Thor’s God of Thunder Nickname Has Nothing to Do with His Powers (Really)

Most Marvel fans would probably assume that Thor gained the nickname “God of Thunder” for his power set or mythological history, and while this answer probably holds true in the real world, the in-universe explanation is surprisingly different. The nickname’s genesis on Earth-616 has nothing to do with Thor’s abilities at all; in fact, it predates them altogether.

Thor (Vol. 5) #10 by Jason Aaron and Michael Del Mundo sees Odin attempt to reconcile with Thor after ages of being a bad father. In one particularly mean-spirited example of his poor parentage, Odin reveals that Thor’s “God of Thunder” moniker wasn’t given to him in reference to his storm-based powers. Instead, Odin meant to deride Thor with the nickname, making fun of the infant god who, at the time, had a terrible fear of the weather.

Related: The Creator of Thor’s Hammer Has Officially Taken It Back

Marvel’s Worst Father Created Thor’s Best Nickname

While the revelation that Thor was named after a fear rather than a power is surprising, Odin’s cruelty toward his son is anything but for fans of Marvel’s Asgardian family. Thor and Odin have long butted heads in comics, with Odin shown to be a misguided father at best and a cruel, vindictive parent at worst. As with many other takes on the character, Jason Aaron’s Thor run heavily explores the fractured relationship between Odin and Odinson, with the former often not knowing the best way to get through to the latter. This, of course, factors into the nickname reveal in Thor #10, an issue centered around Thor’s relationship with his father. Odin loves both Thor and Loki, but often fails to muster the courage to tell them. Thor #10 adds a tragic layer to this dynamic, as readers see that even in Thor’s infancy, Odin can’t help but be cruel, with the nickname being doled out to his son in “mocking contempt” for the young god and his fear of storms.

The story of Thor as the God of Thunder obviously takes a turn for the better, as his mother Freya points out in the very next issue of Aaron’s series. Despite dreading thunder as a child, Thor eventually grew to conquer his fears and gain mastery over the storms themselves. As Freya reminds her son, he did this without need of any magic or cloud-controlling hammer. Rather, he faced his fears through the strength of his will, as “no storm that ever raged was a match for the Uru will of Thor.“

The naming of Thor as the God of Thunder is a perfect example of the relationship between the Odinson and his father. Odin, despite loving his child, treats him with misguided cruelty, and Thor, in return, proves his father wrong and grows stronger in spite of him. In a strange, roundabout way, Odin inadvertently led his son to one of his greatest sources of power, as Thor isn’t named the God of Thunder because he controls the storms; Thor controls the storms because he was named the God of Thunder.

More: Marvel Is Teasing A New Thor Secret Family Mystery