Marvel Universe to reboot in 'Secret Wars'

Secret Wars kicks off with Secret Wars #0, a free prologue arriving on May 2, Free Comic Book Day. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.

 

The first issue of Secret Wars, out in May, will begin the story with the heroes of two worlds failing to stop a disaster that destroys both worlds. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.

 

The second issue of Secret Wars, also out in May features a whole lot of Thors, all of whom have appearead in one storyline or another over the last 53 years. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.

 

By Andrew A. Smith

Tribune Content Agency

We live in an expanding universe. So do the Avengers, X-Men and Fantastic Four – until May, that is, when that will change.

In a Jan. 20 press conference at Midtown Comics in New York City, Marvel Comics Senior VP -- Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso decreed the end of not only the Marvel Comics universe, which has been building on itself in a more-or-less linear fashion since the early 1960s, but also of the “Ultimate Universe,” an alternate dimension Marvel has been exploring since 2000 in books like Ultimate Spider-Man (currently starring a black/Hispanic kid named Miles Morales) and The Ultimates (a warped mirror version of the Avengers).

The plan, Alonso said, is that the two universes will “slap together” in a book called Secret Wars. No, not the Secret Wars of 1984 or the Secret Wars II of 1985, which were born of a toy line (although there are some superficial similarities). Nor is it the Secret War of 2004, which is a different animal altogether.

This Secret Wars, according to Alonso, is the “endcap” of the Marvel Universe launched by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 54 years ago in Fantastic Four #1. And whatever comes after … will be different.

The mechanism for doing this has been an ongoing storyline in the flagship Avengers titles for the last year or so. Here’s the plot:

Somewhere in the multiverse, the Avengers learned in 2013, something had gone awry in the barriers between dimensions. So now an infinite number of universes are plowing into ours, one by one, always with the Earths of each universe the breach point. So the Avengers have been struggling for a way to stop these “incursions,” as they are called. But all they’ve managed to do so far is survive – by destroying each invading Earth. That’s not very heroic, but it does reset the clock for the next incursion, by which time, the heroes hope, they will find a way to change the rules.

It turns out, according to Brevoort, “They won’t.” In Secret Wars #1 in May, the Ultimate Universe is the one invading, and the heroes of both worlds fail to stop the collision. At which point, most Marvel titles will be canceled, because Marvel Earth will be no more. Instead, what we have left is something called “Battleworld.”

“Battleword, essentially, is the detritius that’s left over after the destruction of the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe,” Brevoort said. “And it is the little melting pot in which the new Marvel Universe will be created, will be fermented. All the little bits and pieces and dribs and drabs, all the little sections of Earths that were within those incursion zones, all those little areas where it’s intersected, all those little areas have remained and will be fused into a single, gigantic organism, which is Battleworld. In which various characters will live their lives and contend with this new situation and will set up all of the building blocks and all of the bedrock of what the new Marvel Univese will be from that point going forward.”

To create this new Earth, Marvel has mined its rich history, and used famous storylines from its past for its foundation.

For example, a 1992 Hulk story called “Future Imperfect” imagined a future world where an ancient Hulk called The Maestro ruled a nuclear-irradiated world with an iron fist. That is represented by a tract of land on Battleworld called “Dystopia.”

The two Iron Man stories called “Armor Wars,” where Tony Stark flew around the world illegally destroying his technology wherever it was being used by bad guys, is represented by “Technopolis.” And so forth. (An interactive map of Battleworld can be found HERE.)

Secret Wars will run eight issues, but with the old Marvel Universe gone, what else will Marvel publish? A lot, as it turns out, in three umbrella categories:

Last Days: Books with this trade dress will focus on what certain characters – some of whom will probably not survive the transition – do in the last eight hours before the end of the world.

Battleworld: These books are a macro look at the new reality, with stories covering how the zones deal with each other, who’s in charge of what, and overarching  issues of that nature.

Warzones: These books will be smaller, human-level stories about individual characters or opponents.

And after that? Marvel’s mum, but we must assume they’ll keep the characters or story arcs that are popular and jettison the ones that aren’t. So expect Wolverine to return (he’s currently dead), and for that Ultimate Spider-Man guy to hang around, as he seems to have a lot fans.

And that’s not all. Alonso said the stories created during Secret Wars will “have legs” and continue into the new Marvel Universe, whatever that will look like.

“If we wanted to resurrect Gwen Stacy, this would be the place to do it,” Alonso said, referring to Spider-Man’s first serious girlfriend, who died in 1972 (in the comics) and in 2014 (in the movies).

