The following contains major spoilers for Avengers #56, available now from Marvel.
The demon Mephisto has sought to eradicate the Avengers and their legacy time and time again. His latest plot has encompasses the grander stage of the Multiverse. By inspiring the creation of the Multiversal Masters of Evil, Mephisto has unleashed a new breed of terror upon Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Thankfully, there is one Avenger who is indomitable beyond all measure, and Jane Foster has just given her enemies a stark reminder in the best way possible.
Avengers #56 (by Jason Aaron, Javier Garron, David Curiel, and VC's Cory Petit) finds Jane living out what would otherwise be a picturesque life of peace and prosperity in the fantastical forests of Asgard. The idyllic countryside would be a dream come true for most, but for Jane there is something lacking. It isn't that her husband Thor isn't doting enough or that Asgard doesn't feel like home. Rather, it is the constant nagging in the back of her mind, eating away at the facade of the world around her, one meticulously crafted by Mephisto and his Council of Red. Jane gradually realizes that everything around her is an illusion and strikes back against her captors with the power of Undrjarn, the All Weapon.
Debuting in the pages of 1962's Journey into Mystery #84 in the story "The Mighty Thor vs. The Executioner" (by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby), Jane Foster's story began during her time as a nurse working under Thor's alter ego, Dr. Donald Blake. Over the years their relationship would wax and wane, the latter largely due to Odin's prior inability to accept Jane as Thor's lover or a potential Asgardian, even after her time merged with Sif. When Jane finally took up the mantle of God of Thunder in Thor's stead, her identity was a mystery to all, including her then fellow Asgardians. Of course, Jane's time as Thor wasn't meant to last, and she eventually gave her life to defeat the threat of Mangog.
Luckily, death wasn't the end for Jane, who has gone on to become both Valkyrie and wielder of Undrjarn, as well as an Avenger. No matter what battles she has fought or which enemies she has faced, none of them have ever truly beaten Jane as a person or god. From fantastical beasts to otherworldly gods and even cancer, Jane's resolve only ever wavered in the slightest. Throughout everything, it was Jane's unbreakable spirit that propelled her to new heights and inspired those closest to join her in that ascension. Assuming every other Mephisto is just as aware of that fact as those she has most recently defeated, Jane could very well be the one to lead Earth's Mightiest Heroes to victory against the devils themselves.
Mephisto's slate of temptations haven't just been lobbed at Jane, although she is easily the fastest one to brush them off. Even the Mephistos from across the Multiverse she encounters in their illusory Asgard seem more annoyed than anything that they were tasked with trying to diminish her spirit. As one of them notes during their battle, the Janes are all but unbreakable. Considering everything she has been through, this isn't much of a surprise.
And yet it still speaks to just what she is capable of. Jane proves that physical strength and divine abilities are only part of what makes a hero unstoppable, something her enemies have managed to forget time and time again. Whether on the battlefield or in the war room, Jane's presence alone is enough to inspire, and that will likely be far more valuable than any of the powers at her disposal in the days to come.
