Thorhas many enemies, but when readers think of the villains who could potentially kill the God of Thunder, they’re probably not thinking of the character who might have just succeeded: Grey Gargoyle. Just like readers,Thor underestimated some of his minor villains, and now he might be paying the price – perhaps by dying, but even worse, by giving those same villains more power than ever before.
The preview forThe Immortal Thor#17 –written by Al Ewing, with art by Jan Bazaldua – confirms what the previous issue hinted at, that classic B-Tier villain the Grey Gargoyle is ascending to godhood by proving he has the power to kill Thor.
The narration ofImmortal Thor#16 hinted that this could be the case, and that by killing Thor, Grey Gargoyle, along with the villainous trio of Mr. Hyde, Radioactive Man and Cobra, are becoming the ‘gods of Midgard’, a title reemphasized in this preview. What their actual ‘divinity’ means, however, is so far unclear.
Grey Gargoyle Is Strong Enough To Kill Thor, Raising His Esteem As A Marvel Villain
The Immortal Thor#17 – Written By Al Ewing; Art By Jan Bazaldua; Color By Matt Hollingsworth; Lettering By Joe Sabino
InImmortal Thor#16, Gargoyle and his cohorts ambushed Thor, in a trap planned out byDario Agger of Roxxon, who seeks revenge on the Asgardian for killing him earlier in the series. Together, the dreaded foursome combined their powers in such a way that they managed to neutralize Thor just long enough for Grey Gargoyle to use his petrification powers on the God,and then shatter him to pieces.With Thor’s remains floating in space on the first pages ofImmortal#17, it may be a bit tough for even him to come backfrom this one.
Immortal Thor#17’s narration reveals that Thor isn’t dead just yet. He’s certainly dying, but he won’t give in without a fight.
The Grey Gargoyle, Paul Duval, is amad scientist in classic Marvel fashion, who accidentally doused his right hand in chemicals that give him the power to turn anything to stone. Of course, the first thing he did with this was turn to crime, deciding that he wanted to be immortal by attempting to steal Mjölnir from Thor. Funnily enough, his victory inImmortal Thormight have just granted him that original wish, half a century later. However,Immortal Thor#17’s narration reveals that Thor isn’t dead just yet. He’s certainly dying, but he won’t give in without a fight.
Thor’s Death At The Hands Of “B-Tier” Villains Proves They Can Be Major Threats Under The Right Circumstances
Grey Gargoyle:Journey Into Mystery#107 – Written By Stan Lee; Art By Jack Kirby; Released In 1964
What is so brilliant about this development is how it blends the mystical with the mundane.So many of Thor’s major villainsare literally mythic figures with near-immeasurable power, but then there’s the troupe of smaller-scale humans like Grey Gargoyle. When readers have seen Thor defeat universe-threatening forces, it’s sometimes hard to take his less impressive foes seriously.Immortal Thoris showing how foolish this is, and thatif Thor takes his eye off the ball for a second, even the smallest of villains could potentially be his doom.
The Immortal Thor#17will be available August 03, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
Thor
Associated with the mythical realm of Asgard, Thor is a Marvel Comics hero who channels the power of thunder to slay their foes. Though the name is chiefly tied to Thor Odinson, several other characters also take on the role of God of Thunder, including Odinson’s love interest, Jane Foster. Odin is portrayed as a physically imposing hero with incredible strength and typically wields the dwarven forged hammer, Mjolnir.
