The Thunder-God and the Thug!
Featuring: Thor
Release: December 3, 1962
Cover: February 1963
12 cents
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: L.D. Lieber
Art: Jack Kirby
Inking: Dick Ayers
13 pages
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 1.
Ray Holloway is credited as the letterer. First credit we have seen for him. Art Simek has been doing most of the lettering when it’s been credited.
As with his battle against the Soviets, fighting mobsters is unworthy of Thor’s power. They really don’t stand a chance. The only trick that works is taking a hostage, usually Jane.
These Thor stories are frustrating. They have shown great hints of potential, undermined by lazy writing, with lackluster plots and villains. I’m most intrigued by what’s going on in Asgard, yet we never get more than glimpses of it. There’s essentially no character work. The stories focus entirely on Thor in some battle. The character development is usually left to just a couple panels, and it’s never actually development– they just repeat the status quo. Blake has thoughts about his feelings for Jane. She has thoughts about her feelings for both Blake and Thor. And that’s where we leave it.
Like, this scene seems like a fascinating clue to the overarching mystery of the relationship between Blake and Thor. Except that I’m not yet convinced the writers have devoted an iota of thought to the mystery.
If there’s one worthwhile aspect to this story, it’s the character of Ruby, a good woman in love with the wrong man, who remains fiercely loyal to a man who doesn’t deserve her, a man who almost kills her as soon as it is convenient for him. In the end, Thor calls upon Odin to make Ruby forget about Thug Thatcher, so freeing her from her tragic love.
The retelling of Thor’s origin in this issue adds a scene that doesn’t really have a referent in what we’ve seen before. Thor swears before the sky-image of Odin that he will use his powers to battle evil. In the actual origin, Thor had Don Blake’s mind and just kind of stumbled into his early battles.
Jane fantasizes about being with Thor. To my eye, her fantasies are a bit… odd. Perhaps I don’t understand the dreams of a ’60s woman; or perhaps Lee and Kirby don’t. The comic doubles down on last issue’s mistake of referring to Jane Nelson as Jane Foster; so perhaps that’s just her name now.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆, 39/100
Significance: ★★☆☆☆
Characters:
- Dr. Don Blake/Thor
- Jane Foster
- Thug Thatcher
- Ruby
- Odin
Minor characters:
- Vince (mobster)
Story notes:
- Thor uses dumb ruse involving crafting a Thor dummy to avoid being seen going into office. Why not just fly away yourself?
- Origin retold; adds part about Thor making vow to fight evil; we had seen no such scene before
- Robert Burns quote
- Jane Foster named as such, for second time.
- Thug Thatcher caught selling sub-standard steel
- Names on doorbells in Dr. Blake’s building: “H. Sykes”, “Don Blake, M.D.”
- “Even though I haven’t the body of Thor, I still have his brain– his thought processes!” — Don Blake
- Don Blake calls for help and Odin answers
- Thug had read about how Thor and Don Blake are often in the same place at about the same time
- When Thor’s hammer is pounded 4 times it produces lightning
- Thor calls upon Odin to remove memories of Thug Thatcher from Ruby, freeing her from her tragic love.
#45 story in reading order
Next: Tales to Astonish #41
Previous: Tales to Astonish #40
