blinding the poor guy on its broken blade.
  • Kick the Son of a Bitch: His invasion of Asgard was this to Kull; then regent of the realm
  • Kill the God: His whole idea - Asgardians specifically, all gods posthumously.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: With a title like "Ultimate Judgement", one would be wise to head for the hills. Especially if you are divine.
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: One of the few if only beings whom can give one to, not just Thor; but Odin as well on a regular basis.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: He wants to draw the Odin Sword and destroy the universe.
  • Super Strength: One of the few beings far stronger than Thor and relies on it almost exclusively.
  • The Power of Hate
  • Unstoppable Rage: A physical embodiment of hate and rage that is constantly angry, thus making him virtually unstoppable.

Mephisto

An embodiment of ultimate evil, powerful hell-lord and Marvel's most common stand in for Satan. He has antagonized just about every hero, but tends to single out those who are especially noble like the Silver Surfer and Thor. As can be expected, many of the traditional tropes associated with Satan are part of him. He is almost as powerful as Odin himself (and thus far stronger than Thor), but how big or small the margin is varies from issue to issue. As a Hell Lord, he is a rival of Hela.

Tropes exhibited by Mephisto include:

The Serpent

The Asgardian God of Fear and supposed former All-Father and twin brother of Odin, The Serpent was defeated by Odin ages ago and was sealed on Earth deep within the seas until modern times where Syn transformed into a being called Skadi, his general, after picking up a Uru Hammer freed him. Then, he called down more of the Hammers and began to cause chaos on earth to gain enough strength to go to Asgard and take back his throne.

He actually is indeed what he says he is. His real name is Cul Borson and he is also the real Serpent Thor is destined to kill and die in the process, not Jormungand. Sure enough, the prophecy rings true and Cul and Thor are now dead.

Tropes exhibited by The Serpent include:

The Wrecking Crew

Mistakenly given Asgardian powers by the Norn Queen, they are four hardened convicts with enchanted weapons and Super Strength. Their names are Bulldozer (Henry Camp), Piledriver (Brian Calusky), Thunderball (Eliot Franklin) and Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite, leader).

Tropes exhibited by The Wrecking Crew include:

Ulik

A rock troll that is far stronger than the rest of his race. He is one of the few beings of the nine realms whose strength comes close to matching Thor.

Tropes exhibited by Ulik include:
  • The Brute: Many, many of his appearances are due to being one of the few beings that can give Thor a decent fight.
  • The Dragon: The rare times when he is not The Brute.
  • Dumb Muscle: Usually does not affect his speech much, but trolls are not known for their intelligence.
  • The Mole: Thanks to Karnilla's magic, he is now Tanarus, the new God of Thunder to replace Thor. So far, only Kid Loki knows that something isn't right about him.
  • Super Strength: Far greater than virtually all other trolls, giants or even gods who all possess some level of super strength themselves.
  • The Starscream: He has betrayed the troll king several times only for it to come back to bite him.

Mr. Hyde

Calvin Zabo was a shifty scientist and doctor who had a tendency to rob places he worked at. When Don Blake refused him a job knowing what would happen, Zabo took revenge by inventing a serum to make his favorite story The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a reality. As Mr. Hyde, Zabo was almost strong enough to match Thor, but not quite. Soon after his first defeat, Loki sprang Hyde and the Cobra from prison and increased their powers. Hyde was now on better footing, but still suffered defeat at Thor's hands. He would then go on to fight several other heroes such as Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Captain America (comics)

Tropes exhibited by Mr. Hyde include:

Cobra

Klaus Voorhees was a research assistant in India who was working with a scientist to find a cure for snake bites. Tired of being a second-stringer, Voorhees murdered his boss by having a cobra bite him, and to avoid blame had it bit him too. He then took an antidote, but was informed by his dying boss that the cobra was radioactive. So, much like our friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man, Claus gained the powers of a cobra, and embarked on a life of crime. Often partnered with Mr. Hyde, and went on to join the Serpent Society.

Tropes exhibited by Cobra include:
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