MERGE: Thor's Depowering: Not a Powerhouse Anymore

[DiceRoll]

Pretty sure Thor will be leader of that little group.

Why would Cap put a new and untested powerhouse in command of other new and untested powerhouses? He'd want a known quantity riding herd on them.

Like I said, this was all inferred by the little map that was released. It may be true, it may not.

[Whiterabbit]

I know how to redeem Thor in the Avengers: he breaks out of his chains and teleports Ex Nihilo to another dimension and swiftly follows. Thor opens with a statement like,

"Long have I waited to test my full might against a foe. I have restrained my godly powers while I walk on the mortal realms out of fear of taking an innocent life, or even my opponent's life. For I value all life in the universe and love the mortals. But you... I have faced those with powers capable of shattering planets and tearing the heaven's themselves asunder. YOU will not receive my good mercy."

Thor beats Ex Nihilo to a pulp with all his powers and returns him to the mortal realms, or kills him.

[DiceRoll]

I know how to redeem Thor in the Avengers: he breaks out of his chains and teleports Ex Nihilo to another dimension and swiftly follows. Thor opens with a statement like,

"Long have I waited to test my full might against a foe. I have restrained my godly powers while I walk on the mortal realms out of fear of taking an innocent life, or even my opponent's life. For I value all life in the universe and love the mortals. But you... I have faced those with powers capable of shattering planets and tearing the heaven's themselves asunder. YOU will not receive my good mercy."

Thor beats Ex Nihilo to a pulp with all his powers and returns him to the mortal realms, or kills him.

I can get where your goin' with this (Sort of a "World of Cardboard" scene), but something tells me it'll have the opposite effect and just be seen like the Red Hulk rematch.

[HaveAtThee]

i know how to redeem thor in the avengers: He breaks out of his chains and teleports ex nihilo to another dimension and swiftly follows. Thor opens with a statement like,

"long have i waited to test my full might against a foe. I have restrained my godly powers while i walk on the mortal realms out of fear of taking an innocent life, or even my opponent's life. For i value all life in the universe and love the mortals. But you... I have faced those with powers capable of shattering planets and tearing the heaven's themselves asunder. You will not receive my good mercy."

thor beats ex nihilo to a pulp with all his powers and returns him to the mortal realms, or kills him.

omgz but dats soo unrealisticcc wtf u need avengers 4???!!! Gotta see cap, wolvy and spidey take dem down!!!111 total pwnage

[DiceRoll]

I'm reserving major judgement for when his episode comes out, but I can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with Thor's first scene in Avengers Initiative being him crashing to Earth, presumably after being defeated. Like I said, though, his ep isn't out yet, so there's a lack of context, but still...

[DiceRoll]

Did Thor's showing in Avengers #3 sway anyone's opinions?

[happyman]

Did Thor's showing in Avengers #3 sway anyone's opinions?

I thought he was written more appropriately in that issue. Captain Universe really stole the show as the new powerhouse though.

[Will.S]

Did Thor's showing in Avengers #3 sway anyone's opinions?

No, NEVER.

Not until he beats Superman, Hyperion, Hulk, Celestials and Thanos and in that specific order!

[happyman]

Can't we just have a WWH version of Thor for a story-line?

[Van Custo]

Can't we just have a WWH version of Thor for a story-line?

Already have. Twice.

Blood & Thunder, where he rampaged throughout the universe and slapped around Bill, Silver Surfer, Drax and others.

And The Reigning, where he took over the world.

[Van Custo]

Did Thor's showing in Avengers #3 sway anyone's opinions?

There was absolutely nothing special about anything Thor did in that issue. Pretty routine stuff. The fact that some people think that showing was impressive for him shows just how far he has fallen, and how he is viewed by contemporary comic fans. The stuff Thor was regularly doing in the 60's, 70's and 80's was impressive. He was Marvel's Superman. Also some of his feats from JMS's and Jurgens runs were great.

[Kieran_Frost]

There was absolutely nothing special about anything Thor did in that issue. Pretty routine stuff. The fact that some people think that showing was impressive for him shows just how far he has fallen, and how he is viewed by contemporary comic fans. The stuff Thor was regularly doing in the 60's, 70's and 80's was impressive. He was Marvel's Superman. Also some of his feats from JMS's and Jurgens runs were great.

