10 Best Jane Foster Comics To Read Before Thor: Love And Thunder

10 Best Jane Foster Comics To Read Before Thor: Love And Thunder

As fans wait patiently for the first Thor: Love And Thunder trailer, anticipation is building for the movie. The fourth chapter of the Thor saga will introduce a new Thor in the form of Jane Foster. She’ll be based on some of the best Jane Foster comics and some of the best Marvel Comics ever, including an epic run in the early 2010s that redefined the character for a new age.

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Jane Foster is one of the most important figures in the Mighty Thor’s lore and only has become more so in recent years, making reading her best comics essential for fans looking to know more about her. She has evolved from a typical love interest to one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe and when the movie finally arrives, she’ll be one of the most powerful in the MCU.

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What If..? #10

Jane Foster in What If Marvel Comic

A key issue to read ahead of the movie gives fans their very first story with Jane Foster in the role of Thor. This takes place in one of the strangest realities of What If..? comics, where Jane finds Mjölnir instead of Dr. Donald Blake and becomes Thor.

What If..? #10 appeared in 1978, decades before Jane Foster would become Thor in the iconic run from 2014, but it’s an early example of her potential and her future that could be as much a source for the movie as the modern run likely is.

Journey Into Mystery #84

Jane Foster as a nurse in Marvel Comics

Jane Foster’s legacy in Marvel Comics is nearly as old as Thor’s. She first appeared in Journey Into Mystery #84, one issue after Thor did. Though she’s evolved considerably since then, this early issue is a good comic to start with understanding Jane better.

She initially appears as a nurse in the office of Dr. Blake, Thor’s human alter ego at the time. One thing that changed for Jane after this issue was her name; she was originally named Jane Nelson but like with Two-Face originally being Harvey Kent in the comics, this quickly changed.

Thor #236

Thor watches over an ill Jane Foster in Marvel Comics.

In what could be a preview of events to come in the movie, Jane Foster fused with Sif in Thor #236. Sif essentially sacrificed her life to save Jane’s after she fell ill. Jane gained Asgardian powers as a result and this could be a plot point in the MCU as well.

The main reason this issue is a key one to read ahead of the movie is that both Sif and Jane are returning and both are rivals for Thor’s affection. The story could end in a bittersweet fashion for them if it takes after this comic.

Thor #249

Jane Foster inhabits Lady Sif's body in Marvel Comics

Thor #249 could have bearing on the MCU as well. In this issue, Jane Foster discovers Sif’s sacrifice when she takes up her sword in Asgard. This transforms her into a powerful Asgardian being and could play out in the MCU in a few different ways.

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Jane Foster may be worthy of Thor in the movie by having already benefited from some kind of interaction with Sif, or that may be her future if she doesn’t remain Thor. In the comics, Jane’s role has continued to evolve.

Valkyrie #1

Jane Foster becomes Valkyrie in Marvel Comics.

The MCU already has a Valkyrie, but there were once many and could be many more in the future. Valkyrie #1 reimagines Jane Foster as a new Valkyrie after she proves herself worthy of the esteem of Odin thanks to her heroic sacrifice while Thor.

Comic book fans know Valkyrie is a key character in the comics but like in the MCU is one of many such warriors. Jane could leave the movie as a new member of the restored Valkyrie and perhaps even on the arm of Valkyrie herself.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #1

Jane Foster sees an Asgardian Rainbow Bridge in Marvel Comics.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #1 is a fantastic mini-series set in an alternate reality that could be key to the movie if the Jane Foster in Love and Thunder is a variant. This story retells her origin from her perspective, beginning with her meeting Thor.

The eight-issue series is well worth reading in its own right, with fantastic art by Chris Samnee. But it’s a possible hint at Jane’s MCU future if the movie decides to make her a variant from the multiverse instead of the Jane Foster that fans have already met.

Thors #4

Jane Foster fights variant Thors in Marvel Comics.

Thors #4 is an issue of a mini-series connected to 2015’s Secret Wars, one of Marvel’s most important event comics. This issue pits Jane Foster against numerous variants of Thor on Battleworld, something that could happen in the MCU and making it a must-read before the movie.

With the multiverse expanding in the MCU and the prospect of variant Thors in the movie, this issue where Jane Foster rallies other variants against the lies of God Emperor Doom has a lot to potentially offer MCU fans.

All-New, All-Different Avengers #5

Jane Foster Thor and Sam Wilson Captain America kiss in Marvel Comics.

All-New, All-Different Avengers #5 is an essential read before the movie as it features a potential romantic pairing in the MCU. In this issue, Jane Foster and Sam Wilson kiss in their respective guises as Captain America and Thor.

RELATED: 10 Things Only Marvel Comic Fans Know About Valkyrie

This issue also ends with Sam being one of the very few people who know Jane is Thor at this time. With both Jane Foster and Sam Wilson now in their All-New, All-Different forms in the MCU, this exciting romance could be in the future for both characters.

Mighty Thor #705

Jane Foster wields Mjolnir in Marvel Comics.

Mighty Thor #705 seems to be the end of Jane Foster in Marvel Comics but it’s really only the beginning. It’s a key issue to read in the landmark run by writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman as it likely signals Jane’s MCU future in some way.

In this issue, Jane is dying from cancer and has little strength left to do anything. But she takes up Mjölnir and becomes Thor to fight Mangog. She saves Asgard in the process but loses her life, a sacrifice that Odin would reward with her resurrection.

Thor #1

Jane Foster Thor in Marvel Comics

Thor #1 from 2014 kicks off the arc that redefined Jane Foster as Thor and has now brought this version of the character to the MCU. In this issue, Jane is dying from cancer as a new female Thor takes up Mjölnir after Odinson is deemed unworthy.

It’s a mystery for some time as to the identity of the new Thor, but the character is an icon from the start, thanks to a fantastic design by Russell Dauterman, who lands one of the most iconic panels in recent Marvel history on the last page.

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Darby Harn
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DARBY HARN is the author of the novels Ever The Hero, The Judgment Of Valene, and A Country Of Eternal Light. His short fiction appears in Strange Horizons, Interzone, Shimmer, and other venues.

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