Why aren't writers more versatile with Thor's powers?

[Wellman]

Because some writers are simply lazy.

This.


Most writers these days unless they or the editors are fans of the character, won't try or know the character can do much beyond what the notes and then there are those that when using the character won't let the character use their versatility because they need the story to go a certain way.

It is why Blackbolt's powers fluctuate from enhance physical strength on par with the Thing, a sonic scream went from something that whisper would level a city block and electron control to just a high powered sonic blast and strength in many of his guest appearances. It is why Wolverine can sometimes swim just fine despite having adamantium bones that should weigh him down. Or various other instances where a character's powers act outside of previously established limits or a character doesn't use it for such. These days some writers don't want to explain anything because it will throw off the story they have set up or just didn't do the research.

[HaveAtThee]

Don't we had this one? I don't remember the name of the saga, but he also married Amora and had a child.

I was saying make it continuity, not just a self-contained story. Give him a kind of "Vandal Savage" point of view of humanity. They can have an arc where he grows disgusted with humanity's leaders as well as his teammates and quits the team. This will give everyone pause/concern that will lead to eventual fear of the character. He doesn't become a villain and still protects Midgard, but he doesn't affiliate himself with any sect of humanity. I think this would give Thor a new and interesting dimension.

[Wellman]

Don't we had this one? I don't remember the name of the saga, but he also married Amora and had a child.

The end of Jurgen's run on Thor and Amora's kid was named Modi, and it was all reset back at the end.

[Whirlwind Dinamo]

Yup. Yes part of Thor is a Viking warrior who likes to mix it up at close range. But like Conan he isn't stupid, he's quite intelligent and shouldn't be portrayed as a guy who can't do anything but hit stuff with his hammer.

Thor DOES philosophize about things, plans things and uses creative approaches against enemies to outwit them. Or he used to anyway. It's easier to write him as a big dumb brick I guess.

I think Marvel not only have done bad stories with Thor

but they have wanted to depower him

beating Thor with his own hammer has happened more than once and this one of the more controversial comicbooks

from
hero-envy.blogspot.com
BMB repeats the feat in his book
" For now the “Hulk vs Thor” overall tally ended is in a 2 to 2 tie in 29 match ups, but I believe in my heart that the Hulk has a slight overall edge with better showings in all their slugfests."

Thor has been dumbed down and Hulk is getting the edge in more recent matches

[superchick]

Yea, i mean it doesn't even need to be offensive things. Just stuff like teleportation or dimensional travel. Absorbing the surrounding ambient energy. He used to be able to do all sorts of wacky things back in the day.

Remember when Thor went into the future! I always bring that up when people say he's a fantasy character, he's just as much a sci fi character. He doesn't belong in middle earth.

I think its good writing that makes Thor more brutish, bushido, warrorish, hotheaded and conan like. Thor was never a philosopher, strategist or thinker
Thor at his base is just a true fighter and only uses his versatility against really powerful opponents, that's the way Asgardians and the Vikings of old work, the people are almost medieval, the people drink, they screw, they brawl and even the really powerful ones are like this. They don't get to use their brains until they face a ridiculous challenge like Surfer, like Destoyer, like Stardust, like Mephisto
Why doesn't Thor ever use teleportation or super speed against Hulk....well that's because it wouldn't be a fair fight, Thor would no longer be worthy to lift the hammer if he just teleported Hulk away everytime they fought. To be worthy of the hammer, he has to follow his warrior code religiously....so no cheating against a simple brute like Hulk, it has to be a test of strength in hand to hand. Surfer et al are another game, which is why Thor is allowed use speed, energy absorption of his hammer, plot device moves etc



Kurt is a great writer but BOY did he not get Thor. Kurt wrote amazing Avengers books but the character Thor was not one of his strong points. You shoulld purchase the 3 volumes by JMS, not many people could have wrote the thunder god but J. Michael Straczynski was one of them. You should have a look at his 3 books, its a much stronger and deeper take on Marvel's Norse culture

No its not. Thor as written by Stan was a deeply thoughtful man, prone to losing hope very quickly and beating himself up about his failures. He's a noble warrior, more like a Knight than a rampaging Viking. Thor is not a Viking, he's an Asgardian. He's eloquent if not poetic.

Well, let's be honest. JMS' take on Thor was good, but he didn't define the character or anything. He ignored a good deal of what previous writers had done with the god of Thunder (i.e. Asgard, Don Blake and Thor being the same person, etc.). Walt Simonson, on the other hand? He got Thor and wrote him well. Even when he had Thor lose a fight it didn't feel forced.

JMS' run wasn't good for Thor. It was confused. You saw glimpses of the character but he was so sulky it was ridiculous. I read JMS for Balder, Volstagg, Blake (even though he's wrong), Lady Loki and Lady Jane.

