Journey Into Mystery #83

Journey Into Mystery (1952)

by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Joe Sinnott (Inker)

The Power of Thor
The debut of Thor! A new age begins as the Odinson starts his divine campaign against the forces of evil!

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Comic Book, Graphic Novels, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

14 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 1962

About the author

Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.

With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Silver Age appearance of the Mighty Thor! I never realised that Donald Blake actually becomes Thor! I just thought it was an alias that Thor used to live on Earth so that was pretty interesting to discover! Also, Blake seemed to know quite a bit about Thor and how his magic hammer would work which I thought was funny, like why would he know so much about an ancient Norse God when he's a doctor? I guess the guy could have a hobby.... Overall, an interesting first issue!

[Bookishrealm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thor!!! I was stupid excited when I realized that this issue of Journey Into Mystery was actually the first appearance of Thor in Silver Age Comics. Dr. Donald Blake accidentally becomes Thor after stumbling on a staff that becomes Thor's hammer. I definitely had a different perception of Thor's origins. While I didn't find this first appearance to be super appealing, I was excited to see him and learn more about how Stan Lee would create him as a Marvel character. One thing that I did notice about this issue was the obsession that Marvel has with aliens, but I think that has a lot to do with the different ages. I know that the Golden Age dealt a lot with mystics and supernatural while this was a time that was more based in science fiction. It's just incredibly interesting to see the constant invasion of aliens.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Earth is threatened by an invasion of the Stone Men from Saturn! Nearby, vacationing doctor, Don Blake, comes upon a cave while hiding from the alien soldiers wherein he discovers an ancient artifact!

This is fairly typical of a Silver Age Marvel origin story. Like early issues of the Fantastic Four, the antagonists here are are alien monsters and we explore the hero’s powers in this first appearance. But also like those other issues, this just has a sense of fun and singular purpose that makes it very enjoyable. Not being a huge fan of the monster stuff, I really can’t wait to move away from it and into more superhero stuff.

Blake’s discovery of the ancient cane is coincidental (since he has an leg problem and loses his own earlier in the issue), so it certainly ensures that he will pick it up and use it. We really don’t get any insight into Blake’s character or background in this issue, which is a little disappointing, but I look forward to that in future issues.

While the Stone Men are pretty stereotypical bad guys (stomp, shoot, grunt orders, etc.) I actually do like their appearance. Very reminiscent of the Easter Island statues, they’re really cool to look at and kind of amusing. I’m sure that was Kirby’s influence in drawing them.

Kirby’s art is really a highlight of the issue. There are many great panels of Thor in action that remain iconic to this day. Some great images of him wielding Mjolnir (unnamed here, actually), and using his powers.

A fun origin, even if it follows a formula that Stan Lee sees is working!

[Francesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

And here comes the introduction of Thor. He’s not yet the great Asgardian we know and who will fully emerge much later; before the retcon, Thor is nothing more than Dr. Donald Blake, who, while escaping from some aliens, finds a stick in a cave that, when struck, turns into Mjolnir and transforms him into the Mighty Thor. So the whole Asgard, Loki, and Odin side of things is still missing, but this can still be considered a solid beginning for presenting Thor and his powers. In fact, compared to all the previous superheroes, Thor appears invincible and endowed with powers far superior to the FF and even Hulk. Aside from this issue, where he easily defeats these aliens from Saturn (who will later undergo a retcon themselves and turn out to be the Kronans), I genuinely wonder what major challenges the mighty Norse god will eventually face.

I don’t even consider this an actual origin story, because it doesn’t really explain how Thor came to be, but it does let us witness a crucial moment in his existence, and I think it succeeds at that without trying too hard, leaving many explanations for the future.

More could have been done with the villains, considering aliens invading Earth is already a familiar trope. The only redeeming aspect is that they’re well drawn, and for being super-strong rock creatures, they have a convincing design. The real highlight, though, is Thor himself: he has the best artwork and the finest attention to detail so far, from his face to his hair, helmet, and costume. Compared to the FF, Thor’s costume is far more refined and elaborately conceived.

