Thor’s hammer Mjolnir returns like a good puppy when called, but a new God of War comic reveals that Kratos' swords the Blades of Chaos keep showing up like an ex-lover. The Ghost of Sparta is cursed with immortality and chained to the destructive weapons, unlike Thor who has a personal attachment to his chosen weapon.
Kratos is just about as bulking and muscular as Thor but has a far more tragic past than Marvel Comics’ God of Thunder. Dark Horse Comics is exploring the popular video game character in a new series that delves into the tortured god’s struggle with immortality. Kratos accidentally murdered his own family after being gifted the strength of a god to defeat his enemies and laid waste to everything in sight in a wild bloodlust. Now he’s metaphorically chained to his guilt and immortality—and physically chained to the Blades of Chaos.
God War: Fallen God #1, by Chris Robertson and Tony Parker, disregards the traditional exposition dump on Kratos’ awful history, instead starting out in Kratos’ godhood. It focuses on the emotional toll of having immortality foisted upon the warrior. Kratos wanders the countryside killing whoever bothers him and fist-fighting wolves, all while trying to keep awake and avoid the Blades of Chaos. They can only return to him when he sleeps, so the Ghost of Sparta has to stay active and keep from getting drowsy without the aid of caffeine.
While Thor simply has to hold out his hand for Mjolnir to come flying at him, Kratos needs to be unconscious for his blades to return. Thor may want his hammer nearby for troublesome foes who need to have faces hammered in. But Kratos despises the killing after all the bloodshed he has inflicted on the world.
Kratos wanders the land half-delirious from lack of sleep. But each time he rests he nods off and the blades find their way to his feet. Kratos has powerful lungs to go along with his impressive strength and gets to yelling each time these blades find their way back home. Kratos continues to wander, eventually succumbing to hallucinations from the sleep deprivation. Kratos may be an unkillable war machine, but he does need a nap here and there.
Animals start speaking to Kratos, likely not part of his divine powers and more related to his fatigue. Kratos understandably jumps to the conclusion that he’s losing his mind. But going literal months without sleep is sure to do that. Eventually his body shuts down, only for the blades to return. A monkey and a bird tell him he has a destiny to follow, and the Blades of Chaos will come in handy. Plagued by his instruments of war, Kratos is not allowed to put them down and give up fighting. Thor on the other hand wouldn’t be caught dead trying to relinquish Mjolnir. Thor never wearies of the constant fighting. But Kratos has seen enough. So he’s cursed to have the blades trail his every move.