The Mortal Thor Holds the Fate of Asgard in Special Anniversary Issue this August

Fans can get ready for a special anniversary issue of Mortal Thor, due out in August, as Sigurd Jarlson gets closer to uncovering the mystery tying him to the Asgardian God of Thunder.

What's Happening:

• This August, writer Al Ewing and artist Pasqual Ferry celebrate 800 issues of Thor with a special anniversary issue that pits Sigurd Jarlson, the Mortal Thor, up against The Serpent’s most heinous test yet.
• With the fate of the Ten Realms hanging in the balance and no superpowers or enchanted hammers to wield, Sigurd’s quest to prove himself worthy and restore life to the forgotten god of Asgard will set the stage for the third act of Ewing’s mythos-shaking Thor saga.
• At the end of Ewing’s Immortal Thor, the God of Thunder met his fate and died as a sacrifice to power a spell by his sibling Loki. This spell saw Thor forgotten by those who knew him and the rest of the Asgardians seemingly forever severed from the realm of Midgard.
• But the story continued in Mortal Thor, as a new hero rose on the streets of New York City, a hero with no powers, just a determination to right wrongs - with a hammer.
• Seeking a normal life but forced to step into the fray, Sigurd Jarlson found himself beset by threats from Thor’s past including the vicious Donald Blake, aka The Serpent, and Mr. Hyde. Sigurd’s encounters with these villains have led him closer to uncovering the mystery tying him to the missing Asgardian God of Thunder, with a pivotal moment set to take place in August’s issue of Mortal Thor.
• Mortal Thor #14/LGY #800 will also include anniversary stories from rising star writer Chris Condon (Ultimate Wolverine) and artist Jesse Lonergan (Drome), plus the return of fan-favorite Thor and Journey Into Mystery scribe Kieron Gillen.
• The Serpent has trapped Sigurd Jarlson in the worst of all possible worlds for his greatest trial. Now, without even a weapon in his hand, he must prove himself worthy to enter the Realms of the Gods. Somewhere in the city, a man without even a hammer begins the ultimate quest...the quest for Thor.
• You can check out the covers for Mortal Thor #14/LGY #800 including the main image by Alex Ross, variant cover by Ryan Stegman, and interior pages by Pasqual Ferry below. Place your pre-orders at your local comic shop today, ahead of the release on August 19.

What They're Saying:

• Writer Al Ewing: "Issue #800 wraps up some long-running plotlines that have plagued Thor since before his death, but it also sets Sigurd Jarlson on a quest that will send him through the realms of myth to an Asgard that's never needed a Thor more than now. Sigurd is still without any powers beyond his own courage, wits, and willpower -- can a mortal face the trials of the gods, save ten worlds, and bring the Thunder God back to the people who need him? I couldn't ask for a better artist than Pasqual Ferry to help tell this story, and I hope you all enjoy the ride we've got planned for you. #800 is only the beginning!”

#800 or #14?

• Marvel has a special way of numbering their issues and restoring the historical issue count of a comic series, even after multiple reboots and re-numberings with Marvel Legacy numbering.
• Marvel relaunched many of their series in the 90s and 2000s, with Marvel NOW! and other publishing initiatives. New #1 issues boosted sales because they looked beginner friendly, and would be along for the ride with all the world-building and collectible as well.
• However, longtime reader disliked losing that sense of history with this, so in 2017, Marvel launched the Marvel Legacy publishing initiative, with Legacy Numbers prominently printed on covers. Now, new modern relaunches could remain, but still honor decades of continuity.
• Using Thor as an example, the hero first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 back in August of 1962, with his stories continuing in issues #84-125.
• This means that 43 total Thor-based stories existed before the title changed, with Marvel later treating these issues as the first 43 Thor issues in Legacy numbering.
• In 1966, Marvel renamed Journey into Mystery into Thor at issue #126. The numbering did not restart, with Thor running through #126 to #502, adding 377 issues, combined with the 43, totaling 420 Legacy issues.
• This continued through multiple Thor eras in 1998, 2007, and the later Immortal Thor. For Thor, bringing the number closer to 800, Marvel also inserted extra-sized anniversary issues, "missing" issue equivalents, and publication adjustments - leading to a bit of controversy in the Legacy numbering moments that fans continue to debate.
• Thor's is especially complicated because of the title changes, the relaunches, Jane Foster as Thor, and multiple Thor books running simultaneously.