How Did Thor Lose His Eye in Marvel Comics?

Throughout the pages of Marvel Comics, Thor has engaged in countless battles across the Nine Realms, fighting against the likes of Silver Surfer, Hulk, and even holding his own against Superman, but how did the God of Thunder lose his eye in the comics?

As MCU fans will recall, Thor lost his eye during the culminating battle at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. In the film, Thor is battling against his evil sister Hela, The Goddess of Death, who was able to escape her confinement after the death of their father Odin. As Hela unleashes her fury on the people and armies of Asgard, killing off The Warriors Three along with hundreds of other Agardians, Thor is trapped on the distant planet of Sakaar where he must battle his way back to his home world. When Thor is finally able to return to Asgard, accompanied by Hulk, Loki, and Valkyrie, he stands toe to toe with his powerful sister as they battle in Odin’s Throne Room. It is during this fight that Hela slashed out Thor’s right eye, leaving him to don an eye patch similar to his father’s. But while there are some similarities to the events, Thor’s eye is not taken from him so much as he sacrifices it in the comics.   

In Jason Aaron’s highly acclaimed run on Thor, the Son of Odin finds himself in a losing battle against Malekith the Dark Elf and in a desperate attempt to learn how to beat his enemy, Thor sacrifices his left eye for the knowledge to do so. In War of The Realms #5, readers find Thor nailing himself to the World Tree which has taken up home in the center of the Sun.

There, hanging from the tree, Thor sacrifices himself both mentally and physically as the fire that engulfs his body melts his armor down to nothing, leaving him screaming and clinging on to the last piece of Mjolnir he has left. In the following issue, War of The Realms #6, readers discover that Thor offered up his left eye willingly as part of his attempt to learn what could be done to stop Malekith. However, it is his final sacrifice that truly shows his worthiness as Thor gives up the last remains of Mjolnir in order to achieve his goal. 

While War of The Realms offers the most recent take on Thor losing his eye, the God of Thunder has made a similar sacrifice before. In the Avengers: Disassembled series, Thor looks to stop the total destruction of Asgard and his people, also known as Ragnarok. In an attempt to gain more power, after suffering the loss of Mjolnir at the hand of Loki, Thor finds the Wisdom Well where he rips out both his eyes, plunging them into the water. In the aftermath of his sacrifice, Thor becomes an all powerful version of himself dubbed Rune King Thor and gains access to his most powerful ability The Odinforce. MCU fans might notice that Avengers: Disassembled shares some similarities to the film Thor: Ragnarok as in both stories Thor allows the destruction of Asgard to take place in order to protect the future of his people. However, unlike the film, in the comics Thor makes the ultimate sacrifice allowing himself to die as part of Ragnarok.

Although Jason Aaron has said that the comic book Thor is not meant to be the same as the Thor of Norse Mythology, Marvel Comics has constantly done excellent work adapting moments from Norse Mythology into their comic books. A common theme in both the Norse and Marvel versions of Thor is the God of Thunder  losing one of his eyes during his ascension to the throne as King of Asgard. In Norse Mythology, Thor’s father’s self-sacrifice is a major aspect of his story and how he came to be the all knowing Allfather. By removing his eye and placing it in the well, throwing himself on his spear Gungnir, and finally hanging himself from The Tree of Life for nine days and nine nights, Odin gained the knowledge and power to become the King of the Nine Realms.

Similarly, Thor’s sacrifice in both War of The Realms and Avengers: Disassembled sees the Norse God follow in his father’s footsteps and sacrificing an eye before achieving the title of King Thor. Whether intentional or not, Aaron’s adaptation of the classic Norse Mythology has helped to elevate Thor, not only to the throne of Asgard but also to the forefront of the comic book world.    

Next: 10 Most Important Scenes For Thor’s MCU Journey

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