Norse Mythology

Norse Myth in Modern Culture

Norse Mythology in Marvel and Pop Culture

How Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and the MCU brought Thor, Loki, Odin, and the Norse gods into the modern pop culture mainstream, with film, TV, and game adaptations.

The single most popular modern American cultural rendering of Norse mythology is the Marvel Comics version of Thor, the Asgardian god of thunder. Since his first appearance in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962), drawn by Jack Kirby and written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, the Marvel Thor has been a major presence in American popular culture, and his translation to film, television, and the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe has made the Norse mythological vocabulary a familiar part of the global cultural imagination. Asgard, Mjolnir, Bifrost, Heimdall, Loki, the Valkyries, the Einherjar, and the apocalyptic Ragnarok are now common reference points across the world, and they are common reference points in large part because of the Marvel version.

This page covers the major Marvel Comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe versions of the Norse gods, the related comic-book and television adaptations, the broader pop-culture reception of the Norse inheritance (in film, television, video games, music, fashion, and internet culture), and the academic and critical reception of the Marvel version.

For the broader context of the modern reception of Norse mythology, see Norse Mythology in Modern Culture. For the related literary reception, see Norse Mythology in Tolkien and Fantasy Literature.

The Origins: Journey into Mystery, 1962

The choice of a Norse hero for a 1960s American comic book was deliberate. Stan Lee (1922-2018), the editor-in-chief and chief writer of Marvel Comics, and Jack Kirby (1917-1994), the principal artist, were looking for a hero who would feel both ancient and modern, and the Norse gods allowed them to do an “outsider” version of the superhero genre: a god of thunder who had been exiled to Earth, who spoke like a Shakespearean actor, and who was clearly more powerful than the human heroes. The inspiration came from the DC Comics character of Wonder Woman (created 1941 by William Moulton Marston), based on the Greek gods and a major success for DC since the 1940s. Lee and Kirby drew on the Wagner Ring cycle, the Völsunga saga, the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, and the popular Viking imagery of the 1950s.

The early issues of Journey into Mystery introduced the principal characters and the Asgardian cosmology. The first issue (August 1962) introduced Thor as the son of Odin, king of the gods, and Frigga, queen of Asgard, and the mortal woman Jane Foster as Thor’s love interest on Earth. The second issue (September 1962) introduced the trickster god Loki as Thor’s half-brother and arch-enemy. The third issue (October 1962) introduced the Asgardian of Mjolnir, the enchanted hammer that Thor wields. The fourth issue (November 1962) introduced the Trolls and the Frost Giants of Jotunheim as the principal antagonists. The fifth issue (December 1962) introduced the Casket of Ancient Winters as a major Asgardian artifact. The sixth issue (January 1963) introduced the Destroyer, an enchanted Asgardian armor that is a recurring antagonist in the early Thor stories.

The early issues of Journey into Mystery established the basic Marvel Thor cosmology: Asgard as a separate dimension or “realm” that is parallel to Earth, the Bifrost as a rainbow bridge that connects Asgard to the other realms (including Earth), the Yggdrasil as a cosmic tree that connects all of the realms, and the Ragnarok as a recurring apocalyptic cycle in which the world is destroyed and reborn.

The early issues also established the basic Marvel Thor visual style. Jack Kirby’s Asgard is a vast, columned, thunder-wracked citadel of enormous scale, populated by warriors and Valkyries, with a great golden throne, a roaring fire at its center, and a network of bridges and towers. The visual style is heavily indebted to the Baroque and Rococo traditions of the 18th-century European royal palace, and to the early 20th-century Art Deco style. The Asgardian architecture of Marvel is one of the most distinctive visual vocabularies in American comic-book art.

The Silver Age and the Bronze Age of Marvel Thor

The Journey into Mystery run continued until issue #125 (1966), after which the title was renamed Thor and continued as a regular Marvel comic book series. The Thor series ran from 1966 to 1996, with a number of relaunches and revivals, and it is the longest-running comic book series based on the Norse inheritance in American popular culture.

