Thor’s First Comic Introduced His Most Surprising MCU Partner

Marvel Comics’ version of Thor, the God of Thunder, was introduced almost 60 years ago. Since then, the Odinson has met all kinds of characters from Asgard, Earth, and beyond in his efforts to protect the Nine Realms. He’s made just as many enemies as he has allies, whether in the comics or the MCU, but fans might be surprised to learn which supporting character made their Marvel debut in the exact same issue as Thor’s first appearance.

Thor was introduced to Marvel Comics way back in 1962’s Journey Into Mystery #83, from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. When Dr. Donald Blake found a gnarled old cane in a cave, he struck it on the ground and transformed into the Mighty Thor, along with his hammer Mjolnir. This was the original origin for Thor, where Odin the All-Father tied his son’s being to a human host in order to teach him humility. But once Blake and Thor got their bearings, they then went to take the fight to the fiends who had chased Blake into the cave in the first place.

The very first foes that Thor fought were none other than the Stone Men of Saturn, later given the species name of Kronans. One Kronan in particular would become one of Thor’s allies and friends in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, joining Thor’s battle against his evil sister Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. That Kronan was of course Korg, the hilarious and well-meaning stone warrior voiced by Taika Waititi, the film’s director.

In the comics, Korg is much more stoic – a simple soldier who’s part of an invasion force along with his brother. When he and his fellow Kronans were repelled by Thor in Journey Into Mystery #83, they were caught in a wormhole as they tried to flee the solar system, landing on the gladiatorial world of Sakaar, the same world Hulk would land on in the “Planet Hulk“ storyline. In the comics, Korg is actually more of an ally to the Incredible Hulk than an enemy of Thor, a member of his Warbound inner circle. As shown in Avengers: The Initiative #4 by Stefano Caselli and Jim Cheung, Korg actually fears Thor greatly, rightly understanding him as a warrior god who decimated his combat unit.

Ever since his MCU debut in 2018, Korg has fast become one of the most beloved MCU characters by fans, due to his great humor and buddy dynamic with Thor and Hulk. However, it’s really interesting to look at where he came from and know that Korg‘s origins are tied to the God of Thunder’s own, even if they aren’t such good buddies in the comics.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
(2535 Articles Published)

Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

See also  How to Unlock Every Ending in Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

More From Kevin Erdmann