Marvel Just Redefined an MCU Favorite’s Real Purpose (and It’s Epic)

It’s not often that a hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe can find a new purpose, but that’s exactly what happened with one character in particular. The majority of heroes have some kind of motto or mission statement that they abide by, and it’s not often that this changes. But sometimes the right story comes along that drastically changes everything. This is the case for one Marvel series, and it comes in one of the publisher’s breakout titles.

WARNING: Spoilers for Storm #11 below.

Storm #11 is by Murewa Ayodele, Mario Santoro, C.F. Villa, Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, Alex Guimaraes, and VC’s Travis Lanham. It’s Chapter 2 of the “Thunder War” saga, which finds Storm going to war against Hadad, the first storm god. If you haven’t been keeping up with developments in Storm, she got a recent power boost when the cosmic entity Eternity crowned Storm its host, turning her into the Eternal Storm. She’s used these powers to defend the Earth, but has also drawn the ire of Hadad. All this talk of thunder gods makes us think of Thor, who should be involved in this conflict. However, even with his absence, we learn what Thor and all the rest of Marvel’s thunder gods’ purpose truly is.

Marvel Reveals Thor’s True Purpose

While Storm battles Infinity, Eternity’s twin sister, the thunder gods gather at Hjem Spiti, a neutral realm for all pantheons, to vote on whether to side with Storm or Hadad. In attendance are some familiar names like Beta Ray Bill and the newly resurrected Zeus. Beta Ray Bill is there in Thor’s place, since the King of Asgard is currently busy with other matters, like his death at the hands of Loki and his surprising resurrection in the Mortal Thor.

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Beta Ray Bill is the only storm god who votes in favor of helping Storm stop Hadad from destroying the universe. All of the others side with Hadad. Beta Ray Bill goes on to tell the tales of how previous storm gods fought and defeated Leviathans, and how the universe has made them mortal enemies. It would seem that the purpose of thunder gods is to “deliver the universe from the great cosmic leviathan, Oblivion,” according to Beta Ray Bill. Oblivion is another of those cosmic entities that is also referred to as “The Great Cosmic Leviathan” and “The End of Creation.” This explains why there have been so many different thunder gods across different pantheons.

So, instead of just ruling over Asgard, Thor is meant to slay a giant leviathan. There happens to be one in the form of the Midgard serpent, Jormungand. This is a major revelation for the Thor mythos. With Thor off the board, Beta Ray Bill takes his place in the pantheon of thunder gods. He is more than up for the challenge and responsibility, and is the only god who even cares to save this universe. The rest want Hadad to succeed and usher in a new universe. Of course, this would also result in Storm’s death.

The thunder gods seem jealous that Eternity chose a mortal like Storm to be its host, and are taking this jealousy out on her. Thor better hurry up and get his life straightened out if he hopes to be in any shape to battle a leviathan. If he’s not, then that responsibility will fall to Beta Ray Bill. That is, if there’s a universe left after the upcoming showdown between Hadad and Storm.