Hot Debate: Is Thor Now Transgender!?

Marvel Comics hero Thor is poised to become a woman, reports Fox News. This completely out-of-this-world revelation came to light on Tuesday, July 15, when Marvel Comics posted a hotly debated press release that revealed the following:

“Who is she? Where did she come from and what is her connection to Asgard and the Marvel Universe?

‘The inscription on Thor’s hammer reads Whosoever holds this hammer, if HE be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. Well it’s time to update that inscription,’ says Marvel editor Wil Moss. ‘The new Thor continues Marvel’s proud tradition of strong female characters like Captain Marvel, Storm, Black Widow and more. And this new Thor isn’t a temporary female substitute – she’s now the one and only Thor, and she is worthy!'”

The debate centers around whether Marvel Comics is arbitrarily transforming Thor into a woman (which it reserves the right to do), or whether Thor the character itself is opting to become a transgender woman via whatever sex-reassignment surgery options exist in the world of Marvel Comics.

According to an interview that Time magazine contributor Eliana Dockterman conducted with Marvel officials (including the writer of Thor, the editor of Thor and the editor-in-chief at Marvel), the truth is not nearly as complicated as some believe.

Jason Aaron, writer for the Thor series, pointed out that Thor has been reincarnated multiple times in the series’ 52-year-long history. A new incarnation is spawned whenever someone new picks up Thor’s hammer. Previous incarnations have included not only men like Beta Ray Bill, but also even frogs! It just so happens that the latest incarnation is a woman.

Mind you, this is the first time that Thor has ever been reincarnated as a different gender, which begs the question: why now?

According to Axel Alonso, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, the goal this time around was to satiate the “thirst for characters that reflect what we see in the mirror”:

“From Miles Morales, the African-American Spider-Man, to the new female Thor, our goal is to make our characters reflect the outside world.”

Plus, Jason Aaron added that this decision wasn’t made arbitrarily – that it resulted from “the natural progression of the story”:

“I’ve written stories about Canadian mutants who are 150 years old and about aliens in space. It doesn’t matter: I’m clearly not any of those people. But it doesn’t matter the race or gender or where those people are from. It’s all about figuring out that character and telling your story.”

There you have it. Thor is not transgender. Thor is simply, for the time being, a woman. The answer is that simple!

Image via [Google Images]