Marvel Comics just debuted a new volume of Thor , as writer Donny Cates and artist Nic Klein chart a brand new course for the god of thunder. That includes a strikingly redesigned costume, as Thor finds himself dealing with more power and more responsibility than ever before.

As it turns out, there's an important reason behind Thor's latest wardrobe change. Read on to find out the real significance of this costume, but

Art by Nic Klein. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)

Art by Nic Klein. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)

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The new series picks up in the aftermath of King Thor, the conclusion to writer Jason Aaron's seven-year Thor run. Thor has become the new Allfather of Asgard, ruling over his rebuilt kingdom on a new throne carved into the World Tree itself. Unfortunately, Thor faces the same challenge as so many new kings before him. It turns out that saving the world, slaying trolls and guzzling mead is a lot more fun than ruling a kingdom and dealing with politics all day long. Making matters worse, Thor finds Mjolnir is becoming harder to lift with each passing day. Loki is the only other Asgardian aware of this secret.Fortunately, it's not long before Thor is able to put his woes aside and confront a new threat to Asgard. The mighty Galactus crashes into the city, felled by some unknown but clearly very powerful enemy. Before falling unconscious, Galactus warns Thor of a threat called the Black Winter.Thor gathers Galactus' past and present heralds to learn more about this mysterious Black Winter. Silver Surfer reveals that the Black Winter was the force responsible for destroying the previous incarnation of the Marvel Universe, an act which also transformed the mortal scientist Galan into the cosmic devourer Galactus. Surfer also tells Thor the only way to stop the Black Winter is to lead Galactus to five hidden worlds of incredible power, allowing him to absorb their energies into himself and grow even stronger.Happy to have an excuse for battle, Thor assembles a war party. However, Galactus awakens and reveals the true nature of the Black Winter. It's a cosmic plague that shows the victim the nature of their own death. The first time around, Galan saw himself dying and being transformed along with the universe. The second time, Galactus saw himself dying at Thor's own hands. Galactus came to Asgard not in search of sanctuary, but to prevent his own death. Galactus then blasts Thor with a powerful wave of energy.This energy doesn't kill Thor, but transforms him into the newest herald of Galactus. Clearly, Galactus thinks making Thor his servant will prevent the god of thunder from trying to kill him.That's where the new costume comes in. Thor's already powerful body has been further augmented by the Power Cosmic, making him quite possibly the most powerful hero in the entire universe. His new costume is adorned by the Norse rune Thurisaz. Meant to represent a thorn protruding from the World Tree, Thurisaz appropriately symbolizes both protection and destruction. Maybe Galactus should have thought twice before granting his potential murderer even greater power?This transformation also seems to have restored Thor's missing eye and left arm, both of which he lost during the course of Aaron's run. Thor is back to rocking that god bod for 2020.What do you think of Thor's new costume and power upgrade? Let us know in the comments below. And also be sure to check out our pick for the best comic book series of 2019 and the 100 best comics of the past decade

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