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Destroyer (Thor)
Encyclopedia
The Destroyer is a fictional object that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics
. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery
#118 (Jul. 1965) and was created by Stan Lee
and Jack Kirby
.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
, the Destroyer is featured in over four decades of Marvel continuity and other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series; video games, and merchandise such as action figure
s and trading card
s. Due to trademark issues, at least one toy version of this character is marketed as Marvel's Destroyer.
, and when it first appeared it was hinted that the Destroyer had been created as a weapon to face some dark menace from the stars. It is first seen residing in the Temple of Darkness in Asia. The Destroyer is used by Thor's arch-foe Loki
on several occasions, and each time has actually come close to killing Thor. First, it was used by a hunter whom Loki had lured to the temple using his mental powers. At one point Thor was imprisoned in the ground, but Loki saved him by making him intangible briefly before the Destroyer could strike him with an elemental transmution beam. Thor forced the hunter to return by using his body as a shield before it could fire at him, then burying the Destroyer under thousands of tons of rock when the hunter tried to return to it. It is next salvaged by Karnilla
and animated by Sif
, who attempted to use it to battle the Wrecker
when Thor was temporarily deprived of his godhood and all his powers but his strength by Odin as a lesson, only for the Destroyer to proceed to attack Thor before Sif broke her connection with it. At one stage Thor offers the armor to the World Devourer Galactus
, in exchange for the release of Galactus' current Herald, Firelord. Galactus accepts, and the Destroyer acts as his Herald, detecting Counter-Earth
for him and going on to battle the Fantastic Four
until finally recaptured for reuse by Loki.
Years later the menace from the stars is revealed to be the Celestials
, with the Skyfather gods (e.g., Odin; Zeus etc.) having pooled their resources a millennium before to create a weapon to stop the arrival of the so-called Fourth Host of Celestials. At the penultimate moment, Odin enters the Destroyer armor and then absorbs the life essences of all present in Asgard (with the exception of absent Thor
), growing to a height of 2000 feet (609.6 m). The Destroyer then draws the Odinsword, and with the Uni-Mind
confronts the Fourth Host, who dissipate the Uni-Mind and melt the Destroyer armor into slag, scattering the life-forces of the Asgardians. The Asgardians were later revived by Thor gathering power from the other Skyfathers. The armor, however, is not completely ruined and several years later Loki reforms the armor in a bid to destroy a severely weakened Thor, who has been reduced to pulp after killing the Midgard Serpent due to a curse by Hela which made his bones brittle and made him incapable of healing or dying. Thor, however, wrests control of the armor from the host - an enthralled Frost Giant
named Siggorth - through sheer force of will and goes on to defeat Loki. The Destroyer tries to take control of him but fails. Then the death goddess Hela
is defeated by the Destroyer attacking her realm, forcing her to restore Thor to his true form and undo the curse that left him in such a dire condition. The Destroyer is left in a crystal in Hela's realm, and is eventually animated by the goddess Lorelei
. Lorelei battles several Asgardians and becomes trapped in the dimension of the Great Beasts
.
The Destroyer is later deployed by trolls, who empower it with the spirit of the Maestro, an evil version of the Hulk
. Although the Hulk fails to defeat the Destroyer in combat, he is able to enter the Destroyer because he and the Maestro are the same spirit, allowing him to fight the Maestro for control and defeat it from within. Thor has two more encounters with the Destroyer, with the armor almost killing him on the first occasion and breaking his jaw on the second. The armor is eventually retrieved by Loki and occupied by the entity Desak
, although Thor - equipped with the Odinpower - decapitates it with one throw of Mjolnir.
The armor was later under the control of the god Balder when Thor was on a quest to locate his missing brethren, the Asgardians. Doctor Doom takes possession of the Destroyer armor and uses a copy to attack the Asgardians.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. The object first appears in Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery
Journey into Mystery was an American comic book series published by Atlas Comics, and later its successor Marvel Comics. It featured horror, monster, and science fiction stories...
#118 (Jul. 1965) and was created by Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
.
Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Books
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
, the Destroyer is featured in over four decades of Marvel continuity and other Marvel-endorsed products such as animated television series; video games, and merchandise such as action figure
Action figure
An action figure is a posable character figurine, made of plastic or other materials, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, video game, or television program. These action figures are usually marketed towards boys and male collectors...
s and trading card
Trading card
A trading card is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing and a short description of the picture, along with other text...
s. Due to trademark issues, at least one toy version of this character is marketed as Marvel's Destroyer.
Fictional history
The Destroyer is an enchanted suit of armor forged by OdinOdin (comics)
Odin is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #85 Odin is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appears in Journey into Mystery #85 Odin is a...
