When it comes to heroic and legendary icons, Thor throws down. Today, Thor is the best known and most popular of the various Norse gods, and archaeological evidence shows that the god of thunder was also top dog with the Vikings themselves. This magnificently illustrated book takes readers on a detailed and fascinating journey, beginning with Thor's first appearance as a Viking god, hammer at the ready, onto some of his most popular tales throughout the centuries, and concluding with his place in Marvel Comics and twenty-first-century cinema.