REVIEW: 'Immortal Thor' #25: Thor Is Dead. Long Live Thor.

Sarah Angelo-Haight
Jul 2
5 min read

This review contains spoilers for 'Immortal Thor' #25.

Thor Odinson is dead.

The final issue of Al Ewing’s incomparable Immortal Thor comic run begins, the way the previous issue ended: with a murder. After everything Thor has endured, from reliving old Edda stories, to fighting the personification of corporate greed, to finally standing just steps from escaping Utgard, he has been slain by Loki.

But to what end? Loki certainly doesn’t explain himself; he disappears amid a cacophony of accusations and threats from Thor’s allies. Still, his actions seem incomprehensible. Loki has been, if not a hero, then at least a more neutrally chaotic entity ever since he was reborn in 2011’s Journey Into Mystery. There has been a sense, throughout Immortal Thor, that Loki’s trials and machinations have been for a greater purpose (glorious purpose, perhaps?), with Thor’s death being the final act in a story that Loki has been crafting from the start.

Issue #25 of Immortal Thor requires readers to have background knowledge of not only previous Thor runs, but the myths from which these characters emerged. For example, the echoing phrase of, “Would you know more?” is from the Poetic Edda - specifically “The Prophecy of the Seeress”, which describes the life cycle of the gods within Norse mythology. Loki, of course, is aware of all the stories he has been building upon to get to this point. Ragnarok, the apocalypse in the cycle of death and rebirth, seems to be at hand.

What happens after Loki disappears, is a moment straight out of the MCU. Skurge, left as the final defender of Asgard against Utgard-Loki and all of the horrors that the elder god will bring, brings his mighty war-axe down onto the Black Bridge between Utgard and Asgard, sending himself hurtling into the abyss below. The moment mirrors both Thor’s actions in Thor, and Skurge’s own sacrifice in Thor: Ragnarok. Again, a moment that is powerful on its own, made more so by the layers of stories it rests upon.

Unfortunately, Skurge’s sacrifice has unintended consequences. Early on in the run, Loki had used story magic to restore the Rainbow Bridge connecting Asgard to Midgard, and subsequently also created the Black Bridge. With the Black Bridge’s destruction, the Rainbow Bridge shatters as well. Asgard is now isolated, disconnected from the other realms, not only currently, but historically. The story has been forgotten. Mortals on Earth no longer know Thor as an Avenger - we are shown Thor’s role has been taken by Beta Ray Bill. It’s as though he never existed, not in modern times. This does, of course, bring up some nitpicky continuity questions - such as how did the Avengers originally assemble without the influence of Asgard? - but overall it is a mind-blowing moment when the story that has been going for so long suddenly ends. Not only ends, but never existed to begin with.

Even though Thor no longer exists in the memories of humans, he does still exist. Waking up, inexplicably in what looks like a hospital gown, he finds himself in Vidblainn, “land of lost souls”. He is not in Valhalla, nor Hel. The landscape is bleak, with monsters that don’t even wish to fight him, and storms that won’t answer his call. He is, however, visited by three spirits: Har, Jafnhar, and Thridi, all of whom provide Thor with more metaphysical guidance regarding his father Odin, his son Magni, and himself. Just as Thor is told he will “sacrifice himself to himself,” who appears, but yet another lost soul.

Don Blake is dead.

He has existed in various forms since the original Journey Into Mystery (not to be confused with the previously-referenced Journey Into Mystery), but most recently he took the role of the Serpent, after going mad in the world Odin trapped him in when he wasn’t in Thor’s place on Midgard. Ewing excels at mind-bending absurdity; Blake’s appearance is once again part of a layered cake of stories that this issue has become. Thor and Blake have a conversation, and for a moment it almost seems like they come to an understanding of sorts. Unfortunately, Blake’s bitterness and resentment erupt out of him in violence, attacking Thor with a hate-imbued hammer. Thor comes to the realization that he can end the fight by once again sacrificing himself (to himself, as his and Blake’s souls have become somewhat entwined).

Visually, this is stunning. The depiction of Blake’s bitter violence, Thor’s accepting calm, then the trio of black pages after Thor’s newest death drives the point home: Thor Odinson’s story is over.

For a moment, anyway.

In an unknown alley, a red-haired boy jostles a large blond man to consciousness. He introduces himself as Luuki (three guesses as to who this really is), while the man replies that his name is Sigurd Jarlson. Jarlson first appeared in 1986 as another alter-ego for Thor, after Don Blake hadn’t been used for quite some time. This will tie into August’s new Thor run, Mortal Thor, which will also be written by Ewing. Hopefully the same artists from Immortal Thor will be involved, as it has been some of the best art in a Thor series in a while.

Issue #25 of Immortal Thor is a phenomenal spectacle that ultimately hinges on the readers’ contextual knowledge. Referencing everything from the very first Thor comic, to the MCU, to the Eddas, Ewing pulls in as much as possible to make a point that, when boiled down, is very simple: People have told stories of Thor, Loki, and the rest of Norse pantheon for thousands of years. The stories we tell now, with a Thor who looks like Chris Hemsworth instead of a barrel-shaped redhead and a Loki who has become something of a queer icon, are simply new versions of old myths. When it seems like a story has come to an end, there’s nothing wrong with starting it over, making some changes, and telling it again.

Would you know more?

Rating: ★★★★★

About Immortal Thor #25

Release Date: July 2, 2025

Written by: Al Ewing

Art by: Jan Bazaldua

Cover by: Alex Ross

Page Count: 38 Pages

Synopsis: THE STORY ENDS... At the end of his tale, Thor strode into Vidblainn, third land of the dead, whence nothing could return. And there, beyond all battles, beyond all cares, he stood and fought for justice one last time - against the great Serpent who wore his own face and held his own hammer. This was the story of the IMMORTAL THOR...and the deciding of his fate.