When Marvel announced that a woman would inherit the powers and name of Thor, a small subsection of fans cried foul. Convinced — once again — that any progress in making the comics world more inclusive was actually an overt slight against men, they quickly honed in on a specific line of attack: “Thor” is the god’s name. It is not a title that can just be assumed by someone else. So that is the only reason they were upset — not because they are conflating a small change that gives women a more equal place at the comics table with actual discrimination against men.

Writer Jason Aaron created a proxy for the upset fans in the form of the Absorbing Man, Crusher Creel; and allowed Thor herself to weigh in on the “controversy” the way many of us would like to: with a strong right cross.

The fanboys are right, though. “Thor” is the god’s name, so their argument would almost make sense — if not for Eric Masterson.

Masterson was a supporting character first introduced in Thor #391. Sometime later, the original Thor is banished from Asgard and the Norse god Heimdal transforms Masterson into the “new Thor.” Masterson served as Thor starting in Thor #432 and lasting all the way until Thor #459 — a more than two year span.

Number of fanboys that got their Captain America underoos in a twist because “Thor” is the god’s name and someone else couldn’t inherit a name?

Zero.

So you can tell me that it’s not about women; that you just are concerned with maintaining “the integrity of the character;” but like Thor herself, I’m not having any of it.

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