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Description

Throughout the nine realms, Thor had the reputation of being a mighty big [insert native profanity here]. Thor hailed from the realm of Asgard and was the son of the King Odin. The Asgardians were a race so ancient, mystical, and powerful that they were deemed god-like by those who witnessed them.

Prince of Asgard, Thor was something a spoiled brat, which would be pretty harmless if he didn’t use his privilege to travel the nine realms carrying out violent conquests to quench an insatiable bloodlust. Wielding his mighty hammer Mjolnir, Thor travelled the realms laying waste to any civilization that he deemed threatening to Asgard. He made swift work of supposed enemies that rarely even knew he was coming, and he never stuck around to witness the aftermath of innocents being forced to deal with lost loved ones and pick up the pieces.

Eventually it became clear to Odin that Thor had lost his way. Odin confronted Thor with the reality that he would need to learn the temperance of a true king if he were to be next in line for the throne of Asgard. Thor challenges his father, claiming him weak and unable to make the choices necessary to defend his kingdom. With Thor making no effort to change his ways, Odin took matters into his own hands. Odin severed Thor’s arm, placed an enchantment on Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and cast both Thor and weapon out of Asgard. This rendered Thor’s half-brother Loki the next in line for the throne.

Now banished to Midgard (Earth) and unable to so much as lift his hammer until he had atoned for his wrongdoings and proven himself “worthy”, Thor’s glory and power had been stripped away. On Midgard, the first person who came across the dismembered and disgraced Thor was a wanderer named Jane. Jane was an ex-warrior turned healer. She had a good heart but her fascination with medicinal and scientific practices gained her the reputation of a witch, and she was excommunicated from her tribe.

Having nowhere else to go, Thor joined Jane in her travels and the two became close. On Midgard, Thor saw the destruction and pain wrought by bloodthirsty Viking tribes upon innocent settlements. In all his own conquests, Thor had never witnessed the horrific aftermath of violence upon innocents. Despite being armed with only his own strength, will, and well, one arm, Thor pledged himself to protecting those who could not protect themselves and joined Jane on her quest to do the same.

His relationship with Jane and his new life on Midgard gave Thor a new purpose, a new perspective, and humility. Meanwhile, Loki had been secretly keeping tabs on Thor from Asgard. Seeing that Thor had become tame and lacking the power he once had, Loki set in action a plan to murder his half brother. Loki dispatched Hela, his daughter whom had keep secret from Asgard to journey to Midgard to kill Thor. Hela was raised by Loki to feel nothing but hatred, and a spurning sense of inadequacy. She blindly followed her father’s orders in an attempt to prove herself worthy of his approval. And today, the hurdle to that approval was the unworthy Thor.

One night Hela appeared in the village Thor and Jane had taken residence in and began to rain hellfire union the unsuspecting humans. Though Thor had never seen this attacker in his life, he knew an Asgardian when he saw one, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that she was here for him. Thor attempted to fight Hela, but was no match to stop her from laying waste to the village. Realizing that he couldn’t overcome Hela with physical might, Thor pleaded with her; Promising that he would sacrifice himself to her if in return she promised to leave the innocent villagers in peace.

This was the moment that Thor had truly proven himself worthy. Mjolnir, which had lay undisturbed for decades returned to Thor, and with it came the god-like power that he once weilded. In the ensuing battle, Hela took one of Thor’s eyes, but in the end Thor defeated Hela; saving Jane and the village. However, Hela was able to flee before she could be identified as the son of Loki.

Thor had become a changed man. When Odin sent for Thor to return to Asgard, he declined, choosing instead to live with Jane on Midgard. Odin accepted his son’s wish, and gifted Thor a prosthetic arm crafted from magical Asgardian ore.

One day Thor would return to Asgard, though he would never turn his back on Midgard for long, having taken grown an affinity for its people, and even considering himself one of them at heart. Now when you hear the name “Thor” it comes with the reputation of a mighty protector with a gentle heart.

-- -- --

DESIGN STATEMENT:

Wooow. Did not expect to write a novel. But I think I did so because my version of Thor is pretty different than the MCU’s or comic Thor in a few ways. Namely, I tried to make his appearance and his world more similar to the Norse origins the character hails from.

