| Beta Ray Bill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The Mighty Thor #337 (November 1983) |
| Created by | Walt Simonson |
| In-story information | |
| Species | Korbinite |
| Place of origin | Korbin |
| Team affiliations | Omega Flight Star Masters Asgard Thor Corps Annihilators Guardians of the Galaxy |
| Notable aliases | Simon Walters, Beta Ray Thor |
| Abilities | Vast superhuman strength, speed, stamina and durability Extended lifespan ViaStormbreaker: Electricity manipulation Flight Weather manipulation ViaTwilight Sword: Fire manipulation |
Beta Ray Bill is afictional superhero appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics.[1] Debuting in theBronze Age of Comic Books, the character was initially intended to be a surprise; an apparent monster who unexpectedly turns out to be a great hero. As such, Bill is the first being outside theMarvel Universe'sNorse pantheon to be introduced as being worthy to wieldThor's hammer,Mjolnir. After an initial rivalry with Thor for possession of the weapon, the alien warrior was granted awar hammer of his own, called Stormbreaker, and the two reconciled as staunch allies, going on to fight side by side.
Beta Ray Bill has been featured in other Marvel-endorsed products, such asanimated television series,video games, and merchandise.
Beta Ray Bill debuted inThe Mighty Thor #337 (November 1983), being established as analien of theKorbinite race.[2]
Bill was created byWalt Simonson as a new concept for the titleThor. Simonson said,
I wanted to start fresh, and I thought a new character would be the way to go on that. My thinking was that comics are a short form, and one of the things that's mostly true about comics characters are what they look like ... I designed Bill deliberately as a monster, because I knew that people would look at it and go, "Oh my God, it's this evil guy." I deliberately wrote them so you weren't sure in the beginning if he was a good guy or a bad guy ... I chose the name for its alliterative qualities. Originally I was going to call him 'Beta Ray Jones' because I really wanted a common name. My feeling was Bill wasEveryman for this alien race ... I deleted 'Jones' because ... there were too many Joneses floating around the Marvel Universe.[3]
During a "Thor Spotlight" panel at the Baltimore Comic Con, August 28, 2010, Simonson further stated:
One of the cool things about Thor was the enchantment around Mjolnir and the original inscription on it. So I thought, well that means someone else can pick up this hammer and get this power, if they're worthy! So since then, some other big characters, people's favorites, have picked up the hammer, Captain America, Superman, whoever. But at this point, no one had ever picked up the hammer. I liked the idea of Cap walking to the bathroom and seeing it, and grabbing and just tugging, not being able to. So this had to be someone new. This is the most powerful weapon of the Norse gods. This hammer is a killing weapon. It's used to kill Frost Giants and others. So, Superman couldn't pick it up, cause he's never going to kill anyone, and the hammer knows that. Captain America, he's too patriotic. He's too much a symbol of America to be chosen by this Norse artifact. So he couldn't get it. So I created Bill because he's noble, and he's designed to kill. He's got a great purpose as a warrior, and also the noble ability. That makes him "worthy" whatever that may be.As far as appearance, back then, comics were these self-contained stories. So for Bill, I had to do this in short form. This was a four-issue story, and that was my longest on my entire run on Thor. We had to take him, make him into a character that the Hammer would recognize. So I wanted for Bill, I wanted him to have a "monstrous" look as a visual, so that everyone would think he's a bad guy, and I got letters after the first issue that said "What on earth? Why is this monster picking up the hammer, what's wrong with you?" and I said "I got it!" So I basically started with a skull, and then I made him a bit like a horse, with the gap behind the teeth. But horses are beautiful creatures. So what I was aiming for is a sense of death, a sense of monster, underlined by beauty. His costume was the same so that the minute you see that image, when he strikes the stick and becomes "Beta Ray Thor" or whatever, you know: OK, that guy has the powers of Thor. So that's why Bill had the monstrous face, that's why that stuff was done the way it was done.[4]
The character's introduction continued inThor vol. 1 #338–340. He continued to make appearances inThor sporadically. He appeared in theMaximum Security crossover in January 2001 and theSecret Invasion crossover in 2008. He starred in the six-issue miniseriesStormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill and its two follow-ups, the one-shotBeta Ray Bill: The Green of Eden and three-issueBeta Ray Bill: Godhunter. ABeta Ray Bill mini-series was published in 2021 with a confrontation withFin Fang Foom.[5]
Spy organizationS.H.I.E.L.D. detected analien fleet passing through Earth's galaxy, with DirectorNick Fury asking Thor to investigate. Thor encounters the advance ship,Skuttlebutt, which perceives him to be a threat. Unable to stop Thor, the sentient ship revives Beta Ray Bill, who is insuspended animation. Bill battles Thor to a standstill, until the ship reaches theSolar System, where one of the mystical enchantments of Thor's hammerMjolnir comes into effect, which means that Thor will revert to his mortal persona of Donald Blake if separated from the hammer for more than 60 seconds; the hammer converts to a cane. Thor and Mjolnir become separated, causing the transformation. Blake is knocked unconscious by Bill, who examines Blake's cane and, upon striking it, transforms it to Mjolnir. Bill receives Thor's power and a variant of his costume.
