I generally like Thor. I think he’s a good superhero, and he’s part of the Avengers, so he automatically gets to be a boss.
But I hate Donald Blake.
In the original Thor story, Odin sent Thor to Earth as a lesson in humility. This Norse god was put into the body of Donald Blake, then a disabled medical student. Through events in Norway, Blake eventually realized he was Thor, and that started off his story.
The origin was so freaking great until I saw that Blake couldn’t walk without a cane.
My problem with it is this: why is it okay that Odin used Blake as a punishment?
I understand turning Thor mortal. It’s a very useful tool to punish an all-powerful character by removing their powers. It brings an otherwise unrelatable character down to the human level.
Take The Next Generation’s Q. In “Déjà Q.” The Q Continuum makes Q a mortal as punishment for generally being an asshole. In this case, Q learned a lesson, albeit briefly, about what it takes to be a good person. It was a great lesson.
The difference between Q and Thor is that Thor was not only made human but he was given another level of “humiliation” by having his father make him handicapped.
I’m sick of your bull, Marvel.
It’s rude. In my mind, it uses physical disabilities as humiliation. For a god, becoming mortal could be a humiliation. Make that mortal disabled, and now you’re just being a dick.
It makes those with disabilities seem inferior. What’s lower than a mortal? A mortal with a limp? Bite me.
Now, Thor’s origin has been adjusted since the original origin. But the problem still is an annoying one, and while I’m glad Marvel retconned that, it still bugs me.
Lady Geek Girl and Friends 