History SadlyMythtaken / TheMightyThor

* The Dark Elves in the ''Prose Edda'' have been speculated by scholars to be alternate names for the dwarfs. In the comics, they're different species.(Dwarves are definitely synonymous "Dark Elves", and may or may not be the same thing as the "Black Elves", depending on who you ask. Dok usually referring to skin, as in bruises, while svart referring to hair, like RavenHairIvorySkin. Both are consistently distinct from the "Light Elves").

* The Dark Elves in the ''Prose Edda'' have been speculated by scholars to be alternate names for the dwarfs. In the comics, they're different species.(Dwarves are definitely synonymous "Dark Elves", and may or may not be the same thing as the "Black Elves", depending on who you ask. Both are consistently distinct from the "Light Elves").

* The Dark Elves in the ''Prose Edda'' have been speculated by scholars to be alternate names for the dwarfs. In the comics, they're different species.(Dwarves are definitely synonymous "Dark Elves", and may or may not be the same thing as the "Black Elves", depending on who you ask. Both more consistently distinct from the "Light Elves").

* The Dark Elves in the ''Prose Edda'' have been speculated by scholars to be alternate names for the dwarfs. In the comics, they're different species.

** Sif's whole identity in recorded texts is predicated on her roles as fertility figure and Thor's wife: her very name is a word relating to familial ties (cognate to a plural Norse word for your inlaws, and Modern English sibling). And she's passive in the extant myths (the hair thing may be a metaphor for farming: harvest this year's grain, and invest time and resources in the replacement crop, in which case she'd symbolise ''soil''.) Having her fighting is even weirder than Aphrodite/Venus.

** The original Thor was a bearded FieryRedhead, which was symbolic to the Norse. Though Marvel didn't [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor originate the idea]], their Thor is clean-shaven and blond, which meant something completely different to the Norse. (Though characters change their appearance often, and Thor has, on occasions, grown a beard.)

* Odin has several differences from his mythological inspiration, mainly in terms of personality. In Norse mythology, Odin is often portrayed as a wise and cunning god who sometimes engages in questionable and somewhat dishonorable actions to achieve his goals, such as disguises, theft, and trickery. In contrast, in Marvel Comics, he is portrayed as a more benevolent, honorable, and glorious warrior-king who largely lacks TheTrickster traits he has in myth. For example, in the "[[Literature/PoeticEdda Hárbarðsljóð]]", an Odin in disguise insults Thor and boasts to his son about his sexual prowness, his magical abilities, and the wars he stirred, and in the ''Literature/ProseEdda'', Odin steals the Mead of Poetry from the giant Suttungr through disguises, shapeshifting, seduction, and tricks. His association with magic is also less delved upon in the comics, whereas in the myths, that was one of his main symbols, alongside poetry, war, and wisdom.
* [[Characters/TheMightyThorGiants The Giants]]:

** The Giants are generally [[AdaptationalVillainy much meaner and more destructive]] than in Norse myth. While they were certainly foes of the gods and brought destruction to the order through Ragnarök, represented untamed and dangerous forces of nature and were considered threats to humanity, they had a much more important, helpful and complex role in mythology than simply of one-dimensional evil antagonists. Not only were most Aesir (like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Týr, Magni, and Loki) direct children of jötnar, but some gods were jötnar themselves, like Skaði. Furthermore, many gods (like Freyr, Thor, Njörd and Odin) had relationships or even marriages with giantesses, and, in the myths, it was from Ymir's body that the gods fashioned the world, and two giants were the ones to ride around the earth as day and night. Giants like Gróa and Gríðr also helped the Aesir against wicked Giants, with the former helping Thor to remove whetstone fragments from his head after his battle with Hrungnir, and the latter giving importanr gifts to help Thor to fight Geirroð and his daughters. In short, rather than the giants being a mostly AlwaysChaoticEvil race, there were as many giants who were either neutral or actively helped the gods and the natural order as there were monstrous giants with foul motivations.

