Thor's Next Foe Wields the Power of a Billion Beings

If you thought Thor already had his hands full juggling thunder, evil siblings, and whatever cosmic crisis pops up on Thursday, wait until you see what Marvel’s about to throw at him next. We’re talking about a fight so lopsided it almost seems like a practical joke — and for once, I don’t mean another Loki plot.

Meet Mangog: Hatred on Legs (Literally)

The upcoming issue of 'The Ultimates' (#23, out April 29) tosses Thor straight into the kind of impossible matchup that comic writers usually save for big anniversaries: he’s going up against Mangog. If that sounds familiar to you, congrats, you’ve been reading Marvel since the late ‘60s or you’re way too deep into the wikis. For everyone else, here’s the deal: Odin once wiped out an entire alien race, and all their bottled-up hatred got smooshed into one walking rage-monster, Mangog. This thing isn’t just strong — Marvel’s own official line back in the day was ‘the strength of a billion billion beings.’ Which, honestly, is at least a couple zeroes too many for even Thor.

The Setup: Asgard Gone Wild

Thor and Sif — the latter now very much done with her old boss — are leading a last-ditch rebellion to free the Nine Realms from Loki’s grip. Thanks to The Maker (some readers know and loathe him as the evil Reed Richards), the main timeline’s whole history is messed up, superheroes mostly never happened, and Loki managed to sneakily dethrone Odin ages ago. Thor got tossed in prison, Sif changed teams, and now the only way Loki can hold onto power is by getting desperate. Seriously desperate.

In a preview for this issue, Loki straight up unleashes Mangog as a weapon and tells the enormous beast he’ll bring back Mangog’s entire extinct race — if Mangog just wipes out Thor for him. What kind of sibling therapy do you even prescribe for that?

And the carnage doesn’t stop there. The preview also dangles the promise of seeing the Destroyer armor and the Casket of Ancient Winters in action (two artifacts comic nerds know usually mean things are getting end-of-the-world-level serious).

Timeline Breakdown: How We Got to This Mess

• 2023: The Maker goes back in time, fudges up the origins of most heroes, but can’t erase Thor.
• Loki takes out Odin (with some underhanded help) and locks up Thor.
• Sif defects from Loki, joins the rebellion, and here we are: fighting for the fate of the Nine Realms.
• Now: Loki unleashes Mangog in a last-ditch attempt to stay on top.

The End of the Line for the Ultimate Universe

For anyone counting up their variant covers, this run has extra meaning. Marvel’s already announced that their ‘Ultimate Universe’ — relaunched in 2023, after its original 2000 run — is winding down for good after this batch, with everything reportedly set to be wrapped up by the 'Ultimate Endgame' event. Basically, it’s now or never for Asgard’s wildest plotlines not tied down by main Marvel continuity.

Oh, and if you like a comic that’s a love letter to Jack Kirby while also packing in gigantic splash pages and some ambitious ‘one month per issue’ real-time pacing, this is your jam. Deniz Camp’s writing paired with Stipan Morian and Travis Lanham’s art is intentionally going big before everything closes shop.

'This is as much a poem and homage to Kirby as it is a large-scale showcase of Stipan's artwork. I'm very excited for it.'

Sneaky Teasers and What’s Next

The cover art — courtesy of Dike Ruan and German Peralta — is also teasing a show-stopping fight between Thor and Surtur, another fire giant who makes Godzilla look like a sitcom neighbor. So, if Mangog isn’t enough, evidently things can go hotter and louder.

Bottom line: Thor’s new adversary is the kind of over-the-top, cosmic menace that only comes around every few decades in comics, and the entire final act of the Ultimates universe looks determined to leave an impression. Whether Thor survives or even comes close to a win isn’t the point — this is Marvel swinging for the fences on the way out the door.