Here is an archive of all the past top five lists I've done over the years.

With more and more info coming out about next year's Thor: Ragnarok, I figured it would be fun to count down the top five times that Thor encountered Ragnarok (the so-called "Twilight of the God") in the comics.

Enjoy!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

At the end of Al Ewing, Lee Garbett and Antonio Fabela's Loki: Agent of Asgard series, they had some fun with the "Last Days" concept of Secret Wars by telling a tale of sort-of Ragnarok, where the evil version of Loki leads a force of the dead (as he has teamed up with Hela) against Asgardia - with the Midgard Serpent along for the ride! Odin and Freyja respond with some...unconventional weapons...

In the next issue, Freyja figures out that if the dead are being used by the other side, then perhaps the GOOD guys could use the dead, as well...

Here's an amazing sequence where she recruits some of the now undead heroes to help her, and she's told of the magic of "cool" sunglasses...

Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato's "World Engine" storyline from Thor #491-494 involves a villain tricking the World Tree into believing that Ragnarok took place. It's not REALLY a Ragnarok, but I dunno, it counts enough for me to give it an honorable mention.

I am a HUGE fan of the Mangog storyline in Thor #154-147. I think it is one of the most underrated Thor stories of all-time, but I just don't know if it is really much of a Ragnarok story.

In Thor #154, Lee, Kirby and Colletta introduced a great new villain known as Mangog...

And at the end of the issue, we learn Mangog's purpose...

That's where I'm a BIT curious as to whether the whole Ragnarok reference here was a matter of Lee just bringing it up in his script, as it does not necessarily match Kirby's plot, which might just be a general "Oh crap, this Mangog guy is really tough." The Ragnarok references seem to all be dialogue only (as seen here in the following issue)...

They mention Ragnarok enough times that I have to at least give it an honorabl e mention, but it really is not a real Ragnoark lplot.

5. Thor #80-85

Mike Avon Oeming and Andrea DiVito literally brought Ragnarok to Asgard in their six-part finale to Thor's ongoing series in Thor #80-85.

In the final issue, Thor decides to embrace Ragnarok, as he notes that this is really just the circle of life, as it were, and he is only continuing the story of the Asgardians, as all things are destined to begin anew (this story actually ended Thor's title for nearly three years, which is a really long time when you think about it)...

J. Michael Straczynski ultimately brought Thor back, alng with all of the other Asgardiasn S(lowyl but surely).

4. Thor #274-278

Ragnarok was the backdrop of an epic storyline that ran from roughly Thor #274-278 (probably a little bit earlier than #274 but #274 is where things kick into high gear) by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, Tom Palmer and Chic Stone where Ragnarok is coming but there is a brand-new Thor to meet it! In Thor #275, a cameraman named Red, who was in Asgard taping a TV special, ends up becoming the NEW Thor (through Loki's manipulations)....

In #278, Ragnarok appears to go down, but Red ends up sacrificing himself to help stop the Midgard Serpent...

We learn that this was actually all a plot by Odin to STOP Ragnarok. You see, in order for Ragnarok to be forestalled, Thor had to die. So Odin figured, "Why not create a NEW Thor, and let THAT one die?" And that's what happened. Odin can be a manipulative dude sometimes.

Red Norvell later returned during Roy Thomas' 1990s run on THor.

Go to the next page for the top three!

3. Thor #200

Stan Lee and John Buscema delivered this example of "what Ragnarok might look like" as an attempt by Odin to scare Loki into thinking about changing his ways...

2. Walter Simonson's Thor Run

During Walter Simonson's run, he used two distinct aspects of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's Ragnarok at different points in his run. He opened his run with the slow but steady introduction of the villainous Surtur (who we saw in Kirby's version of Ragnarok), until everyone is fighting Surtur. Surtur even destroys the Rainbow Bridge like in Kirby's Ragnarok...

The storyline even has issues called "Ragnarok and Roll"...

In the end, with Odin, Thor and Loki working together in Thor #353...

Surtur is stopped.

At the end of Simonson's run, though, in #380, Thor also takes on the Midgard Serpent...

1. Thor #127-128

The gold standard of comic book Ragnarok remains the one depicted in the Tales of Asgard back-ups in Thor #127-128 by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Vince Colletta...

Wow, what an amazing sequence.

After that, the gods were reborn. As I noted in an old Comic Book Legends Revealed, I believe Kirby intended for the New Gods to be born out of Ragnarok.

That's the list! Agree? Disagree? Let me know! And feel free to suggest other ideas for Top Five Lists to me at brianc@cbr.com!