Immortal Thor #16 Brings Back A Classic Marvel Comics Villain (And You Probably Won't Guess Who) [Exclusive Preview]
Al Ewing's "Immortal Thor" is one of Marvel Comics' best ongoing series. A spiritual sequel to Ewing's earlier "Immortal Hulk," the book has a satirical bent; this Thor will even swing his hammer at Marvel's own worst habits.
The upcoming 16th issue looks to reintroduce one of Thor's oldest villains: Radioactive Man. Not the comic book hero from "The Simpsons," but Chen Lu, whose skin glows green. Debuting in Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's "Journey into Mystery" #93, Lu was a Chinese scientist who incrementally exposed himself to radiation. Instead of poisoning him, however, the experiment gave him the ability to absorb, emit, and manipulate forms of radiation.
Radioactive Man combines two repeating motifs of early Marvel superhero comics: radioactivity as the key to gaining superpowers and communist villains. (Thor's second outing, in "Journey into Mystery" #84, was against a Fidel Castro-like dictator on the fictional island of "San Diablo.") Marvel's superheroes are products of the Cold War and, according to Stan Lee, even the Norse Gods would be on the side of the USA.
In 1964's "Avengers" #6, Radioactive Man was one of Baron Zemo's first Masters of Evil (along with other B-listers the Melter and the Black Knight). This was a sign of things to come; Radioactive Man has been shuffled around among different heroes, such as Iron Man and the Hulk, as "Thor" found its identity as a fantasy comic.
Marvel has now shared an exclusive preview of "Immortal Thor" #16's opening pages (interiors drawn by Jan Bazaldua) with /Film. The series' covers have been drawn by Alex Ross, who is renowned for his photorealistic line-art rendered with painterly colors. #16 is no exception.
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Radioactive Man is at a shooting range, making a finger gun expression behind a half-melted photo of Thor. Next to him is Dario Agger, head of energy company Roxxon and one of Thor's nastiest foes. (Thor's mother, the Earth spirit Gaea, is intending to retaliate against mankind for poisoning her and Thor must find a way to quell her. Naturally, his current adversary is an oil CEO.) Based on this cover and the early pages, Agger might be recruiting Radioactive Man to destroy their mutual enemy.
The full synopsis of "Immortal Thor" #16 reads:
"A BLAST FROM THE PAST! In Asgard, Thor weighed his obligations as All-Father and as Gaea's child ... and what he owed to both sides of his nature. While on Earth, a risen evil sought new Gods to challenge the old ... and found them in Thor's earliest foes. This is the story of the IMMORTAL THOR ... and the Radioactive Man."
Read on for the next four pages.
One of Thor's oldest villains will team up with one of his latest
The first page of "Immortal Thor" #16 depicts the Human Torch — Jim Hammond, not Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four. This Human Torch was an android; created by Carl Burgos in 1939, he was one of Marvel Comics' first superheroes alongside Namor The Sub-Mariner. The Hammond Torch is actually older than the "Marvel Comics" name (when he debuted, it was Timely Comics). So, the comic's narration pinpoints his creation as when Midgard (the Earthly branch of Yggdrasil) became a realm of gods just like Asgard.
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The next two pages show Chen Lu arriving in an American airport from China with, presumably, a Roxxon escort to pick him up. The narration of page 2 repeats the phrase "a man of fire." On the surface, it draws a line from Lu's powers to Hammond's flame-based ones. Dig deeper, and it suggests the invention of nuclear weapons traces back to mankind's first innovation: the discovery and taming of fire.
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The third page strikes a lighter tone, with Lu assuaging his driver's concerns. He need not worry about his super-villain past, because Lu has also been a member of Thunderbolts and saved the world. As for his glowing green skin? He may be radioactive, but he's not poisonous. More ominously, Lu suggest that the unseen Agger has recruited three other villains from Thor's past.
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The fourth page brings us back to Thor and Asgard. In earlier issues of "Immortal Thor," Amora the Enchantress teamed up with Agger against Thor. She framed the God of Thunder for murder and got him exiled from Earth. In issue #15, she revealed her reason: she wants Thor to revive her son, Iric. If he saves her boy, Amora will save his reputation. In #16, Thor stands upon the Rainbow Bridge with Sif, contemplating Amora's request and how he could even think to help one of his worst enemies.
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"Immortal Thor" #16 releases in print and digital on October 2, 2024. Previous issues are available in print and digital, as are "Immortal Thor" Volume 1, "All Weather Turns to Storm" (issues #1-5) and Volume 2, "All Trials Are One" (issues #6-10). "Immortal Thor" issues #1-12 can also be read on subscription service Marvel Unlimited.