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Thor may be a Norse god, but nowadays, he’s more associated with the heroes of Marvel Comics. Various runs of his books have embraced his Nordic origins, but perhaps no other title did it do viscerally as Thor: Vikings. This book is from Garth Ennis - creator of the cynical superhero series The Boys - and artist Glenn Fabry, and it is one of the God of Thunder’s most interesting and dark Marvel stories ever.
Dripping with blood, guts, violence and Viking zombies, Thor: Vikings allowed Ennis to mix his love of historical war fiction with his apparent hatred for superheroes. Though Thor and even the Avengers are in the story, the graphic beatdowns that the heroes receive prove that there’s no “love and thunder” held for them by the writer. Here’s how a true Ragnarök of a story put Thor Odinson through his paces.
Thor: Vikings Eschewed Superheroics for Zombified Bloodletting
The real stars of Thor: Vikings aren’t Thor or any of the Avengers, but the titular pillaging horde from ages ago. Led by Harald Jaekelsson, these Vikings ransack a village and have their way with the inhabitants, even killing a defenseless Wiseman as they leave. Before he dies, however, he pleads with the gods to curse them, so they will never reach their destination. This sees the Northmen sail for eons, only to finally end up in modern New York. Now, undead zombies, the Vikings engage in deviltry anew, halted only by the arrival of Thor.
Even the godly power of the Mighty Thor isn’t enough to stop them, with their curse making them extremely powerful. This sees the beaten God of Thunder's arms broken, all while the Avengers are brutally beaten and swathes of civilians viciously killed. The one hero who’s fairly useful is the mystical Doctor Strange. He uses his powers to determine the Wiseman's death and figures out that Jaekelsson and his men can only be defeated by his descendants, forcing Strange to summon Sigrid, Magnus and Erik.
Empowered by Strange’s magic, the group is now as tough as the zombie Vikings. From there, they decimate Jaekelsson’s ship, killing his men and leaving their leader for Thor to deal with. Stronger and angrier than before, Thor punches the Viking into space, ending his bloody reign of terror in New York.
Thor: Vikings Channels The Boys Through the Marvel Universe
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Given that Garth Ennis is the writer of the story, those reading Thor: Vikings shouldn’t expect a typical Marvel adventure. This series was published under the Marvel MAX banner, which is otherwise home to The Punisher’s most violent executions (many of which were written by Ennis). Meant for mature readers, the book, despite its narrative elements, shows a realistic version of how the battles between gods, monsters and heroes would affect the real world. This feels very much like Ennis’ iconic and infamous The Boys, which completely dunked on superheroes. While not quite as cynical in this regard, it’s the human historical heroes, and the Norse Thor himself, that ultimately save the day. The more superheroic Avengers such as Captain America, Iron Man and Hawkeye are quickly beaten to a pulp, which certainly feels like a jab at them, given who’s writing the book.
Surprisingly enough, the book is actually considered canon, at least to some extent. This means that, at some point, New York was utterly ravaged by Jaekelsson and his group, with the superhero population mostly helpless to stop them. Sadly, this is one of the few times that Thor is allowed in such a story, with the character's colorful and magical origins usually precluding him. This is a real shame, since, along with the Hulk, he's the Avenger most suited for such bloody and heart-pumping adult stories. Though he may be more well-known for comedy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor: Vikings showed readers that the God of Thunder is most suited to soak in blood on the battlefield.