“Or if we wanted four Gwen Stacys …” Brevoort joked. Or is it a joke?

Of course, with the popularity of the Marvel movies, one must wonder why they’re rocking the boat. Why do all this? And the answer is the same one it always is: To sell a lot of comic books. Oh, wait, I meant to say “to tell a good story.” Because, in the end, those two goals usually overlap.

But it’s certain to cause a lot of controversy, especially among older fans who will feel dissed. Do their favorite stories no longer matter?

And then there’s the pride Marvel has always taken in never rebooting its superhero books, as arch-rival DC Comics has done a number of times (the last time in 2011). While they’re not calling “Secret Wars” a reboot, it surely looks like one.

And what about the movies and TV shows? Will they continue to adapt the old favorites, or will they change to reflect this new reality?

The only answers are to be found by reading the comics themselves, beginning with Secret Wars #0, a prologue to the whole magilla which will be one of Marvel’s offerings on Free Comic Book Day 2015, which falls on May 2. (The other is The All-New, All-Different Avengers #1, and who or what that book will feature is anyone’s guess.) After that, both Secret Wars #1 and 2 ship the same month, with the second issue extra-sized to explain what the heck is going on.

As if it could. The Marvel Universe may be shrinking, but it the questions have just gotten bigger.

Reach Captain Comics by email (capncomics@aol.com), the Internet (comicsroundtable.com), Facebook (Captain Comics Round Table) or Twitter (@CaptainComics).

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  • And because I'm such a sweetie, I'm going to post all of Marvel's press releases on this event, not only the ones that have already come, but those yet to be!

    Press Releases as of Jan. 31, 2015

    ------------------------------------------------

    The Marvel Universe is No More! The Ultimate Universe is No More!

    Relive the Entire SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF!

    New York, NY – January 22, 2014 – Time has run out for the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe as the destruction of two universes brings forth the forging of a new Battleworld. Now, relive the monumental announcement by rewatching the entire SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF in its entirety.

    Streamed live from New York’s own Midtown Comics, witness Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso and SVP, Executive Editor Tom Brevoort discuss the first details of Battleworld and the destruction and end of both the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe.

    PRESS: To embed the SECRET WARS LIVE KICKOFF on your website or blog, please use the below embed code. Please note the video should not be altered in any way. Altering the video will result in a request to pull the video from your site an no further press opportunities will be provided.

    [Captain's Note: The link provided didn't work, and since I was sternly warned not to alter the video in any way, I'm not going to. If you want to see the press conference, it's available on Marvel.com.]

    ------------------------------------------------

    Free Comic Book Day 2015 Unleashes SECRET WARS #0 & ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS!

    New York, NY—January 23rd, 2014— The biggest heroes, the biggest creators and the biggest stories in comics today are coming to FREE COMIC BOOK DAY this year!

    Today, Marvel is proud to officially unveil its two stellar, can’t-miss Free Comic Book Day offerings for 2015! This May, prepare yourself for the kickoff of the biggest comic event in Marvel history, and a special preview of Marvel’s future in Secret Wars #0 and All-New, All-Different Avengers FCBD!

    First, Secret Wars #0 brings you a prologue to the most important comic series of 2015! From the all-star creative team of Jonathan Hickman and Paul Renaud, get caught up with the perfect primer for the mega-event of the year, just in time for Secret Wars #1 to hit comic shops the very next Wednesday!

    As a bonus, Secret Wars #0 will also contain a special presentation of “Attack on Avengers”, the sought after 8-page Avengers and Attack on Titan crossover, never-before-released in the United States by Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama with art by Gerardo Sandoval!

    Then, get ready for a look into the world that’s coming with All-New, All-Different Avengers FCBD! It’s your first taste of the all-new Marvel Universe as a blockbuster top secret Avengers creative team sets out on a new adventure that will have fans begging for more! Who will be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes when the dust settles from SECRET WARS?  Find out here! This special issue also includes a brand new bonus story by blockbuster writer Charles Soule that previews one of the biggest new titles of 2015 – Uncanny Inhumans!

    “Free Comic Book Day is a day to showcase the amazing world of comic books we all live and play in,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “What a spectacular opportunity to reach new fans as FCBD coincides with the release of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. There’s no better time for fans to jump in to the Marvel comics universe with new titles featuring the Avengers, the Inhumans and Secret Wars. Support your local retailers and head to a comic shop that weekend for some stellar offerings from all-star creators. We can’t wait for fans to get their hands on them.”

