After 63 years butting heads with his brother, Thor officially has a new nemesis in Marvel lore. Last month, Marvel totally rebooted Thor lore, stripping Thor of his godhood and removing all memory of his exploits from human history. Now, this new era introduces the perfect villain.
Thor’s New Nemesis Is the Serpent, aka Donald Blake
Thor’s Foe Is the New Leader of a Hydra-Like Army
In today’s The Mortal Thor #2 – from Al Ewing, Pasqual Ferry, Matt Hollingsworth and Joe Sabino – Marvel introduces the new leader of the Sons of the Serpent: a man by the name of Donald Blake, aka the Serpent. After Thor (under his new mortal guise of Sigurd Jarlson) takes down a biker gang working for Roxxon, the evil corporation calls in its real enforcers, a militant hate group who have fought Captain America and Daredevil in the past.
Surprising fans, the Sons of the Serpent are now led by Donald Blake – a character with some major ties to Thor who, until recently, was believed dead after Thor and Loki worked together to defeat him. And his new title of ‘the Serpent’ means that he’s not just Thor’s new nemesis – he’s the villain who’s destined to kill him.
What You Need to Know About Thor’s New Nemesis
Odin’s Forgotten Son Has Taken Loki’s Mythological Title
When Odin sent Thor to Earth to learn humility in Journey into Mystery #83, he gave his son a mortal form and identity as the surgeon Donald Blake. Thor eventually stopped using the identity, but Odin’s magic gave Donald his own sentience, and the former hero was driven mad by the knowledge that his existence was all at the whim of a careless god, and his life was now without purpose.
Donald found a way to achieve physical form and godlike power, attacking Asgard in 2020’s Thor Volume 6. After Blake was defeated, Loki bestowed Blake with his former title of Marvel’s ‘God of Lies’, declaring him another fallen son of Odin.
In The Immortal Thor #25, Thor managed to return to life by fighting Donald Blake in the afterlife and stealing his mortality. Now, The Mortal Thor #5 reveals that the Serpent was likewise reincarnated on Earth.
Donald Blake’s Codename Implies He’s Going to Kill Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is fated to die at the fangs of the world serpent Jörmungandr during the final battle of Ragnarök. Marvel has redefined this key aspect of his lore, stating that Thor will die thanks to a serpent, but not which one – indeed, during 2011’s Fear Itself event, Thor’s uncle Cul Borson became a serpent to try and kill his nephew.
Donald Blake taking the ‘Serpent’ name means that he’s now positioned himself as Thor’s mythological nemesis – something the upcoming cover to The Mortal Thor #5 confirms, showing Thor confronting Donald Blake in front of a painting of his battle with the World Serpent.
|
The Mortal Thor #5 |
|
|---|---|
|
|
|
Release Date: |
December 17, 2025 |
|
Writer: |
Al Ewing |
|
Artists: |
Pasqual Ferry |
|
Cover Artist: |
Alex Ross |
|
ENTER THE SERPENT! The Sons of the Serpent want the man called Thor dead. And they have a name: Sigurd Jarlson. But the man called Thor has a name too…the name of their leader. And that name… is Blake. Somewhere in the city, a man with a hammer faces his enemy… |
|
Our Take on the Serpent Becoming Thor’s Main Villain
Loki’s Redemption Has Left Thor in Need of a Truly Evil Nemesis
It’s long past time that Marvel replaced Loki as Thor’s main antagonist. Since their popular adaptation in the MCU (as played by Tom Hiddleston), Loki has become much more of a hero in the comics, renaming themself ‘the God of Stories.’ Loki has fought the Beyonders and the Elder Gods, with the larger goal of attaining ‘freedom’ for all sentient beings.
While the preceding Immortal Thor series (from the same creative team) still depicted Loki as Thor’s ‘enemy’, it was more in a metaphorical sense as someone who challenges the hero with the intent of helping him grow stronger. Loki has asked Thor to trust them “even as your enemy,” and is currently helping ‘Sigurd Jarlson’ under the guise of the street urchin Lucky.
Thor deserves a nemesis who truly loathes him, and no-one is better qualified for that role than Donald Blake. Al Ewing has been telling a masterful story with Immortal Thor, and now the second half of the epic is ready to be even better, with a villain who doesn’t just hate Thor, but is his opposite in every possible way.
The Mortal Thor #2 is available now from Marvel Comics.
- First Appearance
-
Journey into Mystery
- Alias
-
Thor Odinson, Eric Masterson, Kevin Masterson, Beta Ray Bill, Thordis, Throg, Red Norvell, Jane Foster
- Alliance
-
Avengers, Warriors Three, Thor Corps, God Squad
- Race
-
Asgardian, Human
- Franchise
-
Marvel