Thor: Love and Thunder is the latest entry into the Marvel MCU to hit the big screen. Following on from the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder sees Thor attempt to find some inner peace again. However, as is to be expected, Thor’s “time-off” doesn’t last long as he needs to step up and stop Gorr the God Butcher from eliminating all the gods. Thor won’t be able to take on Gorr alone, though and ends up recruiting Valkyrie, Korg, and Jane Foster, otherwise known as the Mighty Thor, to help.
While fans have become accustomed to seeing Thor on-screen, many have no idea how to approach Jane Foster’s Thor as outside of the comic book world; she is hardly a household name. There are two versions of Dr Jane Foster. One version becomes known as The Mighty Thor, and one becomes known as Valkyrie.
If you find yourself unsure about the origins of this new version of Thor and want to know more about the character before watching the movie, we are about to answer the question of who is Jane Foster and what you should know before watching Thor: Love and Thunder below.
Who is Jane Foster? Shared origin story:
Jane Foster’s origin story remains the same regardless of if she dons the mantle of Thor or Valkyrie, with the latter happening after Jane’s stint as Thor. The shared story is as follows:
Jane Nelson, known more commonly as Jane Foster, was working as a nurse before finding herself in a love triangle between a Dr Donald Blake and Thor, with Jane not knowing that Thor and Dr Donald Blake are the same people. When Thor finally reveals his true identity to Jane, Odin harshly punishes him before later forgiving his son when he saves all of Asgard.
During the period of Odin’s forgiveness, Thor ends up taking Jane with him to Asgard. While there, Jane is briefly granted immortality and the power of gods. But when Jane fails a test set forward by Odin, she is stripped of all her powers and sent back to Earth with no memory of her time in Asgard or Thor.
In the time that follows, both Thor and Jane move on, Thor with his childhood love Sif and Jane with another doctor, Keith Kincaid, with whom she marries and has a child. Shortly after Jane gets divorced, she hears a rumour that Dr Donald Blake and Thor have returned. It isn’t long before the two start dating. Jane travels with Donald Blake to Broxton, Oklahoma, the site of the resurrected Asgard, to open up a medical practice with her new being a qualified Doctor.
Doctor Jane Foster As Thor
First appearance: Journey into Mystery #84 (September 1962) as Jane Foster; What If? #10 (August 1978) as Thor
- Abilities: As Thor, Jane Forster wields Mjolnir, gaining all the powers that come with it. Including superhuman strength, stamina and durability, as well as flight and control over lightning. Jane’s Thor can also control Mjolnir and cause it to change trajectory and velocity mid-throw.
Following the news that her ex-husband and son died in a car accident, Jane discovers she is dying of cancer. In her grief, she refuses any magical treatment. During this time, Nick Fury tells Thor a secret that results in the God of Thunder losing his ability to wield Mjolnir. Still reeling from losing his powers, Thor hears of an unidentified woman who picked up his hammer, took his powers and fought Malekith the Accursed, Dario Agger and the Absorbing Man. After witnessing this woman in action, he relinquishes Thor’s name and role to her.
Jane soon discovers that her use of Mjolnir has perpetuated her cancer and will continue to do so each time she transforms into Thor. Jane’s Thor becomes a member of the All-New All-Different Avengers, with her teammates being none the wiser about her true identity. However, when she is separated from the hammer by Kang the Conqueror, Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, witnesses her reverting to Jane. He does, however, agree to keep her identity a secret.
Eventually, Jane must confess her true identity to her team as her cancer reaches a point of no return. Under observation by doctor Strange, Strange determines that one more transformation into Thor will kill Jane as cancer has spread too far. However, while she’s under his care, Mangog is attacking Asgard. When Mangog proves too powerful for the rest of her team, Jane defies Strange by transforming into Thor and confronting Mangog herself.
During the battle, Jane sacrifices Mjolnir and herself by binding Mangog and Mjolnir together with Gleipnir and hurling both into the Sun. Knowing she will die when she turns back into Jane, Jane takes her chance and kisses the original Thor for a final time before dying in his arms.
Doctor Jane Foster As Valkyrie
First appearance: War of the Realms Omega #1 (July 2019) as Valkyrie
- Abilities: Valkyrie wields Undrajarn, the All-Weapon. This weapon can change its shape into any weapon Jane Forster wills it to. Commonly you’ll see the Undrajarn turn into a sword, a mace or wings.
After dying in Thor’s arms, Thor seeks the help of his father to resurrect Jane. Upon her resurrection, Thor finds his powers returned to him, and Jane agrees to undergo chemotherapy. When the War of the Realms breaks out, Jane, freshly complete with chemo, assists in getting refugees to safety. During the invasion, she meets Valkyrie and Frigga and confirms that she was the Thor who defeated Mangog.
When things get so bad that Odin and Frigga have to retreat to Asgard, Frigga appoints Jane to act as All-Mother while she and Odin help prepare the counter-attack to protect Earth. As the war continues, the Valkrior are slain by Malekith, and in desperation, Jane once more takes up the hammer to become Thor and fight.
Taking up the mantle of Thor for a final time, Jane joins forces with the original Thor, Young Thor and King Thor to try and rescue Odin and Frigga. When Jane notices that her Mjolnir is about to shatter, she hurls it for one last time, and when it returns to her, it’s crumbling in her hands. However, as Mjolnir crumbles, the shards combine and merge into a golden bracelet that forms around her arm.
Jane soon learns that this bracelet can now transform into any weapon she needs. With the knowledge that the Valkrior are all gone, Jane decides to become a Valkyrie to keep the legacy alive. With this, Jane becomes the first in a new generation of Valkyries and names her bracelet Undrajarn the All-Weapon.
If you found this crash course into who Jane Foster is helpful before watching Thor: Love and Thunder and want to know even more about the character, you can grab some of the comics by heading over to Critters and Comics or by clicking here.