    This May, the opening salvo of Secret Wars is fired and the Avengers of tomorrow take shape. No fan can afford to miss this year’s FREE COMIC BOOK DAY – May 2nd at participating comic shops nationwide!

    1936574452?profile=RESIZE_1024x10241936574992?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

    SECRET WARS #0

    Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN & HAJIME ISAYAMA

    Art by PAUL RENAUD & GERARDO SANDOVAL

    Cover by ALEX ROSS

    Coming Free Comic Book Day!

    ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT AVENGERS FCBD

    Written by TOP SECRET & CHARLES SOULE

    Art & Cover by TOP SECRET

    Coming Free Comic Book Day!

    ------------------------------------------------

    Marvel presents the First of Three New Series Banners For SECRET WARS!

    New York, NY—January 21, 2015— The skies go dark and the world begins to fracture. Secret Wars is coming, and with it the destruction of the Marvel Universe as we know it. Today, Marvel is proud to announce LAST DAYS, the first of three different types of series taking place during the upcoming, highly anticipated Secret Wars!

    “What would you do if you learned today was your last day on Earth?” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “That’s the question your favorite Marvel heroes are going to ask themselves in their LAST DAYS story lines as they brace for Secret Wars and the end of the Marvel Universe.”

    Battleworld is set to transform the Marvel Universe as you know it. But before Secret Wars can begin, this chapter must come to a close. What will our heroes do with their final hours? What secrets will be unearthed? Who will they want to spend their LAST DAYS with?

    “LAST DAYS is the first of three new brandings for series unique to Secret Wars,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Each branding will bear its own unique trade dress and logo treatment, clearly defining its relationship to the main Secret Wars story. This will make it easier for fans to experience the full scope of Secret Wars. Don’t dare miss these epic tales as our heroes face their impending obliteration!”

    Before Secret Wars can begin, the Marvel Universe must end. And it all starts this May as the entire planet faces their LAST DAYS!

    1936575153?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024

    ------------------------------------------------

    Marvel Presents the Second of Three New Series Banners For SECRET WARS!

    New York, NY—January 22, 2015— The Marvel Universe has been destroyed! One by one, each and every universe across the cosmos has been eliminated. All that exists is a new, patchwork planet made up of the remains of decimated universes.  Today, Marvel is proud to announce BATTLEWORLD, which joins LAST DAYS as two of the three unique umbrella brands of titles launching during Secret Wars!

    “If you want the full story of what’s happening across the surface of this new planet,  BATTLEWORLD branded titles are for you,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso. “Who polices Battleworld? How do the various domains interact? What happens when those domains go to war?  What strange, never-before-seen creatures inhabit this world? What familiar faces will make appearances? Fans who want to fully understand how each sector interacts with the others can’t miss out on these books!”

    Titles carrying the BATTLEWORLD banner will focus on the interworking and interaction of all the domains now fused together throughout the one and only remaining planet! The Secret Wars are waged as the last remaining fragments of dead universes fight for survival. Who rules these domains? Who comes out on top? Who lives? Who dies?

    “The inner machinations of Secret Wars happen here,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “BATTLEWORLD branded titles will be clearly marked through the Marvel Previews solicits as well as with well distinguished cover trade dress, this way both retailers and fans will know what they’re getting. Think of these as the new core monthly titles. “

    What secrets are about to be revealed? Find out this may as Secret Wars enters BATTLEWORLD!

    1936577496?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024------------------------------------------------

    Marvel Presents the Last of Three New Series Banners For SECRET WARS!

    New York, NY—January 23, 2015— The future begins here! When everything ends, there is only Secret Wars. Today, Marvel is proud to announce WARZONES!, the final umbrella of titles launching during Secret Wars! WARZONES! joins LAST DAYS and BATTLEWORLD as the three different categories of titles launching throughout Secret Wars, each with their own unique type of story to tell!

     “If you want a glimpse of what the future holds, you’ll find it in the WARZONES titles,” says Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso.  “Our creators let their imaginations run wild as they lay down the foundations for the future.  Whether we’re revisiting the most popular events from Marvel’s past or telling completely new stories, you won’t believe what we’ve got in store for you.”

    All that remains in the cosmos is Battleworld, the strange, patchwork realm playing host to countless realities, all existing side-by-side, fused into a single planet! Titles carrying the WARZONES! banner tell stories of the individual dominions of Battleworld. What happens within their borders? What heroes guard their skies? What villains conspire within? How does over 75 years of Marvel’s epic history play out now that Battleworld is all there is?

