Beta Ray Bill is a 2021 Marvel five-issue mini-series written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Murder Falcon, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth). It takes place in the aftermath of the first storyarc of Thor, when Thor destroyed Beta Ray Bill's hammer.
Bill has been a faithful servant of Asgard and friend to Thor over the years, but now without his hammer, he can't revert back to his original form. Unable to accept this, he decides to go on a quest with his ship Skuttlebutt, Pip the Troll, and a bored Skurge the Executioner (yes, he's dead, but Valhalla is just really boring, so he left to be Bill's wingman).
The problem is that Odin can't just build him a new hammer. He must go to a place more dangerous than he has ever known: Muspelheim.
Tropes in Beta Ray Bill (2021):
- An Alien Named "Bob": A Norse god-powered alien cyborg named "Beta Ray" Bill. Just Bill, for short.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Skurge becomes one for the book, even if he wasn't one before. Bored of Valhalla, craving adventure, he deems himself to be Beta Ray Bill's wingman.
- Crossover: The book starts during King in Black, with Bill fighting a Knullified Fin Fang Foom, but after that, it quickly moves in its own direction.
- Freakiness Shame: Bill does not like his horse-like appearance. It used to be, with the hammer Odin gave him, he could revert back to the pre-cyborg look that he had originally, but now that Thor destroyed the hammer, he can't. This is the impetus for his quest.
- Hell of a Heaven: Skurge's view of Valhalla:As I said! Valhalla is boring! Sometimes I cannot help but visit my old home in ethereal form. And it was during this latest visit... ...that I witnessed your rejection. Brother... my soul cried out for you. And I demanded the Valkyries give me temporary leave so I could come help you on your quest. I want to be your... ah, what do those humans call it—? Ah, yes! Wingman! That's it!
- Large Ham: Skurge. He practically shouts everything.
- Romantic Wingman: What Skurge wants to be for Bill. However, Skurge being, well, Skurge, he doesn't really do well.
- Shout-Out: In the second issue, there is a cross section view of Skuttlebutt showing all of her individual rooms. One of those rooms has Murder Falcon from Murder Falcon, a book Daniel Warren Johnson also wrote and drew.
- Spaceship Girl: Skuttlebutt is Bill's ship, but when they arrive in Muspelheim, the realm changes her so she emerges as a robotic girl as well. Everyone is confused.
