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Characters & first appearances

What is the first appearance of Thor?

Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Short answerMarvel's Thor first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83, cover-dated August 1962, in a story plotted by Stan Lee, scripted by Larry Lieber and drawn by Jack Kirby. Dr. Don Blake finds a walking stick in a Norwegian cave, strikes it, and becomes Thor. The Thor feature took over the anthology, and Journey into Mystery was renamed The Mighty Thor with issue #126 in March 1966.

The debut

Journey into Mystery had been a monster and fantasy anthology. Issue #83's lead story, "The Stone Men from Saturn", introduced Thor, Mjolnir and the inscription "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor". Kirby's cover shows Thor smashing a stone giant.

Early Thor keys

IssueCover dateWhy it matters
Journey into Mystery #83August 1962First Thor
Journey into Mystery #84September 1962First Jane Foster (then Jane Nelson)
Journey into Mystery #85October 1962First Loki, Asgard, Odin and Heimdall
Journey into Mystery #97October 1963Start of the "Tales of Asgard" backups
Journey into Mystery Annual #11965First appearance of Hercules in the Marvel Universe
Journey into Mystery #112January 1965Thor vs the Hulk

Collecting

Journey into Mystery #83 is one of the scarcest of the 1962 Marvel debuts in high grade and among the most valuable. Issues #84 and #85 trail it but are significant keys in their own right. The Golden Record reprint of #83 (1966) and later facsimiles exist; check the indicia.

In the store: Journey into Mystery #84 and Journey into Mystery Annual #1. The Thor character page lists everything current.

Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.

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Marvel Comics · Silver Age

Journey Into Mystery Annual #1

CGC 8.5 · Universal Blue

First appearance of Hercules and Zeus — Thor vs Hercules

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$1,987$2,267
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Marvel Comics · Silver Age

Journey Into Mystery #84

CGC 6.0 · Universal Blue

Second appearance of Thor; first appearance of Jane Foster

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$2,412.70

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