History
Thor's chariot is pulled by two magical goats, Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher, each the size of warhorses. The chariot can ride over any terrain and take to the air on command. It carries no weapons, but Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher strike lightning with their hooves, particularly when they are airborne. Thor can summon and dismiss th chariot at will. For travel on a particular world, Thor typically flies with the aid of Mjolnir, but when it comes to longer voyages, either among Asgardian realms or planets in distant space, he uses the chariot - especially when he anticipates the need to smite an enemy army beneath its wheels.
In his youth, Thor drove the chariot between Asgard and Midgard, fighting trolls and other creatures, and later he would ride it into battle against greater foes - notably when he led an Asgardian host against the gods of Olympus to settle a dispute between himself and Hercules. When he is not using the chariot, it remains at an unknown location. The goats - unlike their mythological counterparts, who were cooked and eaten and then brought back to life with Thor's hammer - go out to pasture when Thor has no need of them.
The chariot is capable of traveling through space and among the Nine Realms known to Asgard. It is large enough to carry Thor's companions, as proven when Thor, Sif, and Beta Ray Bill fought Surtur's demon legions in outer space. When Thor went to Hel to recover souls stolen by the dark elf Malekth, the chariot manifested attached wagons to transport many more allies. All of these attachments and modifications can be summoned and dismissed at Thor's command.
Capabilities
The chariot's design is simple, befitting the Asgardian aesthetic. It includes a battering ram built onto the front of the yoke holding Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher. The chariot's shape can be adapted to Thor's current needs. For example it can be reconfigured to feature seats, sometimes an open standing interior, sometimes it is a single two-wheeled conveyance, other times a train of wagons. Every part of the chariot is enchanted, including the carvings that decorate its prow and sideboards. Thor is protected from most threats when he stands within, and no others may take the reins... even if Toothgrinder and Toothgnasher would let them.
See Also
- 37 appearance(s) of Thor's Chariot
- 1 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Thor's Chariot
- 8 image(s) of Thor's Chariot