[Sighphi]

Yes, but then they have to fight mega threats each time. It's only going to get worst now that everyone thinks Hulk has always been there.

No they dont. This is the type of thinking that writers have now, everything needs to be stronger to actually beat some one else or prove a challenge. That wasnt the day back in the day, if you read all those old comics with endless thought-bubbles you would see characters explaining how they were beating up the people that they were fighting and 9 times out of 10 they outsmarted rather than beat their opponents. I posted a Namor vs Thor fight a few months ago when Namor was getting punked by Cage and that whole fight was the two dudes coming out with tactics to throw each other off to get the upper hand instead of just bashing each other harder.

Now writers for some reason cant imagine inventive ways to trip up strong dudes besides knocking them miles away. It's like watching a Dragon Ball Z fight.

[HaveAtThee]

Now writers for some reason cant imagine inventive ways to trip up strong dudes besides knocking them miles away. It's like watching a Dragon Ball Z fight.

I agree completely. Imaginative storytelling has been sorely lacking. They seem hell bent on appealing to a younger fanbase as well, who crave those type of mindless brawls.

[Frank]

I think Marvel not only have done bad stories with Thor

but they have wanted to depower him

beating Thor with his own hammer has happened more than once and this one of the more controversial comicbooks

from
hero-envy.blogspot.com
BMB repeats the feat in his book
" For now the “Hulk vs Thor” overall tally ended is in a 2 to 2 tie in 29 match ups, but I believe in my heart that the Hulk has a slight overall edge with better showings in all their slugfests."

Thor has been dumbed down and Hulk is getting the edge in more recent matches

Nice artwork there on the first page. Who drew that?

[jpbl1976]

I agree completely. Imaginative storytelling has been sorely lacking. They seem hell bent on appealing to a younger fanbase as well, who crave those type of mindless brawls.

Both posts QFT.

Related to this: one of the coolest things about Batman is that you knew (even without thought bubbles) that he was thinking of ways to beat characters with more raw power than him (which was a lot of the time during his JLA times). That's why his battle with Clark at the end of Dark Knight Returns was so interesting; he knew he couldn't compete with Clark directly because the power scale was so disparate that he had to outsmart him. That's missing from A LOT of comics nowadays because: a) I think modern writers don't want to be too verbose or use thought bubbles to explain things; and b) a lot of modern writers can't write action sequences (Bendis is particularly notable in this regard; his action sequences are terrible).

Oddly enough -- I remember JMS' run on Spider-Man and how Peter Parker actually had a plan for beating other, more powerful characters -- even the Hulk. His run wasn't even that long ago but that thought and care is now missing from a lot of Marvel's offerings these days.

[Hulk_Is]

Nice artwork there on the first page. Who drew that?

Steve Kurth.

[blakkrussian]

Personally, i think Thor has now been damaged beyond repair, and the new pics of him carrying two swords...well, that just looks plain BAD. The hammer should be more than enough.

[DiceRoll]

Now writers for some reason cant imagine inventive ways to trip up strong dudes besides knocking them miles away. It's like watching a Dragon Ball Z fight.

Not even. At least DBZ fights were interesting to look at and flowed consistently. Seriously look at some of the pages where someone is knocked flying and tell me how they can be sent that way.

[DiceRoll]

Personally, i think Thor has now been damaged beyond repair, and the new pics of him carrying two swords...well, that just looks plain BAD. The hammer should be more than enough.

Honestly I think the swords could work, if this were a full-on reboot. As of now, it's just weird. Why? Someone suggested it's so that he has a weapon when he throws his hammer, but if that's the case, why not just stop throwing the hammer? It's not like he's short on ranged attacks.

[blakkrussian]

Honestly I think the swords could work, if this were a full-on reboot. As of now, it's just weird. Why? Someone suggested it's so that he has a weapon when he throws his hammer, but if that's the case, why not just stop throwing the hammer? It's not like he's short on ranged attacks.

Yeah, to me, i just think its more a case of showing Thor more adept at using the main weapon he has before they give him two more. The fact that the new pictures have Thor having stubble also shows to me that he wont even be able to handle blades either, if he could he would use them to shave his face at least. 3 weapons and they can't even show him using one weapon properly. Looks like a recipe for disaster to me, like they are dumbing him down to be the new Ares or a version of WonderWoman who now also carries big arse swords. I sure hope not, because that will turn me off the character for GOOD.

[blakkrussian]

Honestly I think the swords could work, if this were a full-on reboot. As of now, it's just weird. Why? Someone suggested it's so that he has a weapon when he throws his hammer, but if that's the case, why not just stop throwing the hammer? It's not like he's short on ranged attacks.

To some writers that the only attack he has.