OnceSkuttlebutt arrives on Earth, Bill easily defeats an approaching S.H.I.E.L.D. team and is then transported to Asgard by the King of the Norse gods,Odin, who mistakes Bill for Thor. After some initial confusion, Odin returns Thor to Asgard, and Bill's origin is revealed. Bill's race, the Korbinites, were almost rendered extinct when their galaxy exploded. The remnants of the Korbinite race fled in a fleet of warships, guarded by a sentient ship calledSkuttlebutt and a dedicated champion, Beta Ray Bill. Via Korbinite science, Bill was physically augmented and given the attributes of an |indigenous wild beast (a process that killed all of Bill's predecessors).Skuttlebutt attacked Thor because the ship recognized theAsgardian magic as similar to that of the previous global threat, and assumed the Korbinites were being threatened once again.
On discovering that Bill was worthy enough to lift Mjolnir, Odin proposes a battle to the death in the fiery Asgardian realm of Skartheim to decide who will wield the hammer. Bill and Thor render each other unconscious. Bill's resistance to heat allows him to recover first, however, and he is deemed the winner—but he also saves Thor from falling into lava, believing he is too worthy an opponent to die, but he feels he needs the hammer to protect his people. After Bill reconsiders his claim to the hammer, Odin orders the making of a new hammer for Bill: Stormbreaker, equal in power to Mjolnir and created from the same metal and by the same dwarfs led byEitri. Odin also transfers an enchantment from Mjolnir to Stormbreaker, so that Bill can return to his original Korbinite form by striking Stormbreaker upon the ground—and Thor can no longer become Donald Blake. After learning that the mishap that killed most of Bill's people was caused by the fire demonSurtur, one of Asgard's most powerful enemies, Bill agrees to join the Asgardians in a war to stop Surtur and his armies.[6][7]
Bill leads many of Earth's heroes against Surtur's forces on Earth while Thor, Odin, and Thor's adopted brotherLoki confront Surtur in Asgard. Surtur is eventually defeated, but apparently kills Odin when they both fall through a mystic portal.[8] Bill remains on Earth, aiding thespaceknightRom against the threat of the alienDire Wraiths[9] and foes such asIron Man opponentTitanium Man.[10]
Forming an attachment with the Asgardian goddessSif,[11] Bill aids Thor against the Dark ElfKurse in a two-part storyline[12] before returning to his people.
