10 Strongest Thor Villains in Marvel Lore, Ranked by Physical Strength

Thor, the God of Thunder, has spent millennia traveling the Ten Realms as one of its most valiant and powerful protectors. However, throughout his journeys, Thor has faced numerous terrifyingly strong villains who have rivaled Thor’s godly strength, if not surpassed it. While Thor almost always comes out on top, these villains certainly gave his physical strength a run for his money.

Thor certainly isn’t a pushover by any sense of the imagination. However, many of his strongest villains have proven to challenge the god’s might, sometimes even overshadowing Thor’s own strength. Yet, nearly every time, Thor arises as the undisputed champion. Still, without his villains, the All-Father would never have grown to become the King of Asgard that he is now. These powerful villains of pure physical strength are each terrifying foes who would make any mortal cower in fear.

10

The Serpent (Cul Borson)

Debut: Fear Itself #1 by Stuart Immonen and Matt Fraction

Cul Borson, the brother of the All-Father Odin, was initially meant to inherit the throne from the brothers’ father, Bor. However, Cul, otherwise known as the Serpent, ruled his subjects with fear. Alongside his gruesomely violent vanguard known as the Worthy, the twisted and false All-Father would have violently subjected all the Ten Realms under his rule. Fortunately, Odin overpowered his brother until Cul could regain his strength and challenge Thor millennia later.

Like the other gods of Asgard, the Serpent possesses otherworldly strength and, despite his ancient age, is strong enough to overpower most other Asgardians. When Cul is surrounded with enough fear, his strength grows tenfold, easily ranking him on par with Odin. Together with his Worthy, the Serpent became so powerful that Asgard, the might of the Ten Realms, and the Avengers were forced to band together to take down Cul Borson once and for all.

9

Perrikus and the Dark Gods

Debut: Thor #4 by Dan Jurgens and John Romita Jr.

The Dark Gods are a race of divine beings that sinisterly mirror Asgard’s greatest protectors. These vile despots rule over their subjects with a severity that only power-hungry tyrants could enjoy. While the Dark Gods initially waged war with the Asgardians, their reign of terror eventually bled into Olympus, pitting all three domains against each other. But above them all sits Perrikus, the cruelest and strongest of the Dark Gods.

Perrikus is the God of Unlimited Power and Energy, thus transforming the deity into an endless source of vitality and strength. At his strongest, Perrikus previously beat Thor so hard that he reverted to his mortal avatar. Together, the Dark Gods are a unified threat that all godly pantheons fear. Today, Perrikus has resurrected his fellow fallen gods and has waged a new war against the cosmic powers of the Phoenix.

8

Kurse (Algrim the Strong)

Debut: Thor #347 by Walter Simonson

Before his transformation into the monstrous brute known as Kurse, Algrim the Strong was one of the strongest Dark Elves in Malekith’s army, towering over most others of his kind. After a battle between Algrim and Thor left the Dark Elf drowning in a pool of magma, the villain developed an unquenchable disdain for the God of Thunder. In response to Algrim’s violent rage, the Beyonder took notice and bestowed the warrior with new strengths.

In his new form and now known as Kurse, the monster easily rivaled Thor in strength, leaving the Asgardian to find other means to temporarily boost his power. Even so, before becoming the All-Father, Thor could rarely defeat the creature on his own. Fortunately for the God of Thunder, Kurse switched sides and became a loyal agent of Asgard before being captured and imprisoned by the Dark Elf forces once again.

7

Midgard Serpent (Jormungand)

Debut: Thor #127 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

As with many of the Thor franchise’s mythical counterparts, Jormungand is directly inspired by Norse mythology’s Jörmungandr. Also known as the World Serpent, Jormungand is one of Loki’s monstrous children and thus possesses the same enormous size as most of Jotunheim’s frosty natives. Likewise, the gargantuan snake is a master of illusions, although its strength certainly isn’t an act. Jormungand is equipped with two powerfully strong, clawed hands that easily tear through any being lesser than a god.

Across Thor and Jormungand’s many battles, the Midgard Serpent often proves to equal or outclass Thor, although most of their fights end in a stalemate. The beast is so powerful that Freyja once sacrificed herself just to stop the serpent’s return to Earth. Sadly, like many of Loki’s children, the Serpent is a misunderstood soul and was overtaken by Thor’s mortal avatar, Donald Blake, who killed the creature to absorb its power.

6

Mangog

Debut: Thor #154 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Rather than being a single physical being, Mangog is instead the physical manifestation of the hatred of billions of lives who were slaughtered by Odin and the forces of Asgard. While little is known as to what made Odin’s victims “deserving” of their punishment, the resulting monster is by far one of Thor’s most powerful enemies. Singularly motivated by his hatred of Odin and the Asgardians, Mangog’s strength is unhindered by pain and exhaustion.

Likewise, Mangog can feed on the anger of others, only strengthening the beast’s resolve and physical strength in the heat of the battle. When fully empowered, Mangog easily outclasses both Thor and Odin, leaving the All-Fathers to rally armies to face the behemoth rather than face it themselves. However, Mangog’s greatest weakness is the source of his strength. If deprived of the mystical energies and the rage that fuels its power, Mangog is reduced to nothing and can be easily detained.

