Marvel fans have a special place in their hearts for Thor – the mighty hero from Asgard. He might be a God, but despite his incredible powers, he is not someone without flaws. The various story arcs to date have portrayed him as arrogant, too proud of his strength, and often ignorant of certain issues.
His shortcomings make him all the more relatable for the fans, and the excitement for the upcoming Marvel Studios presentation Thor: Love and Thunder is at an all-time high. The trailer has only added fuel to the fire, and from Christian Bale playing Gorr the God Butcher to the greatest challenge that Thor has faced so far, the trailer is filled with interesting tit-bits.
However, one of the most intriguing things in the trailer has to be the presence of Jane Foster. Thor’s estranged girlfriend played by Natalie Portman has been an unforgettable presence in the franchise so far, but never before has her character been assigned more importance.
We see her wielding the Mjolnir, and she suits up like a superhero, fighting alongside Thor. In this video, we will bring you all there is to know about this side of Jane – the source of all her superpowers, and how she flies into action in the Marvel universe. It’s time to get your facts straight before you hit the theaters!
Jane’s tenure as Thor – the iconic saga
It was a comic issue in 2014, titled Thor #1 If He Be Worthy, where it all began. The story begins with an attack by the Frost Giants on a sea base. Meanwhile, Thor is shown trying to lift the Mjolnir in vain. He sits dejected before the powerful weapon, and it is not clear what exactly made him lose the ability to wield it. Things started to go wrong after the fight with Nick Fury, where the latter whispered something into Thor’s ear.
Later, it was revealed that he had whispered something about Gorr the God Butcher being right in his actions. Following this event, he failed to wield the Mjolnir, and for some reason, he is in a weakened state than usual. Odin is curious about what Nick Fury might have told Thor, but his son doesn’t respond.
The All-Father is annoyed about the whole thing, and he gets further agitated when he finds out that even he cannot lift the Mjolnir any longer. His own creation becomes an embarrassment for him, and in this turmoil, his ravens inform him that the Frost Giants have attacked Midgard. Thor is determined to find a suitable weapon for himself, but the mystery is still unresolved! What could have possibly gone wrong that made both Thor and Odin unworthy of the mighty weapon?
Later, Thor is seen wielding the Jarnbjorn while fighting the Frost Giants, but the real highlight of the story is when we see a female figure saying, “There must always be a Thor” while grasping the hammer. The Mjolnir is successfully lifted from the ground, and this is where Jane Foster is shown having the powers of Thor! The mighty hammer sought out Jane telepathically, and Heimdall helped her to reach the location.
She started to become familiar with the powers and usage of the Mjolnir, and she knew it would require a purpose to be fulfilled with all the superpowers. It becomes clear that Thor is no longer the one and only God of Thunder, and the fans are shocked to witness the identity of the real contender! Jane initially keeps her identity a secret, and it almost drove Thor crazy to not know who had control over his hammer.
Finally, when he realized that the new Thor was worthy and capable of handling the deadly weapon, he relinquished his name and started to go by the name Odinson. Even Odin made an attempt to retrieve the Mjolnir from Jane, and he used the God of Fear, his brother Cul for the purpose. Jane managed to face the conspiracy, like a true warrior, and eventually, she remained an asset for the security of Asgard and the universe.
The Cancer Story makes her a braveheart!
What’s a superhero without a great sacrifice or a fascinating tragedy! Well, Jane Foster has both if you observe her origin stories closely. She was only a child when her mother passed away from cancer. Her father, however, tried his best to fill the void and worked two jobs so that she could go through medical school. As luck would have it, even her loving father died from a heart attack, and the young lady grew up alone in a harsh world.
This fiercely determined and intelligent woman is shown to be suffering from breast cancer in the comics. Every time she becomes Thor, her chemotherapy becomes practically worthless, and yet, she selflessly chooses to tap into her powers to fight evil forces. She answered Iron Man’s call when she was required to defend Washington from Hydra trying to take over the USA.
She also protects Asgard against some powerful enemies, but during one of those fights, she succumbs to her injuries. Odin, however, feels a strong sense of gratitude towards her, and he helps in resurrecting her. He admired the way she chose to tap into her superpowers one last time, even though it meant that she would be dead.
She becomes a Valkyrie, and that is simply the most badass change to her character that you could imagine. She is still suffering from cancer, and it is ironic how the all-powerful superhero is vulnerable to such a mortal disease. It is already revealed that the upcoming movie will utilize parts of her cancer storyline, and explore more about how a new superhero is born!
Jane Foster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Let us refresh your memories on how Jane Foster was portrayed in the previous Marvel movies. In the first film Thor, she was shown to be a notable astronomer. She worked alongside Dr. Erik Selvig who was her father’s colleague and dedicated her life to research work. She was studying a strange weather anomaly that she believed to be related to the Einstein-Rosen Bridge.
She traveled to the source along with Dr. Selvig and their intern Darcy, and it turned out to be a deserted region in New Mexico. Just when Selvig was starting to think that Jane’s hunch was all wrong, they witnessed a powerful vortex forming in the skies.
They drive into the vortex and end up hitting a man, who is none other than Thor. He was banished by Odin, for disobeying his orders, but it was all an elaborate plan by Loki, who wanted to take the opportunity to banish his brother. The man kept claiming himself to be Thor, but initially, they all thought of him as a madman. However, there was something unique about him that kept Jane engaged.
