Author: Hunter Radesi

Anyone who’s seen a Thor movie knows Chris Hemsworth is a daddy, but only those who’ve seen Thor: Love and Thunder know his character is now too. The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ended with the God of Thunder taking on a little more responsibility than he’s used to, adopting the daughter of his deceased foe Gorr the God Butcher and stepping into the role of father. While this might have been a shocking turn of events for global audiences, it’s actually not the first time Thor has been depicted raising a child. In fact, it’s happened a few times in the comics, and the concept has even made it to animation in the past. Follow along as we at Murphy’s Multiverse take you on a trip down memory lane, discussing every time the Odinson has ever been a Thorfather.

Torunn Thorsdóttir (Earth-555326)

When Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow went directly to home video in 2008, a lot of fans missed out on a pretty charming-and creative-animated adventure. Set in a future where Ultron has slaughtered Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and taken over the planet, Next Avengers follows the teenage children of the original team as they emerge from hiding and go on a journey to save the world. Among them is Torunn, voiced by Brenna O’Brien, the daughter of Thor and his wife, Lady Sif.

In this timeline, Thor is actually one of the very few Avengers to have survived Ultron’s vicious attack. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stick around to keep helping Earth, as the sudden death of Odin forces him back to Asgard to replace his father as King. With duty calling, he chose to leave Torunn behind, hoping a childhood among mortals would teach her the same lessons of humility he had once learned in his own banishment. His plan works, and dodgy parenting tactics aside, Torunn grows to become a humble warrior who protects Midgard in the way her father did before her.

Created by Christopher Yost, Greg Johnson, and Craig Kyle, this version of the Thorsdóttir possesses all the same abilities as her pops, but wields a giant enchanted longsword into battle as opposed to a hammer. She is also every bit as fierce and brash as Thor once was, always acting quickly to defend those she loves. A few alternate Torunns have popped up in the comics as well, but typically only as background characters on different Earths related to Next Avengers.

Thena Thorsdóttir (Earth-982)

Before Marvel came up with the Ultimate line of comics, there was another attempt made to reboot the mainstream continuity in an accessible way for new readers. Far less successful and not as well-remembered, stories told in the “MC2” timeline are set in a present where the first Marvel heroes have mostly aged out of costumed activity. In their stead are a new generation of Avengers and superpowered do-gooders, and while it took her a while to show up, another version of Thor’s daughter did eventually make her way to the universe.

Created by Tom DeFalco, the same guy who launched the “MC2” brand with 1998’s Spider-Girl, and Ron Lim, Thena Thorsdóttir made her comic book debut in 2006’s Avengers Next #1. There, it’s revealed that Asgard has been destroyed by a very hungry Galactus, and that Thor and Loki’s children, Thena and Sylene, are among those who escaped the disaster. Unfortunately, Sylene disappeared in the chaos, and somebody has to go find her.

In her brief arc, Thena is sent to Earth by her father and uncle with two goals in mind – find her lost cousin, and restore Thunderstrike’s powers so he can continue to guard Earth in the Asgardians’ absence. Initially believed to be an enemy, Thena fights the new Avengers and loses her magic hammer in the process. Of course, she later makes amends with the team and joins them to battle Ultron, and later Sylene, when she turns out to be the real threat (it is Loki’s kid, after all). If you’re worried about the lost hammer, don’t fret. Thena gets a fancy new titanium weapon designed by Jarvis for all her troubles.

Brigid Thorsdóttir (Earth-20368)

The most recent addition on this list, Brigid Thorsdóttir has only been around since Captain Marvel (Vol. 10) #23 released in 2020. Hailing from an alternate future where a lethal cataclysm scorched Earth and left it bathing in leftover radiation, Brigid stays in New York City working as a blacksmith to aid other survivors. She is initially unworthy of lifting her father’s hammer Mjolnir, which has been dormant since Thor lost his life in the world-ending blast, and is unable to use it until a time-traveling Carol Danvers arrives in 2052 A.D.. Pulled into conflict alongside Captain Marvel, Brigid finds herself able to summon Mjolnir just before she’s killed by the forces of the Enchantress. It’s implied that, even after Carol leaves her timeline, the Thorsdóttir will use the hammer to continue protecting what’s left of humanity.

