Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, has been around for centuries in old folklore and now in modern comic books and films. While Marvel’s versions of the old Nordic gods aren’t exactly accurate, they still bring joy to fans across the globe, keeping the stories of old going. Fans know the vast multiverse that is the Marvel Universe. They’ve seen stories from different timelines and different realities time and time again. Throughout this multiverse, there have been many versions of the mighty Thor, some more powerful than others.
Thor: Love & Thunder hit theaters July 7, which introduces Jane Foster as Thor to the MCU. See how her comic version ranks amongst Thor's strongest variants.
Thor-El
Thor-El is what you get when you mix the God of Thunder with the Man of Steel. Marvel and DC teamed up to create a comic mixing the two universes with a limited series. In this comic, we see an amalgam of Thor and Superman. The two characters are constantly paired by fans in the classic “who would win” debates.
Although the series was limited and fans didn’t get to see much of Thor-El, everyone knows combining the might of a Kryptonian and the powers of the gods creates a force to be reckoned with.
Iron Hammer
When Gamora messed with the souls of the Marvel Universe, she accidentally created a new world called Warp World. In Warp World, each soul paired with another, causing many mixtures of characters across the universe. One of these combinations was Iron Man and Thor.
Stark Odinson, son of Howard Odin, combines the powers and might of Thor with the sharp intellect of Tony Stark. Iron Hammer can be seen wearing a red, yellow, and silver suit of armor and wielding a giant version of Mjolnir.
Jane Foster
Jane Foster was a nurse who worked with Dr. Donald Blake, Thor’s first human vessel. After becoming a doctor, she later met the God of Thunder himself. Their meeting sparked a romantic relationship and the two maintain an off-and-on relationship to this day in the comics.
After Thor was no longer deemed worthy to wield his hammer, Mjolnir, he needed a successor. In a surprising turn of events, Jane was able to lift the magical hammer, gaining the powers of a god. Jane would then assume the mantle of Thor and join the Avengers, saving people throughout the galaxy.
Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill is the champion of the Korbinites, a race whose home was destroyed by Surtur. Beta leads his people in search of a new home, landing in the Milky Way. As Thor went to check on the fleet, they saw him as an enemy and began to fight with the son of Odin. After Beta defeated Thor, he found that he was able to wield the hammer Mjolnir.
Beta and Thor formed a rivalry over Mjolnir and got the attention of Odin himself. After some fighting and debate on who should wield the hammer, Odin designed a new one for Beta Ray Bill and named it Stormbreaker. Beta, with Stormbreaker, wields the power of Thor and often helps or steps in for the God of Thunder.
War Thor
Volstagg is a member of the Warriors Three and a friend to Thor Odinson. Besides being an Asgardian, not much is known about the history of Volstagg. Thor and Volstagg fought side by side in the battle that initially made Thor worthy of Mjolnir when they fought the hordes of Hel.
After leading a diplomatic mission to Nidavellir, Volstagg and his party were attacked by the force of Muspelheim. Volstagg was the only survivor. After the battle, he felt a presence calling him in the now-abandoned City of Asgard. The presence calling him was a Mjolnir from an alternate universe. Volstagg found himself worthy of this Mjolnir and gained the powers of Thor, becoming the War Thor.
Throg
Simon Walterson had a rough go at life after he lost his wife and unborn child. He searched the Earth for anyone to help him speak to his late wife. Once he found a witch who helped him, he was unable to pay her. The witch then turned Simon into a frog as punishment.
During his frog adventures, Simon meets Thor, who has also turned into a frog. Thor and Simon help the local frog king fight off the rats they were at war with. Afterward, Thor returns back to his form as the God of Thunder. After Toothgnasher stepped on Mjolnir, a piece of the hammer broke off. This piece of Mjolnir was then wielded by Simon, who gained the powers that come with it.
Old King Thor
While Old King Thor is technically from Earth-14412, his life force is tied to the main universe Thor of Eath-616. Old King Thor often refers to 616 Thor as his “past self” and has insinuated that if 616 Thor dies, so does he.
This future Thor, like his father Odin, gave his eye in order to have all the knowledge in the nine realms. Old King Thor is the new All-Father and ruler of Asgard. Through his many battles and experiences, he has been able to harness and heighten his powers to their fullest.
Old Phoenix King Thor
The Phoenix Force is a massively powerful sentient entity that roamed the cosmos. When it landed on Earth, the entity was just a formless mass of energy. However, when it was worshipped by a magician named Feron, it took the form of the Phoenix from his daydreams. Its most famous host is mutant Jean Grey but has inhabited many characters in the Marvel Universe.
Old King Thor is one of the most powerful variants of the character. When Old King Thor merged with the Phoenix Force, becoming Old Phoenix King Thor, his powers greatly multiplied. This solidified him as one of the most dangerous beings in Marvel.
Thor: Herald Of Galactus
Galactus is a massive cosmic being that consumed planets to sustain his powers. Often seen as an antagonist for the Fantastic Four, Galactus has caused cosmic-level threats that involved many of the heroes in Marvel. Galactus usually comes with a Herald, a being he imbues with power to scout and ready planets for his consumption.
At one point in the comics, Thor was chosen as the next Herald of Galactus. Galactus granted Thor with the power cosmic, a source of ultimate and unlimited power that both Galactus and his Herald wields.
Ultimate Thor
The Ultimate Universe was Marvel’s attempt at transforming their characters to be more realistic and relatable to the times. This universe is seen as one of the darker timelines introduced by Marvel. Every character got their gritty spin, some worse than others.
The most powerful Thor variant is Ultimate Thor, who's real name is Thorlief Golmen. Golmen discovers he is the most recent reincarnation of Thor Odinson and begins his journey as the new God of Thunder. This version of Thor was less reliant on Mjolnir as a power source.