Nearly everyone has heard the name Thor, whether you’re a fan of Marvel comics and movies or you admire Norse mythology. The famed god of thunder from Asgard is well-known for defending earth, along with his home world, from villains and wrongdoers. He uses his enchanted hammer called Mjolnir to fly and manipulate weather patterns.
Though Thor first appeared in American comics in the 1960s, he has more recently become widely loved among pop culture aficionados since the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) began putting him in the Avengers movies, as well as giving him his own standalone movies. Following Thor in 2011 and Thor: The Dark World in 2013, the character’s third solo movie will be released on November 3rd.
Thor: Ragnarok marks the return of Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki, along with new villain Hela, played by Cate Blanchett. The movie also features Mark Ruffalo’s return to the character Bruce Banner/Hulk, an inclusion that allows the movie to include elements from the 2006 comic storyline “Planet Hulk.”
Several years after the events of Thor: The Dark World and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor finds himself held prisoner without Mjolnir on a planet called Sakaar. His troubled brother, Loki, has taken over Asgard, and Hela has emerged to steal the throne. To escape captivity and save his home, Thor must defeat Hulk, his former ally and fellow Avenger, in a gladiatorial battle. Only with help can Thor return to Asgard in time to stop Hela and the impending Ragnarok, which would end all of Asgardian civilization.
Provident is fortunate enough to celebrate Thor in two exciting ways! The first is representative of the classic Thor from Norse mythology, featured in our Norse Gods series of colorized 1 oz silver rounds. Thor is pictured holding up Mjolnir with lightning striking across the field.
Our latest Thor piece was struck by the Perth Mint on behalf the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu. This 1 oz silver coin showcases Thor as he was drawn in his early appearances in Marvel comics. It was released after a similarly minted Spider-Man coin.
Which version of Thor is your favorite? We hope you’re as excited as we are to see the new movie coming out next week!
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