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(Strand)om Stories: Thor: Thunderstrike Review

This slim volume may be a tad hokey at points, but it introduces a fun new spin on a classic Marvel hero

—by Nathan on August 15, 2025—

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"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."

Thus reads the inscription etched onto the side of Mjolnir, the hammer forged by the Dwarves for the Norse Thunder God, Thor…or, I guess, whoever else fits that definition of "worthy." It seems like a bit of a practical joke on the Dwarves' part, doesn't it? Telling the guy you made the hammer for, who is occasionally a pompous blowhard, that he's not the only dude who can swing that mighty mallet. Forget all that stuff from Age of Ultron about needing Thor's fingerprints. It's based on worthiness, on character, and other folks occasionally prove themselves just as worthy as the hammer's original wielder.

Take Beta Ray Bill, f'rinstance. He proved his mettle against the storm-calling deity and was given his own weapon after wielding Mjolnir. And he's not even a god! He's a strong alien, for sure, but not a nigh immortal ancient legend. Imagine what a regular bloke, one of us Midgard types, would have to do to achieve that kind of status.

For Erik Masterton, it's not just an exercise in imagination. It becomes reality…and with that reality, a hefty dose of responsibility. A "godly amount," I would argue.

Thor: Thunderstrike

Writers: Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz

Pencilers: Ron Frenz, Herb Trimpe, and Geoff Isherwood

Inkers: Al Milgrom, Joe Sinnott, and Geoff Isherwood

Colorists: Tom Vincent and Mike Rockwitz

Letterers: Michael Heisler, Rick Parker, Chris Eliopulous, and Dave Sharpe

Issues Collected: Thor #408, Thor #431-433, Thor #457-459, and Thunderstrike #1

Volume Publication Date: January 2011

Issue Publication Dates: October 1989, April 1991-June 1991, January 1993-February 1993, June 1993

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I picked this volume up because I knew it'd be a "primer" on the character of Erik Masterson, an overview of who he was as a hero. For readers interested in a Norse god's eye view of Erik's adventures, both as Thor and Thunderstrike, this volume scratches that itch. Potential buyer be warned, however: gaps aplenty exist in this volume, so if you're looking for the entirety of Erik's hammer-holding saga, you'll want to scope out a few Epic Collections containing issues from these very late 80s/early 90s years.

Erik Masterson plays a very particular role in that he serves as a human guise for the Thunder God without being Thor in human form…not quite, anyway. This isn't like Donald Blake or Sigurd Jarlson, mortal identities assumed by Thor. Erik is a very real dude, blessed (if you want to call it that) with the powers of Thor, initially to save his own life.

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"Sacrifice" becomes a very real theme in these issues, and DeFalco constantly makes Erik's very human heroism front and center. He isn't gifted the power of Thor because he's the strongest or best guy around or because he beats Thor in an arm wrestling contest. Odin binds Thor to Erik physically, saving Erik's life when the man rescues Thor from an enemy and, in a roundabout way, granting Thor's own wish to stay on Midgard. Erik's just a guy, trying his darndest in a difficult world. Divorced with a kid to raise, Erik splits his time between his own freelance architect business, his son, and flying around the city after tapping his walking stick to the ground and assuming Thor's abilities. It's a very fractured life Erik leads, and DeFalco nicely intertwines the man's human conflicts and commitments with his superhuman responsibilities. Whereas Thor "woe is me" style of bemoaning found him bouncing between determining whether to rule Asgard or remain on Earth, Erik has more pressing concerns, such as keeping a business afloat, which is difficult to do when the likes of Loki and Ulik the Unconquerable basically demand to bash his brains out on a regular basis.

Erik is not presented as a perfect guy, either, and it's his flaws which make him a richly rewarding character to follow, even in the few issues presented in this volume. He has to keep secrets from his loved ones, like not telling anyone he's slumming it at Avengers mansion (tough, I know). He's torn between deepening a relationship with a female friend and possibly pursuing Norse goddesses–that ever-strenuous question on a superhero's mind: who to really date when you can actually find the time to ask somebody out? And, in issues not present, he's made a few enemies, crafting a small rogues gallery that seeks his head, those flowing golden tresses and his pretty sweet helmet (which he trades in for a very 90s jacket by time the volume closes).