Brigid was created by Kelly Thompson and Lee Garbett, and unlike the previous Thorsdóttirs, whose time in the spotlight has pretty much ended, we may see more of her in the future. Fun fact: Brigid’s name comes from the Irish Goddess of Smithing, in reference to her unique skillset, and is not Norse at all. Nothing is known officially about her parentage, but it’s entirely possible Thor fell for a red-headed lass in this universe before things went south.

Magni & Modi Thorson (Earth-616)

The only known time Thor has had children in the main Earth-616 continuity. In accordance with Norse mythology, it’s revealed way back in 1980’s Thor #293 that the God of Thunder had two sons before the previous end of the Ragnarök cycle wiped them from existence. A story from Roy Thomas and Keith Pollard explains that Magni and Modi Thorson, based on the actual Norse deities, sacrificed themselves to bring back Odin so he could rebuild Asgard, father Thor once more, and start the Ragnarök cycle anew. Not much else is known about the brothers aside from this, but it can be assumed most of their whole deal would be the same as it was in actual mythology. If that’s the case, then their mother would be a giantess named Jarnsaxa.

Woden Thorson (Earth-691)

The Guardians of the Galaxy may be household names today, but in 1993, they were still just little-known characters living in an alternate 31st Century timeline. In that universe, Thor and Sif had a son named Woden, who was created by Michael Gallagher and Dale Eaglesham for an appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy #42. Described as a brooding bully, Woden grew up mostly without a father figure, as Thor found himself unable to give up a life of adventure for the role of dad. As a result, Woden had a troubled upbringing, with only his mother Sif around to help where she could. Eventually, Thor would be made to stay in Asgard by Odin, but his resentment of the situation would lead to his becoming an alcoholic and Woden leaving home as a bitter soul.

Years later, Woden would return to action in order to stop his uncle Loki and an army of Inhumans from tearing Asgard to the ground. With a bloated Thor now unworthy to wield Mjolnir, a disgruntled but worthy Woden would pick up the hammer and team with the Guardians and his grandfather Odin to end Loki’s latest assault on the Gods. Following the battle, Woden takes up his father’s once-righteous quest to protect Asgard as it’s golden son, even teaming with Heimdall later on to fend off a dangerous creature on the Bifrost Bridge.

Magni Thorson (Earth-3515)

Originating in a short arc titled Thor: The Reigning (which plays out in Thor (Vol. 2) #67-69), this reality continues the trend of Thor being a shockingly bad dad. In a story created by Dan Jurgens and Scot Eaton, the Odinson makes the decision to merge Asgard with New York City, creating a version of New Asgard that an organization called the Consortium of Nations deemed too dangerous to stick around. Their dramatic assault on New Asgard results in Thor slaughtering what’s left of his humanity and using his God power to forcibly take control of Earth, establishing his reign as “Lord Thor” and eventually crafting a variable paradise on Midgard. Two decades later, he would have a son with Amora, the Enchantress, and name him Magni.

Magni is raised as the beloved and loyaly crown prince of New Asgard, adventuring throughout the Eight Realms and conquering enemies in the same way his father had done in his youth. However, once he reached adulthood, the Son of Thor would come to resent the brutal way in which the Asgardians treated humanity. A relationship with a mortal woman named Jordahl pushes him over the edge, and Magni ends up leading the charge against his father to restore decency to Asgard’s legacy. This act enables the Thorson to wield Mjolnir, an ability his pops lost after murdering innocents. After a bunch of violent shenanigans, Thor realizes the error of his ways and relents, fixing his own timeline and collaterally erasing Magni from ever being born.

Modi Thorson (Earth-1610)

Thor may not have done too much papa-ing in the mainstream Marvel universe, but he did have a rather unfortunate brush with fatherhood in the Ultimate timeline. Jeph Loeb and Frank Cho‘s Ultimate New Ultimates #5 introduces readers to Modi Thorson, the God of Thunder’s child born out of, well, nothing comfortable. In this reality, Thor makes his way to Valhalla to retrieve the lost soul of his lover Valkyrie, only to come face-to-face with the Goddess of Death, Hela. The villain cuts a deal with the Odinson – he can have Valkyrie back, but first he must bare Hela a child. Yeah, as previously stated, nothing comfortable.

