Warning: contains spoilers for Heroes Reborn #1!
In the Marvel Universe, few beings rival Thor’s father Odin for sheer power. The former All-Father of Asgard, having possessed staggering power for most of mankind’s existence, Odin Borson has met few foes who could equal his might, having cracked even the armor of Galactus when the Devourer of Worlds stood against Asgard. But Marvel’s ongoing Heroes Reborn event imagines a world in which the Avengers never formed, and specifically in which Thor never proved himself worthy of Mjolnir. In this world, Odin fell, revealing the one Marvel villain with the strength to take him down.
That villain is the Mangog. First appearing in 1968’s Thor #154, and created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Mangog is a composite being formed from the hatred of half a billion beings slain by Odin. Later stories would see the Mangog become something more, as he transformed into a punishment for all gods who stepped out of line, pursuing them with brutal malice and unstoppable strength. While Jane Foster was able to halt the Mangog during her time as Thor, it was only possible by sacrificing Mjolnir to trap the monster within the sun.
In the altered timeline of Heroes Reborn, Mangog was successful in one of his attacks on Asgard, becoming “the Final All-Father. Destroyer of Asgard. The Unstoppable All-Gog,” with the comic assuring readers that, “in other words, the gods are dead.” The attack clearly took its toll on Mangog, as – like Odin himself – the beast is missing an eye when he squares off against Power Princess during the Masters of Doom’s attack on the Squadron Supreme. Nevertheless, it seems Mangog has slain Odin and taken his title, wearing parts of the All-Father’s near-invincible Destroyer armor for protection (or perhaps just as a trophy of his victory.)
![Thor: Marvel Confirms the One Villain Powerful Enough to Kill Odin](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/All-Gog-Heroes-Reborn-Thor-Odin.jpg)
A classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby villain, and one of the most physically imposing characters in Marvel Comics, Mangog still remains something of an underappreciated gem, partly because he’s enjoyed comparably few appearances. One of the most compelling things about Mangog is that because he poses such an outsized threat, he generally has to be defeated by some kind of trickery or last-minute maneuver rather than sheer brawn. Fittingly, Heroes Reborn confirms that the Masters of Doom were exiled in the Negative Zone until their most recent attack.
Mangog’s victory over Odin is a direct rebuke of the All-Father’s imperious, warlike approach to those he might have watched over, and even before the introduction of Thor’s god-hating villain Gorr – reportedly the centerpiece of upcoming MCU movie Thor: Love and Thunder, played by Christian Bale – Mangog was the force who punished gods for their arrogance and oversight, and demanded that Thor win the day with bravery and wit rather than sheer power. Now, Heroes Reborn reveals that, without the God of Thunder, even Odin was no match for Mangog, leaving it to the Squadron Supreme to keep the cosmos safe from a villain so powerful that the All-Father himself didn’t stand a chance.