Thor’s Comic History: From Journey into Mystery #83 to Today

Marvel’s Thor has been published continuously, in one form or another, for more than sixty years. Over that time the character has passed through many writers, artists and series titles. This timeline gives a neutral overview of the major runs and turning points, for readers who want to understand how the comic character developed or where to start reading.

The beginning: Journey into Mystery (1962)

Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83, cover-dated August 1962. The anthology series had previously published monster and suspense stories. The first Thor story was plotted by Stan Lee, scripted by Larry Lieber and drawn by Jack Kirby. It introduced Dr. Donald Blake, a doctor with a disabled leg who finds a walking stick in a cave in Norway. When he strikes the stick on the ground, it becomes the hammer Mjölnir and he becomes Thor.

In the early issues, Thor’s adventures were fairly typical superhero stories against communist agents, aliens and criminals. Gradually, though, Lee and Kirby brought in more mythological elements: Odin, Loki, Asgard and a series called Tales of Asgard, which retold, loosely, stories based on Norse myths.

The Lee and Kirby era (1960s)

In 1966 the series was retitled The Mighty Thor with issue #126, continuing the numbering of Journey into Mystery. Lee and Kirby’s run is remembered for its cosmic scale. Kirby’s art became increasingly ambitious, with huge battles, detailed technology and grand landscapes. This period introduced characters such as Hercules, the High Evolutionary, Ego the Living Planet and the first version of Galactus’s herald, the Silver Surfer, though the Surfer debuted in Fantastic Four.

Thor also became a founding member of the Avengers in The Avengers #1 in 1963.

The 1970s and early 1980s

After Kirby left Marvel in 1970, a series of creators took over, including John Buscema as a long-time artist. Storylines in this period were mixed in quality, with some memorable arcs involving Ragnarök, the Eternals and space adventures. Writer Roy Thomas and later others brought in more material based on Norse sources, including adaptations of Wagner’s Ring cycle.

Walt Simonson (1983 to 1987)

Walter Simonson’s run as writer and artist, starting with Thor #337 in 1983, is widely regarded as one of the high points of the character’s history. His first issue introduced Beta Ray Bill, an alien who proves worthy to lift Mjölnir. Simonson leaned on Norse mythology for structure and style, with storylines about the fire demon Surtur, the Midgard Serpent and Hela. During the run, Thor was temporarily turned into a frog, a storyline that became a fan favourite.

The 1990s and early 2000s

The 1990s saw changes common across superhero comics at the time, including the introduction of Eric Masterson, a human who shared Thor’s identity, and a later character called Thunderstrike. In 1998 Marvel relaunched Thor with a new #1 under writer Dan Jurgens. Jurgens’ run eventually made Thor the ruler of Asgard and then of Earth in a long storyline about power and responsibility.

In 2004 Marvel published a Ragnarök storyline that ended the series with the destruction of Asgard and Thor’s apparent death.

J. Michael Straczynski and the return (2007)

Writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Olivier Coipel brought Thor back in a new series in 2007. Thor re-established Asgard as a floating city above Oklahoma. This run was followed by the Siege event in 2010, in which Asgard was attacked, and by the first Thor film in 2011, which helped raise the character’s profile.

Jason Aaron (2012 to 2019)

Jason Aaron’s long tenure began with Thor: God of Thunder in 2012, introducing Gorr the God Butcher. His run explored Thor across past, present and future, including a young Viking-age Thor and an elderly King Thor. In 2014 Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman introduced a new Thor, later revealed to be Jane Foster, who took up the hammer while the original Thor was unworthy. The Mighty Thor storyline dealt with Jane Foster’s cancer treatment alongside her superhero career.

The Odinson returned to the main role in a 2018 Thor series, where variant covers celebrated various anniversaries. Aaron’s run concluded with the War of the Realms event in 2019.

Donny Cates and after (2020 onwards)

In 2020 Donny Cates and artist Nic Klein relaunched Thor, with the character now king of Asgard, facing a storyline involving Galactus and the Black Winter. Since then, further creators have continued the series, as Marvel regularly relaunches its titles with new numbering.

Numbering and how to find issues

Thor’s numbering is confusing. Marvel has relaunched the series several times with new #1 issues and then sometimes returned to “legacy” numbering that counts all previous issues together. As a result, an issue can carry two numbers, for example a series number and a legacy number. Collectors and readers usually identify issues by series title, year and issue number to avoid confusion.

Where to start reading

For new readers, the most commonly recommended starting points are:

• The early Lee and Kirby stories, available in collected editions.
• Walt Simonson’s run, starting with Thor #337.
• Jason Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder, starting in 2012.

Many libraries carry collected editions, and Marvel’s subscription service offers a large back catalogue. For readers more interested in the original mythology, our other posts compare the comic character with the Norse god.

Thor beyond the main series

Alongside the main title, Thor has appeared in many other series. He has been a regular member of the Avengers, and has featured in limited series, crossovers and alternative-universe stories such as Ultimate Thor. Characters introduced in Thor comics, including Beta Ray Bill, Jane Foster’s Thor and Thor’s half-sister Angela, have also had their own titles. For readers trying to follow the character across all these books, Marvel’s own reading-order guides and fan-maintained databases can help.