, and when it first appeared it was hinted that the Destroyer had been created as a weapon to face some dark menace from the stars. It is first seen residing in the Temple of Darkness in Asia. The Destroyer is used by Thor's arch-foe Loki
Loki (comics)
Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
on several occasions, and each time has actually come close to killing Thor. First, it was used by a hunter whom Loki had lured to the temple using his mental powers. At one point Thor was imprisoned in the ground, but Loki saved him by making him intangible briefly before the Destroyer could strike him with an elemental transmution beam. Thor forced the hunter to return by using his body as a shield before it could fire at him, then burying the Destroyer under thousands of tons of rock when the hunter tried to return to it. It is next salvaged by Karnilla
Karnilla
Karnilla is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Karnilla the Norn Queen is a sorceress and the Queen of Nornheim...
and animated by Sif
Sif (comics)
Sif is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring Thor. Based on the mythological being of the same name, Sif first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #102. She is an Asgardian warrior and lover of Thor, who spends much of her time...
, who attempted to use it to battle the Wrecker
Wrecker (comics)
The Wrecker is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Wrecker was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appears in The Mighty Thor #148 The Wrecker (Dirk Garthwaite) is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics....
when Thor was temporarily deprived of his godhood and all his powers but his strength by Odin as a lesson, only for the Destroyer to proceed to attack Thor before Sif broke her connection with it. At one stage Thor offers the armor to the World Devourer Galactus
Galactus
Galactus is a fictional character appearing in comic books and other publications published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character debuted in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue story later known as "The Galactus...
, in exchange for the release of Galactus' current Herald, Firelord. Galactus accepts, and the Destroyer acts as his Herald, detecting Counter-Earth
Counter-Earth (comics)
In the fictional Marvel Universe, there have been three versions of the hypothetical planet known as Counter-Earth, each one a near-duplicate of Earth.-Publication history:...
for him and going on to battle the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
until finally recaptured for reuse by Loki.
Years later the menace from the stars is revealed to be the Celestials
Celestial (comics)
The Celestials are a group of fictional characters that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The characters first appear in Eternals #1 and were created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
, with the Skyfather gods (e.g., Odin; Zeus etc.) having pooled their resources a millennium before to create a weapon to stop the arrival of the so-called Fourth Host of Celestials. At the penultimate moment, Odin enters the Destroyer armor and then absorbs the life essences of all present in Asgard (with the exception of absent Thor
Thor (Marvel Comics)
Thor is a fictional superhero who appears in publications published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Journey into Mystery #83 and was created by editor-plotter Stan Lee, scripter Larry Lieber, and penciller Jack Kirby....
), growing to a height of 2000 feet (609.6 m). The Destroyer then draws the Odinsword, and with the Uni-Mind
Uni-Mind
The Uni-Mind is a fictional composite being in the Marvel Universe. The Uni-Mind and the Eternals were the creation of Jack Kirby.-Fictional character biography:...
confronts the Fourth Host, who dissipate the Uni-Mind and melt the Destroyer armor into slag, scattering the life-forces of the Asgardians. The Asgardians were later revived by Thor gathering power from the other Skyfathers. The armor, however, is not completely ruined and several years later Loki reforms the armor in a bid to destroy a severely weakened Thor, who has been reduced to pulp after killing the Midgard Serpent due to a curse by Hela which made his bones brittle and made him incapable of healing or dying. Thor, however, wrests control of the armor from the host - an enthralled Frost Giant
Giants (Marvel Comics)
There are different kinds of Giants in Marvel Comics. The most popular of the Giants are the Giants of Johunheim, fictional race of people based on the giants of actual Norse legends.-Giants of Jotunheim:...
named Siggorth - through sheer force of will and goes on to defeat Loki. The Destroyer tries to take control of him but fails. Then the death goddess Hela
Hela (comics)
Hela is a fictional character, the Asgardian goddess of death in the Marvel Comics universe, based on the Norse goddess, Hel. The ruler of Hel and Niffleheim, the character has been a frequent foe of Thor...
is defeated by the Destroyer attacking her realm, forcing her to restore Thor to his true form and undo the curse that left him in such a dire condition. The Destroyer is left in a crystal in Hela's realm, and is eventually animated by the goddess Lorelei
Lorelei (Asgardian)
Lorelei is a fictional character who appears in the .-Publication history:Lorelei first appeared inThor vol. 1 #337 , and was created by Walt Simonson. She made subsequent appearances in the title, in issues #338-346 .The character subsequently appears in Marvel Age Annual #1 , Thor vol...
. Lorelei battles several Asgardians and becomes trapped in the dimension of the Great Beasts
Great Beasts
The Great Beasts are fictional villains of supernatural origin, originally created as antagonists for the heroes of the Marvel Comics series Alpha Flight.-Publication history:...
.