The Silver Age Thor stories (1962-1970) introduced a number of major characters and plot elements, most prominently:

  • Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death (first appearance Journey into Mystery #102, 1964).
  • Heimdall, the watchman of the gods (first appearance Journey into Mystery #104, 1964).
  • Sif, the Asgardian warrior-goddess (first appearance Journey into Mystery #107, 1964).
  • The Enchantress (Amora) and the Executioner (Skurge) (first appearance Journey into Mystery #103, 1964).
  • The Absorbing Man (Carl Creel) (first appearance Journey into Mystery #114, 1965).
  • The Grey Gargoyle (first appearance Journey into Mystery #107, 1964).
  • The Wrecker (first appearance Thor #148, 1967).
  • The Destroyer returns, in Thor #159-160 (1968).
  • Firelord (first appearance Thor #225, 1974).
  • The High Evolutionary (first appearance Thor #134, 1966).
  • The Celestials (first appearance Thor #169, 1969).

The Bronze Age Thor stories (1970-1985) deepened the Norse inheritance and introduced several major characters, most prominently:

  • Odin as a more central figure (first appearance in the present-day setting in Thor #160, 1968, with major re-introductions in the 1970s).
  • The Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg) (first appearance Thor #136, 1967).
  • Balder the Brave, the Asgardian god of courage (first appearance Thor #162, 1969).
  • The Lady Sif is brought back as a major character.
  • The Korbinite axe-wielding hero Beta Ray Bill (first appearance Thor #337, 1983), who is shown to be worthy of wielding Mjolnir.
  • The story arc “The Mighty Thor” (1982-1984), in which the Norse apocalypse of Ragnarok is depicted for the first time in the Marvel Universe.
  • The Thor title relaunch by Walt Simonson (1983-1987), which is widely considered the high point of the Marvel Thor comic book.

Walt Simonson’s run on Thor (1983-1987) is widely considered the high point of the Marvel Thor comic book. Simonson, a former DC Comics artist and writer, was a lifelong student of Norse mythology, and his Thor run drew on the original Old Norse sources to a degree that no other Marvel writer had done. Simonson’s Thor introduced the Norse apocalypse of Ragnarok as a major plot element, with the death of most of the Asgardian gods and the destruction of Asgard itself. The Simonson run is also notable for its visual style: Simonson’s Asgard is a vast, muscular, ornate, dynamic world, with a great deal of Norse-style ornament and a host of new Asgardian characters.

The Modern Age: From the 1990s to the 2010s

The Modern Age of the Marvel Thor (1990s-2010s) was characterized by a series of relaunches, reboots, and major events, the most significant of which were:

  • The “Heroes Reborn” event of 1996, in which the Marvel Universe was temporarily relaunched in an alternate universe (the “Heroes Reborn” universe). The Thor title of this period was written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by John Romita Jr., and it featured a more dark, brooding, and violent Thor.

  • The “The Mighty Thor” relaunch of 1998, written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by John Romita Jr., which returned the title to its roots and continued the Ragnarok plot.

  • The “Avengers Disassembled” event of 2004, in which the Scarlet Witch drove the Avengers mad, and Thor died in the events of the event (later revealed to be a ruse).

  • The “House of M” event of 2005, in which the Scarlet Witch created an alternate reality in which mutants were the dominant species. The Thor title of this period was written by Michael Avon Oeming and drawn by Pasqual Ferry.

  • The “Siege” event of 2010, in which the Asgardian gods were displaced from Asgard to a small town in Broxton, Oklahoma, and the Asgardian-Celestial conflict came to a head. The Thor title of this period was written by Kieron Gillen and Matt Fraction.

  • The “Journey into Mystery” relaunch of 2011, written by Kieron Gillen, in which a young Loki is the principal character, with Thor as a supporting figure.

  • The “The Mighty Thor” relaunch of 2012, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Russell Dauterman, which introduced Jane Foster as a new Thor. The Jane Foster Thor was a major success, and the run lasted until 2019.

  • The “War of the Realms” event of 2019, written by Jason Aaron, in which Malekith the Accursed and the Dark Council of the Realms launched a major invasion of the Ten Realms, and Thor and the Asgardians had to defend them.

