Thor as depicted in his standard art design in his Smite video game character profile

(5) NORSE – HERO: THOR

Hammer time! The people’s champion! Thor the Thunderer – god of “thunder, storms, strength, protection, fertility, farmers and free people”. Thursday is named for him.

One of two deities from Norse mythology I rank as heroes in my top ten, Thor is the more conventionally heroic figure and was “the favorite god of the average Norse farmer”.

“Thor’s exploits, including his relentless slaughter of his foes” – giants and other primal “demonic threats to the gods and mankind” – and his “fierce battles with the monstrous serpent Jormungandr”, including “their foretold mutual deaths” in Ragnarok. Spoiler alert – Thor smites the serpent with his hammer but is then overcome by its venom (within nine steps).

What else is there to say? It was relatively straightforward for Marvel Comics to adapt Thor as a superhero in comics more or less the same as he is in Norse mythology. That led to his adaptation in film by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his portrayal by Chris Hemsworth lent itself to Thor looming largest of all my top ten mythic heroes in popular imagination.

SUPERMAN-BATMAN SCALE

Definitely towards the divine superman end of the scale, except whereas Superman in comics is essentially superpowered by the sun, Thor is Superman of the storm.

However, he does have a certain Batman quality, relying on gadgets such as his hammer, belt, and gloves.

PUNCHING OUT CTHULHU RANKING

It’s what he does – routinely punching out giants and the other eldritch abominations of Norse mythology.

PARTY ROCK RANKING

Yes – Thor would thunder at parties and not just as depicted by Chris Hemsworth. He literally drains the sea as his keg in one of his stories.

RATING:

A-TIER (TOP TIER)

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