That child would quickly be discovered by his uncle (and sort of grandfather, but maybe don’t think about that too much) Loki, who brings Modi back to Asgard and reunites him with his father. Unfortunately, an unexpected assault on the realm causes Thor to lock Modi in “The Room Without Doors”, where he ages years in a matter of days, develops a hatred for his old man, and begins to resemble his uncle (grandfather). Upon escaping the room, Modi heads to Midgard and attempts to usher in a second American Civil War, partnering with Hydra to enact his complicated plan. Chronically terrible father Thor consequentially teams with Steve Rogers, who is President of the United States in this universe, to smite his own child and put an end to the chaos. The Ultimate timeline was messy, to say the least.

Balder Blake (Earth-9811)

What If…? #114, by Jay Faerber and Gregg Schigiel, explored a world where the heroes of Battleworld were never allowed to leave. There, they were forced to settle down and continue living their lives with whoever else had been unwillingly transported to the alternate dimension on which they defeated Doom and the Beyonder. Thor ended up pairing with the Enchantress, and together the two had a son named after Thor’s brother Balder. Each year on his birthday, Balder would attempt to life his father’s hammer Mjolnir, but consistently found himself to be unworthy.

Though he would never be shown to pick up the weapon, an encounter with the villain Malefactor (son of Victor von Doom) revealed his friend Sarah Rogers could, and together they would stop the threat and return peace to their universe. After a time, the heroes of Earth-9811 found an opening to make their return to their original homeworld, but instead are stranded in a new timeline ruled by an army of Sentinels. True to his parentage, Balder commits to making the world his next home, and helps form a new team of Avengers alongside Sarah and the other superheroic teens from Battleworld.

Woden Thorson/The Goddesses of Thunder (Earth-14412)

This child of Thor is at the bottom of the list because, frankly, we know almost nothing about him. Conceived by the maestro Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic for their run on Thor: God of Thunder, a second variant of Woden Thorson has been mentioned more than once but never shown. In this universe, Thor would eventually become King of Asgard and the All-Father, living a complex life that would see him spend time as both a Living Planet and an enforcer for Omnipotence City’s Ministry of Inter-Deity Justice. Along the way, the God of Thunder fathers a child with a Frost Giant general called She-Blizzard (which is awesome). Their half-Asgardian, half-Frost Giant son would apparently grow up to have three children of his own – daughters Frigg, Atli, and Ellisiv.

While Woden never actually shows his face in the comics, his daughters do. The grandchildren of Thor aid him and his past selves in the fight against Gorr the God Butcher. Each of the trio are taken as slaves by Gorr and forced to help him build his Godbomb contraption, until they are rescued by their grandfather’s younger self and freed to do some damage of their own. Following the Gorr conflict, all three Wodendóttirs return to Asgard and help Thor fend off Galactus and a variety of other threats to their kingdom. The Goddesses of Thunder would ultimately become players in 2015’s Secret Wars, before they form a new team of Avengers on their version of Midgard.

Marvel Studios has returned with another movie, which means another round of exciting post-credits scenes that fans can theorize on for years to come. Thor: Love and Thunder, like many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films before it, features two extra tags at the end of it’s runtime. The first of these teases continues the tradition of introducing surprising new characters after the credits roll, while the second brings back a familiar face to put a nice little bow on the fourth Thor story. As always, there’s quite a bit to break down, so sit back and relax your brain while we do the work and explain what exactly is going on in those signature Marvel stingers.

Enter: Hercules

Well, if you’ve made it this far, you probably already know that Brett Goldstein is Marvel’s Hercules. About halfway through Love and Thunder‘s credits, the Ted Lasso star pops up as the Greek Prince of Power in a surprise reveal. The scene acts as a continuation of an earlier sequence in the movie where Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor confronts Russell Crowe‘s Zeus for refusing to act on the rise of Gorr the God Butcher, a conversation that would ultimately result in Zeus’ very public humiliation in Omnipotence City. After the chat between both Thunder Gods turns sour, a physical conflict begins, and Thor’s best buddy Korg is seemingly struck down by Zeus’ powerful lightning bolt. Korg turns out to be alive, but that doesn’t stop an enraged Thor from catching Zeus’ next bolt and chucking it right back to where it came from. The bolt goes through Zeus’ chest, and the renowned leader topples silently from his regal perch.

The mid-credits scene lets the audience know that Zeus is not dead, but is instead plotting his revenge on Thor while recovering from his wound. To do this, he enlists the aid of his son, Hercules. Following a dramatic monologue in which Zeus laments the lack of fear modern mortals have for gods, he asks Hercules to find Thor and prove that the gods are still a force to be reckoned with. The camera then cuts to Goldstein standing up in full comic book Hercules attire, complete with flowing chest hair and his fun little club weapon.

