Marvel movies are known for a lot of things: overly CGI’d fight scenes, an army of hot bearded actors named Chris and a characteristic good humor that sets them apart from rival DC comics, which remains in its 7th grade emo phase. The studio further sets itself apart from DC by their lighthearted subject matter, and is not known for heavy handed, thinly veiled allegories for global issues (*cough* The Dark Knight Trilogy).

However, this is possibly the greatest misnomer in studio history. The failure to identify the underlying themes in Marvel movies is a grave mistake on the part of critics and the viewing audience, who somehow have missed that, sandwiched between costumed good looking actors hitting each other with computer generated weapons, Marvel has presented serious commentary worth analyzing.

“Thor: Ragnarok” is groundbreaking for many reasons, but perhaps most for its ability to disguise political allegory underneath great humor and innovative fight scenes. The film turns the very world of Thor on its head, representing a complete break with the earlier movies and the character of Thor himself.

When you take away the pithy one liners, the plot boils down to a true unmasking of Thor’s homeland Asgard, a heavenly land above the clouds, beautifully crafted of gold and mist. In the first movie in the series, Thor is sent to Earth, deemed undeserving of the ethereal beauty of his homeland and sent to our comparatively ugly planet as punishment for his immaturity.

“Thor: Ragnarok” exposes the cracks in this seemingly perfect world, revealing that Asgard, at its rotten core, is a state built off the blood and bones of the conquered realms. This is shown vividly in a scene where Hela rips the imitation Catholic Church fresco off the ceiling of the royal palace, exhibiting a more violent and brutal scene.

Before, the king and his sons were shown as angelic, peaceful figures, while in the hidden, historically accurate painting, the King is at the helm of a devastating massacre, conquering the subject realms with vicious brutality.

The message is clear: such beauty comes at an awful price. One can’t help but draw connections between the whitewashed, nationalistic history of such real world colonial nations, which historians have recently begun to poke holes in, and the sugar-coated history of Asgard. The nation struggles to come to terms with its past, and determine what kind of future it has in a post-colonial world.

The movie opens with the vague issue of the subject realms being in rebellion (similar to colonial independence movements in the 20th century), setting the entire plot in motion. The past of Asgard defines it completely, and the two villains of the film are physical embodiments of Asgardian history, seeking retribution.

Essentially, there are two options for the future of the nation. On the surface, the first introduced and most physically menacing (a fire demon with devil horns) villain presents the greatest threat, as his end goal is complete annihilation.

Hela, the central villain of the film, is Asgard’s rightful ruler according to the laws of succession, and claims to want to return the nation to its former glory. It’s impossible to watch Hela’s speech mourning the violent old days of Asgard and her pledge to restore their “glory” without being reminded of the campaign promises of Donald Trump.

However, the movie turns the idea of destruction on its head by making it clear that an Asgard under Hela is not a true Asgard; the possibility of continuing a reign of terror and conquer is so horrific an option that complete and utter destruction of the nation as a whole is not only preferable, but necessary, to defeat the toxic spirit of imperialism once and for all. The true value of the nation is not within the physical wealth, but the spirit of its people.

In the end, the fate of the Asgardian people is ironically turned on its head. This great nation, which once reigned supreme and glorious over all the other realms, has been reduced to maybe a hundred refugees huddled in a space ship searching for a new home, heading towards Earth.

“Thor: Ragnarok” presents an interesting threat to the post-colonial nations of our world, hinting that the atrocities committed have not been forgotten, and will not be. Our past determines our present and future, and the film warns of the ultimate price if such recognition is not made, and actions altered. It is never too late for the conquerors to become the conquered.