You wake up from a coma and you realize the world is now ruled by geeks. So what do you do?
Well you need to read up my friend. And your first agenda for this geekworld of 2011 is THOR!
What will you do when somebody comes to you and ask if you know who Thor is? Will you give them a blank stare and let them know that you are not part of the geek movement. Toughluck if that happens to you! But you are in luck because you have stumble into this article. For this article will help you survive in this brave new world.
Again if you are presented with the question who is Thor? You can get by with the answer below, I just hope you are a good actor and know when to shut up.
"Ah! Thor... isn't he the Superhero who is an interdimensional being/oftenly mistaken for a god who has a mystical hammer which seems magical but can actually be explained as a higher order of science." Say that once, do not repeat it, keep quiet for the whole conversation and I guess your home free. I suggest put some food in your mouth so that you would not be obliged to talk again.
But if you want to survive further, then the explanation above can't get you really far. So, lets delve deeper into the geekside.
First thing we need to know is who is Thor? Thor is the son of Odin (and yes, if you have listened to your class about mythology then you would have known that this character was based on Thor of the Norse myths). Most of the elements on the Norse myths are present in the comics like Asgard, Valkyries and the Frost Giants but the comics adds a lot more exploits and most of these are set on contemporary times (so your knowledge of myths won't help you here). Thor is the God of Thunder (but again the use of god here is not of the traditional sense but more of interdimensional being with so much kick-ass power than regular human beings). So with a title like the God of Thunder you know accompanying that is the ability to control the elements.
This Thor was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (if you know what's best for you, learn to revere these names - It is smart to refer to them as Stan "The Man" Lee and "King" Jack Kirby), the character first appeared in 1962 in the issue Journey into Mystery #83 (memorize that because that may save your life).
The Essentials of Thor The suit/armor/costume - Throughout the years Thor has gone through a good number of costumes. Though the silhoutte and basic design has stayed the same. A particular iconic element of his costume is the 6 metallic disc adorning the front torso.
Cape - he would not be a bona fide superhero without the cape. And in most of his depictioin he wears a red cape (just like that other superguy from the rival comicbook company). And If you happen to see another Marvel comicbook character named Thor, with grizzled beard, leather like armor with floodlights for those metal disc, and without a CAPE - go find @LEEE777 and he'll tell you what he thinks about him.
Helmet - Thor have always worn a helmet, usually a metallic skullcap with actual feather wings (though metal wings are ok as well) on the side. In order to get more geek credits try to [female dog] a lot about the new movie's disinterest on Thor wearing a helmet.
Hammer -This is definitely the most important aspect of Thor. If he doesn't have the hammer its much better just to call him Goldilocks in a Viking Attire. The Hammer is primarily made of Uru metal. And the name of the Hammer is Mjolnir, This is what will make or break you as a geek - pronounce the name wrong once and geeks everywhere will seek you out and smite you where you stand. Again lucky for you this article have the proper pronunciation and that is - Mmyol'-neer. If that did not help I will shed a tear on your burial.
There are other things like Meginjord, Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher, but for now you could survive with the above knowledge.
If you want to join in further discussions I think a passing knowledge of
Thor's Powers and Abilities would benefit you. I'll be listing a few below.
Superhuman Strength: Being the son of Odin and the elder goddess Gaea, Thor is physically the strongest of the Norse gods and one of the most powerful beings in the Universe.
Superhuman Stamina: Thor's advanced musculature is considerably more efficient than that of a human and most other Asgardians. As a result, his muscles produce practically no fatigue toxins during physical activity compared to those of humans and most other members of his race.
Superhumanly Dense Tissue: Thor's skin, muscle, and bone tissues have several times the density of the same tissue in the body of a human being, contributing to his superhuman weight.
Self Sustenance: He is capable of surviving in the vacuum of space unaided and does not need air, food, water, or sleep.
Godlike Invulnerability: The tissues of Thor's body are considerably harder and much more resistant to injury than those of humans.
Superhuman Speed: Thor's superhumanly strong legs allow him to run and move at superhuman speeds far greater than the finest human athlete.
Superhuman Agility: Thor's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are enhanced to levels that are far beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete.
Superhuman Reflexes: Thor's reflexes are similarly greatly enhanced and are much more superior to the reflexes of the finest human athlete.
Master Combatant: Thor is a superbly skilled warrior trained in the arts of war with over countless eons of combat experience.
Master Tactician: For over thousands and thousands of years he has lead Asgard into battle against overwhelming forces with great leadership and employed strategies and tactics from every culture on Earth as well as all the Nine Worlds of Asgard, including forgotten ones.
Master Hammer Fighter: After centuries of practice wielding his hammer, Thor is a master of fighting with his hammer.
Those are only a few of his powers and abilities, but that was just to give you an idea that you do not mess with a guy like Thor. So, if you ever get to a wordwar on who would win in a fight, Thor would be a good choice just do not get near any Batman fans.
I guess I have prepared you enough to survive watching the upcoming Thor movie. But don't relax yet because we still have to tackle Green Lantern, Captain America and the X-Men and that's only for this year. We still have 2012 and beyond (assuming that the world does not end in 2012). =)
sources: http://marvel.wikia.com/Thor_Odinson_(Earth-616) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(Marvel_Comics) : http://marvel.wikia.com/Mjolnir
Note: Any error in the article above, if any, just blame it on my age, humanity and ignorance. Just be sure to check the comment section for the corrections, any error I made will surely be pointed out and corrected by much bigger geeks (because there will always be a bigger geek out there).
-This has been PollMaster inviting you to the geekside.
This is the 1st article in my Geek Speak series. Any requests and suggestions for an article for this series write it down in the comment section BELOW.