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disbelief: excerpts from comics
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Comic Book Excerpts:
disbelief

BELOW: Nick Fury feels he can't admit the possibity of Norse gods (e.g. Thor), because it would force him to adopt a whole new framework or worldview: Nick Fury is frustrated by his own inability to make up his mind about what he believes about Thor and Thor's claims of divine nature.

From the bridge of the Altair, Nick watched Thor join the battle. If there's one thing I hate, he thought, it's not being able to make a decision. And I just cannot decide whether Thor is the real thing or not. All of the jabbering about Loki makes me think he's a nutcase, but then he brings the lightning and teleports bombs to other dimensions.He just doesn't fit in any framework I can put together.

One possibility, Nick had to admit, was that he needed a new framework, but he was not about to admit the existence of Norse gods. If you let the Norse gods in, next thing you knew you had Kali and Ogun and Quetzalcoatl and Jesus H. Christ Himself wearing costumes and fighting bad guys. No man could stay sane for long if he took that scenario seriously.

Whatever Thor was, he sure could kick a--. that was what Nick needed right then, and that was all he was going to think about until this operation was over and they could all take a breath.

Source: The Ultimates: Against All Enemies (2007), pg. 303. Written by Alex Irvine. See also: gods; disbelief; Jesus Christ; Hindu; Norse/Teutonic paganism; Vodoun; Aztec; Christian (generic); Mayan; Jesus Christ (Jesus of Nazareth); Ogun; Quetzalcoatl; Kali

BELOW: Nick Fury tells Thor he doesn't believe in any gods:

Fury put down his pen and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Okay," he said with his eyes closed. "I get it. If I have to raise my right hand and swear that I believe you're the Norse god of thunder just to get you to leave, I'll do it." He raised his right hand, looking down at his desk. Ten seconds or so later, he looked up. "You're not gone."

"You're not very convincing," Thor said.

"Neither are you, Mister Son of Odin, or Wotan, or whatever we're supposed to call him. I don't believe in gods--any of them--and until you bring Jesus Christ himself in to walk across the Upper Bay from Battery Park to here, that isn't going to change. Far as I'm concerned, you're a garden-variety anti-globalization wacko who got hold of some tech that nobody can reverse-engineer. Doesn't make you anything special."

Thor had started smiling at "Wotan," and couldn't stop. "Quite a speech, General Fury."

"You provoke me," Fury said.

"Well. Let me provoke you to pay attention."

Source: The Ultimates: Against All Enemies (2007), pg. 38-39. Written by Alex Irvine. See also: gods; impiety; disbelief; Jesus Christ; Norse/Teutonic paganism; Atheist; Non-Religious; Christian (generic); Thor (Donald Blake); Nick Fury; Jesus Christ (Jesus of Nazareth); Odin

BELOW: Thor ponders Captain America's belief system:

What would he have told Rogers? That Loki had taken a special interest in him? Rogers believed in flag and country, nothing else. His was a pure belief, not ignorant of nuance but dismissive of it, deeply invested in a black-and-white view of the world. There was an innocence about it that gave Rogers much of his strength, but that innocence was also part of what made him a useful tool for those who operated by deceit. Strength of belief, Thor thought, was admirable, but it was a lever that when used against you always tipped you long before you knew it was being used.

And so, Thor thought. I have come looking for him to call him a naif and tell him that my half brother, another god he doesn't believe in, has a plan for him. Hardly an errand with good prospects of success.

To know, and not be believed. This was the lot of the gods. All the same, Thor was glad he wasn't a mortal. Fate would do what Fate did, to Steve Rogers and to them all.

Source: The Ultimates: Against All Enemies (2007), pg. 45. Written by Alex Irvine. See also: belief; gods; knowledge; fate; disbelief; patriotism; Norse/Teutonic paganism; Captain America (Steve Rogers); Thor (Donald Blake); Loki

BELOW: Thor feels that Nick Fury is going to great lengths to rationalize rather than accept the facts of Thor's and Loki's existence. Thor gently chides Nick Fury for his inability to believe that Thor is a god and that Loki has just appeared before them in the form of somebody else. Nick Fury's secular mindset simply can't allow for such possibilities. Thor tells Fury: "I know what I know." Fury's disbelief will not dissuade Thor from his convictions.

"And you," Fury went on, now pointing to Thor, "are one crazy son of a bi---."

Thor spread his hands. "General. After all we've seen in this past year, you still think it's crazy to believe in shapeshifters?"

Fury glared daggers at him.

"And the truth is, I don't care about what you think where my mental stability is concerned. I know what I know. However you want to rationalize it to yourself is fine."

"Oh," Fury said. "You're going to lecture me about rationalizing? Let me get out my tape recorder."

"General Fury," Thor said. "That was Loki... If you need to think I'm crazy because that's the way your world makes sense to you, be my guest," Thor said. "But this happened. And what needs to happen now is..."

Source: The Ultimates: Against All Enemies (2007), pg. 41. Written by Alex Irvine. See also: rationalization; knowledge; disbelief; Norse/Teutonic paganism; Atheist; Thor (Donald Blake); Nick Fury; Loki

BELOW: Captain America doesn't believe Thor is a god; he thinks Thor is a crazy Communist ("pinko"):

What Steve couldn't figure out was why Thor was along .He couldn't imagine that General Fury had decided to trust an obviously crazy pinko with something as serious as the details of a new Chitauri incursion. Regardless of what Thor had done with the Chitauri bomb in Arizona, Steve didn't for a minute believe in a thunder god. Either the bomb hadn't done what the Chitauri said it would, or the tech in Thor's hammer had some secret functions that he hadn't told any of them about. Whichever it was, Thor was a loose cannon and a security risk. If it was up to Steve, Thor wouldn't have been let within a mile of the Triskelion.

Source: The Ultimates: Against All Enemies (2007), pg. 112. Written by Alex Irvine. See also: gods; disbelief; Norse/Teutonic paganism; Communist; Captain America (Steve Rogers); Thor (Donald Blake); Chitauri