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With Thor Love & Thunder on the horizon, fans are eager to see Natalie Portman’s return as Jane Foster. As the Thor Love & Thunder trailers show, this time around, Jane Foster has possession of Mjolnir and Thor’s powers. It is unknown where Jane’s MCU story will go, but the comics could give us some hints. Jane is one of the best female Marvel characters in recent history, with good reason. To help prepare for Thor’s fourth outing in Thor Love & Thunder, we are looking at ten facts about Jane Foster you may not have known.
10. She Was Pretty Basic At First
In the golden age of comics, many female characters were portrayed as simple love interests. Unfortunately, this was the case for the earliest incarnation of Jane Foster. Created by the late Stan Lee and first appearing in 1962, she was a nurse and the basic love interest for Dr. Donald Blake, Thor’s human disguise. Going by Jane Nelsen, she was the typical damsel in distress that always needed Thor to save her. Even more basic, as she was the center of a love triangle. She loved Dr. Blake and Thor, not realizing they were one and the same. Thankfully, she is much better written these days and a much more enjoyable character.
9. She Was A Different Doctor In The Comics
Regardless of the comics or the movies, Jane’s career is not to be taken likely. She is a skilled doctor in the MCU and the comics but in different fields. Jane is one of the world’s leading astrophysicists in Thor Love & Thunder and the rest of the MCU. She knows all there is to know about space and is an expert on Asgard. She also created the Foster Theory, making her one of the world’s leading astronomers. In the comics, she is actually a medical doctor. Initially being an ER doctor, her skills and talent eventually led her to be an official doctor for superheroes, including the Avengers. She also helped out during the original Civil War, being the doctor for Team Cap.
8. As Mighty Thor, She Battled Cancer
In the comics, Jane Foster took up the mantle of Thor, being known as The Mighty Thor. While she had all the powers worthy of the Goddess of Thunder, in her human form, things were much different. Jane had breast cancer, and she was dying. As Thor, her body rejected any human illnesses, temporarily relieving her from her sickness. However, every time she reverts to her human form, her cancer is even worse than before. Her Asgardian form also rejects her chemotherapy, which reverses any treatment she underwent. As of now, it is unknown if the MCU will be tackling this story arc, but it will add some depth and drama to the character’s on-screen counterpart.
7. Odin Rejected Her
Odin has never exactly been father of the year. In the films and the comics, he wants Thor to settle down with an Asgardian woman to keep the bloodline pure. While he at first simply rejects the idea of Thor with Jane in the movies, he takes it a step further in the comics. He claims that to be with his son, Jane must be worthy. He brings her to Asgard and puts her through a series of tests. Unbeknownst to her, Odin designed the tests to be unpassable.
Jane fails them, and Odin sends her to Earth and wipes her memory of Thor and Asgard. Decades later, after she became Thor, he actively sought to take Mjolnir from her. Odin is unlikely to appear in Thor Love & Thunder, thanks to his death. This means he won’t be around to be a thorn in Jane’s side.
6. Mjolnir Sought Her Out
In the comics, not only was Jane Foster worthy, she was chosen. After Thor lost Mjolnir, it needed to find someone worthy enough to wield it. It presented itself to Jane, and she could wield it with ease. In Thor Ragnarok, Thor is separated from Mjolnir after Hela destroys it. Given its appearance in the new movie, it is clear Jane’s hammer is the same one that was destroyed. The odds are likely that it also sought her out in the film. It is possible she simply found it but given her closeness to Thor and her deep knowledge of Asgard, it more than likely sought her out for help.
5. She Fought In Secret Wars
One of the most significant Marvel events of all time was Secret Wars in 2015. The multiverse is collapsing, and every hero is battling for survival. This includes Jane, who once again takes up the mantle of Thor. Jane is one of the few who actually survives the event and is among those summoned to Battleworld by Doctor Doom. Jane can hold her own in the battle and fight alongside Marvel’s best characters. Secret Wars deals with the multiverse, exactly what the MCU is currently dealing with. Fans are speculating that Secret Wars will be the next big MCU event, and they would love to see Jane return in her armor after Thor Love & Thunder.
4. She Was An Avenger
After the cataclysmic events of Secret Wars, Jane earns a well-deserved spot among Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. She joins Sam Wilson as Captain America, Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Iron Man, Nova, and Vision. Unlike some other members of the team, Jane keeps her true identity a secret from the public thanks to her cancer battle. The Avengers roster has been shaken up in the MCU, with the original team either retired or died. It is entirely likely that Jane will join the likes of Sam Wilson and Kate Bishop in the next Avengers line-up going forward.
3. Jane Was A Valkyrie
After a successful career as the Goddess of Thunder, Jane Foster retires the mantle to the original Thor (who has been going by Odinson) to focus on her cancer treatment. She rarely went into battle after this, but at one point, she helped Thor save Odin and Frigga from Malekith. This proves her worth, and the spirits of Brunnhilde offer her the title of Valkyrie after the last one dies in battle. Jane accepts, and she further uses her skills to protect Asgard and the nine realms. While this would be interesting to see play out on the big screen, fans now want to see her exploits as Thor.
2. She Was First Thor In 1978
While MCU fans know the phrase What If?… from the animated Disney+ series, comic fans know it is a term used to refer to one-off stories that occur outside of continuity. Marvel initially used the phrase in a comic series that started in 1977. In one issue released in 1978, Thor’s original origin is changed. Initially, Dr. Donald Blake finds Mjolnir and becomes Thor’s human vessel. However, in this story, it is Jane who finds it. Jane retains the powers of Thor and even takes on Loki when he invades Earth.
1. Can Control Mjolnir Better Than Most
Because of her unique connection to Mjolnir, she can control it better than most other users. She can use the hammers in ways that not even the original Thor can. Jane can do things such as control the speed and trajectory of the hammer in mid-air and use it as a shield to trap enemies. She learned much of her skills by simply watching Thor over the years, making her a natural before she even touched Mjolnir. In the trailer for Thor Love & Thunder, she is shown to be able to break the hammer apart and resemble it while it is in the air. This means that she likely shares the comic version’s unique skills in the film.