10 Most Underrated Thor Villains

The mighty Thor is the Asgardian God of Thunder, a member of the Avengers, and one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe. Given his mystical and mythological leanings, it makes sense that most of his foes are of the same nature. These include the mischievous Loki and the dark elf Malekith, but Thor Odinson also has several other great foes.

Beyond his wicked adoptive brother and the two-faced leader of the dark elves, Thor has faced countless enemies that put his powers to the test. These include enemies of a divine nature, cosmic foes, and even those of more earthbound origins. Regardless of where they come from, they’ve been some of the greatest threats Thor ever encountered in all the nine realms.

10 Bloodaxe Was a Grisly Killer

Debut: Thor #392 by Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe

Introduced in the late 1980s, Bloodaxe was a mysterious foe with a vengeful hatred of criminality. The character’s identity was kept a secret, but it was eventually revealed that the brutal villain was none other than Jackie Lukus, a love interest of Eric Masterson. At the time, Masterson had operated as the God of Thunder, using Thor’s power as his own, with this more down-to-earth threat making sense.

Bloodaxe constantly came to blows with the police and casually killed drug dealers and others who got in her way. The source of Bloodaxe’s power was an Asgardian ax, similar to the hammer that Thor wielded. While she was a somewhat brief enemy, Bloodaxe was a very different kind of opponent for the character and showcased the type of problems experienced by people who couldn’t care less about the cosmic actions of the gods. Bloodaxe continued to threaten Masterson even when he continued in his Thunderstrike alter ego.

9 Crusader Begged Several Interesting Questions

Debut: Thor #330 by Alan Zelenetz and Bob Hall

Comics by Marvel and DC both feature various mythological gods, but they rarely focus on the societal implications of these beings. That wasn’t the case with Crusader, who certainly lived up to his name. Empowered by the mystic life force of his ancestors and swearing to combat pagan influences in society, his first target was the God of Thunder, Thor.

Sadly, Crusader’s powers were based on belief, and he could lose them if he lost faith in himself. This allowed not only Thor but even the more street-level Luke Cage to take him down. Later on, however, Crusader formed a cult based on his beliefs, and bringing this concept back could easily fit into the Thor comics. Doing so would provide not only a physical threat to the Asgardian but also a philosophical one.

8 The Destroyer Armor Is a Powerful Opponent

Debut: Journey Into Mystery #118 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

The Destroyer armor was notably seen in the first Thor movie, and the sentient armor also appeared in several classic Thor comics . The Destroyer hasn’t amounted to much in the comics, being more of a plot device than anything else. However, there’s ample room for it to be more than this and perhaps have something of a personality.

One avenue might be for The Destroyer to gain sentience and protect all of Asgard, making it similar to the Eradicator from DC’s Superman comics. Likewise, it might even seek out non-Asgardian magic and try to “destroy” it, similar to how the Sentinels hunt down mutants. Even without these elements, the Destroyer packs more than just a punch and can easily best Thor in a fight.

7 Mr. Hyde Is a Science-Based Foe

Debut: Journey Into Mystery #99 by Stan Lee and Don Heck

Also known as Calvin Zabo, Mr. Hyde/Mister Hyde is similar to the literary character that he’s named after. Using a formula to increase his faculties, he develops strength and dexterity to face many Marvel heroes, including Thor. He frequently fought the monstrous Hulk while he was in his gray “Joe Fixit” persona.

Mr. Hyde doesn’t seem like the typical Thor villain, which is exactly why he should start fighting him again. He represents science and human crime as a sharp contrast to the magical world of the God of Thunder. This would work well on a narrative level and show Thor the sort of thing he has to protect humans on Midgard from. After all, sometimes, the greatest enemies of mankind are much less – and much more – than divine.

6 Mangog Is a Mighty Yet Goofy Enemy

Debut: Thor #134 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Mangog is one of Thor’s most powerful enemies, even if his appearance is a bit less than threatening. Resembling an alien beast, his name and design don’t exactly inspire much fear. Nevertheless, he’s driven by hatred against Asgard and represents the sum total of this malignant emotion. Buried underneath Asgard, he was revived later in an attempt to exact revenge against the Asgardians.

