Warning: Spoilers for Jane Foster & The Might Thor #1 ahead
Marvel Comics' newest Thor is lost to the Golden Realm, Asgard is under assault by various factions, and Jane Foster is once again asked to take up the mantle of The Mighty Thor. However, Jane, who is incredibly confident and comfortable in her role as Valkyrie, quickly rejects the power of Thor that Mjolnir offers, much to the chagrin of Odin, whose soul is now residing inside the Asgardian hammer.
Jane Foster's journey from human love interest of Donald Blake/Thor, to the mysterious new Mighty Thor, to Jane's death and subsequent rebirth as Valkyrie has been complex and arduous, but has made her a strong and self-assured hero. After beating her cancer and sacrificing her life to kill Mangog and save Asgard, Thor and Odin were able to use their combined powers to return Foster to life, which gave her the powers of the Valkyrie and since then she has used these newfound abilities plus her job as mortician on Earth to shepherd souls to the great beyond.
Jane Foster & The Might Thor #1 - written by Torunn Grønbekk with art by Michael Dowling and Jesus Aburtov - is the next journey in Foster's life as a hero, as the enchanted uru-hammer Mjolnir returns to her and tempts her with the powers of Thor. Asgard is under attack from past enemies, organized by the Enchantress and a mysterious new masked adversary, and King Thor has somehow been captured and imprisoned, leaving the Golden Realm without its protector. In a last desperate act, Thor sent Mjolnir to Jane, since the hammer already has an affinity for her and Thor trusts her. Foster is initially disturbed not only by the blood she sees on the weapon but also by the power it holds. Jane's Valkyrie form, while imbued with Asgardian strength and abilities, is still "mortal" and not godly, and Foster quickly determines that the power of Thor is not what she needs to find Odinson, and firmly resists the pull of Mjolnir's power.
Odin, former All Father of Asgard, was Jane's Valkyrie abilities are more powerful than Thor's, not only does she wield Asgardian strength and weaponry, but she also has an incredibly advanced "death perception," shown earlier in the issue, that could greatly help her in her quest for Thor. Clearly, Thor is trapped somewhere beyond the realms, as the All-Seeing Sif is not able to see him anywhere, so Foster's death perception could be just the key she needs to find the lost King.
Jane Foster's Valkyrie abilities combined with the might of Mjolnir is certainly a powerful merger, and even if Jane has steadfastly rejected the power of Thor, that doesn't mean she still can't wield the hammer itself. Jane Foster is more confident than ever in her powers and place in the world, so hopefully, her rejection of Thor's power will not prevent her from rescuing the King and saving Asgard.
Look for Jane Foster & The Might Thor #1 wherever comics are sold!