** The Giants are generally [[AdaptationalVillainy much meaner and more destructive]] than in Norse myth. While they were certainly foes of the gods and brought destruction to the order through Ragnarök, represented untamed and dangerous forces of nature and were considered threats to humanity, they had a much more important, helpful and complex role in mythology than simply of one-dimensional evil antagonists. Not only were most Aesir (like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Týr, Magni, and Loki) direct children of jötnar, but some gods were jötnar themselves, like Skaði. Furthermore, many gods (like Freyr, Thor, Njörd and Odin) had relationships or even marriages with giantesses, and, in the myths, it was from Ymir's body that the gods fashioned the world, and two giants were the ones to ride around the earth as day and night. Giants like Gróa and Gridr also helped the Aesir against wicked Giants, with the former helping Thor to remove whetstone fragments from his head after his battle with Hrungnir, and the latter giving importanr gifts to help Thor to fight Geirrod and his daughters. In short, rather than the giants being a mostly AlwaysChaoticEvil race, there were as many giants who were either neutral or actively helped the gods and the natural order as there were monstrous giants with foul motivations.

** The Frost Giants are often portrayed as blue-skinned humanoids of immense height, with the average giant being around twenty feet/6.1 meters tall and human-sized giants like Loki being the exception. However, despite 'giant' being the most common way to translate the Old Norse word "jötunn" ("jötnar" in plural), not all giants in Norse mythology were necessarily gigantic; there were immense ones such as Ymir, the primeval progenitor of the jötnar, Jörmungandr, [[TheGreatSerpent the serpent so massive that it encircled the world]], and Skrymir, the mountain-sized disguise used by Útgarða-Loki, but most of the time their descriptions don't specify notably large sizes, and jötnar several times interacted with the Aesir under the same roof with no particular mention of height differences. In fact, the exact distinction between gods and jötnar isn't very clearly defined in Norse myths, to the point some studies recommend seeing their relationship less like different races and more or less like different clans. Furthermore, in Norse myth, while there were many truly monstrous jötnar (such as Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Týr's nine-hundred headed grandmother), there were also giants associated with great beauty, like Gunnlöd and Gerdr.
** With rare exceptions like Loki, Hela and Utgard-Loki, the Giants are often depicted as [[StupidEvil thuggish, uncivilized, brutal,]] [[AdaptationalDumbass simple-minded and weak in magic]], preferring violence and brute strength over strategy and spellcraft. In Norse mythology, however, while they were indeed strongly associated with fundamental, chaotic and tough forces of nature, the giants were just as well-known for sorcery, trickery, cunning and shapeshifting, as many jötnar like Utgarða-Loki, Gríðr, Gróa and Þjazi outwitted, challenged or helped the Aesir with their skill in magic, which rivaled or even surpassed that of the gods. Notably, the Norns were giantesses who shaped the course of fate. Furthermore, a few jötnar were also quite smart, sagacious and eloquent, with the jötunn Vafþrúðnir being nearly as wise and knowledgeable as Odin and only narrowly losing a battle of wits against him -- Odin himself on several occasions sought or stole knowledge from the Giants, most notably stealing the Mead of Poetry from Suttungr and taking out his eye for a drink from Mimir's well of wisdom, who is implied to be a giant according to some scholars. The portrayal of giants in general as always dim-witted, barbaric, relatively less powerful and easy to outwit only becomes stronger in Scandinavia in post-medieval folklore, in which they are frequently interchangeable with [[OurTrollsAreDifferent the modern ideas of trolls]] (who exist as a separate race in the Marvel universe).
** The Giants are generally [[AdaptationalVillainy much meaner and more destructive]] than in Norse myth. While they were certainly foes of the gods and brought Ragnarök, represented untamed forces of nature and were considered threats to humanity, they had a much more important, helpful and complex role in mythology than simply of one-dimensional evil antagonists. Not only were most Aesir (like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Týr, Magni and Loki) direct children of jötnar, but some gods were jötnar themselves, like Skaði. Furthermore, many gods (like Freyr, Thor, Njörd and Odin) had relationships with giantesses, and, in the myths, it was from Ymir's body that the gods fashioned the world, and two giants were the ones to ride around the earth as day and night. In short, rather than the giants being a mostly AlwaysChaoticEvil race, there were as many giants who were either neutral or actively helped the gods and the natural order as there were monstrous giants with foul motivations.

** The Giants are generally [[AdaptationalVillainy much meaner and more destructive]] than in Norse myth. While they were certainly foes of the gods and brought Ragnarök, represented untamed forces of nature and were considered threats to humanity, they had a much more important, helpful and complex role in mythology than simply of one-dimensional evil antagonists. Not only were most Aesir (like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Týr, Magni and Loki) direct children of jötnar, but some gods were jötnar themselves, like Skaði, and many (like Freyr, Thor, Njörd and Odin) had relationships with giantesses. Moreover, in the myths, it was from Ymir's body that the gods fashioned the world, and two giants were the ones to pull the sun and the moon. In short, rather than the giants being a mostly AlwaysChaoticEvil race, there were as many giants who were either neutral or actively helped the gods and the natural order as there were monstrous giants with foul motivations.

