Thor’s been having issues when it comes to being worthy of lifting Mjolnir, so he might have to look to his past if he wants to ever wield it again.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Thor #8, by Donny Cates, Aaron Kuder, Matt Wilson, and VC’s Joe Sabino, on sale now.
Thor has recently encountered a rather frustrating problem as he persistently finds his hammer, Mjolnir, becoming heavier for him and considerably lighter for others. To contend with this issue, Thor is looking to a figure from his storied history: Doctor Donald Blake.
Introduced in Journey Into Mystery #83, by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby, Dr. Blake has existed since Thor’s first appearance in Marvel Comics. Don Blake was a mild-mannered physician, running a private practice in New York with his nurse, Jane Foster. Dr. Blake was on vacation in Norway when he first discovered a seemingly ordinary walking cane. When Blake struck the cane against the ground, it transformed into Mjolnir, while Blake became the Mighty Thor. From then on, Thor would appear whenever trouble arose on Earth. Still, it remained a mystery, between Blake and Thor, as to who was the disguise and who was the real man underneath. Eventually, Odin revealed to Thor that Dr. Blake was his creation, to teach Thor humility.
Indeed, Odin sent the brash young Thor down to Earth in the human form of Donald Blake, who spent years studying at Harvard Medical School. After spending so much time in this humble form, Thor was subliminally guided by Odin to find his Mjolnir. Over the years, Thor’s relationship with Dr. Blake had its complications. There were some benefits to Blake’s persona, such as easy access to medical knowledge. Donald Blake also made Thor appreciate Earth more, spending his time among its people and even falling in love with Jane Foster. Even so, one major weakness made Dr. Blake’s identity more of a hindrance than anything. If Thor was away from Mjolnir for more than 60 seconds, he would turn back into Blake. This enchantment was frequently exploited in Thor’s stories, making Blake a major liability.
For this reason, in The Mighty Thor #340, by Walter Simonson, Odin eliminated the Donald Blake identity. Thor had long since learned humility anyways, so Blake had served his purpose. After a long absence, Dr. Blake returned in Thor #1, by J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. When Thor was reborn after ending the cycle of Ragnarok, he returned, once more, through the human vessel of Donald Blake. The son of Odin came down to Earth, literally, by relocating Asgard to Broxton, Oklahoma, and reclaiming his human form. Eventually, however, when Thor was killed at the end of “Fear Itself”, he was separated from the Donald Blake identity again.