This take on Thor is heavily inspired by 2018’s ‘God of War’. That game created such an enthralling world centered around Norse mythology, the likes of which I knew I would love to see my version of Thor occupy.

My goal here was to make Thor look more ‘Norse God’, and less ‘traditional super hero’. Though I was definitely influenced by “Unworthy Thor”’s depiction of the character, my main design influence was Baldur from the ‘God of War’ game. Here was a god who had this scraggly but distinguished appearance; wrapped in pelts, worn cloth, belts and trinkets, and sporting this crazy cool tattoo scheme. I wanted to make Thor feel similarly rugged and stripped down, but still feel majestic. He’s still got his red cape, but it’s more like a cloak and it’s seen some wear and tear. I chose to give him a belt, cause I know that was a big part of his thing in actual mythology. He’s got the metal arm from “Unworthy Thor”, I gave him got some beads and braids in his beard and hair to make him look more Nordic, and of course I chose to dismember one of his eyes to draw a visual parallel between him and his eye-patch-wearing father, Odin.

The biggest changes I’ve made are Thor’s runic tattoos, Mjolnir, and his lightning force. I wanted Mjolnir to be more heavy-duty; something of a cross between the original hammer, the Stormbreaker Axe from the MCU, and Kratos’ Leviathan Axe. This was the result. Thor’s tattoos interact with his power and his weapon. When Thor uses the lightning force, the classic Thor disc designs and some MCU-esque chest-armor panels appear like inlaid tattoos that emerge whenever he powers up. At the height of his power, Thor’s hair turns into lightning bolt tendrils. It’s pretty trippy stuff.

Though Thor looks like a gruff hardened mountain of a man, his personality once he’s through with his coming-of-age journey is the exact opposite. Thor ends up being this really mellow beach bum kinda guy. I wanted that surprising contrast in his appearance versus his personality.

I think that’s all I have to say on Thor! I think this one only took me forever to say because my conception of the character is such a drastic departure from what he typically is in the comics or films. I’m really happy with how he came out.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!

Description

Throughout the nine realms, Thor had the reputation of being a mighty big [insert native profanity here]. Thor hailed from the realm of Asgard and was the son of the King Odin. The Asgardians were a race so ancient, mystical, and powerful that they were deemed god-like by those who witnessed them.

Prince of Asgard, Thor was something a spoiled brat, which would be pretty harmless if he didn’t use his privilege to travel the nine realms carrying out violent conquests to quench an insatiable bloodlust. Wielding his mighty hammer Mjolnir, Thor travelled the realms laying waste to any civilization that he deemed threatening to Asgard. He made swift work of supposed enemies that rarely even knew he was coming, and he never stuck around to witness the aftermath of innocents being forced to deal with lost loved ones and pick up the pieces.

Eventually it became clear to Odin that Thor had lost his way. Odin confronted Thor with the reality that he would need to learn the temperance of a true king if he were to be next in line for the throne of Asgard. Thor challenges his father, claiming him weak and unable to make the choices necessary to defend his kingdom. With Thor making no effort to change his ways, Odin took matters into his own hands. Odin severed Thor’s arm, placed an enchantment on Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and cast both Thor and weapon out of Asgard. This rendered Thor’s half-brother Loki the next in line for the throne.

Now banished to Midgard (Earth) and unable to so much as lift his hammer until he had atoned for his wrongdoings and proven himself “worthy”, Thor’s glory and power had been stripped away. On Midgard, the first person who came across the dismembered and disgraced Thor was a wanderer named Jane. Jane was an ex-warrior turned healer. She had a good heart but her fascination with medicinal and scientific practices gained her the reputation of a witch, and she was excommunicated from her tribe.

Having nowhere else to go, Thor joined Jane in her travels and the two became close. On Midgard, Thor saw the destruction and pain wrought by bloodthirsty Viking tribes upon innocent settlements. In all his own conquests, Thor had never witnessed the horrific aftermath of violence upon innocents. Despite being armed with only his own strength, will, and well, one arm, Thor pledged himself to protecting those who could not protect themselves and joined Jane on her quest to do the same.

