It was 19 years ago that the “Civil War” ended, an event that tore the heroes in the Marvel Universe apart. Iron Man took the government’s side while Captain America fought for the right to freedom, and almost every hero in comics was fighting each other. By the end, Captain America was dead, but that didn’t happen before a clone named Ragnarok murdered Goliath in cold blood in the middle of a battle. Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and Tony Stark were responsible for Ragnarok’s creation, and they never had to pay for this moment. That all changed in Thor #3 (2007) by J. Michael Straczynski and Oliver Coipel, when the God of Thunder returned from the dead.
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Thor wasn’t part of the “Civil War” because he and every other Asgardian had died during Ragnarok, which is why Iron Man decided to clone his former teammate using the hair that he had taken from Thor years earlier. When Iron Man faced Thor, the God of Thunder didn’t take this insult kindly.
Thor Destroys Iron Man in One of Marvel Comics’ Most Deserving Beatdowns
When Thor was rebooted in 2007, the Asgardians began to come back to life, and they did this by returning from the avatars that held their essence until it was time to resurrect. By the time that Thor #3 rolled around, Asgard had returned and was floating eight feet above Oklahoma land. Thor went to New Orleans to find the next Asgardian to resurrect, and that was when Iron Man showed up and said that the two heroes needed to talk. However, Thor was not in the mood to talk.
Throughout the entire “Civil War,” Iron Man imposed his will on other heroes. He demanded that everyone sign the Registration Act, or he would have them arrested and locked away. After Iron Man said he was happy to see Thor back, the God of Thunder refused to answer. Iron Man said that Thor would either work for the government or he would be against the government. There was no middle ground. He even threatened to overtake Asgard for the United States government. These were the same strong-arm threats that he pulled against everyone. It didn’t work against Thor.
Thor said that Iron Man fought their former allies and killed or imprisoned those who opposed him, regardless of their previous loyalties. Thor then said that was bad enough, but Iron Man took it further when he used Thor’s own genetic code without permission, created an abomination, and then used it to kill a former Avenger. When Iron Man tried to make excuses, Thor attacked. What happened next was shocking.
Iron Man said he was doing this the hard way, and he would apologize later. He hit Thor with everything he had, and Thor just stood there and looked at him. Iron Man charged, and Thor knocked him blocks away, which Iron Man said actually hurt. When Iron Man commented that Thor had been working out, the God of Thunder just said that the only difference was that “in this time and this place, I am no longer holding back.”
Thor Proved He Has Always Secretly Been Marvel’s Strongest Hero
The comment that Thor made about holding back before was notable. After Thor took down Iron Man easily, he then called down lightning on his former teammate and completely fried Iron Man’s armor. Thor then tore off Iron Man’s mask and told him to let the people he works for know that if they come for him or Asgard, they will learn what real power is. He then emphasized that he was not taking sides in the war between heroes unless Iron Man forces him to reconsider.
This was a fan-favorite fight because no one deserved to get beaten down and humbled more than Iron Man. His arrogance and antagonistic attitude toward everyone around him were allowed to go on for far too long. Out of everyone who would stand up to him, Thor was the perfect choice. While the Hulk is often called the strongest hero there is in Marvel Comics, Thor has every right to take that title for himself as well.
Not only is Thor the God of Thunder, but he is also the Asgardian God of Strength, physically the strongest of all the Asgardian gods. He has fought the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, the Red Hulk, Gladiator, Hercules, and more. He beat Col Borson at the time when the latter was strong enough to break Captain America’s shield with his bare hands. He also defeated Mephisto in Mephisto’s own realm. In this issue, 19 years ago, he showed that he could easily overpower and beat Iron Man, and there hasn’t been a better beatdown in Marvel Comics since that moment.
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