Thor, Loki And Angela: Original Sin Opens Up The Tenth Realm

It looks like Marvel is ready to answer a question I posed in this very space not that long ago: Thor and Loki do have a sister, and it’s someone many comic fans already know.

I’m talking about Angela, the former avenging angel from the pages of Spawn and a creation of Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane. After a legal battle over her rights was won by Gaiman, he ended up bringing her to Marvel, where she first appeared near the end of the Age of Ultron event.

She’s going to be taking on a more prominent role this summer thanks to a surprising twist to everything we thought we knew about Asgard and the Nine Realms. Not only is Original Sin going to reveal that Angela is Odin’s daughter — and thus, Thor’s sister — she also hails from a Tenth Realm that has been banished for some time and largely forgotten. It sounds like when Angela finds out what’s really going on with her parentage and her home, she’s not going to be too happy about it.

“Al Ewing and Jason Aaron have crafted a truly epic story here, brilliantly brought to life by Simone Bianchi and Lee Garbett,” Marvel editor Wil Moss said in a press release. “It’s got everything: Thor and Loki fighting side-by-side! The return of Odin! An ethical quandary that stumps even Loki! An insanely awesome fight between Thor and Angela! And so, so much more. The creative team is really giving this story their all, leading to huge ramifications in the Thor: God of Thunder and Loki: Agent of Asgard series when all is said and done. And just wait till you see where Angela goes from here…”

Yes, it’s a retcon of the highest order, but it’s better than just throwing Angela into the mix without a story behind it. And historically speaking, the gods of various pantheons were known to fool around a bit, so having a secret daughter doesn’t seem out of the question for Odin at all.

Confusingly, The Tenth Realm will run as a five-issue limited series starting in July but will actually ship as Original Sin #5.1 through #5.5. I suppose that’s a good way to signify that it ties into the larger story, but it is what it is.

In any case, if you want to see what the truth about Angela means for Asgard, Earth and the other realms and see a family squabble like no other, you’ll want to pick up The Tenth Realm, whatever it’s officially called, starting in July.