Next week, Jane Foster: Valkyrie Issue 8 comes out, marking her first official team up with the All Father, Thor. As a die hard Jane Foster fan, let’s look at her time as Thor and as Valkyrie.
Thor: Goddess of Thunder
Jason Aaron has written many Thors including the Odinson, the War Thor, and King Thor. My favorite is the Goddess of Thunder. When Odinson becomes unworthy, a mysterious woman – who is not revealed to be Jane until the end – takes over the Thor mantle.
Her character design is a beautiful blend of feminine and masculine traits, from her muscular arms to her angelic face. What elevates her design more is Russel Dauterman’s sharp artwork and Matthew Wilson’s vibrant colors.
The cherry on top is the final panel – one of Marvel’s most impactful panels – which reveals Jane to be Thor. The new Thor is also a mortal woman battling cancer . As someone who has lost too many loved ones to cancer, this panel got me because it depicted a cancer patient as a fighter, hero and the strongest person in the Marvel universe.
The Mighty Thor
The Mighty Thor is the continuation of Jane’s adventures. While Thor: Goddess of Thunder had the imposing task of introducing a new Thor, The Mighty Thor is free to go nuts, leading to one of the most metal comics out there, especially with The Death of The Mighty Thor.
Dauterman knocks it out of the park with the artwork, going even deeper into space, specifically with The Asgard/Shi’ra War. It’s also in this volume that Aaron dives further into what it means to be a god. While the Asgardians and the Shi’ra say they are gods, they forget what it means to be a god. Jane proves she is better than any god, always lending a helping hand or mighty fist.
This run is also one of Marvel’s most important because it addresses living with a terminal illness. Now that readers know who the Goddess of Thunder is, Aaron can tell the real story. The Mighty Thor is about a woman taking control of her life, enjoying every moment to the fullest, and refusing to let anything stand in her way.
Valkyrie: The Sacred and The Profane
No longer Thor, Jane continues to soar as Valkyrie. After beating cancer and saving Asgard, no one deserves a second chance at life and super heroism than Jane. Fans feel just as joyous as she does when she is able to take flight again.
While super powered, being a Valkyrie is not the same as being a hero. Aaron and Al Ewing explore how being a Valkyrie is a trying but necessary job that requires Jane to look at the world from new eyes. Specifically in issues 6 and 7, Jane, who’s previously dedicated her career to saving lives, must grasp that death is just as important as life.
This comic is a great philosophical look into life and death. The super hero antics do not take away from these themes as much as they make them more accessible for a wider audience. Even with these motifs, the comic is still full of fun, from the fantastical adventures to the talking horse.
No matter what iteration of Jane we are dealing with, she is always a pinnacle of hope, kindness, and strength. She is an inspiration for readers and other heroes, like Thor Odinson. I look forward to the two of them teaming up once again.
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