     “To be clear, WARZONES! titles are NOT fill-ins. These are the event caliber books, magnified to the Nth degree,” says Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel. “Secret Wars has afforded us a completely unique opportunity to tell huge, epic, event-sized stories within the framework of this new, patchwork planet – events within events. These titles will lay the building blocks and groundwork for what’s next, if that gives any indication of how important they are!”

    While the Secret Wars rage on, the foundation of a new Marvel Universe take shape within the war-torn domains across Battleworld. The future of Marvel begins in the WARZONES!

    1936579494?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024------------------------------------------------

    The LAST DAYS begin this May!

    'Loki: Agent of Asgard', 'Magneto' & 'Captain America & The Mighty Avengers' Begin Their LAST DAYS Story Arcs!

    New York, NY—January 28th, 2015— The skies fracture. The ground trembles. The end of all they know is coming. Heroes, Gods of Mischief and Masters of Magnetism who have faced annihilation more times than they could count and walked away. Only this time, there is no walking away. Today, Marvel is pleased to present the first issues of three blockbuster LAST DAYS stories, leading in to the highly-anticipated Secret Wars. Beginning in May, be there as your favorite Marvel heroes face their final hours, and the obliteration of the Marvel Universe!

    First, Al Ewing and Luke Ross bring you a story of the people who faced the end of the world together, shoulder to shoulder in the face of destruction in CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE MIGHTY AVENGERS #8. Some of them wore costumes, and some of them didn’t. Some of them had super-human powers, and all some had were each other. Yet they were all Mighty Avengers in the end. And this is how they spent their last day.

    Then, ask yourself – what will your legacy be when it’s all over? Cullen Bunn and Javi Fernandez have the answers in MAGNETO #18. The Mutant Master of Magnetism has learned his time is all but spent. A life of struggle and torment brought to a cataclysmic end at the destruction of all things. With everything he’s fought for his whole life brought to its unavoidable ending, how will he cope? Will he celebrate his legacy – or be tormented by it?

    Finally, the end of the Marvel Universe extends into Asgard and beyond as all the Ten Realms face their final hours in LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD #14. Al Ewing and Lee Garbett bring you the curtain call of the God of Mischief. Ancient enemies march on Asgardia seeking their final vengeance – including King Loki, meaner, madder and more dangerous than before. Where is our Loki? What tragedy has befallen him, here at the end?

    Before Secret Wars can begin, the Marvel Universe must end. And it all starts this May as the LAST DAYS story arcs begin in Captain America & the Mighty Avengers #8, Loki: Agent of Asgard #14, and Magneto #18!

     

    1936581710?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE MIGHTY AVENGERS #8

    Written by AL EWING

    Art & Cover by LUKE ROSS

    On Sale in May!

     

    1936583443?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024MAGNETO #18

    Written by CULLEN BUNN

    Art by JAVI FERNANDEZ

    Cover by DAVID YARDIN

    On Sale in May!

     

    1936585999?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD #14

    Written by AL EWING

    Art & Cover by LEE GARBETT

    On Sale in May!

    ------------------------------------------------

    BATTLEWORLD Arrives in ULTIMATE END #1 This May!

    The End of the Ultimate Universe From Two of Its Most Iconic Creators!

    Bendis. Bagley. The death of the Ultimate Universe. Secret Wars! ‘Nuff said.

    The wheels are spinning, and the Ultimate Universe is on a collision course with Secret Wars. The gut-wrenching end begins this May as Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley reteam for ULTIMATE END #1!

    1936588038?profile=RESIZE_1024x10241936589917?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024ULTIMATE END #1

    Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

    Art & Cover by MARK BAGLEY

    Variant Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ

    On Sale in May!

    ------------------------------------------------

    BATTLEWORLD Ignites in INHUMANS: ATTILAN RISING #1

    Charles Soule & John Timms Deliver a New Spin on The Inhumans for SECRET WARS!

    New York, NY—January 29th, 2014— There’s a rebellion brewing on Battleworld. Stretching far and wide into every dominion across the strange, patchwork realm, underground revolutionaries prepare for the uprising. Today, Marvel is pleased to announce INHUMANS: ATTILAN RISING #1, a new Secret Wars series from New York Times Bestselling writer Charles Soule (Death of Wolverine, Inhuman) and artist John Timms (Nova, Harley Quinn)!

