20 cool psychedelic comics to read after seeing Thor: Ragnarok

Divinity (Cover image via Valiant Comics)

8. Divinity

“Divinity” is the name of both the comics miniseries (created by Matt Kindt and Trevor Hairsine) and its central character. Originally, however, he was a standard human being by the name of Abram Adams.

Abram began life as an abandoned baby in the Soviet Union. After a long childhood as a ward of the communist state, he joins the Army and eventually makes his way to the USSR space program. However, this is like no Soviet rocket adventure you’ve ever heard of.

Despite dealing with 1960s technology, scientists in Divinity have discovered how to keep cosmonauts alive for extended trips through space, though it’s still dangerous. Abram is asked to join a 30-year expedition. Officials think Abram is perfect for the job, as he has no known family ties. However, he actually has a secret partner who, though she confesses that she’s pregnant, is still not enough to keep him Earthbound.

At some point during the journey, Abram and the other cosmonauts encounter a mysterious place called only “The Unknown”. While exploring the Unknown, Abram removes his helmet. Miraculously, he survives breathing the air of this strange, too-bright place, but it gives him god-like powers. Sure, it also feels like he’s passing through the moment of his own death, but he remains alive.

The now-godlike Abram decides to return to Earth 55 years after his departure. Everyone back on Earth proceeds to freak out over his strange new powers. Think Alan Moore’s Doctor Manhattan, but with way more clothing and a standard human skin tone for Abram.

Eventually, everyone decides that Abram/Divinity is too strong, and sends a team to defeat him. Though this sounds almost like a standard superhero plot, the oddness of the Unknown and Abram’s transformation and powers is plenty strange for our purposes.