Thor may have saved Marvel’s Universe from The War of The Realms, and taken his long-awaited throne as the new Allfather Thor, King of Asgard… but peace can only last so long. When Thor #1 arrives in January of 2020, he won’t be the same god of thunder fans know–as his new, darker costume and makeover makes perfectly clear.

The news was announced at Marvel’s “Next Big Thing panel” during New York Comic Con, with creative duo Donny Cates and Nic Klein taking the helm following Jason Aaron’s years-long run on the main Thor books. With the new Thor #1 comes what Marvel is referring to as the “next era” of Thor’s storyline. Promising a “thunderous adventure,” Cates and Klein are sending Thor into realms even he has never explored, facing an ancient threat known as… The Black Winter.

Fans of Venom know Cates is no stranger to reinventing beloved Marvel characters, building his God of Symbiotes lore directly out of Jason Aaron’s own ancient Thor mythology. While neither the mysterious realm nor The Black Winter itself are being detailed just yet, the official announcement confirms that Thor’s beardless, crownless, black armor are a direct result of the coming story. And that legendary tale is one even Cates can’t believe he stands poised to tell:

The news is just another reminder that Aaron’s time at the helm of all things Thor is truly ending, and not long after King Thor debuted his own new design, following his true ascendance as god of the unworthy. Until now it was understood that Aaron had shaped Thor into the ancient deity destined to battle Loki in his final King Thor miniseries. But if this new Thor embraces a darker look, his father’s ravens, and apparently a restored eye… perhaps the future isn’t everything readers assumed? Until those answers are offered in the book itself, readers can take in the new Thor look in Olivier Coipel’s cover art below, along with the first plot synopsis for Thor #1:

In all my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined a world in which I was worthy of writing THOR. From Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, all the way to the legendary run I am so foolishly following by the great Jason Aaron, it is beyond an honor to enter the golden halls of Asgard, and to pave the path (Far beyond the fields we know…) for the Thunder God himself. Know that you will have my best, true believers. For all of you. For Asgard. Forever.

  • THOR #1 Written by: Donny Cates Penciled by: Nic Klein Cover by: Olivier Coipel A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSTAR CREATIVE TEAM TAKES THE KING OF ASGARD TO NEW REALMS OF GLORY! The prince is now a king. All Asgard lies before Thor, the God of Thunder. And after many months of war, the Ten Realms are finally at peace. But the skies above the Realm Eternal are never clear for long. The Black Winter is coming. And the God of the Storm will be powerless before it.

Thor #1 will arrive at your local comic book shop in January of 2020.

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