The god of thunder will fly – without his amazing hammer – to cinemas nationwide tomorrow (November 3rd) in the highly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok, where he will assemble ‘The Revengers’ (Hulk, Valkyrie, and Loki) to take on the goddess of death, Hela.
However, If you are new to the concept of Ragnarok and the Planet Hulk storyline, don’t fret cos I’ve got you covered. Below, you will find all you need to know about Thor: Ragnarok so you wouldn’t be confused while watching the movie.
What is Ragnarok?
Ragnarok is a mystical phenomenon that occurs every thousand of years where everyone on Asgard dies, giving off their energies and life forces for those ‘in the shadows’ to feed on for power. Ragnarok is usually brought about by Loki, Surtur, and the Midgard serpent. Although the integration of Hela has been made in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so the Midgard serpent may not appear.
Odin, who has had his fair share of suffering Ragnarok, actually created Thor for the major purpose of both ruling Asgard and stopping Ragnarok as he is the only Asgardian immune to it. Loki is also technically immune because he is actually a Frost Giant. So you shouldn’t get confused when you see Loki alive after Asgard dies.
Also, note that depending on the writer, ‘dead Asgardians’ can sometimes mean they lose their powers/semi-immortality and stay on earth with no memory of their previous lives until it is time to be reborn.
Who Is Surtur And How Does He Factor Into This?
Surtur is a fire demon, ruler of the fire realm, and an extremely powerful one at that. He rivals the likes of Dormammu in Doctor Strange and like Dormammu, Surtur has lived for many many years; He was alive before Odin’s dad, Bor (who cameoed in Thor: The Dark World), was even conceived. During one of the Ragnarok’s Odin experienced, he battled Surtur and imprisoned him, that is why Surtur hates Odin and usually looks to kill Odin (for good) when Ragnarok comes. (Surtur usually gets released by the ever-scheming Loki).
Surtur’s powers include any and everything fire related. His fire is so hot, that just his breath can seriously charr the earth. He also has a sword that can cut, kill, and destroy anything.
What’s Planet Hulk and Who is the Grandmaster?
Planet Hulk storyline, as well as the follow up ‘World War Hulk,’ is one of the best-selling Marvel comic arcs ever. In the story, Hulk got cast out of planet earth through a portal and landed on Sakaar, which is controlled by one of the most powerful elders of the universe, The Grandmaster (the brother to The Collector in Guardians of The Galaxy).
Also, in the original Planet Hulk storyline, it wasn’t The Grandmaster (like we will see in the MCU), but the Red King that owned Sakaar, in case you hear a reference to it.
The Grandmaster is a lover of all things games and is extremely powerful, so it’s no wonder his favourite sport on this planet is the Gladiatorial games.
Who is Hela and What Does She Want?
In the comics and cartoons, Hela is the daughter of Loki (maybe that’s why she also loves the colour green) and the ruler of the dead realm, “Niflheim.” However, we are still not sure if she’ll be Loki’s daughter in the movie. Also, the big black wolf, Fenrir, is also one of Loki’s children in the comics, but like Hela, we wouldn’t know until we watch the movie.
Hela is the goddess of death and rules over the souls who failed to enter Valhalla. Note also, Valkyrie is one of the people who escorts people into Valhalla, so her battle with Hela will probably be because Hela tried stealing souls into her realm.
Basically, what Hela wants is revenge on Odin for imprisoning her for many years, as such, she wants to rule Asgard since the Asgardians are dead. Hence, the perfect opportunity to claim their souls and the kingdom.
Hela’s powers include making weapons, using the dead to fight, stealing your soul, and other amazing things.
What Happens to Thor Without Mjolnir?
Although Thor loves his hammer, he can actually do well without it as long as his mental state of mind is still A1. However, I expect Rune King Thor, which is Thor with the Odinforce and cosmic energies that rivals those of Galactus to appear. He once used that power to stop Ragnarok and end the cycle permanently in the comics.
How Does Dr. Strange Factor Into The Movie?
Dr. Strange will definitely help Thor and Loki to find Odin – who would be on earth – after the events of Ragnarok, and may, just maybe, use the Eye of Agamotto a.k.a the Time Stone to repair Thor’s broken Mjolnir.
Now you know everything you should, you are like raging fire!!!