The character has long been rumored to be making his MCU debut in Phase Four, and Love and Thunder was such a perfect place for the entrance to happen it’s almost shocking it didn’t occur in the main story. In the comics, Hercules has encountered Thor many times, at first as an enemy but eventually as a longtime friend. When the two first meet, Thor is searching for Olympus alongside his brother Loki on a mission of peace, but Hercules’ natural desire to prove his strength leads to initial conflict. In fact, the concept of Herc and Thor duking it out to prove who is stronger would become a recurring thread in their relationship. Despite actually becoming quick pals, a friendly rivalry would remain for the rest of their days. As Herc himself would eventually say in Tony Isabella‘s Champions #1; “Whatever Thor canst do – Hercules can accomplish more mightily!“

The MCU’s introduction of the character implies a potential Thor 5 plot might revolve around Hercules and the Greek gods clashing with Thor and his Asgardian comrades. However, as previously mentioned, these two entities are often more in line with each other than they are in opposition. Not long after Hercules meets Thor, the former is tricked by the Enchantress into visiting Earth and attacking the Avengers. He’s swiftly snapped out of it, but his actions anger Zeus and, like Thor before him, he’s banished from his home on Olympus and forced to live among the mortals. Hercules then becomes an on-and-off member of the Avengers, later co-founding his own team called the Champions, and creating a new life for himself on Earth and pulling away from the Hercules known in Greek mythology.

Perhaps the post-movie setup is actually for a future team-up where Hercules attacks Earth’s Mightiest Heroes before having a change of heart, ultimately being banished by Zeus for not fulfilling his mission and becoming a regular mainstay of the MCU Avengers. Or, maybe, his assault on Thor will only last briefly, before the two partner up to take on a bigger threat. The duo have confronted massive villains like the Chaos King Amatsu-Mikaboshi and Herc’s Uncle Pluto together in the past. There’s a good chance one of those baddies lines up against the “God Squad” of Herc and Thor in another solo adventure down the line.

Valkyrie: Jane Foster

Once the credits have been completed, fans are treated to a short scene that could serve to either wrap up Dr. Jane Foster’s MCU story or open the door to an entirely new chapter. In Love and Thunder‘s final moments, Jane uses a crumbling Mjolnir to entrap the blade of Gorr’s God-slaying sword and destroy it for good. This effectively defeats the God Butcher and saves the lives of all gods, but it also robs Foster of the only thing keeping her alive. After her sacrifice, Jane dies contently in the arms of Thor, knowing the universe has been made a better place for everyone. The post-credits reveal that Jane, having died an Asgardian hero, has been granted access to an afterlife in Valhalla.

She’s welcomed to life-after-death by Idris Elba’s Heimdall, who previously perished in battle against Thanos and the Black Order. He’s happy to see Jane, who saved the life of his son after he was kidnapped by Gorr, and welcomes her to a post-mortem existence as both a warrior and a friend. The pair walk off together, gladly embracing whatever Valhalla may have in store for them. If Marvel so chooses, this could be the perfect ending to the tale of Jane Foster, especially if actress Natalie Portman decides she’s done with the superhero gig forever. However, it could also be teeing up an adaptation of a very recent comic run from legendary Thor scribe Jason Aaron.

Still ongoing at the time of this publication, Valkyrie: Jane Foster tells the story of Foster after she loses the power of The Mighty Thor. Forced to sacrifice a crumbling Mjolnir in a last-ditch effort to save the universe, Jane is blessed with the powers of a Valkyrie and becomes the first in a new generation of Asgard’s most elite group. She then accepts help from a recently deceased Heimdall, ultimately using her newfound abilities to aid a grieving Thor and take Heimdall’s spirit on one last adventure through the multiversal afterlife. Sound familiar? Love and Thunder establishes a close friendship, and possible romance, between Foster and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie. It’s not far-fetched to think Val might find a way to bless Jane with Valkrior power in a future MCU project, and the post-credits scene perfectly sets up the new friendship between Foster and Heimdall. If Portman and Elba are both down for another outing, this story could be adapted as a sub-plot in Thor 5 or as a Valkyrie spin-off series on Disney+. After all, Kevin Feige and company really do love their series spin-offs these days.

Source: Marvel