Bill remains a staunch ally of Thor and Asgard[13] before featuring in a storyline involving a creation of Galactus,Tyrant.[14] Bill also features in the storyline "Blood and Thunder", attempting, alongsideAdam Warlock,Thanos and others, to deal with the "warrior madness" of Thor through which he is trying to destroy the universe, although at one point he is struck with enough force to destroy a planet.[15] Together with Thor, Bill joins with other versions of the Thunder God in theThor Corps against the entity Demonstaff.[16] and has several cosmic adventures.[17]
Bill also participates in a battle between the heroes of Earth and several alien races such as theKree,Shi'ar, andZ'Nox.[18] and after several adventures with Thor[19] guest starring in the final storyline, when Thor—determined to end the perpetual cycle of death and rebirth the Asgardians are trapped in—brings aboutRagnarök (inNorse mythology this event means the end of Asgard and its gods, as they die in battle against the armies of evil). Although Bill attempts to aid the Asgardians, Thorteleports Bill away as it is not his destiny to die in Ragnarök.[20]
Bill visits his people's new homeworld, where he is attacked by his insane predecessor,Alpha Ray, defeating him just as thecosmic entityGalactus and his heraldStardust arrive. Despite Bill's efforts, Galactus consumes the world and almost kills him, with Bill drifting in space until recovered bySkuttlebutt. After finding an orb containing thesouls of many of the Korbinites, Bill revisits a desolate Asgard, and joins forces with Stardust to battle a new demonic menace namedAsteroth.
Although victorious, Bill is mortally wounded, and while near death is healed by an unknown entity that also claims the remaining souls in the orb. Placed in the recently deceased body of awar veteran namedSimon Walters (a reference to his creator, Walt Simonson) on Earth, Bill has a brief encounter with the villainBoar and the heroSpider-Man.[21] Bill eventually finds and joinsCanadian superhero teamOmega Flight against the supervillain team theWrecking Crew, who release thesupernaturalGreat Beasts. The battle ends with Bill and the Beasts trapped in an alternate dimension.[22][23]
During theSecret Invasion storyline,[24] Bill is wounded and captured by the alienSkrulls, who bestow his hammer Stormbreaker on a warriorSuper-Skrull called theGodkiller. Thor rescues Bill, although Loki starts a rumor that Bill may be a Skrull, causing some Asgardians to go against him despite Balder telling them to stop. Thor throws Mjolnir at Bill, who catches it, proving he really is Bill. After being nursed back to health, the character retrieves his hammer. Although the Godkiller defeats him, with Thor's help, he tricks the Godkiller, causing Asgard to fall onto it, killing the Skrull. Thor and Bill then raise the city again.[25]
Bill decides to hunt the cosmic entityGalactus, to avenge the destruction of the Korbinites' second homeworld, and the seeming eradication of his species. After a brief confrontation with the herald, Stardust, Bill is intercepted by theSilver Surfer, who is puzzled by the Korbinite's apparently futile quest to destroy Galactus. During a brief battle, Bill explains that while he understands he cannot hope to destroy Galactus with his power alone, he intends to destroy Galactus by annihilating any and all worlds Galactus seeks to feed from, thus starving him to death. The character's obsession with stopping Galactus eventually results in him being unable to lift his own enchanted weapon, an object that can only be wielded by the worthy. Equipped with alien weapons, Bill finds Galactus but discovers the entity already under attack by another race. In a moment of conscience, Bill saves Galactus. The grateful entity rewards Bill by creating a Korbinite mate for him, with Bill also regaining the ability to wield Stormbreaker.[26]
When the universe is invaded duringThe Thanos Imperative storyline, Beta Ray Bill joins Cosmo's select group to travel across the Fault and into the Cancerverse.[27] Bill is recruited byCosmo to join theAnnihilators, a new super-group intended to replace the fallenGuardians of the Galaxy.[28] The Annihilators defendGalador from theDire Wraiths, resulting in a peace between the two groups who have been at war for generations. Later, when trying to end a conflict between warring factions of theUniversal Church of Truth, the Annihilators are transported to a Church base on Earth and come into conflict with the Avengers.[29]
During the "Death of the Inhumans" miniseries, Medusa and the surviving Inhuman Royal Family members ask for Beta Ray Bill to help to confront the Kree and their Super-Inhuman Vox as well as rescuing Black Bolt from them.[30] Beta Ray Bill agreed to help them. When they reach the location where Black Bolt is being attacked by Vox, Beta Ray Bill helps Black Bolt, and takes down Vox, who is revealed to be a brainwashed Maximus. He and the Inhuman Royal Family witness something on the Vox costume teleport Crystal away while also killing Maximus.[31]
