The theme of having a god descend upon earth to understand humanity and humility is not a new story. Modern Christianity uses this very idea as the cornerstone of its religion, so you know it is compelling. The Ultimate Marvel Universe decided to take this concept in hand just as the regular Marvel Universe had, in the guise of the Thunder God Thor.

Thor is the Norse God of Thunder and the son of Odin, the head of the Norse Pantheon. When Jack Kirby and Stan Lee took this character and placed him within the then modern super-hero milieu in the 60's, he took on a new significance in popular culture. The long blond hair made him seem like a hippie, and his flowering speech was spiked with 'thees' and 'thous' to lend a divine influence to the character. Of course he was an American this time who wandered into a cave while on vacation in Europe, and there found the hammer of Thor that would change Doctor Donald Blake into the man he really was, Thor. The whole point of the exercise was to teach Thor humility, because Daddy-Odin felt he needed it. And you know how dads can be...

While re-imagining the Marvel Universe for a contemporary audience in the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Thor was a natural due to his popularity. Just like the other characters that have been subtly changed, Thor maintains the essence of his previous life while becoming more complex. He still thinks he's the son of Odin (and who would argue?) and he even has a medical background (as a nurse rather than a doctor). Instead of serendipity in a cave, it was a nervous breakdown that acted as a catalyst for his transformation into Thor. He's got the hammer, though it has undergone a redesign to make it look much more dangerous, and the long blond locks. However, what's on the inside is quite different.

The Ultimate Thor cares about saving people, but he has a practical side to his altruism. Rampaging super heroes and threats from beyond are one thing, but the real problems that affect most people are poverty, hunger and corporate greed, and these are the areas that Thor cares most about. He wants to actually make the world a better place and instead of just helping for free, he makes demands. In order to help the Ultimates against the Hulk, he demanded that President Bush increase his international aid funding, and he got it. He's a hero with a conscience who wants to stick it to the man, a nicer sort of Tyler Durden from Fight Club.

See More Pictures

This brings us to The Ultimates, the super-human group charged with protecting the world from problems that are beyond the ken of mortal man. The group was founded by Tony Stark and is sponsored by the US Government, an obvious reason that Thor won't formally join the group though he's there to help if need be. As Captain America looks at it, they get him for free! It's also a chance for Thor to help get his message out to the world, so just remember - What Would Thor Do?

Gabriel Marquez sculpted Ultimates Thor and he's been working on others characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe. He sculpted Ultimate Nick Fury and the Green Goblin, plus the Battle of the Planets and Vampire: The Masquerade action figures. His work can also be seen in the Marvel Universe Punisher and Black Widow busts and the guy used to sculpt for McFarlane Toys.

See the Big Picture

The Ultimate Thor bust joins several other members of the Ultimates, including Iron Man, Captain America and Nick Fury. The Ultimate bust line from Diamond Select Toys isn't limited to the Ultimates, and Ultimate Spider-man (with foes Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus), and a slew of Ultimate X-Men (Storm, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler and the Beast) and Magneto. All the Ultimate busts are scaled for display together, though the Thor bust seems to be scaled slightly small for the Ultimate Captain America and Iron Man busts. Most likely this is due to different sculptors working at a similar but slightly different scale. The other slight problem is that the comics Thor has cut-outs on the back of his costume that aren't on the Ultimate Thor bust. If you stick him with his back to the corner like the bad side of a Christmas Tree, you won't notice!

The bust comes with a full-color certificate of authenticity signed by the sculptor and numbered. Your number will differ, as will all the numbers of the 4000 piece run. There is also a limited edition of this bust that is limited to only 500 pieces with enhanced silver paint and glow-in-the-dark highlights. The Ultimate Thor might not like that it was made in China, but if you donate some money to charity all will be forgiven.

Where to buy the Ultimate Thor Bust: This piece is limited to a run of 4000, and retails for between $35 and $50 USD. You can find it at your local comics shop and various online retailers.