But because of his Norse origins, the character actually comes from the public domain. While Thor does also exist in DC Comics, that version pales in comparison to the popularity of Marvel's iteration of the character.
Thor was the defender of Asgard, realm of the gods, and Midgard, the human realm, and is primarily associated with protection through great feats of arms in slaying giants.
In the mid-2000s, Kevin Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of the Avengers, which included Thor. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.
In spite of these lengthy terms, many of America's most beloved intellectual properties will soon be entering the public domain for everybody to use. Mickey Mouse will enter the public domain in 2024, Superman in 2034, and Batman in 2034.
Going into the public domain means that anyone can repackage, resell, remix, translate, adapt, or tell new stories based on the work. Even if Superman's adventures in Action Comics #1 went into the public domain, the trademark on Superman is still owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment (the parent of DC Comics).
Over the next several years, several prominent DC characters are going to become public domain. Superman becomes public domain in 2034 followed by Batman in 2035 and then Wonder Womanin 2036.
In the US, Popeye is considered “work for hire” because “Segar was an employee of King Features Syndicate when he introduced Popeye into the Thimble Theatre comic strip.” This means that Popeye will enter the public domain in the US on January 1, 2025. But wait, there's more!
Batman was created in 1939, which means, under current law, the character enters the public domain in 2034. The Joker was created in 1940 and enters the public domain in 2035. If the U.S. Congress hadn't expanded copyright terms, both Batman and the Joker would already be free to use.
Ultimately, Marvel was granted The Mighty Thor - the name of Thor's solo series at the time - as a recognized trademark by United States Trademark and Patent Office in 1970. Of course, Marvel's trademark hasn't stopped other comic book versions of Thor from popping up from time to time in other publishers.
Scarlet Witch. Thor wasn't around during the events of Avengers Disassembled and House of M, so he missed out on Wanda losing control, and therefore he didn't have to face her full power. ...
The magnificent hall Valhalla was Odin's home in Asgard, the domain of the Norse gods. There he feasted with the souls of heroes who had died in battle.
Out of gratitude, the other gods made Zeus the leader of all immortals. Zeus' domain was the mountain tops and clouds from where he could survey all creation. He married his elder sister Hera and because Zeus had many love affairs with other goddesses and mortals Hera became jealous.
Although they are commonly represented as brothers in modern literature and representations, traditionally they were not considered brothers. Loki became blood brothers with Odin, Thor's father, after they participated in a blood-sharing ritual. Loki is thus Thor's adopted uncle, not his adopted brother.
This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1928.
Today, animation historians refer to the original Tom and Jerry characters as Van Beuren's Tom and Jerry. Today, all of these cartoons are in the public domain.
The beloved mouse that is nearly a century old will soon enter public domain — the original Mickey Mouse's copyright expires in 2024. This anthropomorphic mouse is recognizable even by the silhouette of his ears and, in some ways, has been the face of The Walt Disney Co. since his 1928 creation.
However, in validating 1923 as the publication date, this confirmed Disney's claim that the copyright renewal was filed too late and the novel became a public domain work in 1951.
"Tinker Bell" appeared as a character in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, first staged in 1904, and so the parties were in agreement that under copyright law, both the name and the character are in the public domain.
While it is likely one of the best-selling books ever published, the actual total sales since its first publication are unknown due to the many reductions and different versions. The story has been a public domain work in the U.S. since 1940.
As a public domain character with an established reputation, Robin Hood was an attractive feature for comic book publishers from the birth of the medium.
in 1920 and provided documents showing this was legally affirmed in 1929, and also questioned whether the copyright was still valid. The court ruled that "since the copyrights in The Curse of Capistrano and The Mark of Zorro lapsed in 1995 or before, the character Zorro has been in the public domain".
