Spoilers for Heroes Reborn #6 below!
While Thor is still having trouble adjusting to his role as ruler of Asgard, his battle against Marvel’s version of Wonder Woman in Heroes Reborn makes it clear that the Odinson still sees himself as the one thing greater than a king – a hero. And with the way this altered timeline has treated the God of Thunder and his fellow Avengers, a hero is exactly what they need.
In a world without Avengers, the ruthless Squadron Supreme rose to fill the void. And without Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Thor has fallen on hard times. In this world, the Odinson was still banished to Earth by his father and king, Odin, just as he was in the proper timeline. But in this world, he never learned the lesson of humility the All-Father sought to teach him, and he spent centuries in a drunken stupor with no memory of his Asgardian heritage or his life as an Avenger. An encounter with the Daywalker, Blade, partially reawakens the Thunder God’s memory, and with a thunder heard ’round the world, the Odinson sets out for answers.
Heroes Reborn #6 by Jason Aaron, Erica D’urso, and Ed McGuinness, features Thor finally returning to Asgard, with shocking results. The once shining city lies in ruins after the All-Gog massacred his people, including his father Odin and brother Loki. In the ruins, he finds none other than Power Princess – the Squadron Supreme’s very own Wonder Woman pastiche. In an instant, the warrior attacks the disoriented God of Thunder with an ax forged from the remaining fragments of the Bifrost Bridge, only for her attacks to be parried by a mysterious blur of motion too quick for her to make out. While he tries to defend himself, Power Princess stabs a haggard Thor with the No-Blade, an invisible sword, and even punches his beard off, all before Mjolnir reveals itself as the blur and returns to the Thunder God — reverting Thor to his true godly form and partially restoring his memory.
![Thor’s Battle with Marvel’s Wonder Woman Proves He Shouldn’t Be King](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Heroes-Reborn-6-Thor.jpeg)
While Thor regains his godly status, the form he takes in this issue gives an idea of where the current King of Asgard is emotionally. Instead of reverting to his All-Father form, Mjolnir restores Thor to his iconic costume straight out of his debut in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s Journey Into Mystery #83. Sporting such a classic outfit in a moment of uncertainty makes perfect sense for the character. The crown has always weighed heavily on the Odinson whenever it has been his. Not only is this something he’s been struggling with throughout Donny Cates and Nic Klein’s ongoing Thor series, but it was also an insecurity he faced following the Asgardians’ resurrection from Ragnarok shortly after Marvel’s Civil War event.
Thor sees himself as the hero of both Midgard and Asgard, but not as the king of either. The Odinson will always serve both worlds whenever they truly need him. But it’s always been clear that Thor doesn’t feel his best when dealing with matters of Asgardian state – and this return to form in Heroes Reborn proves that it’s his role as hero that Thor values most.