Merge:Destroyer

The Destroyer is a character in the Marvel Comics universe who frequently functions as a supervillain. For the most part, it appears in the Asgardian dimension as an opponent of Thor.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Journey into Mystery #118 (July 1965), the Destroyer was an armor suit created by Odin and placed inside a buried temple. It is lifeless unless animated by the life-force of a living being. Loki schemed to have it awaken and battle Thor.

Once animated, the Destroyer becomes an almost invincible adversary. It appears to be impervious to physical harm by any power in the universe lesser than the Celestials. It has practically limitless strength and endurance, plus the ability to fly, transmute matter, and project many forms of energy. Its most dangerous weapon is a disintegrator beam. Apart from the Celestials and various cosmic beings, the Destroyer is one of the few characters in the Marvel Universe unequivocally presented as more than a match for Thor.

The Destroyer has battled Thor numerous times, and played a key role during writer-artist Walt Simonson's run on The Mighty Thor. It has acted as a herald of Galactus and once unsuccessfully challenged the Celestials (while animated by Odin and all the Asgardians; in this form, it grew to a height of two thousand feet, but was still not equal in power to the Celestials).

In order to fight Thor during a civil war in Slokovia, Iron Man built a new suit of armor resembling the Destroyer. Although considerably more powerful than his usual armor, it was not a match for Thor, and was easily defeated.