Marvel Comics Reintroduces Thor as a Woman

Photo: Marvel

On Tuesday, Marvel Comics announced, that come October, there will be an all-new God of Thunder and she will be a woman. The change comes as Marvel evolves one of its big three -- Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor -- to give fans a new female-centric title.

In a statement, Marvel stresses that this is not Lady Thor -- akin to Batgirl -- but in fact Thor herself. A brand new character, Mjolnir will emerge as a hero worthy of the name Thor and introduce new storylines as her connection to Asgard and the Marvel universe becomes clear.

"The inscription on Thor's hammer reads 'Whosoever holds this hammer, if HE be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.' Well it's time to update that inscription," Marvel editor Wil Moss says. "The new Thor continues Marvel's proud tradition of strong female characters like Captain Marvel, Storm, Black Widow and more. And this new Thor isn't a temporary female substitute -- she's now the one and only Thor, and she is worthy!"

The new Thor will be written by Jason Aaron (Thor: God of Thunder, Original Sin) and drawn by Russell Dauterman (Cyclops). Dauterman took to Twitter to share a first look at the new character, who was formally introduced on The View.

While the news comes as a surprise to fans, this is actually not the first time Thor has been a woman. In the '80s What If series, an alternative universe played with the idea of Jane Foster discovering the stick instead of Donald Blake and becoming Thordis. In another alternative timeline, Rogue absorbed Thor's powers and, after lifting the hammer, inherited Thor's position.