She followed his journey as he tried to retrieve the Mjolnir, which was kept in a secret research base by SHIELD. He wasn’t worthy any longer, and all he could do was try in vain. When SHIELD agents arrested Thor, Dr. Selvig came up with a rather smart idea to free him, claiming him to be just a crazy person. Meanwhile, another vortex forms in the desert, and this time Destroyer has been sent to destroy everything in the region.
The Warriors Three and Sif also arrived to help Thor, but without Mjolnir, he wasn’t powerful enough to stop the Destroyer. Even though he knew it would be a suicide mission, he risked everything to save his friends and the people on Earth. This act of sacrifice made him worthy of the hammer once again, and after wielding the Mjolnir, he put an end to the Destroyer in no time. Jane kissed him goodbye, and he promised to be back for her.
She went on to become an expert on Asgardian cosmology and became an adviser for SHIELD. Jane kept trying to develop a wormhole to reach Thor, but he was busy dealing with greater troubles in the universe. Later, in Thor: The Dark World, Jane is seen entering an abandoned factory, where she accidentally gets teleported to another dimension. She ends up absorbing the Aether, which would leave her dead if not treated immediately.
Thor took her to Asgard, and eventually, Thor and Loki took her to Malekith and the other Dark Elves. Loki tricked Malekith into pulling the Aether out of her, and she was healed. Meanwhile, the Elves had attacked Earth, and they had to be eliminated quickly. She got back to London alongside Thor through a portal and worked alongside Odinson to send the Elves back to another dimension.
It appeared as though Loki had sacrificed himself in order to help his brother and Jane escape safely, and after returning to Asgard, Thor tells Odin about Loki’s gallantry. He refuses to take the throne and leaves for Earth, but a last-minute twist shows that Loki was impersonating Odin, and he is alive and well. The post-credits scene shows Jane and Thor reunite on Earth, but a frost monster from Jotunheim is running loose, so clearly, their peace will be short-lived!
How Jane met Thor in the comic book story arc
We have already spoken about her tragic backstory, and how she dealt with the loss of her parents. Jane went on to become a nurse and Dr. Donald Blake hired her as his assistant. Now, Donald Blake was simply a host human body for Thor created by Odin, who thought that it was important for Thor to learn some humility. He made Odinson surrender the Mjolnir, and Thor was sent to Earth as a crippled young student studying medicine at Harvard University. This was Donald Blake, who initially had no memory of his true identity.
It turned out to be a valuable lesson for Thor, who learned a thing or two about humility and caring for others. He became a successful physician and established himself as a talented surgeon. He was in love with Jane, who worked as one of his nurses, and they even traveled to a war-torn San Diablo to treat innocents. Meanwhile, he stopped the Executioner as Thor, and Jane started to develop feelings for him.
It was a troubling situation, where Jane felt attracted to both Blake and Thor, without knowing that they were the same person. Their relationship had several ups and downs, and Odin initially did not approve of his son falling for a mortal. He wanted to see if Jane was brave enough to be transformed into an immortal, and she had to deal with plenty of challenges. Thor’s enemies would often attack, and even his foster-brother Loki planned an elaborate cunning scheme to trouble them both.
Eventually, Thor defied the orders of his father and revealed his dual identity to Jane. He even took her to Asgard, where Odin put her through another test to see if she was ready to become an Asgardian Goddess. She was granted superhuman powers, but when she seemed confused and scared, it was all taken away. She was sent back to Earth as a mortal, and all her memories were erased.
She started to work for a physician named Dr. Keith Kincaid, and they fell in love. Even when they got married, Jane continued to be involved in various conflicts relating to Thor. Just as we have seen in the movies, their love life in the comic books wasn’t a smooth ride, and the various story arcs kept testing their bond under extreme circumstances.
What makes Jane so powerful?
When she wields the Mjolnir as Thor, her powers are similar to that of Odinson. She gets incredible strength, speed, and she also has a healing mechanism that allows her to recover from deadly wounds. However, it doesn’t cure her cancer and only keeps it restricted till she retains her Asgardian form. She can command and manipulate electricity and thunder, just like Thor could, and her appearance is almost like that of a female equivalent of Thor.
Of course, the Mjolnir is one of the strongest weapons in the universe and it has the power to knock down the strongest of opponents. As a Valkyrie, she could perceive death almost like a sixth sense. It gave her the ability to magically teleport herself, and as a Valkyrie, she could use the artificial magical wings to fly. Overall, Jane Foster is an absolute powerhouse, and it seems astonishing when you consider her mortal background. She was a simple human destined for excellence, and when the opportunities poured before her she was always willing to embrace the challenges.
Natalie Portman returning after a long break!
The Marvel cinematic universe has a very different version of Jane than what you will find in the comic books. Natalie Portman, who did a wonderful job in the first Thor movie, was last seen in Thor: The Dark World. Thor: Ragnarok did not feature her, and many started to wonder if the actress had bid a final goodbye to the role. As it turns out, she is returning after being promised a chunkier role. If the trailer is any indication, her character will be quite intense, and the glimpses of the fight scenes that we have seen so far are very promising. Be prepared for rocking chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, and we hope that the story will be suitably engaging to back up their skills.
A Few Final Words
Thor: Love and Thunder is almost round the corner, and we simply cannot keep calm! Thor is back on the big screen after a very long time, and we certainly hope that it will be worth the wait. Christian Bale as a menacing antagonist is also going to be one of the showstoppers, but we are curious to know what becomes of Jane who has now achieved the ability to wield the Mjolnir. Do let us know in the comments below, where you think the story will take her!