50 Greatest Super Heroes In Comic Book History

11. Thor

(Write-up by Nick Tylwalk, Bam Smack Pow Editor)

If we had done this list at the beginning of the decade, Thor would have been in the top 20 maybe. Now the God of Thunder is knocking on the top 10, and he’s got Marvel Studios to thank for taking him from “the guy with the hammer, the lightning and the funny helmet” in the minds of the general public to someone synonymous with the Avengers, even though he’s been that way in the comics forever. And Chris Hemsworth doesn’t even wear the helmet most of the time.

It sounds crazy to say this about a character who is an honest to goodness Norse god, but Thor works because you actually can identify with things he experiences. There’s the dysfunctional family drama, including a dad who doesn’t always give you what you want and a half-brother with whom you have a love-hate relationship. There’s a need for fellowship and camaraderie even though there are circumstances that necessarily make you an outsider, torn between conflicting duties. Plus there’s the knowledge that someday you’ll have to be the king of your people, and the natural tendency to wonder if you’ll be up to the task.

(Read More > See where Loki ranks among the 50 Greatest Super Villains)

Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t something we understand (and if you do, congrats your highness!). Thor is still a fantastic character thanks to his power, his courage and his sense of righteousness, not to mention the fact that it’s nearly impossible for talented artists to make him not look really damn cool in action. When he shows up in the middle of a story, there’s a sense that business is about to pick up, as Jim Ross might say. Him showing up here means only the truly iconic heroes are left ahead of him on this list.

Next: No. 10: You might actually like him when he's angry