Thor Explains Why Comic Fans Are Wrong About Odin | Screen Rant
Warning: Contains spoilers for Thor #24
Marvel Comics and Thor fans who believe that Odin is a terrible father should change their minds. The former King of Asgard is usually depicted as ruthless, cold, egocentric, and in constant conflict with his sons. However, Thor's eulogy at Odin's funeral explains why his father behaved in that way, painting the character in a new light.
Odin was introduced in the very first of Marvel's Thor stories as the king of the Asgardian gods who casts out his own son from the Golden Realm and binds him to the human form of Donald Blake, all to teach Thor humility by living among mortals. Since then, Thor and Odin's relationship has been one of the most troubled father-son dynamics ever seen in comics. Thor has been pushed to the brink of madness by his father more times than he can count, and it often looked like Odin just wanted to punish him or make his son's life as hard as possible for no apparent reason. However, as Thor comes to reflect on his father's actions after his recent demise at the hands of the Mangog and the God Tempest, he comes to the conclusion that there was a grander purpose behind Odin's cruel behavior.
In "The Second Son of Asgard," the first story appearing in Thor #24 (#750 by legacy numbering) - by Donny Cates, Nic Klein, and Matt Wilson - Thor is giving the eulogy at his father's funeral, attended by some of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. Thor seems still unable to make sense of Odin's "great and terrible contradictions." Odin was a merciless conqueror and monarch, but also someone who raised the son of his greatest enemy (Loki), and granted his power to those he deemed worthy, despite their origins, such as Beta Ray Bill. Thor remembers being cast out by his father "more times than I can count," and yet, despite his rage, every time he would return a better man and a better god. He realizes Odin treated him harshly so that, in the future, Thor could be the best possible king for Asgard and his people. As a young god, Thor did not realize this, and could only see Odin's harshness as "the stone king."
The idea that Odin is the archetype of "tough-love" is not new, of course. Depictions of the character have varied over the decades, but his love for his sons remained constant, even if he had a terrible way of expressing it. However, Thor openly recognizing that his father's questionable actions toward him were for the greater good has great value, because it points towards a measure of growth for the new King of Asgard. It also proves that Thor now has a better understanding of Odin, as he realizes that the former king had to bear a heavy burden of sacrifice because of his understanding of the grand design of things and his role in it. However, despite how important these realizations are, Thor and Odin's relationship is still far from having closure.
In fact, Thor knows that Odin is not actually dead, as his spirit survived and is now trapped inside Mjolnir. Thor's refusal to fire the arrow that will ignite Odin's funeral pyre is because he understands that this could be just some cruel joke, "Another of his father's infamous tests." Thor knows all that, and the realization that he still can't get rid of his father's shadow is weighing heavily on him. Despite that, seeing Thor openly admit that the actions of his father were motivated by an understanding of the greater good is an interesting development for the character, and it explains why Marvel fans who think Odin is a loathsome character may just be wrong.