[Stefan Albertsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aus Sicht des 21. Jahrhunderts mutet Journey into Mystery #83 natürlich altbacken an.
Dennoch funktionieren sowohl die Zeichnungen des legendären Altmeisters Jack Kirby in Verbindung mit der einfach gehaltenen, aber dennoch dynamisch gestalteten Story von Stan Lee.
"The Mighty Thor and the Stone Men from Saturn" ist farbenfroh anzusehen, die Action auf fast jeder Seite erkennbar aber nicht überbordend und legt den Grundstein für eine der komplexesten Marvel-Comic-Serien, die später aus ihrer Vielfalt einen ganz besonderen Reiz gewinnen wird.
In keiner anderen Marvel-Serie werden jemals mehr legendäre Gestalten aus tatsächlichen Sagen der Menschheit Einzug halten.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like I did for Spider-Man and Avengers, I'm about to read a milestone issue of Thor (#700), and before I do, I thought it would be interesting to read the first Thor Marvel comic. An interesting yet somewhat hokey story. But the history of comic and pulp fiction interests me. A decent read. I've been such a Thor fan since getting into Aaron's run. I typically have not been so interested in Thor. Gonna also read the first Thor titled comic, when Journey changed its title to Thor, before I dive into issue #700.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

And thus, the Marvel version of the Norse god, and most of Norse mythology would be adapted for the first time. this has a lot of coincidences that seem to happen one after another. So, what villains are the first to take on The Mighty Thor? Why none other than THE STONE MEN FROM SATURN....sigh.



Yeah, not great way to start but a founding member of the Avengers is here so there is that.

[Draconian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland, boring and unoriginal.

Welcome to the origin story of Thor. The only thing this issue end's up doing well is introducing Thor as a main stay character. We are back to utilizing the age old space invasion trope and even that feels spread thin in this issue. The pacing is non-existent, there is no world building and whatever happens, happens to show off the powers of Thor.

Probably the stalest origin story yet and a far cry from the Thor folks are used.

One time read only for Thor fans and purists, otherwise skip if you are not a fan.

[Riley Sipes · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Journey Into Mystery #83 (1962)

A thunderous debut for the God of Thunder! This issue introduces Thor in a pulpy, sci-fi-tinged origin that mixes Norse mythology. Don Blake’s transformation is a bit convenient, but once the hammer drops, it’s nonstop fun. The art by Jack Kirby is bold and dynamic, and Stan Lee’s script (with Larry Lieber) delivers classic Marvel melodrama. A foundational issue for the Marvel Universe mythic, mighty, and unforgettable.

[Britt Halliburton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent first outing for Thor. I never liked the dual identity, it never made sense to me and felt like it’s there just because that’s what people expect of superheroes. The whole thing about tapping the hammer also just seems like too much faff. Mjolnir looks great, though it does look a wee bit more sledgehammer than warhammer. Villains are rock men from Saturn, nothing of note, no primary antagonist to contend with, just random monster mooks.

[Josh Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gets a bump for being the first, but there is a charm to these early Lee and Kirby books. The Thor/Blake relationship is so central to the character early, but that can be easy to forget now since Odinson hasn't been linked to a mortal for some time. There's also something to be said for these stand alone stories that are just fun little adventures showcasing Thor's powers.

[Alvin R Dickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

ODIN!!! Let The Thunder Sound!



Anyone who loves old comic books would appreciate reading this story. Unfortunately the other stories are missing but we have the Mighty Thor in his premier episode!

[Valeria]

Esordio di Thor nell'universo Marvel, diversissimo da quello cinematografico. Qua abbiamo il Dottor Donald Blake, un uomo zoppo che trova il Mjolnir e si trasforma nel Dio del Tuono quando lo tiene in mano. Interessante la dualità Thor/Donald e peccato non averla sfruttata al cinema.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Interesting to see the origin of Thor!! I’m reading through marvel comics by publication order as a little project and it’s fun to see where the movies took inspiration from. I hope I’ll be able to keep at this ahahahha

[Dominick Zomparelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the smoother stories out of these early silver age comics

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

We add another founding member of The Avengers first story, which is of course already based on Norse Mythology. Unfortunately, it is brought down by yet ANOTHER alien invasion which is dumb.

