Thor’s New Origin:
We know Thor as one of the strongest characters in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. We also know that he is somewhat 1500 years old in the MCU, and for his race, the older they get the stronger they become. Thor, God of Thunder, is an exceptional character with powers that might not know any limits. Now let’s shift from the MCU to the comics that have a separate fan base altogether, as the movies mostly the main chunk of the comics to make it look simpler for the audiences.
Marvel’s “Enter The Phoenix” arc has seen a number of heroes and villains battle in a competition to attain the cosmic Phoenix Force. Marvel Comics just made a massive change to Thor’s origins in the latest issue of the Avengers. In a confrontation against the Phoenix Force, the powerful cosmic entity revealed to the God of Thunder a huge secret, as she called Thor “her son.” While the shocking twist is only teased on at the end of the issue, the reveal actually tracks in previous story beats, even if it sounds ridiculous at first.
Most of the heroes in the arc are competing for the Phoenix Force so it doesn’t fall in the wrong hands – such as Namor the Sub-Mariner, who could use the great power to complete his own conquests. However, in the most recent issue of the series, Thor approached the Phoenix Force entity, and when he drew nearer he felt a special connection to her. When he finally reaches her, she tells him “I’ve come to tell you everything, my son.”
The revelation in Avengers #42 Jason Aaron, Luca Maresca, David Curiel, and VC’s Cory Petit, actually makes sense in the overall scheme of the Marvel Universe. In Generations: The Unworthy Thor (2017) by Aaron and Mahmud Asrar, it’s revealed that Odin had a love affair with a being possessed by the Phoenix Force. It seemed like a relatively small plot point at the time, as it was more shocking than impactful, but if the Phoenix entity is speaking the truth then it has huge implications on Thor’s heritage. Odin leaving the Phoenix Force being will likely be explained in an upcoming issue, but it’s not the greatest look if he left his wife to have an affair with her, and then once the baby was born he left for good and never returned.
He also hid the secret from Thor for centuries according to the Phoenix. Between Thor, Loki, and Hela, Odin doesn’t exactly come across as father of the year material. It also leaves the question of how this all ties-in to the secret being kept by Thor’s biological mother Gaea, and his step-mother Frigga. Jason Aaron’s ongoing run of The Avengers has used the gaps between major storylines to visit individual members of the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC – a team of incredibly powerful primordial heroes including the first Iron Fist, Black Panther, Star Brand, and Ghost Rider, as well as the original Sorcerer Supreme Agamotto, a young Odin, and the mysterious Lady Phoenix – Earth’s first host of the cosmic Phoenix Force.
In an announcement prior to December 9th’s Avengers #39, Marvel Comics released preview pages for the issue (along with the already available summary and cover) which – like those focusing on the other members of the Avengers of 1,000,000 BC – looks set to explore the origin and powers of the first person on Earth to embrace the Phoenix Force:
“In the harsh, primordial world of One Million B.C.E., early humans who are different are left in the Burnt Place to die. But one young girl whose only crime was being born with red hair finds something else entirely in the place of bones and ash—something that will change human history forever.”
There is no doubt that this revelation is more than just shocking. This only goes to prove that Thor is far more powerful than we see him as now. If he is the product of the Odin Force and the Phoenix Force, then there might be nothing and no one that can ever stop him. Aaron and co. have a lot of threads to unwind to make this revelation make sense in the continuity of the Marvel Universe, but they’re off to the right start with the tie-in to Odin’s affair with the Phoenix.
Is Thor really the daughter of the powerful cosmic being? And what impact will that have on him and his powers? Readers will find out more in the next issue of the series. For now, Avengers #42 is in stores now.