The Destroyer is later deployed by trolls, who empower it with the spirit of the Maestro, an evil version of the Hulk
Hulk (comics)
The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
. Although the Hulk fails to defeat the Destroyer in combat, he is able to enter the Destroyer because he and the Maestro are the same spirit, allowing him to fight the Maestro for control and defeat it from within. Thor has two more encounters with the Destroyer, with the armor almost killing him on the first occasion and breaking his jaw on the second. The armor is eventually retrieved by Loki and occupied by the entity Desak
Desak
Desak Sterixian, more commonly known as Desak the God Slayer, is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Dan Jurgens and Tom Grummett and first appears in Thor Annual 2001....
, although Thor - equipped with the Odinpower - decapitates it with one throw of Mjolnir.
The armor was later under the control of the god Balder when Thor was on a quest to locate his missing brethren, the Asgardians. Doctor Doom takes possession of the Destroyer armor and uses a copy to attack the Asgardians.
Powers and abilities
The Destroyer is lifeless on its own - although it can act independently for short periods - until animated by the life-force of a sapient living being. Even when so animated, the Destroyer retains a rudimentary base personality that will eventually subvert the host unless a strong-willed individual is in control, such as Thor or Loki. Odin is also able to cast a spell that can force the animating persona from the armor and deactivate it. Once animated, the Destroyer possesses the strength to exceed that of beings such as Thor and so far in its history appears to be completely impervious to earthly damage, withstanding even a million tons being thrown onto it without even falling over - even destruction at the hands of the unknowable Celestials did not totally extinguish it. The automaton also has the ability to project blasts of energy/heat/concussive force, emit a disintegration beam activated via its visor, manipulate electro-magnetism and molecules allowing it to turn solid stone to lava (for example) and achieve flight.Television
- The Destroyer appears in The Mighty Thor segment of the animated television series The Marvel Super Heroes.
Film
- The Destroyer appears in the live-action film ThorThor (film)Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same name published by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
. In this continuity the Destroyer is a giant, semi-autonomous golem that obeys the direct command of the king of Asgard. The Destroyer stops a group of Frost Giants attempting to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters in Asgard. When Loki takes the throne while Odin sleeps the Odinsleep, he attempts to kill the now-mortal Thor by sending the Destroyer to Earth after him. Thor's willingness to allow the Destroyer to kill him to save Sif, the Warriors ThreeWarriors ThreeThe Warriors Three are a group of fictional characters who served as supporting cast members in Thor, published by Marvel Comics. The Warriors Three is made up of the Asgardians Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg...
and the innocent mortals in the town where the battle took place proves his worth and restores his ability to wield Mjolnir. Thor subsequently defeats the Destroyer by throwing Mjolnir through its head as it charges up its beam weapon.
Video games
- The Destroyer appears in Marvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate AllianceMarvel: Ultimate Alliance is an action role-playing game developed for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox and Xbox 360 by Raven Software and published by Activision. The game was simultaneously ported to the PlayStation Portable and Wii by Vicarious Visions, and to Microsoft Windows by Beenox...
. LokiLoki (comics)Loki is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in publications by Marvel Comics. He is the adoptive brother and archenemy of the superhero Thor. He is based on the being of the same name from Norse mythology...
's mind inhabits the armor after tricking the superheroes into releasing it. In addition to possessing great strength and power, The Destroyer armor is invunerable to all attacks. Only by having the Destroyer fire a concussive blast at the crystal containing Loki's body can both it and Loki be defeated.
Toys
- The Destroyer was included as a chase variant in the 15th wave of Toy Biz's 6" Marvel LegendsMarvel LegendsMarvel Legends is an action figure line based on the characters of Marvel Comics, initially produced by Toy Biz, then by Hasbro. This line is in the scale, with spin-off lines in the , , and scale.-History:...
action figure line. - A figure of Destroyer was released in wave 39 of the Marvel MinimatesMinimatesMinimates are a block-styled miniature action figure originally created by Art Asylum in 2002 and now released by Diamond Select Toys. The basic Minimate figure design has a 2" tall body that resembles an extremely simplified human form with 14 points of articulation, higher than average for block...
line. - Destroyer was released in the Battle for Asgard's Vault 3-pack from the Marvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero SquadMarvel Super Hero Squad is an action figure line marketed by Hasbro beginning in 2006. The line features scale replicas of comic book heroes from the Marvel Comics universe. Each figure is portrayed in a cartoonish super-deformed-style. The line was designed for younger collectors but has become a...
line, packaged with figures of Thor and Loki. - 2 figures of the Destroyer were released in HasbroHasbroHasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
's 3.75" Thor: The Mighty AvengerThor: The Mighty Avenger (toy line)Thor: The Mighty Avenger is a toy line manufactured by Hasbro based on the Marvel Comics film, Thor. It is composed mainly of 3.75" scale action figures....
movie tie-in line. Additionally, an 8" figure was released in that same line.
External links
- Destroyer at Marvel.com