Why Marvel’s Forgotten Superhero Death Was Stronger Before The MCU’s Thor 3
One of the MCU’s biggest moments was a heroic death in a Thor movie, but the comic book version was much more epic.
One of the new characters added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2017 Thor: Ragnarok is the formidable Asgardian warrior Skurge the Executioner. Matching the more comical angle of Ragnarok compared to the previous one Thor movies, this iteration of Skurge is largely played for laughs when first shown before becoming Hela’s right-hand man. Much like the comic book source material, Skurge ultimately sacrifices his life in one final gun battle when he finally decides to turn on Hela and side with his fellow Asgardians as they leave their cosmic realm. However, as impressive as Karl Urban’s performance is as Skurge’s, including his death scene, the character’s death in the comics is even more memorable and epic than it was in the MCU.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1964 Journey into the mystery # 103, Skurge was first introduced as a supervillain with an obsessive infatuation with Thor’s longtime antagonist, the Enchantress. Skurge would fight with Thor and his fellow Avengers, both alone and as a member of the team of villains, Masters of Evil sporadically over the years. After the Enchantress rejected Skurge for Heimdall, the executioner decided to team up with his longtime foe Thor to stage a rescue mission to Hel’s Heart for the souls of living humans held captive by Hela. And after Hela attempted to manipulate Skurge through hallucinations and visions of the Enchantress, the Executor vowed that he would thwart the Death Goddess’s plans, even at the expense of his own life.
In the years 1985 Thor # 362 (written and illustrated by Walt Simonson), Skurge and the Asgardian warriors of Hel begin their escape from Hell across the mystical Gjallerbru Bridge. Thor states that he will remain in a suicidal rearguard action that allows his comrades and saved souls to successfully escape as he earns time fighting off Hela’s hordes of demons and undead. . However, Skurge knocks out the God of Thunder and decides to take his place, finally gaining the respect and redemption he so desperately sought. With Thor’s brother Balder in the lead and his unconscious brother in tow, the Asgardians and humans escape, and Skurge dies making sure no demons get past him as he shoots the incoming armies. with his assault rifles until he is finally overrun, with him gaining Hela’s reluctant respect for her last heroic fight.
Skurge occasionally resurfaces after his heroic sacrifice in the comics, with his soul eventually freed from Hel on a joint mission of the Asgardians and the New Mutants. The Risen Executioner would die again during the crusader event War of the Realms as he fought against Malekith’s invading army of dark elves, only for his soul to come to Valhalla, once again proving his warrior spirit and code of honor worthy enough to gain access to Asgardian Heaven .
Thor: Ragnarok recreates much of Skurge the Executor’s heroic sacrifice, especially with the warrior confronting Hela to save his fellow Asgardians from his advancing army, memorable using two assault rifles to detonate the undead hordes.
However, Skurge’s last fight is one of the most iconic and celebrated moments in Thor comics and certainly the most memorable moment to introduce the character, setting up what is perhaps an insanely high bar for even the MCU to push past.
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