Beta Ray Bill is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in the Bronze 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 the Marvel Universe's Norse pantheon to be introduced as being worthy to wield Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. After an initial rivalry with Thor for possession of the weapon, the alien warrior was granted a war 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 as animated television series, video games, and merchandise.
Publication history Beta Ray Bill debuted in The Mighty Thor #337 (November 1983), being established as an alien of the Korbinite race.
Bill was created by Walt Simonson as a new concept for the title Thor. Simonson said,
During a "Thor Spotlight" panel at the Baltimore Comic Con, August 28, 2010, Simonson further stated:
The character's introduction continued in Thor vol. 1 #338–340. He continued to make appearances in Thor sporadically. He appeared in the Maximum Security crossover in January 2001 and the Secret Invasion crossover in 2008. He starred in the six-issue miniseries Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill and its two follow-ups, the one-shot Beta Ray Bill: The Green of Eden and three-issue Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter. In 2021, the character starred in a self-titled five-issue miniseries by Daniel Warren Johnson.
Fictional character biography
1980s Spy organization S.H.I.E.L.D. detected an alien fleet passing through Earth's galaxy, with Director Nick 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 in suspended animation. Bill battles Thor to a standstill, until the ship reaches the Solar System, where one of the mystical enchantments of Thor's hammer Mjolnir 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.
Once Skuttlebutt 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 called Skuttlebutt 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 the Asgardian 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 by Eitri. 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 demon Surtur, one of Asgard's most powerful enemies, Bill agrees to join the Asgardians in a war to stop Surtur and his armies.Thor #337–340 (November 1983 – February 1984)
Bill leads many of Earth's heroes against Surtur's forces on Earth while Thor, Odin, and Thor's adopted brother Loki confront Surtur in Asgard. Surtur is eventually defeated, but apparently kills Odin when they both fall through a mystic portal.Thor #341-353 (December 1983 – December 1984) Bill remains on Earth, aiding the spaceknight Rom against the threat of the alien Dire Wraiths and foes such as Iron Man opponent Titanium Man.Rom #65 (April 1985)Thor #354 (April 1985); #357–358 (July – August 1985)
Forming an attachment with the Asgardian goddess Sif,Thor #359 (Sep. 1985) Bill aids Thor against the Dark Elf Kurse in a two-part storylineThor #363 (Jan. 1986);Power Pack #19 (Feb. 1986) before returning to his people.
1990s Bill remains a staunch ally of Thor and AsgardThor Annual #16 (January 1991); Thor #439 (November 1991); #442 (January 1992); #454 (November 1992); Thor Annual #18 (January 1983) before featuring in a storyline involving a creation of Galactus, Tyrant.Silver Surfer vol. 3, #79 (April 1993); #81–82 (June–July 1993) Bill also features in the storyline "Blood and Thunder", attempting, alongside Adam 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.Silver Surfer vol. 3, #86–87 (November – December 1993); Warlock Chronicles #7-8 (Jan.-Feb. 1994); Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25 (Feb. 1994); Thor #461 (April 1993); #468 (November 1983); #470–471 (January – February 1994) Together with Thor, Bill joins with other versions of Thor in the Thor Corps against the entity Demonstaff.Thor Corps #1–4 (September – December 1993)
2000s Thor—determined to end the perpetual cycle of death and rebirth the Asgardians are trapped in—brings about Ragnarök, the end of Asgard and its gods. Although Bill attempts to aid the Asgardians, Thor teleports Bill away as it is not his destiny to die in Ragnarök.Thor vol. 2, #83 - 85 (Oct. - Dec. 2004)
Bill visits his people's new homeworld, where he is attacked by his insane predecessor, Alpha Ray, defeating him just as the cosmic entity Galactus and his herald Stardust arrive. Despite Bill's efforts, Galactus consumes the world and almost kills him, with Bill drifting in space until recovered by Skuttlebutt. After finding an orb containing the souls of many of the Korbinites, Bill revisits a desolate Asgard, and joins forces with Stardust to battle a new demonic menace named Asteroth.
Although victorious, Bill is mortally wounded, and while near death is healed by an unknown entity who also claims the remaining souls in the orb. Placed in the recently deceased body of a war veteran named Simon Walters (a reference to his creator, Walt Simonson) on Earth, Bill has a brief encounter with the villain Boar and the hero Spider-Man.Daniel Berman (w), Michael Oeming (w), Andrea Di Vito (p), Stormbreaker: The Saga of Beta Ray Bill #1-6 (March-Aug. 2005) Bill eventually finds and joins Omega Flight against the supervillain team the Wrecking Crew, who release the Great Beasts. The battle ends with Bill and the Beasts trapped in an alternate dimension.Omega Flight #1-5 (April-Aug. 2007)
During the Secret Invasion storyline,Secret Invasion #1-8 (June 2008 - Jan. 2009) Bill is wounded and captured by the alien Skrulls, who bestow his hammer Stormbreaker on a warrior Super-Skrull called the Godkiller. 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.Secret Invasion: Thor #1–3 (October – December 2008)
Bill decides to hunt down Galactus, to avenge the destruction of the Korbinites' second homeworld, and the seeming eradication of his species. After a brief confrontation with Stardust, Bill is intercepted by the Silver 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.Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #1–3 (August – October 2009)
2010s When the universe is invaded during The Thanos Imperative storyline, Beta Ray Bill joins Cosmo's select group to travel across the Fault and into the Cancerverse.The Thanos Imperative #3 Bill is recruited by Cosmo to join the Annihilators, a new group intended to replace the fallen Guardians of the Galaxy.The Thanos Imperative: Devastation #1, March 2011 The Annihilators defend Galador from the Dire 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 the Universal Church of Truth, the Annihilators are transported to a Church base on Earth and come into conflict with the Avengers.Annihilators: Earthfall #1 (September 2011)
During the "Death of the Inhumans" miniseries,Death of the Inhumans #3. Marvel Comics. Beta Ray Bill agrees to help Medusa and the surviving members of the Inhuman royal family confront the Kree. When they reach the location where Black Bolt is being attacked by Vox, 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, killing Maximus in the process.Death of the Inhumans #4
Nick Fury tells Thor a secret that leads him to become unworthy of Mjolnir, Thor spends months drinking and fighting to avoid thinking about his loss. Bill visits Thor- now calling himself 'Odinson'- and offers him Stormbreaker as a replacement. However, Odinson and Bill are captured by the Collector as they examines the remains of Asgard where the hammer of an alternate version of Thor had crashed. Although the Collector attempts to force Odinson to help him find some means of bypassing the worthiness enchantment so that he could lift the hammer himself, Odinson eventually escapes and uses 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 foe Gorr the God Butcher who believed that gods brought nothing but pain and suffering to the universe. However, Bill assures Odinson that, regardless of his ability to wield Mjolnir, even if the gods were not worthy, Odinson proves himself to be a hero as he continues to fight for humanity.The Unworthy Thor #1-#5
2020s