Destroyer (Thor)
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| The Destroyer | |
 The Destroyer in Journey Into Mystery #118 (vol. 1, Jul. 1965). Art by Jack Kirby. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Journey into Mystery #118 (vol. 1, Jul. 1965) |
| Created by | Stan Lee Jack Kirby |
| In story information | |
| Notable aliases | The Asgardian Destroyer Destroyer Armor |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength, stamina and durability Energy projection Matter and magnetism manipulation Flight |
The Destroyer is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #118 (vol. 1, Jul. 1965) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Contents |
[edit] Fictional character biography
The Destroyer is an enchanted suit of armor forged by Odin, and when it first appeared it was hinted that the Destroyer had been created as a weapon to face some dark menace from the stars. The Destroyer is used by Thor's arch-foe Loki on several occasions, and each time has actually come close to killing Thor. [1] It is next salvaged by Karnilla and animated by Sif, who uses it to battle the Wrecker and Thor. [2] At one stage Thor offers the armor to the World Devourer Galactus, in exchange for the release of Galactus' current Herald, Firelord. [3] Galactus accepts, and the Destroyer acts as his Herald, detecting Counter-Earth for him and going on to battle the Fantastic Four [4] until finally recaptured for reuse by Loki. [5]
Years later the menace from the stars is revealed to be the Celestials, with the Skyfather gods (e.g., Odin; Zeus etc.) having pooled their resources a millennium before to create a weapon to stop the arrival of the so-called Fourth Host of Celestials. At the penultimate moment, Odin enters the Destroyer armor and then absorbs the life essences of all present in Asgard (with the exception of absent Thor), growing to a height of 2,000 feet. The Destroyer then draws the Odinsword, and with the Uni-Mind confronts the Fourth Host, who kill the Uni-Mind and melt the armour into slag. [6] The armour, however, is not completely ruined and several years later Loki reforms the armor in a bid to destroy a severely weakened Thor. [7] Thor, however, wrests control of the armor from the host - an enthralled Frost Giant named Siggorth - through sheer force of will and goes on to defeat Loki and then the Death goddess Hela, who is forced to restore Thor to his true form. [8] The Destroyer is left in a crystal in Hela's realm, and is eventually animated by the goddess Lorelei. Loreli battles several Asgardians and becomes trapped in the dimension of the Great Beasts. [9]
The Destroyer was later deployed by trolls, who empowered it with the spirit of the Maestro, an evil version of the Hulk. Although the Hulk fails to defeat the Destroyer in combat, he is able to enter the Destroyer and fight the Maestro for control and defeat it from within. [10] Thor has two more encounters with the Destroyer, with the armor almost killing him on the first occasion and breaking his jaw on the second. [11] The armor is eventually retrieved by Loki and occupied by the entity Desak during "The Reigning", although Thor - equipped with the Odin Power - decapitates it with one throw of Mjolnir. [12]
The armor was later under the control of the god Balder when Thor was on a quest to locate his missing brethren, the Asgardians. [13]
[edit] Powers and abilities
The Destroyer is normally lifeless - although can act independently for short periods [14] - until animated by the life-force of a living being. Even when animated, the Destroyer retains a base personality that will eventually subvert the host unless a strong-willed individual is in control, such as Thor or Loki. [15] Odin is also in possession of a spell that can force the host from the armor and deactivate it. [16] Once animated, the Destroyer possesses the strength to match beings such as Thor and the Hulk [17] and is almost invulnerable. The armor also possesses the ability to project blasts of energy/heat/concussive force, emit a disintegration beam activated via its visor, manipulate electro-magnetism and molecules and achieve flight.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Television
- The Destroyer appears in The Mighty Thor segment of The Marvel Superheroes.
[edit] Video games
- The Destroyer appears in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.
[edit] Merchandise
- The Destroyer is included in the 15th series of Marvel Legends action figures from Toy Biz.
[edit] References
- ^ Thor #118 - 119 (Jul. - Aug. 1965) + Thor Annual #2 (1966)
- ^ Thor #150 - 152 (vol. 1, Mar. - May 1968)
- ^ Thor #224 - 225 (vol. 1, Jul. - Aug. 1974) + 228 (vol. 1, Oct. 1974)
- ^ Fantastic Four #172 - 174 (vol. 1, Jul. - Sep. 1976)
- ^ Thor #264 - 266 (vol. 1, Oct. - Dec. 1977)
- ^ Thor #300 (vol. 1, Oct. 1980)
- ^ Reduced to pulp after killing the Midgard Serpent in Thor #380 (Jun. 1987)
- ^ Thor #381 - 382 (vol. 1, Jul. - Aug. 1987)
- ^ Thor #437-441 (Oct. - late Dec. 1991)
- ^ Hulk #461 (vol. 1, Feb. 1998)
- ^ Thor #1 - 2, 36 (vol. 2, Jul. - Aug. 1998 + Jun. 2001)
- ^ Thor #79 (vol. 1, Jul. 2004)
- ^ Thor #5 (Jan. 2008)
- ^ Thor #381 (vol. 1, Aug. 1987)
- ^ Thor #381 (vol. 1, Aug. 1987) and Thor Annual #2 (1966)
- ^ Thor Annual #2 (1966)
- ^ Hulk #461 (vol. 2, Feb. 1998)
[edit] External links
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