[Nigel Lucas · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's short. It's fine. Though, I didn't expect Thor to just be a human accidentally finding Mjolnir which gives him the power of Thor.

[Ellie Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

48/100

[Karina Cortes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! The origin story of Thor- nothing like in the MCU.

[Pablo Galvez Chew · Rating 4 out of 5]

El primer comic de Thor! Muy diferente a las películas! Muy buena historia y muy buena introducción a uno de los mejores superhéroes!

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3,5

[Shane Stanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ep 1 1962

Read for Thor’s first appearance. Stay to watch him complete the tutorial level. Honorable mention: Kronan?

[Mark Plaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic fun and excitement from legendary comic creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! All comic book readers need to check this out!

[Marcos_e.e · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nota 5.
Tá que o Thor nem era o Thor e sim um americano qualquer que acha um cajado numa caverna qualquer... kkk tá bom então

[Oliver Blue · Rating 2 out of 5]

47

What an odd thing silver age comics were.

[Mars Fargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Lee’s overall more flawed “creations.” I airquote that word because he didn’t create Thor, just recycled him from Norse myths. Interestingly, from issue 97 onwards, Thor’s stories were split into two parts: There were Lee’s earthbound regular stories, and Kirby’s cosmic TALES OF ASGARD stories. It’s Kirby’s that are truly epic stories, while Lee struggles to find what to do with a centuries old character.
Seeing how different they are in quality, I’ll review them separately:

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #83-100 (Thor’s First Arc)
The stories definitely seem to influence the movies, in the sense almost every issue features a one-off villain who bears no long term consequence or significance on the story. The only exception to this is Loki, who occasionally provides a really great antagonism for Thor; he’s literally his brother, making their squabbles more personal. Usually he doesn’t even actually oppose Thor, having his deeds carried out through a secondary villain while he pulls strings behind the scenes. If he's able to command all that destruction INDIRECTLY, it makes you fear if he ever had a direct presence… which is FANTASTIC FORESHADOWING.
But apart from him, the villains are all AWFUL.

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #97-125, Thor #126-145 (Tales of Asgard)
LET’S BE REAL. There’s only one reason worth reading these… early stories:
TALES OF ASGARD!!!!!!!
Jack Kirby received his very own section of the comic book, with some dialogue by Lee. Here, Kirby recreates legends from Norse Myths which featured Thor, giving them his own unique visual spin. THIS is what defined Thor as a character for decades to come, as a truly operatic recreation of fantasy epics is told here.

In fact, the greatness of the Tales of Asgard stories really pointed out the greatest flaw of Lee’s take on this ancient character: He made him earthbound. You have a cosmic character from the dawn of storytelling, and you have him fighting aliens?? And communists?? And hypnotists?? Pick a genre! He was destined for fantasy epics, and the fact Lee doesn’t use him for one does the potential of the character a great disservice. At least Kirby had the good sense to understand that, which is why his half of the comic book was more influential.

[Rychetage · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10:

This story has aged badly. It's very 60s, full of early silver age topics.

Absurd plots, silly alien earth invasions, ridiculous looking creatures/villains, cheesy dialogues, stupid motivations and decisions, villains scared off easily and heroes easily knowing how to use their new powers.

Anyway, it's fun and quick reading. And especially, it's the first appearance of Thor, that establishes the dual confusing identities of Blake and Thor, which stays without any explanation until six years later.

[Matthew Ledrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

They misspell 'Thor' as 'Thorr' in his own origin issue. But like... the best part of these are the backup stories 'The Perfect Crime' is weird, nonsensical insanity. Love it.