The Female Thor: Who Will She Be? An Analysis
By Roger Lee
As reported earlier today (July 15, 2014) Marvel announced that Thor will now be a female, rather than the traditional male character, speculation arises over who will actually wield the enchanted hammer Mjolnir, and what, if any, affect this will have on the Avengers and other Marvel heroes who work with Thor on a regular basis. And what is the connection with the current ongoing Original Sin storyline?
At this point, the educated Marvel Comics fan can only speculate on the answers to these questions. Walk into any local comics shop today, (as I did), and this is the hot topic of the day. As all comic book fans like to speculate, analyze, and argue over the potential of their favorite characters, so too shall we examine what may happen with the Mighty Thor.
Thor and the Hammer Mjolnir
So, first off, who, exactly is the woman who will pick up Thor’s hammer? According to Axel Alonso, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief, “There are a number of women in Thor’s life, and we’re going to tease out for quite awhile the identity of who this woman is.” So that narrows it down somewhat. A woman in Thor’s life. Several possibilities exist. I could be Sif. It could be Jane Foster (both lovers of the male Thor), it could be any number of Asgardian females. Heck, it could be his mother, Freyja!
But this writer believes it will likely be either of two powerful female Asgardian warriors. Perhaps the best-known Marvel Asgardian female is Valkyrie, who has served in both the Avengers and the Defenders. Valkyrie first appeared in Avengers #83, in December of 1970. She was created by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, and soon joined up with the Defenders, along with Dr. Strange, Hulk, and the Sub-Mariner, among others. She has done stints with the Avengers, and is a known quantity among the other heroes. Valkyrie as a new Thor could be readily accepted in the superhero set. But that easy acceptance might also take away some of the potential drama a new Thor might bring to the team.
Valkryie
Far more likely, it may end up being Thor’s newly-discovered long-lost sister, Angela. Just introduced in Thor and Loki: The Tenth Realm (see our review here), she is a strong candidate for several reasons. First, the writer of the ongoing Thor books is one Jason Aaron. He is also the writer of the Original Sin mini-series. He is writing the Thor and Loki books that introduce her to the Marvel Universe. It makes sense from the creative angle. From the business angle (remember, Marvel is a for-profit enterprise), Marvel bought the Angela character from her creator, Neil Gaiman. The selling price is not public knowledge, but one must assume it was a good enough amount for Gaiman to part with one of his creations. To get the most mileage out of their newly purchased property, why not put her in a major book as a major character? If she is truly Thor’s blood sister, then it is logical she may be considered “worthy” to wield Mjolnir.
Angela in Thor and Loki Tenth Realm
And the early comments coming out of the Marvel camp plainly state that the old Thor is now “unworthy” to possess the hammer. As the writer of both Thor and Original Sin (where many characters are exposed to significant secrets about other characters, as well as their own secrets) perhaps one of those messy secrets proves to be the male Thor’s undoing? We will have to wait awhile to see who truly becomes the female Thor, but when she does take on that mantle, what will her reception be like among the Avengers? Tony Stark is quite famous as a promiscuous playboy, and one would imagine the female Thor will be a blonde beauty. Hawkeye has also been known to charm his way into the lives of a few female Avengers as well. This new version of Thor could lead to a few complications in the team, and provide a little literary drama to liven up the stories.
The New Female Thor
Whatever happens to the Thor character, one thing is for sure. If Marvel wanted to make a splash prior to the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con, they succeeded. The timing of this announcement clearly was intended as a shot across the bow to DC. Marvel’s Distinguished Competition is rumored to be planning a possible photo and or film reveal of the new cinematic Wonder Woman (actress Gal Gadot) at SDCC 2014. Marvel announcing yet another strong, significant female character in the Marvel Universe will highlight the fact that all DC has going for it in that area is Wonder Woman. Stay tuned as the Marvelous Thor roller-coaster gets going…