WARNING: Spoilers for Thor: Love and Thunder are discussed in this article.
Thor: Love and Thunder finally arrived in theaters, bringing a healthy dose of color and mayhem into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film continues Thor's cosmic adventures and heavily features the concept of gods; it even includes the participation of Zeus, or at least Marvel's version of Zeus.
The Marvel brand is famous for taking several mythological figures and adapting them to their ever-expanding universe. Some heroes, like Thor and Hercules, are particularly famous, but there are several other mighty beings who play major roles in the comics. Fans on Ranker know about these figures and voted for their favorite gods and goddesses in Marvel.
Note: Due to the nature of Ranker's voting, these results may change. At the time of publication, this list is correct.
Sun Wukong
Also known as the Monkey King, Sun Wukong is one of the most enduring figures in Chinese mythology. The character is the protagonist from the seminal novel Journey to the West, a monkey born out of stone who acquires powers before accompanying a monk to India after being released from 500 years of imprisonment under a mountain.
Within the Marvel Universe, Sun Wukong's legend is the same as its origin story. Centuries later, his spirit inhabits a crime lord, granting him a shot at redemption. The comic books do a fairly poor job adapting Sun Wukong, especially considering how many other characters have taken inspiration from the character and emerged victorious.
Hercules
Hercules is among the most powerful Olympian gods in Marvel comics. The character draws inspiration from the mythological characters of the same name, arguably the most recognizable Greek god in popular culture. In mythology, Heracles is the demigod son of Zeus and Alcmene and the greatest of Greek heroes.
His Marvel counterpart has the same origins, although he uses the Roman name Hercules instead Heracles. Hercules is a major member of the Avengers, although he shares somewhat of an antagonistic relationship with Thor. He is crucial to many Avengers victories and was also part of the Defenders and the West Coast Avengers, fighting for Earth's interests and developing deep empathy for humans.
Hel
Unlike her MCU counterpart, Hela is Loki's daughter in Norse mythology, not his sister. She is the goddess of Hel, the realm of the dead equivalent to Christian hell. Her role in Norse mythology is not outright villainous, and she plays a somewhat minor part in most myths.
Renamed Hela in the comic book pages, the character plays a more prominent role in Marvel. She is a villainous figure in the Thor corner of the universe, a powerful sorceress who commands the dead and uses them to harass both Asgard and Midgard on her quest for power. Like her mythological counterpart, she is Loki's daughter and shares a complicated relationship with him.
Ares
Ares is one of the twelve Olympians, the god of war, bloodlust, and courage. Many myths contrast him unfavorably to his sister, Athena; whereas she represents the valor and physicality that goes hand-in-hand with heroism and victory, he stands for rage and violence.
Initially depicted as a supervillain within the pages of Marvel Comics, Ares later becomes an antihero and a member of the Avengers and later the Dark Avengers. Even so, he remains somewhat antagonistic towards his original enemies, Thor and Hercules. Ares famously dies at Sentry's hand during the Siege storyline but eventually returns from the dead.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
In Japanese mythology, Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a potentially evil Shinto god. He remains somewhat elusive, with his origins and backstory varying from source to source.
Logically, Marvel comics adapted Amatsu-Mikaboshi into a supervillain, a primordial being and an enemy to all gods, including Thor and Hercules. Amatsu-Mikaboshi allies with Hercules during the Secret Invasion storyline, seemingly dying during the battle. He is one of Marvel's most powerful characters; Thor and Hercules have defeated him in the past, but never without help.
Loki
The mythological antihero by excellence, Loki is the Norse pantheon's friend, foe, and everything in between. He is the father of several mythological beings, most famously Hel and the Fenris wolf. Loki is a notorious shapeshifter, commonly associated with a mare, a salmon, and a fly.
The Marvel Comics version of Loki is a straight-up villain, although many portrayals choose to depict him as an antihero and trickster. Indeed, the best Loki storylines from the comics showcase his dual nature and ability to do both good and evil, sometimes within the same action. Loki's rivalry with Thor stems from jealousy, something the MCU accurately portrays in the Thor movies.
Thor
One of the most prominent figures in Norse mythology, Thor is the god of thunder, lightning, storms, and trees. He is also commonly associated with fertility, and humans considered him their main protector. Thor is famous for his hammer, Mjolnir, and distinctive red-haired appearance.
Marvel takes several considerable liberties when adapting Thor. He remains the hammer-wielding god of thunder but becomes a blonde superhero and founding member of the Avengers. A crucial member of the Marvel universe, Thor stars in many memorable comic book storylines, which often showcase his heroism and altruism, as well as his might and importance to the preservation of Marvel's cosmic corner.
Zeus
The father of the Olympians and their most powerful member, Zeus is the most important figure in the Greek pantheon. He is infamous for his galavanting, siring multiple children with many different women, to the anger of his wife, Hera. Zeus wields powerful lightning bolts capable of striking down a Titan and acts as the allfather of the gods.
Marvel's version of Zeus is equally powerful and just as ruthless. His background is the same as his mythological counterpart, although he has a more antagonistic role in modern stories. He has a contentious relationship with the Eternals and Thor and openly opposes the Celestials, forming alliances with other gods to resist and combat the Celestials' reach and influence.
Odin
In Norse mythology, Odin is the allfather of the gods and creator of Earth. Odin gets commonly associated with wisdom, age, royalty, war, and victory. Odin also has several animals that act as his familiars, including wolves and ravens. He is also the ruler of Valhalla, a paradise for those who die bravely in combat.
Marvel's Odin is much more battle-hardened. He is a fierce warrior who fought and won countless wars across the ages. His background shares similarities with Norse mythology, although most of his storylines focus on his constant differences with Thor over the latter's insistence on living on Midgard. Marvel often portrays Odin as unforgiving, stubborn, and somewhat power-hungry.
Bast
The Egyptian goddess Bastet was often represented as a cat, unlike her companion goddess Sekhmet, a lioness. Bastet was the protector of Lower Egypt, commonly associated with fertility and childbirth, in keeping with her gentler and more loving depiction.
Marvel portrays her as the patron of the Wakandan superhero Black Panther and also acts as the primordial deity of Wakanda. Unlike her mythological counterpart, Marvel's Bast was a mortal woman who gained enlightenment and became a god-like being worshipped by the people of Egypt.
