Contains spoilers for Immortal Thor #4!Many comics fans love to work out how strong characters are versus each other, and a new Thor comic has definitively answered the question of Thor’s power once and for all. It might not be the answer that fans were expecting, but Thor’s wisdom applies both in-universe and in the real world, and also demonstrates just how far the character has come since his debut half a century ago.
One frustrating part of the fan culture that exists around Big Two comics is the constant debates about “power levels.” Every superhero is beset by fans trying to quantify their powers, to work out how strong they are versus every other character. It makes sense that this happens, since there are very few of these comics that don’t feature at least one fight scene, but it gets old fast.
Can Hulk beat the Sentry? Can Spider-Man best Daredevil in a weightlifting contest? Which universe has the strongest Captain America? Thor’s godhood makes him a constant candidate for this type of analysis from fans. How do you quantify divinity?
Thor Settles Power Level Debates for Good
Immortal Thor #4 (written by Al Ewing, penciled and inked by MartÍn Cóccolo, colored by Matthew Wilson and lettered by VC’s Joe Sabino) gives the perfect answer to power level debates: they don’t matter. Thor jokes that these debates even come up in-universe, and he points out that heroes’ strength is relative. As he says, “I can stand anything if the need is great and the cause is just.” How strong is any character? As strong as their writer needs for them to save the day. Thor then addresses how strength should be thought about: “We are not measured by strength…The measure of us is what we do.” With great power comes great responsibility, and that responsibility is what matters over power levels.
This idea is only reinforced by what happens in the issue itself. Twice in Immortal Thor #4 it looks like the heroes are about to come to blows with each other. Thor tosses Mjolnir at Storm after his speech and later Storm does the same to Loki. However, both are fake-outs. The throwers are not attacking with Mjolnir, but rather using the hammer to empower each other. Catching Mjolnir gives Storm and Loki the power of Thor. Readers don’t get to see the relative strength of these heroes, instead they are given a demonstration that their heroic deeds prove them each equally worthy through Mjolnir, the greatest demonstration of worthiness in the Marvel Universe.
Thor Proves He’s Grown Up
Thor’s speech is also a perfect character moment for demonstrating his character growth. Thor was first banished to Earth by Odin so that he could learn humility. There’s no better demonstration of this humility than Thor explaining that he’s learned to look beyond simple strength, and then sharing his powers with others. It’s also a great moment in the context of Immortal Thor as a story. The series’ theme has been wisdom, and Thor’s speech shows a level of wisdom that speaks to how much the character has evolved from his cocky brash self to someone who understands that it takes more than strength to be a true hero.
