Thor

In Norse mythology, Thor (Old Norse: Þórr) is the god of thunder and lightning, and is associated with strength, storms, hallowing, sacred groves, trees, and fertility. He is the son of Ojdin and Jörð, the personification of the Earth, and is the strongest of the Æsir, the primary family of gods.

The champion of Asgard, Thor is said to protect both it and Midgard(Earth) from the likes of the jǫtnar, a race of ancient ice giants native to Jötunheimr. He is known in Old English as Þunor (Thunor) and in Old High German as Donar (runic þonar ᚦᛟᚾᚨᚱ), all of which stem from the Proto-Germanic *Þunraz, meaning "thunder".

The modern English weekday Thursday (from Old English Þūnresdæg, “Thunor’s [Thor’s] day”) bears the god's name.

Family

Thor is the son of Odin, chief of the Æsir, and Jörð, the living personification of the Earth. He is the eldest of Odin's sons and is the half-brother of Baldr, Höðr, Víðarr, and Váli.

He is married to the golden-haired goddess Sif, with whom he has a daughter, Þrúðr. With his jötunn lover Járnsaxa, Thor has two sons, Móði and Magni. He has a stepson, Ullr, who is Sif's son by a previous marriage.

Possessions

According to writings known as sagas, Thor wielded a short-handled war hammer named Mjolnir. It was created for him by the dwarven brothers Eitri and Brokkr, and is said to be the most powerful weapon in all the Nine Worlds, capable of crushing mountains. When Thor would throw the hammer, it magically returned to his hand like a boomerang.

Other attributes of Thor include a pair of gauntlets known as Járngreipr, which he is required to wear in order to wield Mjölnir, a belt, Megingjörð, which doubles his strength when he wears it, and a staff, Gríðarvölr, which, along with Járngreipr, was given to him by the jötunn Gríðr. Thor was believed to travel in a chariot drawn by two goats named Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr.

In popular fiction

In modern pop culture, Thor is mostly known as the superhero adapted by Marvel Comics, under the title Mighty Thor. This version of Thor is much different from the one described in Norse mythology.

For example, Mjolnir is a simplified grey hammer, and thanks to a magical enchantment from Odin, can only be lifted by someone "worthy"; a person with a warrior's heart.

This version of Thor is depicted with long, golden hair, a silver battle helmet, a long, flowing red cape, and silver pauldrons on his chestplate.

Thor is initially shown to be arrogant, and often brazen in his actions. Wishing to teach his son humility, Odin banishes Thor to Earth and strips him of his powers, his hammer, and his memories as a god. On Earth, Thor is in the body of a disabled medical student named Donald Blake. No longer a god, Donald learns the true meaning of bravery and selflessness. He discovers an old stick in a cave, and upon striking it on the ground, it is revealed to be Mjolnir in disguise, and grants Donald his powers and memories back, once again becoming Thor, the mighty God of Thunder.

Thor is a founding member of the Avengers, a team of superheroes formed when Thor's brother, Loki, attempts to take over Earth.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor is played by Chris Hemsworth, and is similar to his comic book counterpart. In Thor: Ragnarok, Mjolnir is destroyed, and Thor becomes one with his true power as the God of Thunder.

In Avengers: Infinity War, Thor sets out with the Guardians of the Galaxy to forge a new weapon to kill the mad titan Thanos, who threatens to wipe out half of the universe. Wielding the power of a star, Stormbreaker is formed, and Thor uses it in a battle against Thanos.