Thor: Vikings #1-5 is a five-issue comic book limited series published by MAX Comics (Marvel’s R-rated adult imprint) from July to November 2003. Masterminded by the infamous creative duo of writer Garth Ennis and artist Glenn Fabry (best known for their work on Preacher), this series is widely remembered as one of the absolute bloodiest, most extreme, and darkly comedic Thor stories ever printed.
Plot Overview
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The Curse: In the year 1003 AD, a ruthless band of Norse raiders led by the tyrannical Harald Jaekelsson pillage a village in Norway. Before dying, the village wise man places a blood curse on them, condemning them to sail the oceans endlessly without ever finding land.
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The Modern Invasion: The curse keeps the Vikings stranded on the water for a thousand years, imbuing them with zombie-like immortality and god-like super strength. Unnoticed by modern technology, their ship docks in New York City in 2003, and the undead invaders immediately begin a horrific, hyper-violent massacre across Manhattan.
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Thor's Defeat: When the God of Thunder arrives to protect the city, he is shockingly overpowered. Because the Vikings are empowered by a millennium's worth of dark magic, Jaekelsson brutally beats Thor, breaks his arms, and leaves him incapacitated.
- The Historic Alliance: Realizing he cannot defeat them alone, Thor teams up with Doctor Strange. Together, they use a time-travel spell to recruit three historical warriors whose bloodlines possess the specific lineage needed to break the curse: a Viking shield-maiden, a Teutonic Christian crusader, and a regular Nazi Luftwaffe fighter pilot.
