ABSOLUTE ABSOLUTION: Marvel’s New “Mega-Event” Is Shameless Corporate Propaganda (& That’s a Good Thing)

As Marvel teases its new “mega event” spinning out of the pages of The Immortal Thor, it’s clear that Absolute Absolution will be a soulless piece of corporate propaganda, laser-focused on downplaying environmental issues to benefit Big Business. However, that’s because Marvel is making a satirical point, taking aim at the kinds of stories that use superheroes to downplay important issues.

Recently, Marvel revealed the upcoming launch of Roxxon Presents: Thor. The series will introduce Chad Hammer – a new version of Thor created by the evil Roxxon company tampering with reality to create its own superhero spokesman. Marvel is soliciting the comic as if the publisher has been bought out by Roxxon, with the summary revealing the comic will be part of the “ABSOLUTE ABSOLUTION” event. So far, it seems like Roxxon Presents: Thor will just be written as if it’s a tie-in to an event story that isn’t really happening, but Marvel may still have plans to expand Absolute Absolution to other series.

This type of meta-humor isn’t unheard of in mainstream comics, with Marvel acting as if Roxxon itself is handling the marketing of its new series and hero. However, in the case of Roxxon Presents: Thor, it’s clear that the framing serves a very specific purpose: a brutal takedown of corporate propaganda, with the real Thor fighting against his ultra-marketable doppelgänger (who even comes complete with his own Batmobile-alike THOR TRUCK.) Al Ewing issued the following ‘statement’ via Marvel:

Here’s what Ewing was forced to say about this shocking development: “Roxxon’s hostile takeover of Marvel Comics is
the worse thing to happen to the industry in decades
just what comic books needed
! I was
horrified
jazzed
beyond words when I saw how the so-called Roxxon Entertainment Standards Committee had
gutted
improved
my work, methodically stripping away every iota of
poetry, symbolism and metaphor
junk no one cares about
. The result is a comic that can best be described as
an act of unforgivable violence against the medium I love
a rollicking good time for the whole family
!
May God forgive Roxxon, for I never shall!
Make Mine Roxxon
!”

Marvel’s New Thor Launches ABSOLUTE ABSOLUTION Event

Marvel’s Fake Event Is a Clear Jab at Corporate Media

Al Ewing and Martín Cóccolo’s Immortal Thor is a spiritual sequel to Ewing and Joe Bennett’s critically beloved Immortal Hulk, with Ewing describing it as a more hopeful, mythic take on many of the same themes. So far, the series has seen Thor tackle the mighty Utgard-Gods, however behind the scenes another enemy is becoming a major threat. Roxxon CEO Dario Agger, aka the Minotaur, is tampering with Thor’s history, having hired the mystical Enchantress to alter his past and – it seems – rewrite history to create a version of Thor that Roxxon can control.

Indeed, Roxxon’s efforts appear to focus on the real 1978 comic Thor #272, which Thor and Loki are currently reliving in a quest for knowledge, though what changes could possibly result in the creation of ‘Chad Hammer’ have still to be revealed. Notably, Marvel’s comics canonically exist within its fictional universe, presented as semi-autobiographical accounts of various heroes’ lives. As a series, Immortal Thor is so far deeply fascinated with how the legends of Thor have shaped his actuality, so it makes sense that his enemies would attack him through the stories that gave him life.

Al Ewing Revisits Marvel’s Best Modern Villain

After His Defeat in Immortal Hulk, Dario Agger’s Minotaur Is Back

The villain at the heart of this plot is the relatively new Thor villain Dario Agger. Originally a CEO who could secretly transform into a minotaur, Agger has become more brazen over the years after realizing that only a small minority care enough about his crimes to hold him to account. Agger was a major player in 2019’s huge War of the Realms event, where he sided against humanity in order to plunder the natural resources of the Ten Realms. Agger has a history of attempting to harness public opinion through diabolical means – in Immortal Hulk, he hired the alien psychic Xemnu to weaponize nostalgia in Roxxon’s interests, though he was eventually brutalized by the extraterrestrial predator.