** Thor is portrayed as a noble, inspiring, modern hero but the Thor of myth doesn't really fit that label (he predates it). While he was indeed a well-doing protector of humanity, he was also an ill-tempered BloodKnight who almost killed the giantess Hyrrokkin for shaking the ground when she pushed Baldr's enormous funerary ship and had to be talked down by the other gods, and threatened to kill Loki for his insults in the "Lokasenna". This is eventually addressed in universe, as Thor is often portrayed that way in his younger days, and he has tried to change as the definition of hero has changed.

*** In general, Mjölnir in Marvel Comics has many [[AdaptationalSuperPowerChange different abilities from the mythological hammer]]. While its exact set of properties [[DependingOnTheWriter isn't always clear]], the weapon has been shown to manipulate matter, control souls, absorb and redirect energy, create wormholes, allow its wielder to fly and, due to Odin's enchantment, grant Thor's powers to anyone worthy to hold it, none of which Mjölnir can do in Norse myths. The opposite is true as well, as one of Mjölnir's forgers in mythology, Brokk, says the hammer is unbreakable, would never be thrown so far away that it wouldn't find its way back to its wielder's hand, would never miss its target, and could be so small that Thor could carry it in his shirt for transport if he wished to (possibly as a pendant)[[note]]It isn't clear whether Brokk meant that [[RetractableWeapon Mjölnir could magically shrink down]] or that it was naturally small due to its unusually short handle[[/note]]. In the comics, while Mjölnir also always returns to Thor's hand, it isn't unbreakable, as it has been damaged or destroyed on several occasions (although by extraordinary forces), it isn't stated to never miss when thrown, and it is not able to shrink or otherwise very compact. On a minor note, its flat, cubic shape also differs from how Mjölnir is most famously represented in the majority of pendants from ancient Norse culture, in which [[https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1752/2843/files/oland-mjolnir_480x480.jpg?v=1618789324 its hammerhead has a curved shape meeting up towards an angle on the top]].

** Sif's whole identity is predicated on her roles as fertility figure and Thor's wife: her very name is a word relating to familial ties (cognate to a plural Norse word for your inlaws, and Modern English sibling). And she's passive in the extant myths (the hair thing may be a metaphor for farming: harvest this year's grain, and invest time and resources in the replacement crop, in which case she'd symbolise ''soil''.) Having her fighting is even weirder than Aphrodite/Venus.

* Odin has several differences from his mythological inspiration, mainly in terms of personality. In Norse mythology, Odin is often portrayed as a wise and cunning god who occasionally engages in questionable and somewhat dishonorable actions to achieve his goals, such as disguises, theft, and trickery. In contrast, in Marvel Comics, he is portrayed as a more benevolent, honorable, and glorious warrior-king who largely lacks TheTrickster traits he has in myth. For example, in the "[[Literature/PoeticEdda Hárbarðsljóð]]", an Odin in disguise insults Thor and boasts to his son about his sexual prowness, his magical abilities, and the wars he stirred, and in the ''Literature/ProseEdda'', Odin steals the Mead of Poetry from the giant Suttungr through disguises, shapeshifting, seduction, and tricks. His association with magic is also less delved upon in the comics, whereas in the myths, that was one of his main symbols, alongside poetry, war, and wisdom.

** The Giants are generally [[AdaptationalVillainy much meaner and more destructive]] than in Norse myth. While they were certainly foes of the gods and brought Ragnarök, represented untamed forces of nature and some were considered threats to humanity, they had a much more important, helpful and complex role in mythology than simply one-dimensional evil antagonists. Not only were most Aesir (like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Týr, Magni and Loki) direct children of jötnar, but some gods were jötnar themselves, like Skaði, and many (like Freyr, Thor, Njörd and Odin) had relationships with giantesses. Moreover, in the myths, it was from Ymir's body that the gods fashioned the world, and two giants were the ones to pull the sun and the moon. In short, rather than the giants being a mostly AlwaysChaoticEvil race, there were as many giants who were either neutral or actively helped the gods and the natural order as there were monstrous giants with foul motivations.