His relationship with Jane and his new life on Midgard gave Thor a new purpose, a new perspective, and humility. Meanwhile, Loki had been secretly keeping tabs on Thor from Asgard. Seeing that Thor had become tame and lacking the power he once had, Loki set in action a plan to murder his half brother. Loki dispatched Hela, his daughter whom had keep secret from Asgard to journey to Midgard to kill Thor. Hela was raised by Loki to feel nothing but hatred, and a spurning sense of inadequacy. She blindly followed her father’s orders in an attempt to prove herself worthy of his approval. And today, the hurdle to that approval was the unworthy Thor.

One night Hela appeared in the village Thor and Jane had taken residence in and began to rain hellfire union the unsuspecting humans. Though Thor had never seen this attacker in his life, he knew an Asgardian when he saw one, and it didn’t take long for him to realize that she was here for him. Thor attempted to fight Hela, but was no match to stop her from laying waste to the village. Realizing that he couldn’t overcome Hela with physical might, Thor pleaded with her; Promising that he would sacrifice himself to her if in return she promised to leave the innocent villagers in peace.

This was the moment that Thor had truly proven himself worthy. Mjolnir, which had lay undisturbed for decades returned to Thor, and with it came the god-like power that he once weilded. In the ensuing battle, Hela took one of Thor’s eyes, but in the end Thor defeated Hela; saving Jane and the village. However, Hela was able to flee before she could be identified as the son of Loki.

Thor had become a changed man. When Odin sent for Thor to return to Asgard, he declined, choosing instead to live with Jane on Midgard. Odin accepted his son’s wish, and gifted Thor a prosthetic arm crafted from magical Asgardian ore.

One day Thor would return to Asgard, though he would never turn his back on Midgard for long, having taken grown an affinity for its people, and even considering himself one of them at heart. Now when you hear the name “Thor” it comes with the reputation of a mighty protector with a gentle heart.

-- -- --

DESIGN STATEMENT:

Wooow. Did not expect to write a novel. But I think I did so because my version of Thor is pretty different than the MCU’s or comic Thor in a few ways. Namely, I tried to make his appearance and his world more similar to the Norse origins the character hails from.

This take on Thor is heavily inspired by 2018’s ‘God of War’. That game created such an enthralling world centered around Norse mythology, the likes of which I knew I would love to see my version of Thor occupy.

My goal here was to make Thor look more ‘Norse God’, and less ‘traditional super hero’. Though I was definitely influenced by “Unworthy Thor”’s depiction of the character, my main design influence was Baldur from the ‘God of War’ game. Here was a god who had this scraggly but distinguished appearance; wrapped in pelts, worn cloth, belts and trinkets, and sporting this crazy cool tattoo scheme. I wanted to make Thor feel similarly rugged and stripped down, but still feel majestic. He’s still got his red cape, but it’s more like a cloak and it’s seen some wear and tear. I chose to give him a belt, cause I know that was a big part of his thing in actual mythology. He’s got the metal arm from “Unworthy Thor”, I gave him got some beads and braids in his beard and hair to make him look more Nordic, and of course I chose to dismember one of his eyes to draw a visual parallel between him and his eye-patch-wearing father, Odin.

The biggest changes I’ve made are Thor’s runic tattoos, Mjolnir, and his lightning force. I wanted Mjolnir to be more heavy-duty; something of a cross between the original hammer, the Stormbreaker Axe from the MCU, and Kratos’ Leviathan Axe. This was the result. Thor’s tattoos interact with his power and his weapon. When Thor uses the lightning force, the classic Thor disc designs and some MCU-esque chest-armor panels appear like inlaid tattoos that emerge whenever he powers up. At the height of his power, Thor’s hair turns into lightning bolt tendrils. It’s pretty trippy stuff.

Though Thor looks like a gruff hardened mountain of a man, his personality once he’s through with his coming-of-age journey is the exact opposite. Thor ends up being this really mellow beach bum kinda guy. I wanted that surprising contrast in his appearance versus his personality.

I think that’s all I have to say on Thor! I think this one only took me forever to say because my conception of the character is such a drastic departure from what he typically is in the comics or films. I’m really happy with how he came out.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!