As a 60 years old character, Thor has gone through many changes since he debuted in Marvel's Journey Into Mystery #83. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, and Larry Lieber, he went from an arrogant god to Earth's most loyal protector. Although many elements of Thor's lore remain, including his hammer, his allies, and intentions, other character aspects change from one run to the next. Most recently, Jason Aaron's made his mark on Thor's history.
From his psychological complexity to the legends surrounding the God of Thunder, Aaron's almost decade-long run on Thor deconstructed the character and put it back together right on time to pass the torch. Like Walt Simonson or
Michael Oeming, Jason Aaron's time with Thor will be remembered as a Marvel Comics staple.
10 Thor Has New Family Members
Among the many new characters Aaron introduced to the Thor comics, he gave the God of Thunder a group of particular allies. During Thor: God of Thunder, after Gorr kidnapped Viking Thor, he met Ellisiv, Frigg, and Atli, his future granddaughters from Earth-14412.
Since Ellisiv, Frigg, and Atli aren't from Earth-616, they're not Thor's actual granddaughters, but Earth-14412's Thor's. However, their presence in the series leads fans to wonder about Thor's future. This raises the stake when he's in mortal danger.
9 Asgardians Returned To Old Asgard
After Fear Itself — by Matt Fraction, Stuart Immonen, Wade Von Grawbadger, and Laura Martin — Odin appointed Idunn, Gaea, and Frigga as All-Mothers and ordered them to rebuild Asgard on Earth. Thus, Asgardia, the comics counterpart to the MCU's New Asgard, was born.
Unfortunately, in The Mighty Thor, Malekith directed Mangog to Asgardia. During the final battle against Mighty Thor, the beast utterly destroyed this haven. By the end of this series, Asgardians returned to Old Asgard and decided to rebuild it. After seven years, Thor's people returned to their original home, where they have remained.
8 Thor Had A New Romantic Interest
Thor's had many different love interests over the years but Rosalind "Roz" Solomon is one of the most interesting. An environmental S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who loves Earth as much as Thor, Roz invited Thor to her S.H.I.E.L.D. academy graduation through a viral video. After Thor accepted, they hit it off.
In the end, Roz and Thor end up as friends and allies, not lovers but the chemistry between them is undeniable. Maybe in the future, they could try again. It wouldn't be the first time Thor's gone back to one of his lovers.
7 Thor Got To Feel The Power Of A Symbiote
In Thor: God of Thunder, after Earth became a barren land, an old version of Thor kept visiting, reminiscing about his past in Midgard. When he came across Galactus the Devourer of Worlds, who had come to eat this planet, the God of Thunder retrieved All-Black the Necrosword and bonded with it to stop Galactus.
What If...? #4, by Danny Fingeroth, Keith Williams, and Mark Bagley, already featured a story about Venom trying to possess Thor Odinson and barely stopped by Black Bolt. The God of Thunder story was the first time the Asgardian god dealt with a symbiote in Marvel's main continuity. Unfortunately, this powerful character only lasted one issue.
6 Mjolnir's Power Comes From A Sentient Storm Inside It
Emulating Norse mythology, Marvel's Mjolnir was initially created by Eitri when Loki dared him to forge the finest weapon ever. Odin claimed it as his own, but then gave it to Thor when he proved he was worthy. Not everyone knows this, but Mjolnir's origin was retconned by Jason Aaron in The Mighty Thor.
The Mighty Thor added to the hammer's mythology. According to this series, Mjolnir contains a cosmic storm called the God Tempest, trapped inside a chunk of Uru metal by Odin many centuries ago. With this newly added detail, Aaron aims to justify Mjolnir’s mystical power, its sentience, and its connection with Jane Foster.
5 Odin Appointed Thor All-Father
Since he first debuted, Thor's relationship with his father, the All-Father, has been a core element of his persona. Having Odin's respect has been central for him. During War of the Realms, Thor finally found the proof that his father appreciated him. After defeating Malekith together, Odin stepped own and appointed Thor as the new All-Father.
For 60 years, Thor's growth from an arrogant god to a protector has been pretty much Thor's core storyline. This is what sets Thor apart from other characters. Given this, his ascension to the All-Father's throne is a key moment in his development. The fact that he's now the ultimate leader of his people as well as Midgard's protector speaks volumes about his maturity.
4 King Thor Adds Depth To Thor's Story
Aaron's run on Thor ended with a bang. For his last work, he created King Thor, a fourth-issues series that follows a much older Thor as he deals with Loki, who is now bound to All-Black the Necrosword. This series follows the God of Thunder as he sacrifices to save the universe after passing Midgard's torch on his granddaughters.
Just like Odin appointed him All-Father, Thor recognized in his granddaughters a new generation of Asgardians. In a way, King Thor serves as the ultimate end of Thor's journey as an Asgardian god, as a monarch, and as a hero. Even if future runs don't acknowledge this again, the God of Thunder's arc already came full circle in Aaron's work.
3 Jane Foster Went From Love Interest To Absolute Hero
When Jane Foster first debuted in Journey into Mystery, she served only as Thor's primary love interest and worked as a nurse for Dr. Donald Blake. However, since then, she has come a long, long way. First, she became a doctor in the '90s. But it was Jason Aaron who made her a hero.
Thor: God of Thunder features Jane's debut as the Mighty Thor. But this is only the beginning. After a 30-issue run that pits her against several dangerous villains, Jane died, resurrected, held Mjolnir again, and then became Valkyrie. Her character became so important for Thor that even the MCU adapted her in Thor: Love and Thunder.
2 Thor Became A Title Again
Unarguably one of the biggest changes Aaron made to Thor's history was turning his name into a mantle that could be passed down, 30 years after Eric Masterson first wielded Mjolnir. In 2016, Odinson was suddenly unworthy of Mjolnir's power. He lost his hammer to Jane Foster, who became the Mighty Thor.
Additionally, Odinson's friend Volstagg became War Thor after bonding with Earth-1610's Mjolnir. This change wasn't welcomed by all fans, but no one can deny it helped make Thor's name into a more concrete, significant title.
1 Thor Had To Face His Own Unworthiness
Since the very beginning, Thor's most important trait has been his worthiness. Over everything, the god has strived to act like someone who deserved his power. Unfortunately, Gorr the God Butcher's resentment for the gods planted a seed of doubt, which turned into full disappointment when Nick Fury confirmed that "Gorr was right," causing Thor to lose his hammer.
Stripping Thor from the things that made him who he is — his hammer, his worthiness, his self-confidence — was the cornerstone of Aaron's run on God of Thunder. While the hero was set back to his status quo since, Aaron tore him and his weapon into pieces and reforged them. Starting over with Thor brought new life to the character and his story.