* Odin has several differences from his mythological inspiration, mainly in terms of personality. In Norse mythology, Odin is often portrayed as a wise and cunning god who occasionally engages in questionable and somewhat dishonorable actions to achieve his goals, such as disguises, theft, and trickery. In contrast, in Marvel Comics, he is portrayed as a more benevolent, honorable, and glorious king who lacks TheTrickster traits he has in myth. His association with magic is also less delved upon in the comics, whereas in the myths, that was one of his main symbols, alongside poetry, war, and wisdom.

** The Frost Giants are often portrayed as blue-skinned humanoids of immense height, with the average giant being around twenty feet/6.1 meters tall and human-sized giants like Loki being the exception. However, despite "giant" being the easiest and most common translation of "jötunn" ("jötnar" in plural), not all giants in Norse mythology were necessarily gigantic; there were immense ones such as Ymir, the primeval progenitor of the jötnar, Jörmungandr, [[TheGreatSerpent the serpent so massive that it encircled the world]], and Skrymir, the mountain-sized disguise used by Útgarða-Loki, but most of the time their descriptions don't specify notably large sizes, and jötnar several times interacted with the Aesir under the same roof with no particular mention of height differences. In fact, the exact distinction between gods and jötnar isn't very clearly defined in Norse myths, to the point some studies recommend seeing their relationship less like different races and more or less like different clans. Furthermore, while there were many truly monstrous jötnar in Norse myth (such as Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Týr's nine-hundred headed grandmother), there were also giants associated with great beauty, like Gunnlöd and Gerdr.

*** Mjölnir is portrayed as an enchanted weapon [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield that can only be wielded by those considered to be worthy]] and to whom it would grant the powers of Thor, which was eventually explained to be a spell made by Odin to teach humility to his son. However, Mjölnir in mythology didn't have any restrictions of worthiness, nor could it grant Thor's powers to anyone, being in fact stolen by the antagonistic giant Thrym in the "[[Literature/PoeticEdda Þrymskviða]]" to demand a marriage with Freyja as ransom, with no mention of him using special methods to take it to Jötunheim. The only requirement for Thor to wield it was his pair of iron gloves Járngreipr, which the ''Literature/ProseEdda'' once says must not be missing for Thor to grip the hammer's shaft; even then, though, it isn't explained exactly how the gloves allow Thor to use Mjölnir, such as using them to better protect his hand when using the weapon or compensating for the short handle. Only the worthy being able to wield Mjölnir might have been influenced by {{Excalibur}} from Myth/ArthurianLegend, which in the versions where the sword was lodged in stone, can only be pulled by the rightful king of Britain; the inscription on Mjölnir even resembles a sentence in ''Literature/LeMorteDarthur''[[note]]"Whoso pulls out this Sword of this Stone and Anvil is rightfully King Born of all England."[[/note]]

** The Giants are generally [[AdaptationalVillainy much meaner and more destructive]] than in Norse myth. While they were certainly foes of the gods and brought Ragnarök, represented untamed forces of nature and some were considered threats to humanity, they had a much more important, helpful and complex role in mythology than simply one-dimensional evil antagonists. Not only were most Aesir (like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Týr, Magni and Loki) direct children of jötnar, but some gods were jötnar themselves, like Skaði, and many (like Freyr, Thor, Njörd and Odin) had relationships with giantesses. Moreover, it was from Ymir's body that the gods fashioned the world in the myths, and two giants were the ones to pull the sun and the moon. In short, rather than the giants being a mostly AlwaysChaoticEvil race, there were as many giants who were either neutral or actively helped the gods and the natural order as there were monstrous giants with foul motivations.

* The comics have several [[CanonForeigner original characters]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon in the mythological side of Thor's supporting cast -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda, Leah and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel not based on any specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, side-characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten minor characters who seldom get the same importance and narrative prevalence]] as original characters despite their position in Asgard in the myths. For example, Frey is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, but in the comics, he has only appeared ten times in four decades, most of which as a BitCharacter or in flashbacks, the same with Mimir, Njord, Skadi, Bragi, Idunn etc..

* Overall, the comics are more inspired by the 19th-century Germanic romanticization of Norse myths and old English and Shakesperean motifs than by the original extant sources, including several motifs such as winged and horned helmets, which were never used in the Viking Age, and Thor being clean-shaved and blonde rather than red-bearded, like in the {{painting|s}} ''Art/ThorsFightWithTheGiants''.