When Thor became unworthy of Mjolnir after Nick Fury whispered a secret to him, Thor spent months drinking and fighting to avoid thinking about his loss. Bill eventually came to visit Thor- now calling himself 'Odinson'- and offered his old friend Stormbreaker instead, only for Odinson and Bill to be captured by the Collector as they examined the remains of Asgard where the hammer of an alternate version of Thor had recently crashed. Although the Collector tried to force Odinson to help him find some means of bypassing the worthiness enchantment so that he could lift the hammer himself, Odinson eventually escaped and used the hammer's power to return Asgard to its original place. Once free, Odinson told Bill that the secret Fury had shared with him was "Gorr was right", a reference to Thor's old foeGorr the God Butcher who believed that all gods brought nothing but pain and suffering to the universe. However, Bill assured Odinson that, regardless of his ability to wield Mjolnir, even if the gods were not worthy, Odinson proved himself to be a hero as he continued to fight for humanity even when officially unworthy.[32]
Due to a misunderstanding, a battle between Bill and acosmically powered All-Father Thor results in Stormbreaker being destroyed. To compensate for the loss of Stormbreaker, Thor appoints Bill as an advisor and allows him unrestricted access to Asgard's armory.[33]
Bill falls into depression as Stormbreaker's destruction prevents him from transforming back into his unaltered Korbinite form. After suffering numerous defeats without its powers, Bill departs Asgard on Skuttlebutt to search for a replacement. Accompanied bySkurge andPip the Troll, Bill encounters Odin who is unable to provide Bill with a weapon that can fix his transformation but cautiously suggests Surtur's resurfaced Twilight Sword as a suitable replacement. Bill and his allies venture into the deepest level ofMuspelheim, where Bill claims Twilight and uses it to slay Surtur and revert to his unaltered form.[34]
Beta Ray Bill's life force and consciousness were transferred by scientists of his race into the body of an alien carnivorous equine-like beast that had been bionically restructured into a cyborg. Courtesy of highly advanced genetic engineering and cyborg implants, Beta Ray Bill possesses vast superhuman strength, speed, stamina and durability, and a highly extended lifespan. Beta Ray Bill is also a superior hand-to-hand combatant. His combat prowess is such that he was able to fightThor (noted as one of the best hand-to-hand fighters in the Marvel Universe) to a standstill.[6]
Beta Ray Bill's weapon, Stormbreaker, has the same properties as Thor's hammer,Mjolnir, including its ability to transform into a cane when struck upon the ground and return Bill to his unaltered Korbinite form.
Beta Ray Bill has a partner in the form of a Korbinite sentient warship namedSkuttlebutt. The same technology that transferred Bill's consciousness into his cyborg body was also used to transfer an unknown Korbinite's consciousness into a large combat cruiser retrofitted with medical, cargo, and humanitarian equipment and facilities to accommodate the attempt to transport Bill's people off planet to avoid the incoming attack by Galactus. Skuttlebutt often uses his medical facilities to repair Bill's tissue and implants from damage after battles. Skuttlebutt can also create a female humanoidavatar of itself.
After Stormbreaker's destruction, Beta Ray Bill replaces it with the Twilight Sword, which can generate the flames ofMuspelheim. Much like with Stormbreaker, Twilight also has the ability to return Bill to his unaltered Korbinite form.
| Title | Material collected | Published date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Mighty Thor: The Ballad of Beta Ray Bill | The Mighty Thor #337–340 | December 1989 | 978-0871356147 |
| Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill | Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill #1-6 | September 2005 | 978-0785117209 |
| Thor: Ragnaroks | Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill #1-6 andThor: Blood Oath #1-6,Thor (vol. 2) #80-85 | October 2017 | 978-1302907945 |
| Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter | Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #1-3 andSecret Invasion Aftermath: Beta Ray Bill - The Green of Eden | November 2009 | 978-0785142324 |
| Annihilation: Scourge | Annihilation - Scourge: Beta Ray Bill andAnnihilation - Scourge: Alpha,Nova,Silver Surfer,Fantastic Four andOmega | March 2020 | 978-1302921699 |
| Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star | Beta Ray Bill #1-5 | December 2021 | 978-1302928124 |
