Once upon a time, those old issues of Thor were more or less reserved for the hardcore God of Thunder fans. Ever since the MCU went cosmic, Marvel Studios has been pulling story ideas from the pages of the Mighty Thor, and that isn't about to stop. As the MCU enters Phase Four, here are six classic Thor keys you should have in your long boxes.
Lifting Mjolnir isn’t an uncommon feat in the comics. Through the years, we’ve seen a myriad of characters prove themselves worthy of the powers of Thor. In fact, it’s something of a cliche at this point. However, movie fans were thrilled when Captain America called upon Mjolnir in the climax of Endgame.
Now collectors are on the search for Thor #390, which marked the first time in comics that Steve Rogers (then dressed in black and known as “The Captain”) lifted Thor’s magic hammer.
THE MIGHTY THOR #283: THOR VERSUS THE CELESTIALS
One of the first battles with the Celestials saw the thunder god defend Midgard from these god-like beings from space. The Celestials have already been established in the MCU, and I fully expect them to have a much bigger presence in Phase Four. The events of Thor #283 will likely play out on movie screens, and when that happens, this will be the issue to have.
THE MIGHTY THOR #337: BETA RAY BILL
One of the hottest rumors in the MCU is that Beta Ray Bill will be featured in Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and Endgame nicely set the stage for his introduction. Where did he first appear? Thor #337. I'll keep you updated on the rising value of this issue, but don't wait to pick up a copy; it's getting more expensive practically by the day.
ARES & HERCULES
Another recurring rumor is that Hercules will be the lead protagonist in the Eternals (for more on that, see "Time to Collect Hercules' Keys"), and he first appeared in Journey into Mystery Annual #1. Nothing has been said, but I predict that Ares will be the featured antagonist for Herc, and who made his debut in Thor #129. If I'm right and Marvel uses these two characters in the Eternals, their prices are going to inflate overnight, so get them now and cross your fingers.
THE MIGHTY THOR #165: HIM/ADAM WARLOCK
Going along with the GOTG3 talk, Adam Warlock is being rumored to join Beta Ray Bill. While Warlock’s origin and brief first appearance were in Fantastic Four #66-67, fans had their first good look at him in the pages of Thor. Back in the silver age, Warlock was known simply as "Him," and he battled the thunder god in Thor #165 and Thor #166.
With the inclusion of Adam Warlock into the MCU (whether or not it happens in GOTG 3) makes me believe that the High Evolutionary won't be far behind. High Evolutionary is closely tied to both Warlock and the Celestials. In fact, it was HE who gave Warlock the soul gem in the first place. Like Thor #165, this is a key that could evolve from minor to major quite suddenly.
