Remember when I told you to start collecting the first appearance of Lady Thor? Now 2014's Thor #1 is about to jump in value courtesy of today's San Diego Comic-Con panel.
Two months ago, I predicted that with the many hints and nods toward Marvel Now! that the MCU would be pulling more characters and stories from the modern, more politically-correct Marvel. In "The New Direction of the MCU?," I advised picking up the first appearances of Lady Thor, the Totally Awesome Hulk, and the Young Avengers. Earlier today, Kevin Feige told the SDCC crowd that, among several upcoming projects, the fourth Thor movie will see Jane Foster become the Goddess of Thunder.
Avengers: Endgame laid out the groundwork for Jason Aaron's Thor, Goddess of Thunder, story arc to come to life on the big screen. As I've written before, the "Bro Thor" we saw in Endgame has become dangerously close to being unworthy of his powers. He's a Thor inebriated by grief and self-doubt after he failed to stop Thanos from wiping out half of life in the universe. With him joining the Guardians of the Galaxy (for at least one movie) it seems he is ignoring his responsibilities as the protector of Midgard, which could be added to his unworthiness. All of this sets up Jane Foster to pick up either Mjolnir or Stormbreaker and assume the powers of Thor.
I'm certain that many comic fans rolled their eyes when they read my headline. I'll admit that five years ago, I thought making Thor female sounded like a horrible idea, but Jason Aaron's intriguing story won me over. If Marvel Studios sticks to Aaron's writing, then an onscreen Jane Foster Thor will make for engaging cinema. The story centers on Thor having become unworthy and lost the power to wield Mjolnir. Meanwhile, Jane Foster is dying of cancer. When she lifts the hammer, she is rejuvenated by the power of the thunder god. However, while she may moonlight as a costumed superhero, her mortal body is still dying.
I question whether or not director Taika Waititi can effectively handle such a heavy and dramatic story. Thor: Ragnarok, though entertaining, was a slapstick action-comedy, and Aaron's tale of Jane Foster being worthy of Mjolnir is anything but silly.
On the collecting side of things, no matter what direction Marvel Studios and Waititi take with the Goddess of Thunder, collectors are going to be scrambling for her first appearance in Thor #1. As of this writing, the standard cover at a 9.8 has a 90-day average of $64 thanks to a $144 sale on April 22. However, the last four sales have all been for less than $45, so it's still affordable.
Don't like the standard covers? Counting the sketch editions, there are 14 variants for Thor #1. Out of all those, the most valuable is the Alex Ross variant. In May, a 9.8 sold for a record-high $260 whereas the sketch edition has averaged $136 for the past 12 months.
In the coming weeks, sales for Thor #1 will pick up quickly, and I'll keep you posted as it does.
