X-Men Origins: Wolverine

[Thorin]

Okay, but they didn't bother building up Cyclops's background in X-Men 1, 2, 3, either, right?  They just said, "Hey, he has heat ray vision!"  Or Storm, for that matter.  So why not just establish Rogue the same way?  Fully fleshed out with the ability to fly?

[Mr. Analog]

If Marvel does anything really obviously well*, it's reconning. If they didn't constantly re-invent things Peter Parker would still be wearing a grey flannel suit. Heck the "original" X-Men (1962 I think) was a terrible flop and virtually unrecognizable to the 80s version most of us are familiar with.

To my knowledge the only major merry Marvel creation that hasn't undergone a significant change in background is Thor.

*compared to DC which just changes things and tries to keep it canon...

[Tom]

I wasn't aware Thor was created by Marvel.

[Mr. Analog]

I wasn't aware Thor was created by Marvel.

By the bristling beard of Odin! Thor was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (and is regarded as one of Stan's favourite creations!). The first appearance of Thor was in Journey into Mystery #83 (1962).

Mighty Thor is based on Thor from Norse legend, but of course with all the mandatory Marvel mechanisms mashed-in (dual identity, girl trouble, etc). Thor gave Jack Kirby the chance to draw some fantastic (and I mean outta-this-world fantastic) scenes and allowed Stan Lee to get as flowery and absurd as he liked with dialogue.

I quite enjoy Thor from the 60s because you could plainly see the evolution of Jack Kirby's style as each issue unfolds, that and the superb scribing of Stan Lee made the story interesting and organic. It wasn't so much that Thor kicked butt or bested challenges, it was how he got thru it all that was interesting and convincingly written. The Vince Colletta inking that happened in those early days was a treat as well.

So yes, Mighty Thor is a Marvel manifestation, in the words of Odin himself: I have spoken!

[Tom]

Ok fine, "Mighty Thor" is a marvel creation <nitpick> but not Thor </nitpick>