From there, Thor teams with his new ally to battle the fire demon Surtur, is transformed into a frog, experiences a rematch with Jormungand the serpent, and faces the prospect of an Asgard without Odin. The very first issue introduces cosmic warrior Beta Ray Bill. From there, it isn't long before Simonson begins introducing new heroes and villains and pushing Thor's mythology to weird and wonderful new places. Aside from Balder's unusual status quo, the series should be familiar and accessible to those with only a basic familiarity of the character. Loki is still plotting and scheming from the shadows. Thor is still living life as ordinary Dr. Simonson's run opens with a classically iconic take on the mythology.

It's a run that continues to hold up today alongside modern classics from J. Simonson succeeded in marrying the wonder, scale, and imagination of the Silver Age Stan Lee/Jack Kirby stories with the more mature and focused writing standards of the '80s. Walt Simonson's 40-issue run on Thor is widely considered one of the best in the character's history, if not the best.

Thor balder the brave art