Thor #127 (1966)

My copy

I'm a big fan of comics with multiple important events and/or first appearances.  There's more bang for your buck, and greater the chance that a character debuting within will go on to bigger and better things.  When those first appearances are under the radar, valued no higher than surrounding issues (#128, #129, #130) well, in my book that's what you call an undervalued comic.

Today's highlight is Thor #127 from April 1966.  The Overstreet Price Guide and CGC's label notation reads "1st appearance of Pluto" - big deal, right? But this issue also features two other nice historic Marvel events that not many people know about.

The first is that this issue is the first appearance of Hippolyta (later Warrior Woman). A minor character for sure, Warrior Woman is Marvel's version of Wonder Woman and had a starring role in the short-lived Fearless Defenders series from 2013. Someone must have thought she had potential! But with Wonder Woman getting such a high profile in the nascent DC Cinematic Universe, is Marvel likely to introduce Warrior Woman in theirs? I don't see them introducing Olympians when they have already asked audiences to accept the existence of Asgardians. Still, you never know and this is an interesting character debut worth knowing about.

Hippolyta's debut in Thor #127

Warrior Woman as depicted in the Fearless Defenders (2013 series)

The Other Thing


Loooooong before Thor: Ragnarok was announced, it was pretty clear a sequel to the Dark World would be in Marvel Studios' plans (Chris Hemsworth is the sexiest man alive, after all), and anyone with a knowledge of Thor comics and good guessing skills and could have predicted it would cover the Ragnarok storyline. I don't know about others, but the first thing that comes to mind for me when I hear Ragnarok is the Midgard Serpent. And sure enough, the Midgard Serpent a.k.a. the World Serpent a.k.a. Jormungandr first appears in the backup story of Thor #127. He/it WILL appear in Thor 3, albeit as a CGI character - that's my opinion. Check out the Serpent's debut in the image below, and pay special attention to the last panel.  What word interestingly appears THREE times? Yes, this might be the first time Ragnarok is foreshadowed in Thor comics.
 

"As Lo, there shall appear the MIDGARD SERPENT -- proclaiming the day of RAGNAROK!! RAGNAROK -- the time the gods themselves shall perish!  RAGNAROK -- the end of the world!!"

Would Jormungandr incite the collector interest of Fin Fang Foom, or be something of a lifeless dud like Krona in Thor: The Dark World? More likely the latter, but how cool is this trifecta of trivial tidbits?

• First appearance of Pluto
• First appearance of Hippolyta
• First appearance of the Midgard Serpent and first mention of Ragnarok*.

* For well-rounded research, it is worth nothing there is an Atlas-era issue of Venus predating JIM 83 in which Thor and Loki appear, but it is coveted by Atlas collectors for other reasons.

For good measure, debut of Pluto, Hollywood honcho

This issue is technically Thor #2 (the title having changed from "Journey Into Mystery" to "Thor" with #126), so it is collected for that reason.  I purchased a copy at auction last year (graded VF but more like a NM-) for $44. Having been published during the Mile High II years, there are lots of copies out there, not expensive, and easy to find in highest grades.