Created by artist Jack Kirby, writer Stan Lee, and scripter Larry Lieber, the character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) and first received his own title with Thor #126 (1966).

In addition to his Asgardian strength and extended lifespan, Thor wields control over the weather, including rain and lightning.

Thor's cast of supporting characters includes his fellow Asgardians Odin, Sif, The Warriors Three, and Balder the Brave, as well as other allies such as Jane Foster, Beta Ray Bill, and Hercules.

[1] Like other superheroes created at the time, Thor usurped a comic book anthology that had previously been dedicated to monster fiction.

[7] Lee in 2002 described Thor's genesis early in the Marvel pantheon, following the creation of the Hulk: [H]ow do you make someone stronger than the strongest person?

[3] Thor was well-suited to be recreated as a superhero, as the mythological character already had an established supporting cast, superpowers, and sense of justice.

[19] First appearing in Journey into Mystery #97 (1963), this series focused on Thor's mythological adventures and greatly expanded his roster of supporting characters, including Sif, Balder the Brave, and the Warriors Three.

[23] As Kirby's work on Thor came to an end, the setting shifted back to Earth and Jane Foster was reintroduced.

[24] Lee eventually ceded control of the titles he worked on to other writers, and Thor was given to Gerry Conway, who at the time was a teenager.

[36] During the Heroes Reborn event, many of Marvel's superheroes were given new volumes, restarted at issue #1, but Thor's series was not renewed.

[39] The subsequent period of Marvel's history reflected the political turmoil that followed the September 11 attacks and the War on Terror.

[41] Thor volume two ended with a tie in to the Avengers Disassembled storyline that saw major changes to Marvel's main characters.

[42] This volume began by addressing the ramifications of Avengers Disassembled and slowly reintroducing Thor's supporting characters.

[33][34] Thor was then a central character in the Siege event in 2010, which featured Marvel's cast of superheroes defending Asgard from Norman Osborn.

As Thor comes of age, Odin gifts him a magic hammer, Mjolnir, which is enchanted so that only the worthy may lift it.

[54] Deeming him too arrogant, Odin banishes Thor to modern day Earth with no memory of his Asgardian origins, giving him the identity of Donald Blake.

[62] While in the afterlife, Thor once again binds himself to Blake to resurrect himself, and creates a new Asgard floating over Oklahoma, gathering the Asgardians who had been reincarnated as mortals.

After Norman Osborn seizes power in the United States, he orders an attack on the new Asgard, and Thor returns to his home.

[70] When Thor was first created, he was an exception to Marvel's real world approach to storytelling, emphasizing the fantastical over current events and modern social issues.

[61][55] While he is bound to Dr. Blake, Thor holds significant responsibilities in both realms, and he is often forced to choose between his role as a prince and as a surgeon.

[15][74] Thor has a distinct manner of speech, inspired by the King James Version of the Bible and by the work of William Shakespeare.

When traveling with passengers or cargo as a consideration, Thor uses a chariot pulled by his two magic goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder.

[55] Thor's supporting cast includes the gods of Asgard: his father is the Asgardian king Odin,[79] he was friends with Balder the Brave since childhood,[54] and the Warriors Three sometimes accompany him.

[9] Beta Ray Bill became an ally of Thor after proving his worthiness and receiving a hammer of his own from Odin, Stormbreaker.

[81][82][83] Other characters have taken the title of Thor, including Jane Foster, Beta Ray Bill, Eric Masterson, Volstagg, and Storm.

[87] The character created a 20th century American audience for Norse myth that expanded significantly when Marvel's Thor was adapted to film.

[96] A live action adaptation of Thor appears in The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988), portrayed by Eric Allan Kramer.

This version of Thor was considered for its own spin-off, but this was not seen through due to the ongoing writers strike and concerns about the character's design.

[97] A Thor movie was set for production with Universal Pictures in 1981, but it was one of several planned Marvel projects that were not produced.

[100] This version of Thor was introduced as a member of a technologically advanced alien race, placing less emphasis on the character's fantasy origins.