20 times Thor was the best Marvel superhero

Image via Marvel

13. When he deals with his alternate identities

All superheroes, it seems, need an alternate identity. It makes sense, on a practical level. After all, wielding superpowers generally gets you noticed. If you’re a massive, muscular Asgardian god who flies around with a magical hammer, then you may get noticed all the more.

However satisfying all that recognition may be, it makes the nitty gritty work of saving the world a little tough. You see, sometimes seemingly boring stuff like going to meetings and getting your paperwork in order can really pay off in the long run.

As fun as it might be to imagine the fully bedecked Thor, God of Thunder, attending to administrative work (which, given all of the board meetings that the Avengers and the like seem to have, you may have already), it doesn’t work out in everyday life. Sometimes, it’s just easier to pretend to be someone else.

I’ve already discussed Thor’s first alternate identity as Donald Blake, the doctor personality designed to teach Thor a lesson in humility. However, when Thor finally learns to get off his high horse every once in awhile, the Blake personality is no longer necessary. Still, Thor needs to get work done.

This means that, with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, Thor must develop a new persona. This time around, he must masquerade as Sigurd Jarlson, a Nordic construction worker with a ponytail and gigantic 80s-era glasses.

If the “glasses-as-disguise” gambit sounds a little familiar, then you might be satisfied to learn that “Sigurd” once accidentally knocked over a hapless reporter at a conference. Said reporter, a bit of a dweeb named Clark, also had a pair of glasses which seemed fairly important to his identity. Wonder if the two will ever meet up again?