Thor and Thanos have clashed numerous times, but a new version of the Mad Titan is now stalking Thor, embodying the God of Thunder's imminent death. Is this another God in a new shape, or is this figure something even stranger than that? Thor’s going to have to figure it out soon, as the Marvel hero's 'Last Stand' officially approaches.

The preview for The Immortal Thor #21 - from Al Ewing, Jan Bazaldua, Matt Hollingsworth and Joe Sabino - reveals that Thor is being haunted by the figure of Thanos. But when Thor calls the villain by name, the towering foe replies that he's, "Nothing so small as that."

Thor’s recent adventures have been plagued by the prediction of Thor’s death at Thanos' hands - a vision granted by Galactus' master, the Black Winter. Now, as Thor fights Skurge, who wishes to take his place in this prophecy, a psychic being in the shape of Thanos stands behind Skurge - but only Thor can see it.

Skurge wants to redeem his past failures by taking Thor's place in a mythic sacrifice, attempting to take down the Odinson so he can die in his place.

Thor Knows He's Going to Die at Thanos' Hands

But This New Threat Hints It Won't Be the Thanos He Expects

Thanos' involvement in Thor’s death has been a running thread in Marvel lore for several years now. Writer Donny Cates’ tenure on Thor (2020) with artist Nic Klein first hinted at this, with a vision of Thanos wielding an Infinity Stone-embedded Mjölnir clearly setting up the confrontation. Unfortunately, Cates’ run was cut short, and while subsequent writer Torunn Grønbekk did feature Thanos, it wasn’t in the lethal vision that Thor had seen. Now, years later, Al Ewing, Cates’ co-writer on several Thor issues, is picking up the thread. However, it seems that Ewing is putting a new spin on the vision, with the possibility that the 'Thanos' from Thor's vision is something stranger.

There are a few possibilities as to who this new Thanos could be. One distinct option is the unnamed ‘Utgard-Loki’, the Elder God of Lies. The Utgard-Gods, a long-forgotten sect of Elder Gods, were locked away until recently, and have been the primary overarching foes of Immortal Thor thus far. The series has constantly emphasized how dangerous this Loki predecessor is. The false Thanos stands right beyond the gate to the Utgard-lands, guarded by Skurge, so they’re almost certainly of that realm in some form. Indeed, it's possible the Utgard-Loki has 'become' Thanos in order to turn the Black Winter's prophecy in their favor.

Is the New Thanos Even a Person At All?

Sometimes you Have to Think Less Literally When Dealing With Gods

There are two more abstract suspects for this figure. One is Death itself. Death and Thanos are obviously closely linked, and Marvel has all-but-confirmed that this arc of Immortal Thor will end with Thor’s death, with solicit information stating that "Even an immortal can die." Thanos recently trapped Death in an artificial Infinity Stone, which has since merged with Phil Coulson - has this altered the Mad Titan's role in Thor's death? It could also be a version of the Utgard-Gods' All-Power. The Utgard-Odin is a huge threat, and if Thor’s All-Power can have a voice, then why couldn’t a darker, more primordial version of it?

Whoever this new Thanos truly is, it's clear their presence embodies the promise of a mythic death for Thor - one that Skurge is trying to steal, but which the son of Odin has vowed to face as a hero and king.

The Immortal Thor #21 releases March 5 from Marvel Comics