5

Ymir

Debut: Journey Into Mystery #97 by Robert E. Howard, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby

The progenitor of all Ice Giants, Ymir is a mountainous monster who towers over 1000 feet tall. Just his size alone catapults Ymir among Thor’s strongest enemies, as this gargantuan creature could easily topple mountains with a single push and empty seas with a single smash. In time, the father of all Ice Giants has evolved into a potentially immortal god-like being with absolute power over Loki’s frosty home realm of Niffleheim.

Despite millennia of trying to destroy Ymir, both Odin and Thor have repeatedly failed to kill this frozen god. One of the few ways Thor has ever managed to subdue Ymir was by throwing him into direct conflict with the fiery god Surtur. Alone, Thor has never stood a chance at toppling Ymir, although, now that Thor is the one and only Protector of the Ten Realms, the God of Thunder could have a chance at overthrowing this ancient giant.

4

Surtur

Debut: Journey Into Mystery #97 by Robert E. Howard, Stan Lee, and Jack Kirby

Nearly identical in strength and size to the Ice Giant Ymir, Surtur is an ancient Fire Giant who rules from the realm of Muspelheim, the land of the Fire Demons. Like Ymir, Surtur is an immortal being who has existed since time immemorial, far outliving both Odin and Thor. While the Asgardians claim to rule over the Ten Realms, realistically, the All-Fathers have repeatedly failed to overcome the demon giant with their strength or heavenly powers.

However, it’s unfair to call Surtur something as simple as a physical threat. In reality, he’s more of a force of nature. Standing at over 1000 feet tall and eternally burning with cosmic flames, Surtur is the indiscriminate purifying fire that washed over Asgard during Ragnarök. In addition to his monumental strength and fire powers, Surtur wields the mythical weapon known as the Twilight Sword, which was once used to split the sentient mutant islands now known as Krakoa and Arakko.

3

Gorr the God Butcher

Debut: Thor: God of Thunder #2 by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribić

While Gorr isn’t all that powerful on his own, the alien has been bonded with All-Black the Necrosword for the vast majority of his millennia-spanning time-traveling life. With the universe’s first Klyntar by his side, Gorr has evolved into a god-killing warlord whose quest for vengeance spans space and time. Thor has continuously faced Gorr, each time feeling the sting of defeat by the seemingly invincible, black-clad villain.

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Gorr became an unstoppable force who even managed to halt Young Thor, Current Thor, and a future All-Father Thor all at once. Thousands, if not millions, of gods have fallen to Gorr’s monumental strength, and many were just as powerful as Thor’s strongest foes. It wasn’t until Thor’s far-future grandchildren traveled to the present to help their ancestor that Gorr was finally defeated. Even so, the Norse gods still failed to kill the despot, leaving Jean Grey to finish the job years later.

2

Toranos

Debut: Immortal Thor #1 by Al Ewing and Alex Ross

Realistically, any of the Utgard Elder Gods could be ranked among Thor’s strongest enemies, but none is more powerful and resilient than Toranos. This cosmic being, known to all as the First of All Thunderers, was one of the first Elder Gods born on Earth before Gaea released the all-consuming power of the Demogorge. However, while he and his allies fled from danger during Earth’s infant years, there is nothing about this Elder God that is cowardly or weak.

As an Elder God, Toranos is the first to have harnessed the cosmic storms, the first to brave untamable weather, and the first to call down the wrathful strikes of lightning upon the world. In a direct fight with the All-Father Thor, Toranos easily held his own against the comparatively puny God of Thunder’s power. The only advantage Thor could muster to overcome his foe was by bestowing Utgard-Thor with all the compassion and wisdom he had gained through his travels, thus imbuing the Elder God with a new sense of moral clarity.

1

The Hulk

Debut: The Incredible Hulk #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

There is no Thor “villain” stronger or better suited to rival, if not outright destroy, the God of Thunder than the Incredible Hulk. These two Avengers have been at each other’s throats for decades, often teetering between rivalry and outright disdain. However, try as the All-Father might, there is no force in the universe more powerful than the Hulk and the infinite strength that the Green Goliath can summon from its patron god, the One Below All.

Empowering the Hulk and his endless rage, the One Below All is one-half of the progenitor of all existence. It is hate, wrath, chaos, and destruction incarnate, and it feeds its power into gamma-mutates like the Hulk to wreak havoc across the Multiverse. The Hulk himself is a bottomless wellspring of physical power, as his strength is directly tied to his monstrous anger. At his most powerful, the Hulk can easily shatter planets and slaughter any foe thrown his way. If there is any foe on this list more powerful than Thor, it’s the Hulk.

Thor

Associated with the mythical realm of Asgard, Thor is a Marvel Comics hero who channels the power of thunder to slay their foes. Though the name is chiefly tied to Thor Odinson, several other characters also take on the role of God of Thunder, including Odinson’s love interest, Jane Foster. Odin is portrayed as a physically imposing hero with incredible strength and typically wields the dwarven forged hammer, Mjolnir.

First Appearance

Journey into Mystery

Alias

Thor Odinson, Eric Masterson, Kevin Masterson, Beta Ray Bill, Thordis, Throg, Red Norvell, Jane Foster

Alliance

Avengers, Warriors Three, Thor Corps, God Squad

Race

Asgardian, Human

Franchise

Marvel

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