  • The “The Immortal Thor” relaunch of 2023, written by Al Ewing, which has brought back the original Donald Blake Thor in a new setting.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the most successful film franchise in the history of the cinema, and the Thor films are a major part of the MCU. The principal Thor films are:

  • Thor (2011), directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film introduces the Asgardian gods to the MCU, with Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Jaimie Alexander as Sif, Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, Tadanobu Asano as Hogun, Josh Dallas as Fandral, Rene Russo as Frigga, Idris Elba as Heimdall, and Colm Feore as Laufey. The film draws heavily on the Völsunga saga and the Eddas, and it is the introduction of Asgard and the Asgardian gods to the wider MCU.

  • Thor: The Dark World (2013), directed by Alan Taylor. The film features Thor fighting the Dark Elves led by Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), with Loki as an unlikely ally. The film is set during the events of the Avengers (2012), and it is a major box-office success.

  • Thor: Ragnarok (2017), directed by Taika Waititi. The film is widely considered the high point of the Marvel Thor films. It features Thor fighting his half-sister Hela (Cate Blanchett), the Asgardian goddess of death, who has been imprisoned for centuries. The film is set on the planet Sakaar, ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), and it features a major gladiatorial combat sequence between Thor and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). The film is a major box-office success, and it is widely considered one of the best Marvel films.

  • Avengers: Infinity War (2018), directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The film features Thor in a major supporting role, and it depicts the first major use of Thanos’s Infinity Gauntlet.

  • Avengers: Endgame (2019), directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The film features Thor as a major character, and it depicts the “snap” reversal, the final battle against Thanos, and the death of several major characters, including Tony Stark / Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers / Captain America (Chris Evans).

  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), directed by Taika Waititi. The film features Thor fighting Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) as the new Thor. The film is set in the post-Endgame MCU, and it explores the question of Thor’s place in the new world.

  • The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), a TV movie, with Steve Levitt as Thor, in which the Hulk (Bill Bixby / Lou Ferrigno) teams up with Thor to fight a villain.

  • Hulk Vs. (2009), an animated film, with a segment called Hulk vs. Thor, in which the Hulk fights Thor in Asgard.

  • The What If…? animated series (2021-2023), on Disney+, which features an alternate-reality Thor in several episodes.

The MCU Thor films have done more than any other modern media to bring the Norse mythological vocabulary into the mainstream. The names Asgard, Bifrost, Heimdall, Hela, Mjolnir, Jotunheim, Ragnarok, and Valhalla are now common reference points across the world, and the visual style of the Asgardian realm (designed by the production designer Bo Welch and the visual effects team of Industrial Light & Magic) has become a major influence on the wider popular culture.

The Television and Streaming Adaptations

The Thor story has also been adapted for television, both in animated and live-action form. The most significant are:

  • The Marvel Super Heroes (1966), an animated TV series, with a segment called “Thor,” in which the character is animated in a style that closely follows the comic book.
  • The Incredible Hulk (1996-1997), an animated TV series, in which Thor is a recurring character.
  • The Avengers: United They Stand (1999-2000), an animated TV series, in which Thor is a major character.
  • Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. (2013-2015), an animated TV series on Disney XD, in which Thor is a major character.
  • Avengers Assemble (2013-2019), an animated TV series on Disney XD, in which Thor is a major character.
  • What If…? (2021-2023), an animated TV series on Disney+, in which Thor is featured in several episodes.
  • Loki (2021-2023), a live-action TV series on Disney+, in which Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Loki, the trickster god. The series is set in an alternate timeline in which Loki has taken the Tesseract and escaped the events of The Avengers (2012), and it features the Time Variance Authority and the multiverse.

The TV adaptations have, in many cases, expanded the Norse mythology of the MCU. Loki in particular has drawn on the temporal and mythological concepts of the original Norse source material, including the idea of a multiverse of parallel timelines and the Norns (the weavers of fate) of the Völuspá. The series also features the He Who Remains character, a cosmic being who controls the Sacred Timeline, and whose name is a clear reference to the Heimdal of the Eddas (the watchman of the gods in Old Norse mythology).

The Pop-Culture Reception

The Marvel version of Thor has also had a major influence on the wider pop-culture reception of the Norse inheritance. The most significant areas of influence are:

Video Games

The Marvel Thor has been featured in a wide range of video games, most prominently:

  • Marvel Super Heroes (1995), a fighting game by Capcom, in which Thor is a playable character.
  • Marvel vs. Capcom (1996-2024), a series of fighting games, in which Thor has been a recurring character.
  • Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006, 2016), a series of action role-playing games, in which Thor is a major character.
  • Thor: God of Thunder (2011), a beat-em-up action game, in which Thor is the principal character.
  • Marvel Heroes (2013, online), an online action role-playing game, in which Thor is a major character.
  • Marvel: Contest of Champions (2014, mobile), a fighting game, in which Thor is a major character.
  • Marvel’s Avengers (2020), an action-adventure game by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal, in which Thor is a major character.