** Sif's whole identity is predicated on her roles as fertility figure and Thor's wife: her very name is a word relating to familial ties (cognate to a plural Norse word for your inlaws, and Modern English sibling). And she's passive in the extant myths (the hair thing may be a metaphor for farming: harvest this year's grain, and invest time and resources in the replacement crop, in which case she symbolises ''soil''.) Having her fighting is even weirder than Aphrodite/Venus.

*** In general, Mjölnir in Marvel Comics has many [[AdaptationalSuperPowerChange different abilities from the mythological hammer]]. While its exact set of properties [[DependingOnTheWriter isn't always clear]], the weapon has been shown to manipulate matter, control souls, absorb and redirect energy, create wormholes, allow its wielder to fly and, due to Odin's enchantment, grant Thor's powers to anyone worthy to hold it, none of which Mjölnir can do in Norse myths. The opposite is true as well, as one of Mjölnir's forgers in mythology, Brokk, says the hammer is unbreakable, would never be thrown so far away that it wouldn't find its way back to its wielder's hand, would never miss its target, and could be so small that Thor could carry it in his shirt for transport if he wished to (possibly as a pendant)[[note]]It isn't clear whether Brokk meant that Mjölnir could magically shrink down or that it was naturally small due to its unusually short handle[[/note]]. In the comics, while Mjölnir also always returns to Thor's hand, it isn't unbreakable, as it has been damaged or destroyed on several occasions (although by extraordinary forces), it isn't stated to never miss when thrown, and it is not able to shrink or otherwise very compact. On a minor note, its flat, cubic shape also differs from how Mjölnir is most famously represented in the majority of pendants from ancient Norse culture, in which [[https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1752/2843/files/oland-mjolnir_480x480.jpg?v=1618789324 its hammerhead has a curved shape meeting up towards an angle on the top]].

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsLoki Loki]]

*** In general, Mjölnir in Marvel Comics has many [[AdaptationalSuperPowerChange different abilities from the mythological hammer]]. While its exact set of properties [[DependingOnTheWriter isn't always clear]], the weapon has been shown to manipulate matter, control souls, absorb and redirect energy, create wormholes, allow its wielder to fly and, due to Odin's enchantment, grant Thor's powers to anyone worthy to hold it, none of which Mjölnir can do in Norse myths. The opposite is true as well, as one of Mjölnir's forgers in mythology, Brokk, says the hammer is unbreakable, would never be thrown so far away that it wouldn't find its way back to its wielder's hand, would never miss its target, and could be so small that Thor could carry it in his shirt for transport if he wished to (possibly as a pendant)[[note]]It isn't clear whether Brokk meant that Mjölnir could magically shrink down or that it was naturally small due to its unusually short handle[[/note]]. In the comics, while Mjölnir also always returns to Thor's hand, it isn't unbreakable, as it has been damaged or destroyed on several occasions (although by extraordinary forces), it isn't stated to never miss when thrown, and it is not able to shrink or otherwise very compact. On a minor note, its flat, cubic shape also differs from how Mjölnir is most famously represented in the majority of pendants from ancient Norse culture, in which its hammerhead often has a curved shape meeting up towards an angle on the top.

Myth/NorseMythology gets played very fast and loose in ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor''. Since its creation, the comics have mixed the myths with 19th-century Germanic romanticism, Shakesperean motifs and, of course, superhero tropes of the time. However, after (one presumes) a lot of corrections by mail, the writers did attempt to explain some of it by having the Norse gods be continually destroyed in Ragnarok and then reborn, with small differences between incarnations.

*** In general, Mjölnir in Marvel Comics has many [[AdaptationalSuperPowerChange different abilities from the mythological hammer]]. While its exact set of properties [[DependingOnTheWriter isn't always clear]], the weapon has been shown to manipulate matter, control souls, absorb and redirect energy, create wormholes, allow its wielder to fly and, due to Odin's enchantment, grant Thor's powers to anyone worthy to hold it, none of which Mjölnir can do in Norse myths. The opposite is true as well, as one of Mjölnir's forgers in mythology, Brokk, says the hammer is unbreakable, would never be thrown so far away that it wouldn't find its way back to its wielder's hand, would never miss its target, and could be so small that Thor could carry it in his shirt for transport if he wished to (possibly as a pendant)[[note]]Whether Brokk meant that Mjölnir could magically shrink or that it was naturally small due to its unusually short handle isn't clear[[/note]]. In the comics, while Mjölnir also always returns to Thor's hand, it isn't unbreakable, as it has been damaged or destroyed on several occasions (although by extraordinary forces), it isn't stated to never miss when thrown, and it is not able to shrink or otherwise very compact. On a minor note, its flat, cubic shape also differs from how Mjölnir is most famously represented in the majority of pendants from ancient Norse culture, in which its hammerhead often has a curved shape meeting up towards an angle on the top.

