Summary

• Thor faces a variety of villains, from powerful threats like Ares and Hela to less intimidating foes like the Wrecking Crew.
• Some villains, like Laufey and Ulik, have been downgraded over the years and are now seen as more of henchmen than major threats.
• Loki, Thor's half-brother and long-time foe, is considered the most dangerous of all Thor villains, constantly testing his brother's resolve.

The Marvel Universe is huge and there are tons of layers to its cosmology. From the muggers hiding in dark alleys on Earth to God Butchers traveling the cosmos in search of their next kill. The heroes of Earth can't always be around to stop every villain, which is why heroes like Thor exist to fight for the safety of the higher planes.

Thor has been around in Marvel Comics for a long time, and he's fought tons of villains over the decades. Ranging from belligerent earthen criminals to the scariest deities that Marvel has to offer. Some of these villains are unbelievably cool and some of them are laughably lame. These are 20 Thor villains, from the lamest to the absolute coolest, that the God of Thunder has ever faced down.

20 Wrecking Crew

Wrecking Crew Were Never A Threat To Thor

Although most of Thor’s villains originate in his comics, the Wrecking Crew first appeared in the Defenders comics. Over the years, they would have plenty of foes but their main one would be Thor… who would soundly beat them.

After all, the Wrecking Crew is a group of muscular dudes armed with enchanted weapons taking on the literal God of Thunder. While they may be a problem for lower-level heroes, Thor doesn’t seem to have much of an issue with them.

19 Laufey

The King Of Ice Giants Should Be A Threat, But Never Quite Became One

Being the king of the ice giants, one would expect the likes of King Laufey to be a massive and unmovable threat for Thor to face. And while Laufey has been somewhat decent over the years, the problem with Laufey stems from his defeat or rather how often they occur.

There are plenty of times when villains do manage to beat or beat down their hero but the likes of Laufey have only seen failure beyond a few wins. Add that to the fact that they always seem to die, return, then die again, and Laufey’s greatness becomes diminished.

18 Ulik

Ulik Has Been Downgraded From How Dangerous He Used To Be

While Laufey and the Wrecking Crew can be seen as jokes, there are some who would say that Ulik the troll is a decent Thor villain. While the rock troll has proven himself a worthy adversary for Thor, nearly stealing Mjloner and trapping Thor while in his human form, in recent years, however, Ulik’s become more of a henchman than a big villain.

Time and again in the comics, Ulik’s been utilized as a side-villain and not given a large role beyond being ordered to attack. As such, the otherwise epic villain has decreased over the years and while not as bad as some of the others, isn’t the best.

17 Kurse

Kurse Is All Brawn And Few Brains, Making Him A Low Threat

A monstrous beast that can certainly best Thor in physical combat if, given the right power upgrades, Kurse is a villain that Thor has faced a handful of times and was even adapted to the big screen. He doesn't have the personal rivalry with the Odinson as other foes though.

He's a little goofy in his appearance and has been known to make mistakes. As a former Dark Elf, he has risen far above his station representing his people. In many ways, he's a hired hand and a thug, who couldn't mastermind some of the schemes that have taken the fight to Agard.

16 Skurge the Executioner

Skurge Wasn't A Threatening Villain And Has Turned To Heroism

Like Ulik, Skurge the Executioner has been seen more as a henchman than a man standing on his own. A servant and lackey for the likes of the Enchantress, Skurge has tried and failed over the years to truly make a mark on Thor but did make a mark in his own way.

While Skurge isn’t the best villain, he’s had a couple of heroic moments over the years. From striking a strange friendship with the Asgardians of the Galaxy, fighting for Asgard, and even going to Valhalla at one point, Skurge is now working with Beta Ray Bill. Again, he may not be the best villain but isn’t a half-bad hero.

15 Minotaur

The Minotaur Leads One Of Marvel's Most Evil Companies, Making Him A Large Threat

Thor’s gone through plenty of changes over the years. From being an outcast to unworthy to the All-Father, something most fans recall is when Jane Foster became Thor and wielded the hammer against the likes of Darrio Agger, The Minotaur.

The head of ROXXON who is imbued with the ability to change into a superpower Minotaur following the death of his family, Agger proved himself to be a vicious and violent villain for Thor. Yet, he always seemed to let greed get in the way of things that would always lead to his downfall. Eventually, Agger was taken off the board following an encounter with the Immortal Hulk and Xmennu.

14 Ragnarok

An Evil Version Of Thor, Ragnarök Posed A Massive Threat

When it comes to ranking Thor villains on the big screen one of the major foes from the comics that has thus far been left out is Thor himself. During the Civil War arc, a clone of Thor was created using state-of-the-art android electronics. That creation was named Ragnarok.

Mister Fantastic and Iron Man lost control of this monstrous being though, with Ragnarok murdering Goliath in cold blood. While Ragnarok is a pale imitation of Thor, it does boast many of his same abilities, but the clone has been beaten by both Hercules and the God of Thunder himself.

13 Ares

The God Of War, Ares Will Always Be A Threat To Peace

Just as Thor is the God of Thunder, Ares is the God of War. He seeks to keep the world in perpetual strife for his own amusement and power. Naturally, as a God who wants nothing more than to keep the world constantly fighting, he's come into conflict with both the Avengers and Thor, who have fought him in the past anytime he's tried to spark the fires of war. Ares even once led an army against Asgard itself during the events of Seige #2. While this was due to the manipulation of Norman Osborn, it still didn't earn Ares any favor with Thor.

12 Midgard Serpent

The Serpent Posed Such A Threat To Asgard That Odin Banished It

Interestingly enough, a lot of Norse mythology does make it into comics. Among those myths, beyond Thor, lies the tale of the Midgard Serpent. A powerful being who circled the entire planet, clutching its own tail, the serpent was reworked to be a foe of Thors.

Constantly battling the God of Thunder over the years, the Midgard Serpent was a powerful and deadly foe although hasn't had too many appearances in comics and yet has established itself as one of the best Thor villains out there.

11 Surtur

Surtur Was Born To Destroy Asgard

Similar to the Serpent, Surtur hails from the fiery realm of Muspelheim comes from Norse mythology but has been given a Marvel update. An incredibly powerful foe, Surtur's faced down Thor time again. Of course, Surtur always seems to fail with his plans and even died at one point, ing the mantle to his daughter who ruled in his place.