Thor becomes a woman in new Marvel series

In an effort to reach out to a wider audience than can usually be found standing in line at the local comic shop, Marvel chose TV show "The View" as the platform for making a big announcement about a revamped Thor series. Host Whoopi Goldberg revealed the new approach today by saying, "for the first time in history that hammer is being held by a woman."

Details were pretty vague until Marvel issued a press release with more information, trumpeting "an all-new era for the God of Thunder." Writer Jason Aaron will be piloting the project with art by Russell Dauterman. The new series will bow in October.

"No longer is the classic male hero able to hold the mighty hammer, Mjölnir, a brand new female hero will emerge will who will be worthy of the name THOR," the release states. Marvel editor Wil Moss adds, "And this new Thor isn't a temporary female substitute - she's now the one and only Thor, and she is worthy!"

Marvel acknowledges the move will require an update to the inscription on Thor's hammer, which reads "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Marvel comes right out and states it's aiming this new series at women and girls, describing them as "an audience that long was not the target for super hero comic books in America."

The promo images accompanying the release show a helmeted, half-masked blond woman with a decent set of muscles, wielding Mjölnir in her right hand.

There are some nods to the sort of thing we usually expect from female comics superheros, like copious boob armor and a keyhole peek-a-boo opening along the stomach area in her costume. With her flowing cape and serious expression, however, she looks more than ready to take out Loki if necessary.

All of this leaves us with a lot of questions about the new Thor's origin and place in the Marvel universe. Expect Marvel to keep us guessing until the comic debuts in the fall.

(Via The Mary Sue)