* The comics have several [[CanonForeigner original characters]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon in the mythological side of Thor's supporting cast -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda, Leah and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel not based on any specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants (apart from Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif and others) [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten minor characters who seldom get the same importance and narrative focus]]. For example, Frey is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, but in the comics, he has only appeared ten times in four decades, most of which as a BitCharacter or in flashbacks.

* The comics have several [[CanonForeigner completely original characters]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon in the mythological side of Thor's supporting cast -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda, Leah and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel not based on any specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants (apart from Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif and others) [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten minor characters who seldom get the same importance and narrative focus]]. For example, Frey is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, but in the comics, he has only appeared ten times in four decades, most of which as a BitCharacter or in flashbacks.

Myth/NorseMythology gets played very fast and loose in ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor''. Since its creation, the comics have mixed the myths with 19th century Germanic romanticism, Shakesperean motifs and, of course, superhero tropes of the time. However, after (one presumes) a lot of corrections by mail, the writers did attempt to explain some of it by having the Norse gods be continually destroyed in Ragnarok and then reborn, with small differences between incarnations.

** The Frost Giants are often portrayed as blue-skinned humanoids of immense height, with the average giant being around twenty feet/6.1 meters tall and human-sized giants like Loki being the exception. However, despite "giant" being the easiest and most common translation of "jötunn" ("jötnar" in plural), not all giants in Norse mythology were necessarily gigantic; there were immense ones such as Ymir, the primeval progenitor of the jötnar, Jörmungandr, [[TheGreatSerpent the serpent so massive that it encircled the world]], and Skrymir, the mountain-sized disguise used by Útgarða-Loki, but most of the time their descriptions don't specify notably large sizes, and jötnar several times interacted with the Aesir under the same roof with no particular mention of height differences. In fact, the exact distinction between gods and jötnar isn't very clearly defined in Norse myths, to the point some studies recommend seeing their relationship as less of different races and more or less of different clans. Furthermore, while there were many truly monstrous jötnar in Norse myth (such as Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Týr's nine-hundred headed grandmother), there were also giants associated with great beauty, like Gunnlöd and Gerdr.

* Overall, the comics are more inspired by the 19th century Germanic romanticization of Norse myths and old English and Shakesperean motifs than by the original extant sources, including several motifs such as winged and horned helmets, which were never used in the Viking age, and Thor being clean-shaved and blonde rather than red-bearded, like in the {{painting|s}} ''Art/ThorsFightWithTheGiants''.

Myth/NorseMythology gets played very fast and loose in ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor''. However, after (one presumes) a lot of corrections by mail, the writers did attempt to explain some of it by having the Norse gods be continually destroyed in Ragnarok and then reborn, with small differences between incarnations.

*** In general, Mjölnir in Marvel Comics has many [[AdaptationalSuperPowerChange different abilities from the mythological hammer]]. While its exact set of properties [[DependingOnTheWriter isn't always clear]], the weapon has been shown to manipulate matter, control souls, absorb and redirect energy, create wormholes, allow its wielder to fly and, due to Odin's enchantment, grant Thor's powers to anyone worthy to hold it, none of which Mjölnir can do in Norse myths. The opposite is true as well, as one of Mjölnir's forgers in mythology, Brokk, says the hammer is unbreakable, would never be thrown so far away that it wouldn't find its way back to its wielder's hand, would never miss its target, and could be so small that Thor could carry it in his shirt for transport if he wished to (possibly as a pendant)[[note]]Whether Brokk meant that Mjölnir could magically shrink or that it was naturally small due to its unusually short handle isn't clear[[/note]]. In the comics, while Mjölnir also always returns to Thor's hand, it isn't unbreakable, as it has been damaged or destroyed on several occasions (although by extraordinary forces), it isn't stated to never miss when thrown, and it is not able to shrink or otherwise very compact. On a minor note, its flat, cubic shape also differs from how Mjölnir is most famously represented in pendants in ancient Norse culture, in which it often has a curved shape meeting up towards an angle on the top.

