Thor Trailer Brings Back Donald Blake

When Thor first joined the Marvel Universe, it was as Harvard Medical student Donald Blake, but after years splitting time between the two alter egos, Thor became a separate being and Blake left Asgard (mostly) behind. But in November’s Thor #9 by Donny Cates and Nic Klein, Don Blake returns and things are looking less than great for the good doctor.

“‘Prey’ is maybe the most fun I’ve ever had writing at Marvel. Thor fans are going to lose their minds over this one and I can’t wait to unleash this terrifying beast on them!” Cates said. “Nic Klein is back and at the top of his game on this one. I promise you this, True Believers, just like the mighty thunder king himself…..you won’t see this one coming. Behold…the return of Donald Blake!”

Blake was initially transferred out of Thor around when Walter Simonson began his epic run. Blake went his own way, while Thor took on a separate secret identity, as burly, unreliable construction worker Sigurd Jarlson. He remained separate until after Thor’s post-Ragnarok resurrection, when the two were merged again, only to be split once more after Thor’s Fear Itself death at the hands of his uncle.

However, Blake’s life had ceased to exist at that point, and when he tried to cut a deal with the Enchantress to get it back, she chopped his head off, and the best Thor could do to help Blake was to give his disembodied head to the dream-being Marelocks, who let him live out his life on the dream plane. That COULD be why he looks like Nightmare here, and Nightmare is seemingly right up Cates’ alley as a creator.

Cates has been tearing up Marvel with his work on Venom with Ryan Stegman, so it’s easy to forget his early creator-owned work. God Country was his book with Geoff Shaw, and was essentially a story about old redneck Thor protecting his family. It was one of the best comics of the year when it released, and this new story arc looks to be along those same lines. This follows his story with Klein where he turned Thor into a herald of Galactus, so Cates appears to be going huge for this volume.

Check out this trailer!

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