Mangog has attacked Asgard several times, and he’s even been a servant of Thanos. His energy is that of both hatred and the culmination of all vile acts committed by deities. Thus, he’s a dark reflection of Thor, with the God of Thunder having once been quite the braggart. As a result, each fight against Mangog is a battle against the sinful heart of Asgard itself.

5 The Enchanters Three Evoke Thor’s Greatest Allies

Debut: Thor #143 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

The Warriors Three are Thor’s best friends, who’ve aided him on countless adventures. Much as Loki represents the dark side of Asgard, the Enchanters Three do the same with Thor’s friends. Nearly killing Thor in his mortal guise, the Enchanters Three have vast power thanks to magical talismans.

Ironically, there are theoretically four members of the Enchanters Three – Brona, Enrakt, Forsung and Magnir. They’ve only appeared every now and then in the comics, with their latest appearance having their spirits banished away. The trio definitely has the potential to come back and become more prominent foes, however, especially against the Warriors Three.

4 Lorelei Is a Twisted Love Interest for Thor

Debut: The Mighty Thor #337 by Walt Simonson

Lorelei is based on a Germanic legend, and the mystical woman has used her magical wiles to woo the God of Thunder. Frequently working with Loki, she’s the younger sister of Amora the Enchantress. Like Amora before her, Lorelei was known for combining magic with seduction against Thor.

While she’s not quite as well-known as her sister, Lorelei is still a powerful enemy of Thor who actually cares deeply for him. Given her feelings for him, this makes her actions even weightier, as she’s usually conflicted. She’s also somewhat jealous of Amora, with the god Seth using this to pit the two sisters against each other.

3 Grog Hailed from a Rival Pantheon

Debut: Thor #390 by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz

Like Desak and Gorr after him, Grog’s function was as a god-slayer, though he himself was a follower of a deity. He hailed from the gods of Heliopolis, served the Egyptian god Seth, and sought to eliminate other pantheons. His power was enough to combat Thor, and he wielded a mighty scepter. In terms of appearance, however, he fits in well with the other cosmic gods of Marvel.

Grog helped to expand Marvel’s pantheons beyond Greek and Norse, all the while adding original characters to Egyptian lore. This is similar to the god Khonshu, the deity that empowers the vigilante known as Moon Knight. Sadly, he was relatively short-lived and even killed by Seth for his failure to defeat the Norse God of Thunder and his allies.

2 Karnilla Is the Dark Norn Queen

Debut: Journey Into Mystery #107 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Karnilla is an evil Asgardian, but she’s not based on anyone from Norse mythology. Instead, she was an original character who acted as both an enemy of Thor and a love interest for Balder the Brave. Karnilla’s proficiency with magic is incredible, and she also possesses the physical faculties of an Asgardian woman. This makes her a match for Thor in numerous ways, and she’s also known to vex her occasional ally, Loki.

Despite her dark ways, the Norn Queen has been helpful to Thor and the Aesir. This is due to her duty to help and protect Asgard, including its denizens. At one point, her magic was required to wake Odin in time, showcasing how the Norn Queen’s evil has its limits when it comes to the greater good.

1 Desak Was the Original God Butcher

Debut: Thor Annual 2001 by Dan Jurgens

Nowadays, Gorr the God Butcher is one of Thor’s most iconic opponents, with his comic book debut being heralded as one of the best modern Thor stories. However, long before this character’s debut, Desak served a similar purpose. Desak, the God-Slayer, was the predecessor to Gorr, the God Butcher, and had almost entirely the same concept. Vengeful toward the gods after the death of his daughter, Desak seeks out the power to kill all deities, including Thor.

Sadly, Desak wasn’t nearly as remembered as Gorr because Thor actually killed him. Still, he was a great character who displayed how mortals would come to resent the gods. There are likely several ways to bring him back, but with Gorr now eclipsing him, he’ll likely remain overlooked.