Thor vs Zeus Gives MCU Fans the Clash of Gods They Deserved in BLOOD & THUNDER (2024)

Thor may be Marvel’s Asgardian All-Father at the moment, but he’s not the only thunder god in town, as the threat of Zeus threatens to rear its head once again. With Zeus in an unstable, evil state, it may be up to Thor and Hercules to best not only him, but another returning villain.

TheImmortal Thor #14 is set to pit the God of Thunder against his Olympian counterpart, Zeus. As suggested by the solicitation for the upcoming issue, Thor and Zeus may be evenly matched in power, but Thor has more ways to defeat a god than by just hitting them with a hammer.

Immortal Thor #14 (2024)
Release Date:	August 14, 2024
Writers:	Al Ewing
Artists:	Jan Bazaldua
Cover Artist:	Alex Ross
ALL-FATHER VERSUS SKYFATHER IN A 775th ISSUE CLASH OF TITANS! Thor and Hercules were trapped in a realm of endless night… where Nyx and her children were at their full power. But there was a greater danger caged in this dark realm — Zeus, King of the Greek Gods! And when twin thunders met, could either survive? This is the story of the IMMORTAL THOR… and the second test of three. LEGACY #775

As the newest Asgardian All-Father after Odin’s death, Thor is now on Zeus’ level, both in power and stature, and this issue promises to be a brawl like few others.

Marvel's Latest "Thor Vs. Zeus" Face-Off Will Be The Most Spectacular Yet

A New Level To Their Feud

Immortal Thor #14 is part of an arc continuing the Olympian story that writer Al Ewing previously established in both Guardians of the Galaxy vol 6 (2020) and Avengers: No Road Home; the solicit confirms the return of No Road Home villain Nyx. The first defeat of Nyx saw the Olympians return as evil ‘true’ versions of themselves and become the villains of Guardians vol 6, so it’s entirely possible that Zeus is still in this raw, power-hungry form after his banishment in Guardians of the Galazy #12. It’s no wonder then that Thor needs to fight him.

This isn’t the first time that Thor has faced off against foes with similar powers in Immortal Thor. The first major villain of the series is Toranos the ‘Utgard-Thor’, the first ever Thunder God, and Thor also spars against X-Men member Storm in issue #4. With the series, Al Ewing is clearly interested in comparing and contrasting Thor against similar characters to reveal what makes him unique. It’s Thor’s wisdom that bests Toranos, and his fight with Storm helps to show the difference between a Thunder God and a weather manipulator, and how Thor can literally ‘talk’ to storms.

As Thor & Zeus Come To Blows, Victory Won't Come From Strength Alone

Thor Will Need Wisdom To Prevail

The question then is how Thor compares to Zeus. Even during the aforementioned fights, writer Al Ewing was careful to subvert the ‘power level’ competition that similar fights often devolve into, refusing to answer who is more powerful. His bigger question is the far more interesting meditation on where "true" power comes from. Like almost every fight in this series, Thor’s battle against Zeus almost certainly won’t be won with might alone, and Thor will likely have to out-think Zeus to gain the upper hand against yet another opponent with whom he’s evenly matched, at least on paper.

It seems likely that this fight will delve once again into what it means to be the All-Father of a godly pantheon. Immortal Thor #3 showed the moment that Odin gained his famous knowledge, equating his All-Power with that same knowledge, the understanding of the very fabric of godliness and of what gods are made of. Immortal Thor #14 may then show exactly where Zeus draws his all-father power from. As Thor faces off against one of Marvel’s strongest fighters, it will likely be knowledge and wisdom that win the day once again, not brute force.