Thor #126

Mar 1966 · Marvel

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About this Issue

Thor #126 is the formal birth of Thor's own titled series — the moment Marvel officially retired the Journey into Mystery masthead that had housed the character since his debut in issue #83 (August 1962) and handed Thor his own cover logo. That renaming was an editorial declaration of confidence: the God of Thunder had long since eclipsed the anthology around him, and issue #126 made the commercial reality official. As the launchpad for a run that would continue uninterrupted through issue #502 (September 1996) — 377 issues — it anchors the entire creative lineage that flows from Lee and Kirby through Walt Simonson and beyond. The issue also set the dramatic template for the newly renamed series immediately: a full-scale clash between two mythological powerhouses, underscored by Odin's politically charged interference, signaling that Thor's book would operate on a grander, more operatic scale than the typical Marvel superhero title of the era.

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History

Journey into Mystery had been carrying Thor as its dominant feature since issue #104 prominently showcased his name on the cover, and by the time the book reached #125 it was effectively a Thor solo title in everything but name. Marvel — navigating distribution constraints that made it commercially preferable to continue an established title's numbering rather than launch a fresh #1 — simply renamed the ongoing series with #126, retaining the sequential count from the 1952 anthology debut. Stan Lee scripted and edited the issue while Jack Kirby penciled both the cover and interior, with Vince Colletta inking and Artie Simek lettering — the same creative core that had been building the book's mythology for years. The issue picks up directly from Journey into Mystery #125, making the transition narratively seamless even as the marquee changed.

Trivia · 7 facts

First issue published under the title 'Thor' (cover logo: 'The Mighty Thor'; indicia title: 'Thor'), continuing the numbering of Journey into Mystery, which ended with #125 (February 1966).
Written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Vince Colletta, lettered by Artie Simek; Stan Lee also served as editor.
Main story: 'Whom the Gods Would Destroy!' — Thor battles Hercules over Jane Foster's affections while Odin, punishing Thor for disobedience, secretly drains his son's power to half-strength through the agent Seidring the Merciless; Hercules defeats a weakened Thor.
Backup feature: a 'Tales of Asgard' installment (part of the Odinsword Saga), featuring Thor, Loki, and the Warriors Three — the continuing mythological backup series that Lee and Kirby had run since Journey into Mystery #97.
The cover art — Kirby's dynamic image of Thor and Hercules locked in combat — was homaged in at least six subsequent Marvel publications, including Thor #338 (1983), Thunderstrike #10 (1994), and Incredible Hercules #113 (2008).
The issue's statement of ownership lists an average paid circulation of 232,644 copies and an actual sale figure for the nearest filing date of 291,375 — published in the letters page as the final such statement for the Journey into Mystery series.
Reprinted across numerous collected editions, including Essential Thor Vol. 2 (2005), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 4, Mighty Thor Omnibus Vol. 2, and the 2009 Thor: Tales of Asgard by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby reprint series (issue #4), the latter featuring new coloring by Matt Milla and a cover by Olivier Coipel.