ON THE SPINNER RACKS 52 YEARS AGO TODAY

John Buscema became the second artist to draw more than three Marvel Thor covers. 

Jack Kirby had done 110 by then!!!

SLIM THOR PICKINGS IN YOUR LCS 7 YEARS AGO TODAY

AVENGERS WORLD #9 $3.99

(W) Nick Spencer (A) Stefano Casselli (CA) Ryan Stegman
   Cannonball and Sunspot have twenty-four hours in the future to find the help the Avengers need. They're just gonna stop for a drink first. Thor only appears on the synopsis page

ORIGINAL SIN #6  $3.99

(W) Jason Aaron (A) Mike Deodato (CA) Julian Totino Tedesco
    Who Pulled The Trigger? Thor makes a silent, Avengers crowd scene, one panel appearance.

IN YOUR LCS TOMORROW

THOR #15 $3.99

(W) Donny Cates (A) Michele Bandini (CA) Olivier Coipel

The wounds of Donald Blake have not yet healed, and new Hel is afoot! With all inhabitants back in Asgard, and Odin's presence returned after being away so long, an air of tension now sits upon the throne! Father and son. All-Father and All-Father. Odin and Thor. Is this relationship forever doomed, and what does it mean for the Ten Realms? 

Tony Daniel Spider-Man Villain variant

Nic Klein variant

IN YOUR LCS 6 YEARS AGO TODAY

GHOST RACERS #2 $3.99 

(W) Felipe Smith (A) Juan Gedeon (CA) Francesco Francavilla

   How did ROBBIE REYES become a cursed GHOST RACER?  Is his sizzling winning streak the ONLY reason why his fellow Ghost Racers despise him and crave to see him fail? Two Thors make a brief appearance.

MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE SEASON TWO #9 $2.99

(W) Joe Caramagna (A/CA) Various

   Hawkeye travels to Monster Island to train the newest addition to the Avengers: Ant-Man!  The island holds a secret more terrifying than giant monsters: A secret base of the Red Skull! Thor appears in 3 panels but has no dialog.

MRS DEADPOOL AND HOWLING COMMANDOS #2 $3.99

(W) Gerry Duggan (A) Salva Espin (CA) Reilly Brown

   Undisputed Queen of the Monster Metropolis is out to avenge the death of her brothers!  Teamed with Werewolf By Night, Frankenstein's Monster, the Living Mummy, Man-Thing, and Marcus the Centaur, she must fight their way through the land of the undead! Speaking of - How DOES one kill DRACULA, King of the Undead? Two previously unseen members of the Thor Corps make a brief appearance.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS 56 YEARS AGO TODAY

As a Thor fan, in the Sixties this was the best you could hope for.  A Lee/Kirby/Colletta collaborative masterpiece.

The first 3 pages once again showcases how Thor relates with all mortals

Loki appears for the 25th time

Jane Foster appears for the 35th time

1965 addition to Thor's Rogues Gallery, the Absorbing Man appears for the 3rd time.

Both the 16 page lead story and the 5 page Tales of Asgard back-up (with the first appearances of  Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun) are the first installments continued stories.

Plus: Not only is Thor on the cover of this Annual. He also appears on 5 pages.

ON THE SPINNER RACKS 53 YEARS AGO TODAY

When you saw this image you could have easily assumed that this was a symbolic cover (also known as a no-scene-remotely-like-this-inside cover)

With the Mangog saga Lee/Kirby seemed to be trying surpass their  earlier Galactus trilogy in the FANTASTIC FOUR. Instead of merely eating the Earth, this villain wanted to destroy the universe by unsheathing the cover-depicted Odinsword. 

The four years Marvel paid Jack Kirby to hone his monster-designing  skills (1958-1962) was indeed money well-spent. 

ON THE SPINNER RACKS 55 YEARS AGO TODAY

THOR ANNUAL #2 was in the shops with 30 pages of new Kirby art.

It featured the third appearance of this easily reusable Lee/Kirby-conceived Thor opponent. The Destroyer is a more dramatic foe than a robot because it has to be animated by the lifeforce of  a living being..

Plus: In THOR #132, Thor encountered two iconic science fiction threats - 

a cosmic toll booth

and planet stealing aliens.