In a recent discussion the logic of Aaron's Thor run was questioned. This keeps coming up in discussions about Odinson, Jane as Thor, Mjolnir, various appreciation threads etc. and I felt it might be sensible to have a convenient thread to discuss this without disrupting the other discussions. This way each time it comes up we can move those discussions here where the debate can be had in light of any new story, or insights.
Although the underlying logic of Aaron's Thor run is not complex, it is very easy to miss some of the facts or to misrepresent them. Either by oversimplification, or by misremembering some of the details. It is probably worth starting with a paraphrase of Aaron on these issues:
So here we have the core to the logic of his run. The challenge - maybe the MU would be better of without the gods – Fury’s objective knowledge – Odinson’s doubts confirmed.Originally Posted by Aaron on Off Panel #119
This needs a little unpacking because the actual comics are not quite this simple. The logic, can’t be oversimplified. This isn't:
Thor did X + X is unworthy = Thor is unworthy.
This is much more complex:
Gor asserted X + X was objectively verified + X suggests all gods are unworthy + Thor is a god = Thor is unworthy.
Lets break that down.
Gor asserted X:
Right at the death Gor said: “The Gods didn’t create Mankind. But someday if they are not stopped they will end it mark my words.” he said “It’s the gods who’ve ruined creation. We’ll all be better off without them.”
But remember the lesson of Gor’s son. A son who wasn’t real. Gor’s son was a manifestation of Gor’s self doubt and contained in that doubt was the fact that Gor was “God of Hypocrisy” that he himself was a god who was making the world worse.
So for Gor, X = The MU would be better off without the gods.
X was objectively verified
Fury in Original Sin who was empowered by the death of The Watcher. He knows the actual truth. He saw the history of Earth literally through The Watcher’s eyes. He then whispered ‘Gor was right’ to Odinson.
The whisper isn't a matter of belief - it was factual. Gor's challenge to the gods was true.
X suggests all gods are unworthy
Thor put this part together in his own self reflection. He effectively concludes that he isn't worthy. This part is affected by his beliefs and opinions of himself, but, this is not a mere opinion, this is a serious challenge to his self image.
Odinson formulates ‘X suggests all gods are unworthy’ while talking to Beta Ray Bill in Unworthy Thor:
“Gods are vain and vengeful creatures. Always have been. The mortals who've worshipped us for centuries would be better off without us. We gods do not deserve their love. No matter how much we fight to fool ourselves. We are all unworthy."
Thor is a god
As we can see from Aaron’s statement he does indeed consider Thor a god. Gor’s challenge to the gods is not an assertion that the gods don’t exist. He just doesn’t believe they are who they say they are. He simply claims the Asgardians did not create mankind and that they make things worse.
Thor is the God of Thunder regardless of his worthiness. In Unworthy Thor #1 he states that “Even the Thunder sometimes refuses my call” but notably he doesn’t say it always refuses him. In Might Thor #19 he combines his own Storm powers with Jane as Thor to battle the Phoenix.
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There is a chink in this logic. Thor Odinson is Unworthy because of how the gods use their power. That isn’t a static thing. That is something that can change.
Odinson can’t quite see that in Unworthy Thor, even when Beta-Ray Bill tells him to his face “you are no mere god my friend”. Beta-Ray holds the truth. His words hint that the gods could become a benevolent force, “Every day you give your blood, your tears, your immortal soul, to prove Gor wrong”.
Thor could be an example through actions and deeds. He can both accept X and defy it. A figure that is worthy of mankind and the gods. Step up Thor God of Thunder, Champion of Yggdrasil, Defender of the realms, God of Worthiness.
I have insisted all along that this would be a transformative story. That the circle would be squared. This is the formulation I now perceive as the outcome of the story:
Gor was Right, but Thor can change the situation. The gods can change. The gods can become worthy but only through their actions. Through the living example of Thor Odinson.