As one age of Marvel’s Thor comes to an end, a new one must begin. The next chapter of Thor’s story begins with him as the long awaited King of Asgard, but he won’t have long to enjoy the throne, or the peace he’s won: not once ‘The Black Winter’ forces the god of thunder to transform and begin a new mission in Thor #1 coming January 1st, 2020.

The incredible saga told by writer Jason Aaron has finished, handing the reins to writer Donny Cates and artist Nic Klein. And while Marvel claims that this story will absolutely be picking up where Aaron’s left off, the coming story will be “new reader friendly.” From this far out, Thor’s completely different costume alone shows that it’s a new beginning. And the new trailer for Thor #1 is only going to make the wait that much harder to take.

Those who have read through Marvel’s preview for Thor #1 know that the drastic redesign isn’t merely for the sake of change, since Thor will bear the appearance (and beard) his fans know from the recent comics. But as the editorial team confirms, something in the first issue causes Thor’s dark, clean-shaven, long-haired makeover – with the tease of “power the likes of which he’s never dreamed of before.” Enough teasing, check out the trailer for yourselves below:

The new artwork glimpsed in the video is enough to fuel much speculation on the part of fans, particularly the handwritten note scrawled on Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. And as sad as it is to think Thor won’t actually get the calm, happy ‘retirement’ he so clearly deserves, those aren’t the kinds of stories Thor fans come to comics to enjoy. They want war, glorious viking mythology, and heroism on a scale most Earth superheroes can’t even dream of. Donny Cates managed to bring all those same qualities to Knull, the God of Symbiotes in Venom, and it sounds like he plans to do the same come January 1st:

The threat of The Black Winter coming for Thor and his people, the rune for Thurisaz now emblazoned on his chest all speak to an evolution of the Thor fans have known (the Norse rune symbolizing fortitude, strength, defense, and protection, in addition to representing Thor himself). But until the series officially begins in January, fans can read the official credits and plot synopsis for Thor #1 below.

If you’ve read anything I’ve ever done, you know that I like to dive deep into mythology, into lore, into gods, and now I get to play with them and build them up and build their mythology out and break them. Break all of them… I find him at the top of his game. He has everything, and now he’s sitting on his throne kind of thinking about what happens tomorrow. Well what happens is me and Nic Klein. And tomorrow is gonna be real, real bad.

  • THOR #1 Release Date: January 1st, 2020 Written by: Donny Cates Art by: Nic Klein Cover Art by: Olivier Coipel A BRAND-NEW, SUPERSTAR CREATIVE TEAM TAKES THE KING OF ASGARD TO NEW REALMS OF GLORY! The prince is now a king. All Asgard lies before Thor, the God of Thunder. And after many months of war, the Ten Realms are finally at peace. But the skies above the Realm Eternal are never clear for long. The Black Winter is coming. And the God of the Storm will be powerless before it.

Thor #1 arrives to start the new year on January 1st, 2020, at your local comic book shop.

MORE: Why Marvel’s Thor Is Actually Only HALF-Asgardian