After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.
In the early 1990s, a common story element was to replace the main character with a similar but newer and more modern character. After seemingly killing his adopted brother, Loki, Thor was banished. Before he left, he entrusted his hammer to Eric Masterson to carry on the role of Thor (which he did, debuting in issue #433). As with all of these changes, it was only a matter of time until the status quo returned and Thor took back the lead in his own book. This happened 24 issues later in issue #457. Afterwards, Eric went on to become Thunderstrike and starred in his own ongoing series.
 Thor #433 June 1991 Ron Frenz |
 Thor #457 January 1993 Ron Frenz |
On Ebay: Thor | Ron Frenz | Thunderstrike