A new chapter has begun for Marvel’s Thor, the God of Thunder. Assuming the throne of Asgard, Thor must now face a new threat: retirement. That’s right, being the new King of Asgard means no more Avenging. How does King Thor deal with the new status quo? Will he be conflicted? Is he ready to take on the role and responsibility from his father?
Prior to his taking the throne, Thor’s undergone some difficult trials and obstacles recently under previous writer Jason Aaron. First, he became unworthy to wield Mjolnir, becoming Odinson while Jane Foster became the new Thor. Then, he regained his title as Thor, though still wielding alternate hammers aside from Mjolnir. Lastly and most recently in the War of the Realms crossover event, Thor loses an eye in order to defeat Malekith, but does become worthy to wield Mjolnir once more, as well as claiming his destiny as the next ruler of Asgard.
King Thor’s new series will be coming from Donny Cates and Nic Klein. In an interview with CBR, Cates revealed some of the biggest challenges ahead for the new Asgardian King, the biggest one being isolation. It appears as though ruling Asgard will be a lonely endeavor. Cates shares that due to the transition from Prince to King, Thor can’t be friends with everyone: “King Thor has to think about all of Asgard and the realms. That often puts him at odds with his friends and family.”
Apparently, Thor will struggle to adjust to the notion of ruling and being retired from Avenging. According to Cates, Thor will be wondering if all of his greatest battles and stories are now behind him. The preview pages definitely support that perspective, depicting the Avengers on Earth fighting a massive monster when Mjolnir appears from the sky, blasting through its head and defeating it. The hammer returns to King Thor’s hand, who is still standing on the Bifrost on Asgard. The hammer has a written message on reading, “Nice shot! Enjoy your retirement!” presumably from one of the Avengers (obviously Hawkeye). Thor then walks back to his kingdom, looking somber.
It looks as though Cates is keen to introduce the idea that even though much of Thor’s power and ability is restored after War of the Realms and even potentially expanded with his new rule, things aren’t all sunshine and rainbow bridges. Much of Thor’s initial struggle will be internal, trying to figure out how to best lead his kingdom. It’s a new position and territory for the character to grow in, which is always good for a high-powered character like the God of Thunder. Shaking up their external scenarios is essential to creating engaging internal development. Whatever comes next for King Thor will be sure to test him and his new throne. Will he deal with it like a King, or will he struggle to handle it like the Avenger he once was? Time will tell.
Thor #1 is coming to your local comic book shop January 2020.
More: 5 Reasons We Want Bro Thor To Stay (& 5 Reasons We Don’t)
Source: CBR
