Thor Just Became Female

We have seen the future Thor, and she is female: In a rather startling change, Marvel revealed today (to The View, naturally?) what it calls "one of the most shocking and exciting changes" to rattle the ranks of its biggest heroes—it seems our "classic Thunder God" is no longer worthy of the mighty hammer, Mjölnir, and so Marvel is rolling out a new female character to take it up. But careful: "This is not She-Thor," says writer Jason Aaron. "This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is THOR."

It's an interesting change, notes Katy Waldman at Slate, because "while a lot of superheroines—including Marvel’s own Storm, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel—rely on lithe acrobatics to fight evil, Thor favors the brute smashing of things. Thor is mighty and unsubtle and loud." But while Marvel editor Wil Moss notes the inscription on Thor's hammer reads, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if HE be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor," he says that nevertheless, "it's time to update that inscription." The new hero debuts in October. (In other comics news, this is how Archie dies.)