Warning: This article contains spoilers for Thor #15!
The latest interaction between long-time teammates Thor and Iron Man proves the Avengers are no longer friends in the comics, simply allied comrades. After countless battles testing their fortitude and pushing them to their respective breaking points, the Avengers have slowly grown apart over the years. The greatest strain on their relationships with each other would undoubtedly be the two Civil War events during which they were literally fighting each other. However, the true cause of their falling out is a lack of honest communication.
In Thor #15 by Donny Cates, Michele Bandini, and Elisabetta D’Amico, Thor is struggling with an identity crisis and decides to seek out help from Captain America. When the God of Thunder reaches Earth, the Avengers are battling an army of killer robots, an enemy Thor quickly dismantles with his lightning blast. Afterward, Iron Man approaches Thor, jokingly asking if he had come to Earth to partake in their “prank war.” Without acknowledging Stark, Thor shocks him with lightning, clearly annoyed by Tony’s presence.
Even when the team is getting along, there is still distance between the two heroes. In Avengers #21 by Jason Aaron, Jason Masters, and Jason Keith, the Avengers are celebrating after defeating the Dark Elf King Malekith in the War of the Realms. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes gather together in a hot tub at Avengers Mountain, drinking and joking with each other, but before long it becomes clear to fans that all of their good times were purely surface level. Thought bubbles from each of them near the end of the issue revealed the Avengers' secret anxieties now that the war is done, but none of them voice their concerns with the other.
Obviously to fans following the Avengers over the past few years the elephant in the room between the team members is the previously mentioned Civil Wars events. The greatest hurdle to overcome was reconnecting Iron Man and Captain Marvel after the two were at odds in Civil War II. The two may be on the same side now, but there will always be a wall between them, as, it seems, is also the case with Iron Man and Thor.
The little shock Thor gave Iron Man in Thor #15 was a sign of a much heavier metaphorical blow than the literal one he delivered. Thor was there on business, admitting to Captain America that due to his incredibly long lifespan he thinks of their adventures together as short spans of time he has trouble even remembering. The continuous lack of understanding and communication, along with the striking differences of lifespans, lifestyles, and ideologies have created wedges between the Avengers, turning them from a family of heroes to a group of allied warriors and nothing more.
