A new Marvel universe kicks off with Thor‘s death, betrayed once again, but this time at the hands of a fellow hero. The 2006 Marvel Zombies storyline opened the gates for several timelines inhabited by the undead. Nineteen years later, Marvel presents another zombified universe in the form of Marvel Zombies: Red Band. This time, the virus spreads thanks to the Fantastic Four.
Marvel Zombies: Red Band promises more blood and more graphic deaths than the original 2006 storyline. The zombies also seem to be more intelligent from the start, with the Fantastic Four instantly strategizing their attacks and retreating when outnumbered. Still, the virus makes them incredibly unpredictable, even for other superheroes.
Marvel Zombies Red Band #1, featuring a zombified Fantastic Four
Marvel Zombies: Red Band also takes place in a modernized version of Marvel’s Golden Age, where all heroes wear their early costumes and the Avengers still don’t know each other.
Zombie Invisible Woman Kills Thor In The Worst Possible Way
Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1; Written by Ethan S. Parker & Griffin Sheridan; Art by Jan Bazaldua & Erick Arciniega
The Invisible Woman and the Fantastic Four attack in Marvel Zombies
Thor is one of the first heroes to intervene in the zombie uprising in Marvel/Zombies: Red Band #1, defending his hospital by transforming from Dr. Donald Blake into the Mighty Thor. While unscathed at first, and despite teaming up with Iron Man and Hulk as a prototype version of the Avengers, Thor is caught off-guard. Zombie Invisible Woman uses a force field to crush Thor to death, practically compressing him into liquid.
Thor being crushed to a pulp is perhaps one of Marvel’s most graphic deaths. It’s only rivaled by Blob biting chunks out of Wasp in Ultimatum and Sentry ripping Ares in two in Siege. A similar death also happens in Marvel Studios’ Loki, where Ravonna Renslayer kills General Dox and her team by compressing them with TVA-tech force fields, but the MCU doesn’t go as far as to show the aftermath.
Sue Storm’s chosen method is especially shocking. While the regular Fantastic Four wouldn’t be able to devour their enemies, non-zombiefied Invisible Woman apparently can use her force fields to crush anyone at any moment, and she just never attempts it. Marvel Zombies: Red Band only confirms that Sue Storm can kill anybody in several different ways if she wanted to.
Thor Can’t Catch A Break In The Marvel Universe
Thor Is Down For The Count In More Than One Universe
LOKI KILLS THOR WITH AN ARROW
Thor doesn’t get to show off his full potential in Marvel Zombies: Red Band #1 before he gets killed. Meanwhile, Prime-universe Thor dies betrayed by Loki in The Immortal Thor. Earth-616’s Midgard has completely forgotten about Thor’s existence, and since Odinson is crushed instead of bitten in Marvel Zombies: Red Band, then he won’t get the chance to return as a zombie.
Thor is one of those characters whose power needs to be acknowledged in every universe-spanning crossover. Otherwise, the question of when the God of Thunder could arrive to solve all problems remains unsolved. Given that Thor did get infected in the original Marvel Zombies continuity, his death in Marvel Zombies: Red Band may be making room for new zombiefied heroes.
First Appearance
Journey into Mystery
Alias
Thor Odinson, Eric Masterson, Kevin Masterson, Beta Ray Bill, Thordis, Throg, Red Norvell, Jane Foster
Alliance
Avengers, Warriors Three, Thor Corps, God Squad
Race
Asgardian, Human
Franchise
Marvel