Now, he’s back, with an even more disturbing plan to warp reality in Roxxon’s favor. First introduced in 1974, Roxxon is Marvel’s go-to evil company, often involved in environmental disasters, shady experimentation and public scandals, though not explicitly dedicated to evil in the same way as groups like Hydra and AIM. It’s interesting to note that – in its promo material for the ‘Roxxon Age of Comixx’ – Marvel shows Chad Hammer alongside versions of Valkyrie, Heimdall, and Loki. These characters are interesting choices, especially given the versions Roxxon has chosen to recruit/create.

Older Versions of Valkyrie and Loki Seem to Satirize Discomfort with Diversity

Roxxon appears to be using the original Valkyrie, who was introduced as a quasi-parody of the women’s liberation movement (before later being reclaimed as a feminist superhero.) The character was first seen in 1970’s Avengers #83 (Roy Thomas and John Buscema) as a disguise used by the Enchantress, who used the persona to sow seeds of conflict among the Avengers by playing to the dissatisfaction of the team’s female members and allies, complete with the rallying cry “Up against the wall, male chauvinist pigs!” Given Enchantress’ involvement, it’s likely that she is once again taking Valkyrie’s form here, and that Roxxon Presents: Thor may comment on the hero’s misguided early use.

The promo art also shows the classic evil Loki. Loki has undergone a huge reinvention since the character’s early appearances as a cackling villain. Now an antihero who is one of Marvel’s most complex characters, Al Ewing’s work in particular has embraced Loki’s gender fluidity, for example in the recent Defenders: Beyond. The idea of Roxxon reducing Loki’s modern complexity back to the original two-dimensional villain suggests Marvel will be depicting the ‘Roxxon Age of Comixx’ as having an anti-diversity slant.

What Will Marvel’s Anti-Corporate Propaganda Event Look Like?

Deadpool’s Earlier Satire Shows What to Expect

This isn’t the first time that Marvel has targeted Roxxon and Dario Agger for some anti-corporate parody. 2012’s Deadpool #40 (from Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan and Scott Koblish) is framed as a similar piece of corporate propaganda. In the issue, Deadpool is taught about ‘gracking’ (fracking using the Hulk’s gamma energy) by Agger. The CEO’s lies are quickly uncovered, ending with Deadpool fighting the Minotaur alongside comedian Sarah Silverman.

It’s a fun takedown of corporate propaganda that – being a Deadpool comic – doesn’t take itself or its premise too seriously, but does showcase the kind of humor that Roxxon Presents: Thor is likely to adopt as it “ties in” to Absolute Absolution. Deadpool’s past tangles with Agger may also result in a Wade Wilson crossover, as the real Thor takes on Chad Hammer and his paymasters.

Marvel Has Quietly Reinvented Thor as an Environmental Champion

It’s No Surprise That the God of Thunder Is Absolute Absolution‘s Catalyst

For fans who have been reading Thor comics over the last decade, it’s no surprise that he’s helming this pro-environmentalist, anti-corporate parody. Jason Aaron’s extensive Thor: God of Thunder run leaned hard into the idea of Thor as a character deeply concerned with the fate of the Earth and happy to go up against Big Business (indeed, Aaron and artist Esad Ribić were the ones to introduce Agger to Marvel continuity.) One of Thor’s most prominent allies in this fight was Agent Roz Solomon – a SHIELD agent focused on environmental crimes, and therefore a constant thorn in Roxxon’s side – another character who will hopefully return for the ‘Roxxon Age of Comixx.’

Marvel is a huge company owned by the multinational conglomerate Disney, so many people will be surprised to see it putting its weight behind a pro-environmentalist parody in which an evil corporation creates a superhero for propaganda purposes. However, comics have always been willing and able to push this kind of boundary further than many other forms of media, and Ewing’s past successes dismiss any worry that he’ll be pulling his punches. Thor‘s upcoming Roxxon Presents spin-off and its Absolute Absolution ‘event’ have the potential to offer up the very best of what superhero comics are capable of – now they just have to nail the execution.

Roxxon Presents: Thor #1 is coming April 17.

Source: Marvel