** The Frost Giants are often portrayed as blue-skinned humanoid beings of immense height, with the average giant being around twenty feet/6.1 meters tall and human-sized giants like Loki being the exception. However, despite "giant" being the easiest and most common translation of "jötunn" ("jötnar" in plural), not all giants in Norse mythology were necessarily gigantic; there were immense ones such as Ymir, the primeval progenitor of the jötnar, Jörmungandr, [[TheGreatSerpent the serpent so massive that it encircled the world]], and Skrymir, the mountain-sized disguise used by Útgarða-Loki, but most of the time their descriptions don't specify notably large sizes, and jötnar several times interacted with the Aesir under the same roof with no particular mention of height differences. In fact, the exact distinction between gods and jötnar isn't very clearly defined in Norse myths, to the point some studies recommend seeing their differences as less biological and more or less cultural. Furthermore, while there were many truly monstrous jötnar in Norse myth (such as Fenrir, Jörmungandr and Týr's nine-hundred headed grandmother), there were also giants associated with great beauty, like Gunnlöd and Gerdr.
** With rare exceptions like Loki, Hela and Utgard-Loki, the Giants are often depicted as [[StupidEvil thuggish, uncivilized, brutal,]] [[AdaptationalDumbass simple-minded and weak in magic]], preferring violence and brute strength over strategy and spellcraft. In Norse mythology, however, while they were indeed strongly associated with fundamental, chaotic and tough forces of nature, the giants were just as well-known for sorcery, trickery, cunning and shapeshifting, as many jötnar like Utgarða-Loki, Gríðr, Gróa and Þjazi outwitted, challenged or helped the Aesir with their skill in magic, which rivaled or even surpassed that of the gods. Notably, the Norns were giantesses who shaped the course of fate. Furthermore, a few jötnar were also quite smart, sagacious and eloquent, with the jötunn Vafþrúðnir being nearly as wise and knowledgeable as Odin and only narrowly losing a battle of wits against him; Odin himself on several occasions sought or stole knowledge from the Giants, most notably stealing the Mead of Poetry from Suttungr and taking out his eye for a drink from Mimir's well of wisdom, who is implied to be a giant according to some scholars. The portrayal of giants in general as always dim-witted, barbaric, relatively less powerful and easy to outwit only becomes stronger in Scandinavia in post-medieval folklore, in which they are frequently interchangeable with [[OurTrollsAreDifferent the modern ideas of trolls]] (who exist as a separate race in the Marvel universe).

* The comics have several [[CanonForeigner completely original characters]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon in the mythological side of Thor's supporting cast -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda, Leah and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel not based on any specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants (apart from Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif and others) [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten side-characters who seldom get the same importance and narrative focus]]. For example, while Freyr is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, in the comics he has only appeared ten times in four decades, most of which as a BitCharacter.

* The comics have several [[CanonForeigner completely original characters]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon in the mythological side of Thor's supporting cast -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel not based on any specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants (apart from Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif and others) [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten side-characters who seldom get the same importance and narrative focus]]. For example, while Freyr is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, in the comics he has only appeared ten times in four decades, most of which as a BitCharacter.

* The comics have several [[CanonForeigner completely original characters to the comics]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon in the mythological side of Thor's supporting cast -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel not based on any specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants (apart from Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif and others) [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten side-characters who seldom get the same importance and narrative focus]]. For example, while Freyr is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, in the comics he has only appeared ten times in four decades, most of which as a BitCharacter.

* The comics have several characters [[CanonForeigner completely original to the comics]] replacing or sidelining most of the Norse pantheon -- The Warriors Three, Amora, Angela, Lorelei, Aelsa, Skurge, Karnilla, Kelda and Laussa are all creations made by Marvel and aren't based on specific Norse figures. Meanwhile, characters based on Scandinavian gods and giants, apart from Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif and others, [[DemotedToExtra are oft-forgotten side-characters who rarely get the same narrative importance]]. For example, while Freyr is one of the most widely-attested gods in Norse mythology and gets featured in several recorded myths, in the comics he has only appeared ten times in four decades of stories.