By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
A decade before the MCU redefined Thor and the Asgardians, Stargate SG-1 ran with the idea of Thor and the Norse Gods as being aliens, and in the context of the sci-fi franchise, it worked. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” was a quote from Arthur C. Clarke, but it formed the basis for the introduction of Thor into the MCU, leaving “magic” to be introduced years later through Dr. Strange. The series wasted no time in expanding the mythology of its universe beyond the Egyptians, and in Season 1, introduced the Asgardians as the good counterpart to the Goa’uld, even after Daniel broke Thor’s Hammer.
Thor’s Hammer
Airing as Episode 10 in Stargate SG-1 Season 1, “Thors’ Hammer” starts out with Teal’c (Christopher Judge) mentioning a planet the Goa’uld would never go to, represented by the symbol of a hammer, which seemingly confirms Daniel’s (Michael Shanks) theory about the Norse Gods being aliens. Called Cimmeria, the crew’s mission to the planet immediately goes awry when the large stone hammer, seemingly worshipped by the locals, unleashes a beam that zeroes in on Teal’c, hurting him and then transporting him and Colonel Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) to a dark labyrinth. Daniel and Sam (Amanda Tapping), left outside, learn that the labyrinth is a trap designed to kill Goa’uld, which normally, wouldn’t be a problem, except Teal’c is hosting one of the alien symbiotes.
Stargate wasted no time in showing how dangerous the Asgardians would end up being to the Goa’uld through the power of Thor’s Hammer, which was able to keep an Unas, revealed to be the host of Ruax, a Goa’uld underlord, one of the oldest beings in the galaxy. The power of the Asgardian weapon kept the Unas trapped for a very long time until Teal’c and O’Neill, working together, managed to kill it. But to save Teal’c, Daniel, in one of the best moments of Season 1, is given the JAffa’s staff weapon to destroy Thor’s Hammer, which saves his friend but dooms Cimmeria to the Goa’uld if they were to ever learn the weapon has been destroyed.
The Asgardians Inspired Another Myth
It’s a fun standalone episode, considered one of the best of the first few seasons, written by Katharyn Powers, the same woman behind “Emancipation,” the worst episode in the franchise, and planted the seeds for later seasons. In a twist, Stargate SG-1 may have shown a version of Thor in Viking garb within the labyrinth, but when the alien is finally seen, it becomes clear that they inspired another legend on Earth: The Greys. The Asgardians resemble the famous grey aliens and even were part of the Roswell incident.
Stargate SG-1 made it clear that Thor, the Supreme Commander of the Asgard Fleet, was a gifted tactician, to a point, as he was constantly caught off guard by the “primitive” tactics of Stargate Command. It’s a far cry from the MCU’s version, played by Chris Hemsworth, though the reimagining of Asgardians as aliens has proven to be a hit, it’s hard to imagine a hyperintelligent Grey alien hanging out with the Avengers. The first mention of the Asgardians is also only a small taste of how important they would become in the upcoming galactic war, and like with so many other parts of the franchise, Stargate knew how to play the long game.