As Marvel’s God of Thunder,Thoris one of the most powerful beings in existence - a half-Elder God with a cosmic storm running through his veins. Of course, with world-shaking strength comes world-shaking enemies, and most of the God of Thunder’s strongest enemies have been with him from the very start, introduced by Thor co-creatorStan Lee(and usually fellow creator Jack Kirby.)
Here are the 13 strongest villains introduced by Stan Lee. For this list, we’re looking at physical strength, sogodly sorcerers like Loki and Enchantress don’t appear. We’re also looking for villains with a specific, longtime connection to the God of Thunder, so whileThor has taken on Marvel villains like Galactusand Ultron, we’re skipping them for antagonsits with a personal connection to the God of Thunder.
13Lava Man, aka Molto
First Seen in Journey Into Mystery #97 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Easily the most obscure entry on this list, Lava Man has had incredibly few appearances, despite his connection to some of Thor’s oldest enemies - the Lava Men. A subterranean species with control over heat, the Lava Men have clashed with Thor again and again, as well as plaguing the Avengers. However, no Lava Man is stronger than their greatest warrior, Molto - a superstrong villain who can project heat, spread clouds of ash, and harden his body to superhuman levels.
12Grey Gargoyle, aka Paul Duval
First Appeared in Journey Into Mystery #107 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
A former chemist, Paul Duval created a serum that turned his body to a stone-like substance. This granted the Grey Gargoyle impressive strength andthe ability to transform his victims temporarily into rock. This includes Thor, who remains vulnerable to this power to the current day (in the recent ImmortalThor #16, by Al Ewing and Jan Bazaldua),Thor was transformed by Grey Gargoyleand shattered by Mister Hyde.)
Grey Gargoyle realized his true power during the events ofFear Itself, becoming one of the chosen soldiers of Thor’s evil uncle Cul and being possessed by Mokk, Breaker of Faith. Turning the entirety of Paris to stone, Grey Gargoyle battled Iron Man in one of Tony Stark’s most traumatic fights of all time, where every missed punch shattered another innocent victim.
11Radioactive Man, aka Chen Lu
First Appearance Journey Into Mystery #93 by Stan Lee, Robert Bernstein and Jack Kirby
A longtime foe that Thor has pretty much outgrown, the Radioactive Man is now moreassociated with the Thunderbolts franchise, acting as a stalwart member of the team. However, Thor and the Radioactive Man previously clashed for decades, with Chen Lu using his superhuman strength, force fields and control over radiation to match Thor’s power and put as many innocent people as possible at risk.
10Absorbing Man, aka Carl Creel
Debuted in Journey Into Mystery #114 from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Prior Contributions by Bill Everett
A former heavyweight boxer,Absorbing Man was granted powers by Loki, repeatedly battling both Thor and the Hulk as a formidable physical threat. Absorbing Man can absorb the properties and purpose of anything he touches. This includes stealing power sources like Hulk’s gamma radiation and Silver Surfer’s power cosmic, as well as gaining new abilities by absorbing machinery - e.g. being able to fly after touching a jet.
Absorbing Man is a particularly dangerous foe to Thor because his powers limit the use of Mjolnir. Once Absorbing Man touches Thor’s hammer, his skin can become unbreakable uru metal, meaning the God of Thunder has to limit how he uses his favorite weapon.
9The Executioner, aka Skurge
First Seen Journey Into Mystery #103 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
A fellow Asgardian,Skurge is one of Asgard’s greatest warriors, but turned to villainy after falling in love with Amora the Enchantress. Since then, the Executioner has often acted as her muscle,wielding the Bloodaxe - an indestructible weapon that demands a blood toll for its use, and grants Skurge various powers including energy blasts and teleportation.
Always a rival to Thor, recent years have seen to the two come to terms, with Thor respecting Skurge as a warrior, and the Executioner even sacrificing himself to protect the God of Thunder. A godly weapons expert, the Executioner could originally lift approximately 65 tons, however his strength has clearly increased in more recent adventures.
8Mister Hyde, aka Calvin Zabo
Introduced in Journey Into Mystery #99 by Stan Lee and Don Heck
Marvel’s most underrated powerhouse, Mister Hyde is an old enemy of Thor and acore member of the Masters of Evil- the Avengers' opposite number. Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic novel, Mister Hyde developed a formula that could draw out his darkest instincts, while also enhancing his body to superhuman levels. With staggering strength and durability, Mister Hyde also possesses a powerful healing factor, and can grow to even larger size by abusing his formula, though with potential harm to his body.
Calvin Zabo is the father ofSHIELD agent Daisy Johnson, aka the superhero Quake, who gained superpowers thanks to damage done to her DNA by Zabo’s experiments.
7Ulik the Unconquerable
First Seen in Thor #137 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
An underrated Thor villain, Ulik is king of the Rock Troll species, who live deep within Asgard, shunned by the gods. With Class 100 strength (as high as Marvel officially measures, though some like Hulk do exceed it),Ulik is a physical match for Thor who wears enchanted knuckle dusters which enhance his strength, allowing him to cause earthquakes with a single punch. Ulik also commands the loyalty of other Rock Trolls, making him both a signular and martial threat.
One of Ulik’s greatest triumphs was replacing Thor under the guise of Tanarus, thenewGod of Thunder. This transformation was thanks to the magic of Karnilla, but it’s a testament to Ulik’s strength that none of Asgard’s Gods questioned his status.
6Laufey
First Seen in Journey Into Mystery #112 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Loki’s biological father, Laufey is the ruler of the realm of Jotunheimand the king of Frost Giants. A towering villain, Laufey is a physical powerhouse, able to exude incredible cold via his breath. He’s also a frequent wielder of the Casket of Ancient Winters - an ancient mystical weapon that could coat the entire Earth in winter. Laufey has died several times in Marvel lore but always finds a way back.
5Jormungand, the Fenris Wolf and Fafnir
Seen in Thor #127, Journey Into Mystery #114 and Thor #134, All by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Based on ancient mythology,Thorcomics include several monsters from Norse legend, including the World Serpent Jormungand, towering wolf Fenris and extradimensional dragon Fafnir. Of the three, Jormungand is easily the strongest, and is destined to kill Thor in the final battle of Ragnarok - albeit only after being slain by the God of Thunder. Interestingly, Thor is Fenris' uncle, with the giant wolf being one of Loki’s monstrous children. While Jormungand and Fafnir tend to remain in their monstrous forms, Fenris is able to shapeshift into a humanoid body, sometimes hunting on Earth.
4Ymir
First Appeared in Journey Into Mystery #97 by Robert E. Howard, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Ymir is one of the most ancient beings in Marvel lore and the progenitor of the Ice Giant species.With strength equal to the greatest Asgardian gods, Ymir can also unleash sub-zero blasts capable of freezing almost anything. Bigger than a mountain, Ymir is an enemy of Asgard and an old rival of Surtur, commanding fear and respect from all Frost Giants akin to a god.
