Thor: Love And Thunder takes inspiration from epic Marvel Comics runs from the early 2010s, when Thor faced off against Gorr the God Butcher and then became unworthy, leading to Jane Foster picking up Mjölnir. These runs chart high among the best Thor comic book storylines according to Ranker, which comes as no surprise given their influence on the upcoming movie.
The iconic 1980s run by writer and artist Walt Simonson also dominates the best Thor comics, a period that introduced many elements that inspired Thor: Ragnarok. This run includes Thor's epic battle against Surtur for the fate of Asgard as well as the introduction of fan-favorite character Beta Ray Bill, a powerful alien warrior teased in the third movie.
Whom The Gods Would Destroy
"Whom The Gods Would Destroy" ranks high on any Thor fan's list as it pits the hero against Hercules. Thor #126-128 continues their conflict from Journey Into Mystery Annual #1, the Greek hero's first Marvel Universe appearance, with epic art from Jack Kirby.
Their rivalry largely stems from their equally massive egos, and the two would eventually become friends and allies. Hercules likely plays a role in Thor: Love and Thunder given the trailers introduce his father, Zeus.
Godbomb
"Godbomb" pits three versions of Thor against Gorr the God Butcher in an epic final battle for the ages. This storyline, written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Esad Ribic, takes place between Thor #6-11 and certainly informs the upcoming movie.
Comic book fans know Gorr the God Butcher attempts to kill all gods everywhere with the titular Godbomb, leading to an all-out war across space and time between the villain and younger and older versions of Thor.
Thor: Tales Of Asgard
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought Thor into the Marvel Universe in Journey Into Mystery #82. The legendary comic team went beyond Thor and they created a series of backup stories called Tales of Asgard, later collected into a single volume, that explored Norse mythology.
The stories focus on the most powerful Asgardian gods in the Marvel Universe, including Odin. Kirby's interest in gods and mythology makes these stories fascinating reads, especially for fans of his personal creations The Eternals and New Gods.
Thor (2007)
The 2007 Thor revival by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Olivier Coipel establishes a new status quo for the character that has had and seemingly will have an influence on the MCU. Coipel's outstanding design for the character clearly inspired the earliest MCYU costumes.
The storyline sees Thor oversee Asgard from its new location in Oklahoma after a devastating Ragnarok cycle. Asgard resides on Earth in the MCU after a similar calamity, and the storyline may hold some clues as to the live-action realm's future.
Thor: Disassembled
The 2007 volume spun out of Thor: Disassembled, an epic and consequential storyline from 2006. Ragnarok recurred in this story, brought about by Loki's unrelenting ambitions, leading to Asgard's destruction and the annihilation of its people.
These events themselves emerge from Avengers: Disassembled, one of the best Scarlet Witch comics, where she nearly destroys the entire team. Thor loses almost everything in this sequence, as he has in the MCU.
Mjölnir's Song
Thor #380 features a battle for the ages between Thor and the Midgard Serpent. The Serpent appeared in earlier Thor adventures, but few came close to the epic scope Walt Simonson brought to this issue from his all-time run in the 1980s.
A prophecy foretells the Midgard Serpent will kill Thor, but the battle doesn't go as expected. The gargantuan villain remains one of the best Thor comics characters still not in the MCU, though that could change as soon as the new movie.
First Blood! Last Man!
Thor #362 stands out as another outstanding and highly influential single issue from Simonson's run. This issue features villain Skurge the Executioner making a heroic and memorable sacrifice that directly inspired his final scene in Thor: Ragnarok.
Skurge appeared as a villain and accomplice to The Enchantress before Simonson transformed him into an empathetic and heroic figure over the course of several issues during his lengthy run on the title.
The God Butcher
Gorr the God Butcher makes his debut in Thor: God of Thunder #1, the opening chapter in a great comic book storyline by Aaron and Ribic. This storyline leverages Thor's immortality and cosmic reach to span three different timelines all impacted by Gorr.
The trailers for Thor: Love and Thunder hint at the use of flashbacks, which may mean the movie uses the three different Thors in the comics, including an old and embittered Thor who rules what's left of Asgard after Gorr's rampage. Flashbacks may also play a crucial role in explaining Gorr's backstory, as the trailers show him in different stages of deterioration.
The Ballad Of Beta Ray Bill
Beta Ray Bill counts among the most popular Thor characters and the best alternate Thor versions in Marvel Comics. Thor #337-340 introduces the visually iconic alien in the middle of Simonson's landmark run on the book.
The character proves worthy of wielding Mjölnir and becomes a powerful ally in the ultimate battle against Surtur. He appears as a statue in Thor: Ragnarok on Sakaar, and could make his proper MCU debut in the new movie when it returns to the junk planet.
The Surtur Saga
Simonson's run arguably reaches its dramatic peak in The Surtur Saga, running in Thor #340-353. This comic book storyline brings together numerous plot and character threads from the run, including Surtur attempting to destroy Asgard and complete Ragnarok.
Thor teams up with Loki and Odin to save his home and his people in this epic story that had a major influence on the MCU. Beta Ray Bill also joins the fight, taking on demonic armies with Stormbreaker, his battle ax that has since become Thor's weapon in live-action.