Bad News for Thor? [Shattered Heroes]

There was a reason for concern when Marvel announced that there would be a new God of Thunder come November.  In order for that to happen something would have to be happening to Thor.  As for what might happen to the Son of Odin, the latest promo for Shattered Heroes and its accompanying quote might provide some details.

“Earth’s Mightiest deal with the cataclysmic aftermath of ‘Fear Itself’ and we will all mourn the devastating outcome.” – David Gabriel, SVP of Sales

Based on the picture it seems that at the very least Mjolnir will not be surviving the events of Fear Itself.  Much like Captain America’s shield Mjolnir has been shattered into what is presumably an irreparable state.

Without his hammer Thor’s fate is definitely up in the air.  Will the God of Thunder fall in battle or is it just his hammer that is lost.  My guess is that to save Earth Thor will sacrifice Mjolnir and it will be destroyed leaving Thor powerless.  Why do I think that?  Mostly because Marvel probably doesn’t want to kill of one of the main characters from The Avengers which hits theaters next summer.  There’s also the fact that Thor was just resurrected a few years back and it’s too soon to kill him off once more.

In a year Thor will be re-powered just in time for the movie, much like how Steve Rogers re-assumed the mantle of Captain America in time for the movie to come out this summer.

At the very least we know that the end of Fear Itself will lead to a new God of Thunder.  Marvel already unveiled Tanarus as the new Thunder God in the solicitation for books in November.  As to whether Thor is still alive that is to be determined.  Tune in to find out.

After Fear Itself It’s Shattered Heroes

Marvel’s big summer events have been the brand wide Fear Itself and the X-Men-centric Schism.  Both of these mega events are billed as having major repercussions.  For instance in Fear Itself Bucky Barnes has died, Captain America’s shield has been shattered, Tony Stark has fallen off the wagon, and Thor will presumably lose his title as the God Of Thunder.  Schism will supposedly be the big break between Cyclops and Wolverine and will in turn lead to two completely separate X-Men teams.

After the end of these mega-events Marvel will be rolling into the brand-wide story entitled Shattered Heroes.  Presumably this is the aftermath of both Fear Itself and Schism and will show how the heroes are dealing with the radically changed world they find themselves in.  At the San Diego Comic Con it was announced that Shattered Heroes will consist of a series of one-shots focusing on the effects the currently ongoing events will have on Marvel’s superhero population.

Marvel has begun releasing promotion material in regards to Shattered Heroes but it really doesn’t tell us a whole bunch.  In addition Marvel has pitched the Twitter hashtag #ShatteredHeroes for fans to talk about their reactions to the series.  The first promo poster released is below as well as this accompanying quote from  Tom Brevoort.

“The war is over, and the warriors return home, carrying with them scars of battle, both physical and mental. Now the cost will be tallied, the casualties buried and mourned, the rubble swept up and carted away. But the damage to our heroes isn’t easily repaired, the wounds not easily healed. Decisions are made and lives are changed—can shattered heroes find renewed courage to go on?” – Tom Brevoort, SVP Executive Editor

Today Marvel released another poster promoting Shattered Heroes.  As a fan of John Romita Jr’s artwork I have to say I really like this promo.  If you look closely there are two heroes that might be unfamiliar.  Marvel has already announced that there will be a new God Of Thunder named Tanarua who can be seen on the top left side of the image.  The other hero, depicted in the red and black samurai armor, is new to the Marvel Universe and as debuted in promos for a new super group referred to as The Forgiven.  I’m curious to see what this team ends up being but for now I would guess they are a team of heroes if one of its members is shown with the rest of Marvel’s heavy hitters.

There are a couple of takeaways that come from this picture.  Firstly, Hulk is back and no longer the world breaker.  However, he looks pretty rough like he has been changed from his experiences.  Additionally, Cap’s shield looks to be intact once more.  The question is, is this the original shield repaired or one of Asgardian design?  This poster is also accompanied by a quote from quote from Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso who asks the question:

“Our heroes’ lives are shattered. Can they pick up the pieces in time to face the coming storm?”

It would seem that there is something dangerous in the distance for the heroes of the Marvel Universe.  The question is, what is it and will the heroes be able to win?  After all the battles that have taken place in the last few years, story-wise, will the heroes be able to cope with yet another massive battle?  I bet we’ll find out in Shattered Heroes and to be honest I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in October when everything kicks off.