Thor’s hammer will always be his trademark, and a new comic from Marvel shows that Thor manages to keep his iconic weapon even when battling in a giant mech suit. Avengers Mech Strike is a new stand-alone comic series from Marvel. It is written by Jed Mackay with art by Carlos Magno. It follows the story of the Avengers as they fight the biomechanoids – creatures that absorb energy and become stronger as a result. They are giant creatures whose only weakness seems to be vibranium, resulting in the Avengers needing some new equipment, courtesy of Tony Stark.
After discovering the weakness of the biomechanoids, Tony Stark throws back the curtain on some new toys he built in his free time. In standard Stark fashion, each Avenger has its own mech suit. These mechs appear to be specialized to each team member, although they have not yet been seen in action. The appearances all mirror their human drivers, and Tony describes them as a “force multiplier,” suggesting each will be able to channel or outwardly reflect their counterparts’ abilities in some way. Thor’s mech appears to be built around the God of Thunder’s signature fighting style, coming equipped with a huge version of his iconic weapon.
Thanks to the wise Black Panther and the ingenious work of Iron Man, the Avengers are given the force multiplier they need to contend with the destructive Biomechanoids: giant mechs. Each Avenger is equipped with a blaster-firing bracelet that will be their identification and interfaces for their brand new toys (and really that’s what they are): Biomechanoid Response Units. These bipedal mechs resemble 80s Transformers but are the size of a Megazord. If that isn’t cool enough, they’re designed to interact with the powers of their pilots, which means there’s a web-slinging, wall-crawling mech with Spider-Man’s name on it.
From writer Jed MacKay and artist Carlos Magno, Avengers Mech Strike #1 is exactly the kind of “a trip down the lane” long-time fans would have scrambled out of bed early to watch on Saturday morning in the days of yore. Featuring the classic MCU Avengers lineup, the series draws from elements of the films, well-established comic book lore, and the appealing simplicity of animated cartoon storytelling. Though the series isn’t shaping up to have the gut-wrenching appeal of more serious books, it certainly has two things going for it: giant-sized mechs, and giant-sized fun.
Thor’s mech is painted Thor’s traditional blue, blue-gray, and red while featuring his signature winged helm. Additionally, the right arm of the mech culminates not with a hand, but a hammer. While it clearly isn’t Mjolnir, the hammer acknowledges that Thor’s hammer is an extension of the god himself, and no-one would put it past Tony Stark to have channeled some of the original’s power into the suit. Now, he literally has a hammer for a hand. While this may limit his ability to grasp things, he will be able to do what he does best: smash his enemies with great force.
While this mech and its hammer have not been seen in a fight yet, this seems like it will be a great asset. The mechanoids are capable of absorbing all sorts of energy, meaning that super-charged heroes like Thor need to be able to keep their distance while still being free to deal some damage and protect civilians. Although it was not forged by the dwarves of Nidavellir or given as a gift from Odin, this weapon should be more than enough to take on the biomechanoids waiting to pop up around the world. Coated in vibranium, it should be resistant to bites and digestion, and variant covers suggest there’s a way for Thor to still charge his mech-hammer with lightning.
With so many Marvel storylines being targeted to an adult readership—look no further than the current King in Black event—it’s exciting when a new series pops up to entice a younger crowd. There’s nothing subtle about the direction this series is taking and it’s great. With the live-action Avengers movies being put on hold for the near future, this comic book is the best way for new fans and old fans to relive the glory days of superhero adventure cartoons. What do you think of their suit upgrades?
Do you like what Tony Stark has done to Thor’s suit? Yes, even though he cannot grab things like a normal being, but the power is surely amplified on a massive level. So much so that if that hammer lands on someone, they’d be crushed to such a level that they’ll never know of, again.
