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Thor’s 7 Most Impressive Feats of Power in 10 MCU Appearances, Ranked
In addition to being one of the franchise’s founding Avengers, Thor is one of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe who is most often regarded as one of its strongest heroes. After making his debut in the franchise in 2011’s Thor, the character returned as part of the core team in The Avengers, who came together to battle his brother Loki. In the years that followed, Thor grew to be one of the MCU’s most powerful figures, with the God of Thunder taking on various major antagonists armed with his impressive weapons, his command of lightning, and the remarkable attributes afforded to him by his Asgardian physiology.
The movies of the MCU have seen Thor engage in major battles, as well as put on some serious displays of power in other situations. As well as being one of the franchise’s physical powerhouses, Thor has also proven to be a character of outstanding moral fiber, regularly making impossible decisions for the good of his fellow Asgardians or the citizens of Earth. Even among an entire franchise of hugely powerful figures, Thor continues to stand out as an especially formidable character.
7) Sacrificing Himself For Earth – Thor (2011)
Thor’s MCU debut saw him sent to Earth without his abilities, and he spent a short time living as a human and attempting to prove himself worthy of Mjolnir. The movie’s climactic battle began when Loki sent the Destroyer to Earth, and Thor selflessly sacrificed himself in order to protect his human companions. While it may seem a fairly standard act of heroism, for a god to so readily lay down his own life is certainly noteworthy, as it shows a level of strength that ultimately proved Thor worthy of his abilities.
6) Returning To The Avengers – Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Thor has made appearances in every Avengers movie, but one moment in Avengers: Endgame stands out as a display of a different kind of power. After the team’s defeat to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Thor had something of a personal crisis, and his mental health appeared to decline. Faced with an opportunity to undo Thanos’ Snap, Thor began to overcome his personal difficulties to seek redemption. Seeing the hero whip himself back into shape after rejoining the Avengers shows his remarkable resilience, which is itself an important strength.
5) Destroying the Bifrost – Thor (2011)
Thor is one of the most powerful heroes in the MCU, but this can’t always be measured by the results of his battles. 2011’s Thor saw the hero faced with an impossible choice: he either had to let Earth be destroyed or destroy the Bifrost and his only route back to his newfound love. He chose the latter, smashing the rainbow bridge between worlds, demonstrating both his incredible dedication to protecting life and his raw physical strength in a single scene.
4) Battling Hela’s Forces With No Weapon – Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Despite Mjolnir being one of the best weapons in the MCU, it was destroyed by Hela immediately after her introduction in Thor: Ragnarok. This meant that for the movie’s final confrontation, Thor had to face his sister and her forces without any weapons. Using only his lightning-wielding ability, Thor was able to hold his own against Hela and her forces long enough to evacuate Asgard’s survivors. Though he ultimately couldn’t win the fight against Hela, being able to hold her off unarmed remains an impressive display of power.
3) Defeating Hulk One On One – Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok also saw Thor face another powerful MCU character without the aid of either of his iconic weapons. After arriving on Sakaar, Thor was forced into the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions, where he was pitted against the Hulk. Facing the Jade Giant is never an easy task, but Thor was actually able to get the better of Hulk, seemingly winning their battle. The Grandmaster’s interference led to Hulk snatching an unfair victory, but Thor being able to physically beat him in a fight remains a hugely powerful moment.
2) Almost Overpowering Thanos – Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Although every Thor movie shows the character using his remarkable strength, some of his strongest moments actually came in the MCU’s ensemble outings. Avengers: Infinity War saw Thor and Asgard’s survivors suffer a heavy defeat at the hands of Thanos, prompting the God of Thunder to seek revenge. Freshly armed with Stormbreaker, Thor dropped into the Battle of Wakanda and almost overpowered Thanos, even though the Mad Titan was armed with all six Infinity Stones at the time. Though he ultimately didn’t stop Thanos at that moment, being able to physically incapacitate him even briefly was a massive display of power.
1) Forging Stormbreaker – Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Before seeking his revenge against Thanos, Thor set out to obtain a new weapon. This led to the creation of Stormbreaker, an MCU weapon of immense power. To craft the axe, Thor had to withstand the intense power of a dying star in order to allow Eitri to forge it. The sheer force of will involved in such an act is awesome, and cements Thor as one of the MCU’s most impressively powerful characters.
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