    Medusa, ruler of Attilan and Queen of the Inhumans, has been tasked with rooting out the rebels, and crushing their resistance beneath her steely tendrils of hair. Yet a chance encounter with the head of the insurgency will change everything. A man named – BLACK BOLT! And things are about to get complicated.

    “One of the ideas behind Inhumans: Attilan Rising from the start was to put Medusa, Black Bolt, Reader, Iso and other characters from Inhuman into a new context,” says Charles Soule, in an interview with Marvel.com. “That’s part of the fun of an event like Secret Wars. Things don’t have to be the way we’re used to seeing them.”

    “My initial concept was ‘life during wartime’,” continued Soule. “The relationships we’re used to seeing will be different in this story. Huge drama, spies, glamour, action, betrayal, sabotage. My hope is that it won’t feel like anything else out there.”

    The drums of war beat for the Inhuman nation. But when the dust clears, who will rise? Find out as BATTLEWORLD comes to the Inhumans in INHUMANS: ATTILAN RISING #1 this May!

    1936589943?profile=RESIZE_1024x10241936592108?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024INHUMANS: ATTILAN RISING #1

    Written by CHARLES SOULE

    Art by JOHN TIMMS

    Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

    Variant Cover by W. SCOTT FORBES

    Coming in May!

    ------------------------------------------------

    Ready, Set, FIGHT! Announcing SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1!

    New York, NY—January 30th, 2014— The battles in Secret Wars are so big, we had to launch an entirely new book just to contain them! This May, prepare for the big, bombastic action like you’ve never seen before in SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 – a new 4-issue limited series of wall-to-wall action across the surface of Battleworld!  Bursting with epic action, each issue of SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD features two all-new high-octane stories ripped from the pages of the biggest event of the year!

     “The weirder and more fun, the better” says series editor Jon Moisan of the tone of the series in an interview with Marvel.com. “You want to see the 1602 version of the Punisher fight the 2099 version of Iron Man? Muskets versus the 1990s version of the future! We can even have the same characters from different worlds fight. I’m sure readers have been dreaming of seeing a dozen different versions of Howard the Duck fight. Well, guess what? It’s completely possible in SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD!”

     This issue – what happens when Dr. Strange possesses the Punisher? Meet the Sorcerer EXTREME! Only Spider-Man, Wolverine, the Hulk and Ghost Rider of this land can track this terrible two-in-one down. And things are going to get messy! Then, what happens when M.O.D.O.K. recruits every M.O.D.O.K. ever from across Battleworld for his evil scheme. I’ll give you a hint – F.I.G.H.T.!

     Each issue –  cover-to-cover action, pulse-pounding battles and can’t miss creators. You want action? Look no further than SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 when it explodes in to comic shops and on to digital devices this May!

    1936594194?profile=RESIZE_1024x10241936594350?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 (of 4)

    Written by JOSH WILLIAMSON & ED BRISSON

    Art by MIKE HENDERSON & SCOTT HEPBURN

    Cover by PACO MEDINA

    Variant Cover by JAMES STOKOE

    Action Figure Variant by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER

    Coming in May!

  • So many Thors but not the regular one in that picture? Note the actual mythological one with the red beard in the back on the left. Looks like they're making Thor their Hawkman. You'd think there would be a bunch of Spider-Men but there's just the one in red and black. I'm surprised Hyperion got in there.

    "And what about the movies and TV shows? Will they continue to adapt the old favorites, or will they change to reflect this new reality?" Uh...except for the 1966 non-animated cartoon the movies and TV shows have never followed the comics. I suspect the opposite is going to happen, the comics will begin to adapt the movies and TV shows.

    A lot of these areas are different realities like Future Imperfect, but the Armor Wars actually happened in the regular Marvel Universe, so why is that area there?

    And where's the Living Tribunal, who's made sure this sort of thing didn't happen before by destroying some universes before they could damage others? He should be bouncing all over the Marvel Universe right now.



  • Ron M. said:

    So many Thors but not the regular one in that picture? Note the actual mythological one with the red beard in the back on the left. Looks like they're making Thor their Hawkman. You'd think there would be a bunch of Spider-Men but there's just the one in red and black. I'm surprised Hyperion got in there.

    Every Thor in that picture, according to Marvel, has appeared somewhere, somewhen in some Marvel title. The "actual mythological one with the red beard" isn't that at all -- it's Roger "Red" Norvell, who took Thor's place for a while in the late 1970s. Inerestingly, there's supposedly a Thor that appeared at DC somewhere on that cover.

