With the news of the next Thor movie to look forward to, we find ourselves looking back to some of the best moments in Jane Foster's run of Thor (in the comics). Jane Foster faced many difficulties as Thor, from not being accepted by many of the Asgardians, to trying to fend off an ever-escalating war.
Yet she gave us very few reasons to doubt her worthiness. Jane Foster continually stood up for what was right, proving again and again the reason why Mjolnir picked her. And she did so even when others screamed that she had no right. So here we're going to include ten of the times that Jane Foster truly proved that she was worthy of Mjolnir, and of the title Thor.
10 10. When She Threw Herself into Battle for the Very First Time
Jane Foster's first day as Thor proved just how very worthy she was. She knew that something was terribly wrong and that the heroes of Earth had either responded and failed, or were otherwise occupied. Yet she picked up Mjolnir and went right into that battle herself. Even without any practice with Mjolnir. And without knowing if she'd have backup if things got tough.
Facing off against Frost Giants seems to be a tradition for Thors, so in a way, this was the perfect start to Jane's new career. It proves that she can play with the big boys – and save everyone (while keeping herself alive) all at the same time.
9 9. Leaving Chemo
Every time Jane Foster left her chemo appointment to go save somebody, she proved just how worthy she was. As a doctor, she knew full well what she was doing here. She knew that by leaving chemo, and worse, by letting Mjolnir eradicate the chemo in her body, that she was slowly killing herself. And yet she never once hesitated to make this decision.
Every time the choice had to be made, Jane chose others over herself. She carried the mantle, even while it was killing her, because the realms needed a Thor. In her mind, there was no option but to continue the fight.
8 8. Standing Up To Odin
Odin was not pleased with a female who was not Asgardian picking up Mjolnir – or the mantle of Thor. He constantly opposed her. And while Jane happily opposed him, in turn, she continued to try and do right by his people. This is not an easy balance, but Jane did so with grace.
She fought Odin in both her Thor and normal form. With fights and words. And she fought for the betterment of all the people she represented. She also came to the aid of the Asgardians when they needed her the most – even after everything their leaders had done and tried to do to her.
Standing up for what is right sounds easy, but when you through personal vendettas into the mix it gets a lot more complicated. Yet Jane Foster managed to handle it all with poise, never faltering. Never wavering.
7 7. Battling for Realms Not Her Own
As most fans are aware, the Mighty Thor run saw the beginning of the War of the Realms. And Jane Foster did not hesitate to throw herself into the mix. She hunted Malekith and did what she could to thwart him – even when he was threatening realms other than Midgard.
Jane could have simply focused on her homeworld – protecting that one realm is enough of a task for many a hero. But Jane was not able to ignore any pleas for help. And if she knew that there was pain occurring somewhere in the realms, she couldn't bring herself to ignore it. Especially if Malekith was the source of that pain.
6 6. Was a Hero in More Ways Than One
The best heroes aren't just the ones that'll show up when there's a villain to be beat up. The best heroes – the most worthy heroes – show up for the good days and the bad days, no matter how typical they may be.
Jane was there for her dying friend. Her friend faced an enemy Jane couldn't beat up – cancer. But she made sure that her last day was a beautiful one. She then went on to oversee her funeral, and protect it from bad weather. Part of being worthy is about remembering that there are other tragedies and things of importance in our lives – beyond the supervillains.
5 5. Protecting the Enemy
That may sound like a bad thing. But Jane Foster is aware of when an enemy needs to be killed, and when they need to be saved. For example, Jane knew full well when an enemy needed to be kept alive – for the greater good. In this instance, the villain in question held the codes that would stop something horrible from happening. So she took the hit for him, hoping to find the best solution to the mess they were all in.
Being that this was a battle with multiple villains, things didn't work out quite as planned. But Jane's compassion still managed to shine through. And she did manage to save the day, by stopping the floating island's fall.
4 4. Saving the Queen of the Light Elves
One of Malekith's earliest targets in his war was Alfheim, home of the Light Elves. We don't need to explain why the Light Elves would be a natural target for Malekith and his Dark Elf army. Malekith went right for the Light Elf queen, first tricking/forcing her into a marriage, and then trying to kill her.
Jane saved the queen, of course. She saved her life, and was aware of the mental damage the queen had faced during this time. She reminded the queen of her strength, and that she would make it through these trials and the war.
3 3. Confrontation with the Shi'ar
The gods of Shi'ar are not like the gods Midgard knows (the Asgardians). They are petulant and believe completely in their divinity. They were threatened by this new and Mighty Thor, and challenged her to see who the better god is.
Their idea of challenges were... less than ethical. Destroying civilizations, killing children, the likes. Jane didn't play these games, and instead sought to lessen the damage they were causing. This ultimately led to a battle against the gods, and while Jane did have allies arrive, she certainly did more than her fair share of damage in the battle.
2 2. Worthy of Many
Readers of the Thor comics will know that there is more than one hammer out there. For some, this will come as no surprise; but Jane Foster has lifted and wielded two hammers in her time. One is obviously Mjolnir. But the other? The other hammer is known as War Hammer. It is not from this realm (dimension, universe, what have you), and yet there are people who can still hear its call.
Volstagg was one who heard the call first, to much surprise for everyone. Jane didn't hear the call, but she was also able to take it and wield it. First, to prove a point to the grief-stricken Volstagg. And later, during the War of the Realms.
1 1. Giving Up Her Life
The Mangog was quite possibly the biggest threat to Asgard itself. He was the negative side of everything they built. And none who stepped up to him could defeat him. Not even Volstagg wielding the War Hammer.
Jane Foster knew that picking up Mjolnir even one more time would kill her – Doctor Strange was very clear about that. And yet Jane did exactly that. She walked into a battle that she knew she would never survive. Not as Jane.
And later, during the fight, she gave up Mjolnir to take down the Mangog. This action guaranteed her death for several reasons. But once again, she didn't hesitate. Jane Foster gladly gave up her life to stop one final villain.
Fans of the series know that her story doesn't end there. But that doesn't change the fact that Jane was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice during her time as Thor.