Thor has a lot of enemies, but when readers think of the villains who could potentially kill the God of Thunder, they’re probably not thinking about the character who could have done it: Gray Gargoyle. Just like readers, Thor underestimated some of his lesser villains and now he may be paying the price – perhaps by dyingbut even worse, giving those same villains more power than ever before.
The preview for The Immortal Thor #17 – written by Al Ewing, with art by Jan Bazaldua – confirms what the previous issue suggested, that the classic B-tier villain, the Gray Gargoyle, is ascending to godhood by proving he has the power to kill Thor.
The narration of Immortal Thor #16 suggested that this could be the case, and that by killing Thor, Gray Gargoyle, along with the villainous trio of Mr. Hyde, Radioactive Man and Cobra, are becoming the ‘gods of Midgard’, a title emphasized again in this preview . What his true “divinity” means, however, is still unclear.
Gray Gargoyle is strong enough to kill Thor, raising his esteem as a Marvel villain
The Immortal Thor #17 – Written by Al Ewing; Art by Jan Bazaldua; Color by Matt Hollingsworth; Joe Sabino Lyrics
In Immortal Thor #16, Gargoyle and his companions ambush Thor, in a trap planned by Dario Agger of Roxxon, who seeks revenge on the Asgardian for killing him at the beginning of the series. Together, the fearsome quartet combined their powers in such a way that they managed to neutralize Thor just long enough for Gray Gargoyle to use his petrification powers on the God and then tear him to pieces. With Thor’s remains floating in space in the first pages of Immortal #17, it might be a little difficult for him to come back this one.
Immortal Thor The narration of issue 17 reveals that Thor is not dead yet. He is certainly dying, but he won’t give up without a fight.
The Gray Gargoyle, Paul Duval, is a mad scientist in the classic Marvel style, who accidentally dipped his right hand in chemicals that give him the power to turn anything into stone. Of course, the first thing he did was turn to crime, deciding he wanted to be immortal by trying to steal Mjölnir from Thor. Interestingly, his victory in Immortal Thor could have granted him that original wish half a century later. However, Immortal Thor The narration of issue 17 reveals that Thor is not dead yet. He is certainly dying, but he won’t give up without a fight.
Thor’s death at the hands of “B” villains proves they can be major threats under the right circumstances
Gray Gargoyle: Journey into mystery #107 – Written by Stan Lee; Art by Jack Kirby; Launched in 1964
What’s so brilliant about this development is how it combines the mystical with the mundane. Many of Thor’s main villains are literally mythical figures with almost immeasurable power, but there are the smaller-scale troupe of humans, like Gray Gargoyle. When readers see Thor defeat forces that threaten the universe, it’s sometimes difficult to take his less impressive foes seriously. Immortal Thor is showing how foolish this is, and that If Thor takes his eye off the ball for even a second, even the smallest villain could be his undoing.
The Immortal Thor #17 will be available on November 20, 2024 from Marvel Comics.
|
The Immortal Thor #17 (2024) |
|
|---|---|
|
|