The God of War (2005-2022) and God of War: Ragnarok (2022) series of games, while not Marvel-based, draw extensively on the same Norse mythological vocabulary, and the Thor of God of War: Ragnarok (voiced by Ryan Hurst) is in many ways a response to the Marvel Thor.

Toys, Action Figures, and Merchandise

The Marvel Thor has been a major character in the toy and action figure market since the 1960s, with the Mego corporation producing the first Thor action figure in 1973. The modern Hasbro and Hot Toys versions of the character are highly detailed and accurate to the MCU designs.

The Lego Marvel Super Heroes line (since 2012) has included multiple sets featuring Thor, Asgard, and the Asgardian gods. The most significant are the “Lego Marvel Super Heroes: Thor’s Journey” (2022), the “Lego Marvel Thor: The Dark World” (2014), and the “Lego Marvel Avengers: Thor’s Quest” (2014).

Fashion, Jewelry, and Tattoos

The Marvel Thor has been a major influence on the wider Norse and Viking aesthetic in the fashion, jewelry, and tattoo industries. The Mjolnir pendant, the Hela headdress, the Bifrost color palette, and the Asgardian cloak are all widely reproduced in fashion and design.

Internet Culture

The Marvel Thor has been a major presence in internet culture, especially since the 2010s. The most significant memes and internet cultural references include:

  • The “Thor! Thor! Thor!” meme, derived from the Taika Waititi Thor: Ragnarok scene in which Thor (in a gladiatorial combat with the Hulk) calls out his own name.
  • The “Mjolnir, Mjolnir” meme, derived from the Avengers: Endgame scene in which Captain America (Steve Rogers) wields Mjolnir and strikes Thanos.
  • The “Hela” meme, derived from the Cate Blanchett Thor: Ragnarok scene in which Hela destroys Mjolnir with her bare hand.
  • The “Loki” meme, derived from the Tom Hiddleston Loki series, in which Loki is depicted as a complex, sympathetic, and often-sardonic trickster.
  • The “Heimdall” meme, derived from the Idris Elba Thor films, in which Heimdall is depicted as the omniscient watchman of the gods.

The wider internet-cultural use of the Norse inheritance is covered more fully in the section Internet Culture and the “Viking” Meme in Norse Mythology in Modern Culture.

The Academic and Critical Reception

The academic and critical reception of the Marvel version of Thor is mixed. Some classicists and Old Norse scholars have praised the films for bringing the Old Norse inheritance to a wider audience, and have welcomed the increased public interest in the Eddas and the sagas. Others have criticized the films for their historical and mythological inaccuracies, most prominently for the unhistorical use of the winged helmet (a 19th-century invention of the Wagnerian stage), for the depiction of Asgard as a separate “realm” rather than a heavenly city within the world, and for the use of modern English (rather than Old Norse) names for the gods and the artifacts.

The most famous single critical work is the “Thor vs. the Vikings” essay of Alexander C. H. Tung (in The Journal of Popular Culture, 2014), which compares the Marvel Thor to the Old Norse Thor of the Eddas and the Völsunga saga. Tung’s essay is a balanced and thoughtful analysis, and it is widely cited in the academic study of the modern reception of the Norse inheritance.

A more recent and more critical view is in the “Comic Thor and the Old Norse Thor” essay of Ethan L. Rarick (in Scandinavian Studies, 2018), which argues that the Marvel version of Thor is a “diminished” version of the Old Norse original, and that the popular reception of the Marvel Thor has, in some ways, obscured the deeper and more complex Old Norse inheritance.

The most positive single critical work is “Thor: From the Eddas to the MCU” by Lindow, the Old Norse scholar, in his Handbook of Norse Mythology (2001). Lindow’s work is widely cited for its sympathetic and informed treatment of the modern reception of the Norse inheritance, and it is a major reference for the modern popular reception of the Old Norse gods.