Comic Review: Journey Into Mystery (1952) #83

Journey Into Mystery (1952) #83

Introducing…the Mighty Thor! The most exciting super hero of all time! When the Stone-Men from Saturn invade Earth, only the lame Dr. Donald Blake can stop them — but he stands no chance, not until he strikes a wooden stick on the ground and finds himself transformed into Thor, God of Thunder! Watch as Thor learns how to wield his hammer in battle! Only this new hero can save the Earth from being conquered! (Synopsis from Marvel.com)

Writer: Stan Lee, Larry Lieber

Illustrator: Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott

Published: August 01, 1962

Journey Into Mystery (1952) #83 features the first appearance of The Mighty Thor. This was not what I was expecting! This “origin” story of The Mighty Thor is so different from the one that we all know. First of all, Thor is just a normal human. While he is worthy enough to use the hammer, the Thor is this issue is just human. I was shocked by this. Dr. Donald Blake walks with a limp and he just so happens to be able to use Thor’s hammer as a cane?

I really don’t know how I feel about this one. Thor was already a known character from Norse Mythology, but the twist that Lee and Leiber used is one that I am struggling to get my head around. 

This issue was also shorter than most of the other comics I’ve been reading. This one was only 12 pages long, only half the length of a normal comic. But it didn’t need to be any longer. This was a fast-paced comic that was packed with action on every page. I am intrigued, but I don’t know how long I will stick with this story.