I'm not much of a Thor fan, but I 100% agree with this; Thor used to be THE powerhouse. Now I don't feel he's depicted as much more than "just another major powerhouse." I hate to agree, and fuel the fires of Thor-fan-rage... but he's lost what made him "the final stand."

[PupsOfWar]

I'm not much of a Thor fan, but I 100% agree with this; Thor used to be THE powerhouse. Now I don't feel he's depicted as much more than "just another major powerhouse." I hate to agree, and fuel the fires of Thor-fan-rage... but he's lost what made him "the final stand."

Everyone has to deal with that, though. Even superman.

Supes has to coexist with Captain Marvel and the various other superman analogs that have been picked up, Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, about a million Green Lanterns and in general a variety of heroes who have at one time or another been depicted as capable of things near, at or beyond his level.

Supes remains the guy - the guy who saves the day in all the Events, the guy to whom people look when all else has failed - despite all of that, not because his powerset is maintained as innately more powerful than the other ludicrous powersets running around, but because he's been one of their two most popular characters for decades and has an iconic status that can never be matched by most of the others.

If it's "Marvel's Superman" in terms of superman being the archetypal heavy-hitter among the typical set of heroes, then sure, Thor has been that.

If it's "Marvel's Superman" in terms of superman being inextricably vital to the line's image, then somebody like spider-man would be more "Marvel's Superman".

If it's "Marvel's Superman"in terms of leadership among the super-hero community, then it's Captain America.

If it's "Marvel's Superman" in terms of Big Events and soforth always being structured around the character's actions and/or reactions, then Marvel doesn't really have that guy. (More a rotating arrangement).

If Thor has declined in his fulfillment of that first criterion, it's probably due to just not having those other criterion present in the character as impetus to keep others from matching him, rather than any drive to neuter his powerset in and of itself.

[AcesX1X]

i just think people need to face the fact that thor isn't as powerful in his new incarnation as he used to be.

[hawkeyefan]

There was absolutely nothing special about anything Thor did in that issue. Pretty routine stuff. The fact that some people think that showing was impressive for him shows just how far he has fallen, and how he is viewed by contemporary comic fans. The stuff Thor was regularly doing in the 60's, 70's and 80's was impressive. He was Marvel's Superman. Also some of his feats from JMS's and Jurgens runs were great.

I thought the way he's been written by Hickman so far has been great. I really don't get wll the complaints in this instance. Was it "impressive" in the sense that it was a depiction of the pinnacle of what Thor can do? No...but that doesn't mean it was unimpressive. He helped turn the tide back to the Avengers' side, and also had some interesting back and forth with one of the villains.

Displays of power seem to be the only thing many Thor fans are concerned with. I don't really get that.

Everyone has to deal with that, though. Even superman.

Supes has to coexist with Captain Marvel and the various other superman analogs that have been picked up, Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, about a million Green Lanterns and in general a variety of heroes who have at one time or another been depicted as capable of things near, at or beyond his level.

Supes remains the guy - the guy who saves the day in all the Events, the guy to whom people look when all else has failed - despite all of that, not because his powerset is maintained as innately more powerful than the other ludicrous powersets running around, but because he's been one of their two most popular characters for decades and has an iconic status that can never be matched by most of the others.

If it's "Marvel's Superman" in terms of superman being the archetypal heavy-hitter among the typical set of heroes, then sure, Thor has been that.

If it's "Marvel's Superman" in terms of superman being inextricably vital to the line's image, then somebody like spider-man would be more "Marvel's Superman".

If it's "Marvel's Superman"in terms of leadership among the super-hero community, then it's Captain America.

If it's "Marvel's Superman" in terms of Big Events and soforth always being structured around the character's actions and/or reactions, then Marvel doesn't really have that guy. (More a rotating arrangement).

If Thor has declined in his fulfillment of that first criterion, it's probably due to just not having those other criterion present in the character as impetus to keep others from matching him, rather than any drive to neuter his powerset in and of itself.

That's a pretty accurate breakdown, as far as his role in the MU.