Thor #4

Oct 1998 · Marvel · 1.99 USD; 2.80 CAD

📊 ~106,503 copies sold its debut month

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“From the Ashes”

★ 1st appearance — Adva★ 1st appearance — Majeston Zelia

About this Issue

Thor vol. 2 #4 is the pivotal installment of Dan Jurgens and John Romita Jr.'s post-Heroes Return relaunch where the Dark Gods — Marvel's 'evil opposites' of the Asgardian pantheon — make their collective debut as a group, cementing the central threat of the series' first major story arc. The issue delivers the first full appearance of Perrikus (who had spoken only off-panel in issue #1) and the outright first appearances of both Majeston Zelia, monarch of the Dark Gods, and Adva, the Dark Gods' god of portals and knowledge — three villain introductions in a single issue. Set against the backdrop of a conquered Asgard with Odin in chains, the issue also sharpens the Jake Olson double-identity subplot that was Jurgens's modernized riff on the classic Donald Blake duality, demonstrating that the relaunch intended to honor Thor's Silver Age roots while building a wholly original rogues' gallery.

writer Dan Jurgens · artist John Romita Jr. · inker Klaus Janson · colorist Gregory Wright · letterer Richard Starkings · letterer Comicraft · letterer WA · cover John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson

ComicBooks.com Value

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Raw (NM) $0

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NM · Variant $5 CGC 9.8 $57.84

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History

Thor vol. 2 launched in July 1998 as part of Marvel's 'Heroes Return' initiative, which brought Thor and other core Avengers characters back to the mainstream Marvel Universe after the ill-fated 'Heroes Reborn' experiment had temporarily removed them from Earth-616 continuity. Editor Tom Brevoort oversaw the series under editor-in-chief Bob Harras, pairing writer Dan Jurgens — who had made his name at DC on the 'Death of Superman' storyline — with artist John Romita Jr. for what became a multi-year run. Issue #4, on sale in October 1998, fell within the opening story arc that introduced the Dark Gods, a villain faction Jurgens and Romita Jr. created from scratch to give the relaunched Thor an antagonist force with no prior Marvel history to compete with.

Trivia · 8 facts

First full appearance of Perrikus, Dark God of 'Power Unlimited and Energy Infinite' — his prior appearance in Thor vol. 2 #1 was voice-only.
First appearance of Majeston Zelia, monarch and matriarch of the Dark Gods, who is shown holding the captured Odin prisoner in chains.
First appearance of Adva, the Dark God of Portals and Knowledge, who serves as the faction's gateway-opener and strategist.
First issue in which the Dark Gods appear together as an organized group; the conquest of Asgard is shown actively underway.
Written by Dan Jurgens with pencils by John Romita Jr., inks by Klaus Janson, and colors by Gregory Wright — the core creative team of the 1998 relaunch.
Namor (the Sub-Mariner) guest-stars, rescuing a de-powered Jake Olson (Thor's mortal identity) from drowning after Mjolnir fails to return to him underwater.
Supporting characters Hannah Fairmont, Amanda Fairmont, and Demitrius Collins appear as part of the Jake Olson civilian-life subplot; a scene hints at Demitrius conducting a drug deal.
The issue and its surrounding arc were later collected in the Thor by Dan Jurgens & John Romita Jr. Vol. 1 trade paperback, the Thor: Heroes Return Omnibus Vol. 1, and the 2025 Epic Collection: Thor — The Dark Gods.