With sales declining and general sense of staleness around the character, Marvel made the decision to put Thor on the shelf as part of the "Avengers Disassembled" story. He and his fellow Asgardians were placed in a kind of hibernation after Thor found a way to bring an end to Ragnarok, the cycle of life and death which forced him and his people to constantly relive their lives. For all intents and purposes, Thor was dead, and remained that way until Mjolnir came crashing to Earth years later. With a new costume and purpose, Asgard ended up floating above the Earth, and the character embarked on a refreshing set of adventures.