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Above it all, Erik has to toe the line between continuing Thor's legacy and determining his own path forward, and DeFalco has the man tiptoe well before he grows comfortable with the line. Erik struggles between pretending to be the real Thor and assuming his own unique identity, a problem which becomes easier by volume's end but is a challenge for several of these issues. He's a unique character, Erik, a new kind of human face for Thor to wear, and DeFalco wisely allows the man his own personality and voice when he's swinging his hammer with the force of thunder. "The good guys can play hardball, too!" isn't a line you'd ever hear from Thor Odinson's mouth, but it feels right coming from Erik's, and though he attempts a few lines of Shakespearean soliloquy, he finds his own terms more applicable.

That theme of identity reaches its zenith as Erik finds himself in conflict with Thor over the power they both wield. Erik is a man blessed with the power of a god, and one could argue he grows a tad heady with such abilities. Thor himself has never been the most selfless individual, thus courting conflict with his friend. "Brother," they call each other, though DeFalco throws some nice wrenches (or maybe "mallets") into their relationship, providing appropriate strains where necessary to invite physical conflict in a titanic tussle on Asgard. Just how worthy, the question is raised, is a mortal man gifted the power of an Asgardian god? What station does he reach? What respect does he owe the actual gods? And should the gods, particularly a certain blond-haired hero, take notice when a Midgard mortal is given such great abilities? Erik and Thor must wrestle with these questions even as they wrestle each other.

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Action barrels through this volume, and a few issues where Erik's personality is hijacked by Thor whenever he taps his stick leads to a fantastic fight between the Thunder God and his mischievous brother, Loki. It's a brutal battle, drenched in personal conflict between the two men, with Thor making an incredibly controversial decision which paves the way for Erik to assume the mantle entirely for a while. Loki and Thor's personal war has raged for decades after this, but DeFalco presents an issue where their conflict feels the heaviest, where an endgame could truly be reached, where all their history and hatred collides in an incredibly impactful manner.

Elsewhere, Erik proves his mettle against Ulik in a baptism of a fire which introduces his brand of thundering justice to New York and triumphs over a foe with a mysterious connection to Erik in his first Thunderstrike issue. Lots of tough guys throwing each other through lots of walls, if you enjoy that kind of action. And if you appreciate more grounded material, special NYPD division Code: Blue, which DeFalco created in an earlier Thor issue (and made an appearance in a Web of Spider-Man annual I recently reviewed, which is this blog's very tenuous connection to that one), provides some fun moments during that Loki/Thor tussle as these regular folks try to contribute to a war raging between gods.

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Erik's own Thunderstrike series has never been collected in its entirety, as far as I'm aware, though this collection does leave me hoping someday an Epic Collection may pull those issues together. Separate from Thor, as his own hero, Erik is given the opportunity to define himself outside of the Norse influence over his existence. DeFalco nicely develops mysteries in the first issue which I assume filtered into additional installments, giving readers a reason to read outside their interest in the series' hero. A bit of 90s cheesiness settles in–Erik's jacket is neat enough, but he's fitted with a lightning bolt-shaped earring which seems goofy–but DeFalco is trying to stress he's a different thunder-based hero for a different age.

Like War Machine temporarily replaced Iron Man or the U.S. Agent temporarily replaced Captain America, Erik is a legacy hero, someone designed to bear the visage of a common character while taking that character in a new direction. This volume offers a decent taste of his career, though readers interested in the full story are encouraged to look elsewhere. I do believe a few other issues would have given this volume some necessary padding, and I am left curious if Erik's own series will one day be completely collected. Until then, I'm largely satisfied with this lightning quick jaunt into Erik's time as a hero, both as Thor and his own unique identity.

—Tags: 1980s, 1989, 1990s, 1991, 1993, Herb Trimpe, Loki, Odin, Ron Frenz, (Strand)om Stories, Thor, Thunderstrike, Tom DeFalco

Also read Nathan's blogs at Geeks Under Grace and HubPages.