Thor's success -- both in the comics and later as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- opened all kinds of possibilities for bringing traditionally mythic figures into modern superhero stories. The trend wasn't new -- Wonder Woman was doing it as far back as the 1940s -- but Marvel embraced the totality of it with gusto. That included not only other figures from Norse mythology, such as Loki and Hela, but also pantheons from other cultures. While not as popular as Thor, Hercules eventually became an Avengers standby, while the MCU brought the Egyptian Ennead to life in the first season of Moon Knight. Thor: Love and Thunder introduced Omnipotence City into the MCU, featuring a who's who of gods from all manner of pantheons.

That's led to an odd paradox within the franchise. While most of the MCU's traditional deities appear to be based in Omnipotence City, Asgard remained a fully independent entity, formally separate from the other deities. The reasons for this are likely Meta-based (Thor remains the big draw), but a fan theory posted by Chronon_Field on Reddit offers a more compelling reason. Unlike the other pantheons, Asgard has the raw power to stand on its own.

RELATED: If Henry Cavill Joins the MCU, Will Fans Get a Squadron Supreme?

Asgard In Thor

Polytheistic pantheons have been out of formal religious favor on Earth for some time, and with waning influence, it would make sense for deities like Zeus and the Ennead to withdraw from cosmic affairs. Asgard, however, needn't rely on temporal religious power to hold its own. The Asgardians of the MCU place a high priority on their military as a bulwark against threats such as the Frost Giants -- bolstered by figures like Thor and Heimdall, and including possession of two Infinity Stones, among other powerful trinkets -- while figures like the Valkyries are lionized for their heroism and sacrifice. That has a dark side in Odin's penchant for conquest -- revealed in Thor: Ragnarok -- that dominated their policy before the All-Father turned over a new leaf. Such endeavors could easily have isolated them from other pantheons, while their emphasis on heroism and overall power levels enhanced their self-sufficiency. Whether by accident or by temperament, it left them standing very much on their own.

The Greek deities, conversely, tend to value individual strength rather than power in numbers. Love and Thunder portrays Zeus as vainglorious and self-centered -- an accurate, if embellished, version of the myths -- with Hercules likely following suit. It might make them powerful as individuals but lacks the punch of an army, which could conceivably be used to conquer entire worlds instead of vanquishing individual foes. Zeus's thunderbolt is a strong example of the tendency: powerful, like Mjolnir, but nothing compared to an Infinity Stone or the kind of army that Asgard could muster seemingly at the drop of a hat.

RELATED: Thor: Love and Thunder's Mjolnir Twist May Explain Steve Rogers' Endgame Finale

Thor-Love-and-Thunder-Omnipotence-City-Header

Yet paradoxically, it also makes Zeus more approachable and friendlier. He proves quite gregarious, provided he receives sufficient praise, and Love and Thunder depicts Omnipotence City as a place where the party never ends (Zeus threatens to disinvite Thor from the next orgy at one point). It has its downside since its residents can't stir themselves from their bacchanalian excesses to face the oncoming threat of Gorr. But it also makes it a more inviting place to be than with the Asgardians.

The explanation holds water for more than just Love and Thunder. Asgardian isolation readily explains why no one came to help them when their realm fell to Ragnarok or when Thanos decimated the survivors at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. Nor would the remaining Asgardians be inclined to travel to Omnipotence City. Valkyrie sought out the Grandmaster for her exile in Ragnarok rather than shelter with Zeus, and while she eventually rejoined her countrymen, they all decided to settle on Earth -- where their heroism is appreciated by the populace -- rather than put up with the preening Greek god and his coterie.

There's still a great deal to be learned about the residents of Omnipotence City, including which unseen deities or pantheons make their home there and why. There are also a few potential plot holes creeping around, particularly with the Ennead, who have multiple realms elsewhere. But the theory makes for a swift and elegant means of addressing them: keeping Thor and Asgard in the forefront while leaving room to explore more of Zeus's eclectic society of wayward gods.