    A lot of these areas are different realities like Future Imperfect, but the Armor Wars actually happened in the regular Marvel Universe, so why is that area there?
    There are a plenty of areas on Battleworld from the 616 Marvel Universe. It's never been said anywhere that only alternate realities would be included.
  • Didn't Jack Kirby make that DC Thor too? If Red Norvell could show up then we can expect Mar-Vell and maybe even Uncle Ben. Seems to be a lot of girl Thors. When Reed talked to a bunch of alternate Reeds in one story he was surprised to learn Johnny was a girl in more than half of all known realities. Any sign of a girl Torch?
    So if Armor Wars gets wiped out on Battleworld it never happened? I'd like to see Gwen Stacy having Norman Osborn's kids get erased, but if they actually do bring her back they wouldn't be able to resist having the Goblin dangle that over her head.
  • There have been at least three DC Thors. First, "Fairtales" Fenton from the Sandman story in Adventure Comics #75 and All-Star Squadron #18. Second, the Thor of myth from "The Magic Hammer" in Tales of the Unexpected #16. Third, a transformed curator in "The Hammer of Thor!" in Batman #127. Kirby drew the first two of these stories, and the Tales of the Unexpected one appears on the cover. He's at the rear, to the immediate right of old Thor's wrist. I believe in the DC story he was only shown as a glowing yellow phantom.

    I've been trying to identify all the characters and versions of Thor on the cover. Here's what I've got:

    <Left side of image. Starting top left, moving left to right, rear to front.>

    1.'Red' Norvell (red beard, hornet helmet, metal gauntlet)

    2.Thor Girl

    3.Dargo Ktor (studded wristband)

    4.? (in profile, hornet helmet, blond facial hair[?], armband on upper arm)

    5.Grant Farrel, the Golden Age Thor, from Fox's Weird Comics (beardless, bare chest, blue cape)

    6.Thunderstrike (in profile, chain 'thong' around arm)

    7.? (golden helmet wings, beardless, ankh "hammer")

    8.Storm from X-Men Annual #9

    9.Old Thor from the "God Butcher" storyline in Thor: God of Asgard

    10.? (beardless, no shirt)

    <Right side of image. Moving left to right, rear to front.>

    11.DC Thor from Tales of the Unexpected #16

    12.current, female Thor

    13.? (red costume)

    14.? (dog-faced Thor)

    15.Thordis (Jane Foster) from What If? (original series) #10

    16.? (black suit, holding cross)

    17.Beta-Ray Bill

    18.alternative future Thor from Dan Jurgens's "Thor, Lord of Asgard" storyline (axe in left hand)

    19.Throg of the Pet Avengers (rather than Frog Thor, as he was human-sized once he transformed)

    Addition or corrections welcome.

  • Good eye, Luke! Can anybody add any more?

  • Somehow I twice wrote "hornet" for horned. I'll make up for it by linking to this item on why it's not correct to imagine the Vikings as wearing horned helmets. (Which is not necessarily to say the Asgardians shouldn't wear them; the article notes evidence that horned helmets have existed, the Asgardians are not Vikings, and Kirby's costumes could be considered dress costumes.)

  • There's also no proof they wore the armor they're often seen wearing on film. And some of Kirby's costumes for Asgardians looked like they came from the Far East like Japan.

  • 14., the dog-headed Thor, is probably Thor, dog of Thunder from Spider-Ham stories, depicted realistically. My hat-tip here to Wikipedia's page Alternative versions of Thor.

    I've been struck by how many further characters there are that could have been included; Woden (from the 90s Guardians of the Galaxy series), Thunderstrike II (from the A-Next universe), Thena Thorsdóttir (ditto), the Marvel 2099 Thor, Ultimate Thor (I would have expected him to be there, but I can't see him), Thorion (Amalgam), Bravado or Crusader (What If...? [second series] #114), Asgardian/Wiccan.

    4. might be the 1602 Thor, but if so the arm arising behind Thunderstrike's head with the armband and differently-shaped hammer, which I took to be his, is presumably someone else's.

  • There was a panel in the 80s where Thor had three arms that got a lot of comments and jokes (around the same time there was the infamous "Cap has no nose!" panel.) While it was clearly a mistake made by the artist it would have been interesting if they'd brought in Three-Armed Thor here and given an explanation for how that happened. Also blonde girly Sif from JiM#102. And, except they explained years ago he was a Dire Wraith, Avengers#10 Hercules should have made an appearance with regular Herc. Doubtlessly there was some reality where Herc actually looked like the guy Immortus sicced on Thor.

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