Summary
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Giant-Size Thor #1!While the rest of the originalMCUAvengers have completed their story arcs,Thor’s is only just beginning, as his most recent appearance inThor: Love and Thunderset up an all-new nemesis the God of Thunder will soon be facing: Hercules. And now, in the pages of Marvel Comics, Thor’s upcoming one-shotGiant-Size Thoris putting added emphasis on Hercules' all but forgotten codename, the God of Heroes.
In a first-look atGiant-Size Thor#1 by Al Ewing and Brian Level shared byAIPT Comics, fans are given the official description for the issue plus three covers (one main, two variants) by artists Bryan Hitch, Dave Bardin, and Walter Simonson.
A GIANT-SIZE THOR SPECTACULAR — GUEST-STARRING HERCULES! Thor All-Father and Hercules, God of Heroes, had joined forces many times, as fast friends and fierce rivals… but never before like this. For in the farthest reaches of space, the Deific Duo faced the greatest and most terrifying war machine ever created… and it bore the Thunderer’s face. This is the story… of the GIANT-SIZE THOR! ALSO: Reprinting Bob Harras and Jackson Guice’s THOR #365 — a Thor and Hercules tale told by the only real authority on such things: Hercules himself!
Giant-Size Thorwill featurethe famous friends/rivals Thor and Herculestogether like readers have never seen them before, as they are adventuring to the farthest reaches of space to face an enemy described as “the most terrifying war machine ever created”, one which “bore the Tunderer’s face”. The issue will also include a reprinting ofThor#356 by Bob Harras and Jackson Guice.
Marvel Comics’ official solicitation contains an error, as it states the reprint inGiant-Size ThorisThor#365, when that issue is a ‘Frog Thor’ adventure by Walter Simonson unrelated to Bob Harras and Jackson Guice’s Thor/Hercules story inThor#356.
Writer Al Ewing shares their excitement for the upcomingGiant-Size Thorin the preview shared by AIPT Comics, offering a few words that give readers great insight into what they can expect from this Thor/Hercules adventure.
Al Ewing: For Giant-Size Thor, I figured it’d be fun to tell a Thor-centric tale in one of Herc’s old stomping grounds - both to showcase their friendship and also to act as a prelude of sorts to Herc’s upcoming visit to the pages of the regular Immortal Thor title - and that ended up becoming quite a literal tale of what happens when Thor’s power is abused in a truly Giant-Size fashion.
Hercules’ God of Heroes Title Will Find New Significance in Immortal Thor
While Marvel Comics fans have seen Hercules referred to as the God of Heroes before, the fact that it’s used so prominently in the solicitation forGiant-Size Thor#1 before Hercules joins the mainImmortal Thorcontinuity means writer Al Ewing wants fans to remember it. So far in the series,Immortal Thorhas emphasized the godly titles and cosmic duties of every god that has appeared, even going so far as to dig into the core differences between the God of Stories and the God of Poems, with the latter effectively being a god of truth, and the former a god of lies.
That’s just one example of how titles carry deeper meaning and greater significance inImmortal Thor, with time and energy dedicated to explaining that significance. In other words, Hercules being called the God of Heroes after years of fans not hearing that title isn’t an accident. It seems Hercules’ upcoming appearances in Al Ewing’s Thor titles will force him to prove why he’s the ‘God of Heroes’, and readers should be very excited about that possibility.
Thor Recruits His Long-Lost Brother for New Avengers-Level God Team
Thor just formed an Avengers-level team of gods, including his long-lost brother, whose inclusion could have a lasting impact on the Marvel Universe.
Giant-Size Thor Will Be a Tribute to Thor & Hercules’ Marvel Comics History
Giant-Size ThorHas the Chance to Be a Blueprint for the MCU
While the MCU may be setting them up as enemies, Thor and Hercules are actually old friends in Marvel Comics, going all the way back to when they fought side-by-side with the Avengers during the early days of the team’s Marvel history. That being said, the two gods have always had a healthy rivalry, which is playfully depicted in the storyGiant-Size Thoris choosing to reprint,Thor#356. In it, a little boy asks Hercules who’s stronger, him or Thor, to which Hercules offers entertaining anecdotes of their adventures together, all of which paint him in a flattering light.
It’s almost guaranteed that the new story inGiant-Size Thorwill mirror the Thor #356 reprint, especially as it relates to Thor and Hercules’ relationship. And what Al Ewing’s new story will add (which will be carried over intoImmortal Thor) is the heightened significance of Hercules’ God of Heroes title. All-in-all, it seemsGiant-Size Thorcould be the blueprint forThorand Hercules’ relationship in theMCU, especially if Hercules is able to live up to his God of Heroes codename.
Thor
Cast
Thor, released in 2011, introduces Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god. Banished to Earth by his father Odin, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, Thor must live among humans and learn humility. As he adapts to his new circumstances, a threat from Asgard, led by his brother Loki, endangers Earth.
