The Master Plan of Mr. Hyde!

Mister Hyde has just committed a robbery while disguised as Thor. This has caused the authorities to issue a warrant for the thunder god’s arrest as well as swiftly turn public opinion against him. Confronted by the police, Thor deflects their bullets with Mjolnir and then takes off before anyone is hurt. He quickly deduces that Mister Hyde is likely responsible for this situation. After recounting his last encounter Thor heads back to Donald Blake’s office before he is attacked by the authorities again.

He looks forward to seeing Jane Foster again, particularly since Odin has agreed to allow him to marry the woman if she can prove she is worthy of becoming an immortal.[1] Resuming his mortal guise, Don Blake then invites Jane to join him for dinner at the Ritz Terrace. Jane accepts immediately, surprised that he would be taking her to such a glamourous restaurant. They are unaware that they are being spied upon by Mister Hyde who once again sets his sights on getting revenge against Don Blake.

Once the couple is seated at a table Jane is glad they are finally having an evening together outside of work. Unfortunately, she is still unable to get the thought of Mister Hyde out of her head. Don assures her that they have probably heard the last of Hyde. He’d be wrong as, moments later, Mister Hyde appears and takes them both hostage at gunpoint. He takes them to his hideout. There, Mister Hyde ties up Don and sets a bomb that will go off if anyone interferes with his plans. He then forces Jane to come with him to a naval shipyard where he intends to steal a new submarine. Mister Hyde easily rips through the chainlink fence and fights off the guards.

Meanwhile, back at Mister Hyde’s hideout, Don Blake discovers that his walking stick is right behind him and just barely manages to grab it with his bound hands. Slamming the walking strick against the ground causes Blake to transform into Thor. The thunder god easily breaks free of the ropes and begins looking for Mister Hyde. By this time, Hyde has managed to evacuate the submarine by threatening to kill Jane if the sailors on board refuse to comply. It’s at this time that Odin decides to look upon the Earth from his throne in Asgard. His gaze witnesses as Thor arrives at the naval yard to face Mister Hyde before he can enter the submarine.

Furious that Thor has come to interfere with his plans, Hyde rips off the radio antenna from the sub and throws it at the thunder god. This distracts Thor long enough for Mister Hyde to force Jane into the submarine with him. However, Thor easily rips off the opening hatch and goes in after them. As Thor and Mister Hyde battle, Jane fears that this interference will cause Mister Hyde to trigger the bomb and kill Don Blake. Since Thor’s hammer was knocked loose in the fight, Jane tries to hide it under a canvas to prevent Thor from defeating Mister Hyde. With time running out, Thor starts spinning around so fast he creates an indoor tornado. This blows the gun out of Mister Hyde’s hand as well as provide cover when Thor changes back into Donald Blake. Scouring the room, he finds Mjolnir and transforms back into Thor. That’s when Jane gets in his way, warning him that if he stops Mister Hyde, Don Blake will die. Thor wishes he could tell her that he is Don Blake, but he has been forbidden from doing so.[2] Because of Jane’s interference, Mister Hyde manages to leap into the East River and swim away.

In the aftermath of the battle, the authorities have arrived and are unable to find any trace of Mister Hyde in the water. Thor assures them that this is not the last time they have heard him. When Jane expresses her concern for Don Blake, Thor assures her that he will rescue her and flies off. Jane wonders how Thor could know where Don Blake was taken and is afraid that Thor will always be an enigma to her. As Thor flies through the air he is contacted by his father, Odin. Odin is furious that Jane Foster interfered with Thor’s battle with Mister Hyde. Before Thor can explain why Odin deems her unworthy and once again forbids their marriage. Thor once more dispairs over being denied his one true love.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Mister Hyde, Jane Foster, Odin

Continuity Notes

1. Initially, Odin refused to allow Thor to marry a mortal woman in Journey into Mystery #97. Odin changed his mind last issue as long as Thor can prove Jane is worthy of being an immortal.

2. Odin decreed that Thor was not to reveal his secret identity to Jane Foster back in Journey into Mystery #90.

Topical References

• The submarine that Mister Hyde tries to steal is identified as a Polaris. More specifically, it is a submarine that can launch a UGM-27 Polaris nuclear missile. These types of subs were designed in the 1960s during the height of the Cold War. This should be considered topical particularly since by the mid-80s all the Polaris class subs built in the 60s were decommissioned.

The Storm Giants

A young Thor is out playing with his brother Loki when he spots two Storm Giants fleeing to a nearby castle with sacks filled with Idunn’s golden apples. Thor insists they take them back as a matter of duty. Loki on the other hand wants nothing to do with duty, saying that he will do what he will.

Inside the castle, the two Storm Giants join their father in a feast to celebrate their successful plunder. As Thor and Loki enter the castle, Loki shoves his brother out into the open. Caught by the Storm Giants, Thor demands that they return the golden apples, telling them that he is the son of Odin. This gives the Storm Giants a good laugh, but they aren’t laughing when Thor uses his sword to slice through the leg of their massive dinner table causing it to pitch over and sending a bowl of soup into one of the giant’s faces. When a massive pepper shaker rolls toward him, Thor launches it at his foes showering them with pepper. This attack quickly backfires when Thor is bowled over by one of the giant’s massive sneezes.

The Storm Giants catch Thor, but as they try and figure out what to do with him Loki springs into action. The god of mischief throws some wet leaves into the giant’s fireplace causing their abode to fill with smoke. This allows Thor to break free and the pair find the golden apples. The Storm Giants had placed them in a basket tied to the back of Agnar, the King of the Eagles, who is also their prisoner. Thor cuts Agnar free and he and Loki climb onto the massive bird’s back. Agnar flies them all the way back to Asgard. There, Odin presents his son with Mjolnir and tells the boy that with each deed of valor he will be able to lift the hammer higher until he becomes worthy of carrying it as a weapon.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Loki, Odin, Agnar

Continuity Notes

1. The events of this story are recounted in Thor #252 and Thor Annual #11. In the latter account, Loki was not present when Thor escaped the Storm Giants on Agnar. I would like to think that this was an omission was either an error or done for narrative pacing. A differing account is told in Mighty Thor (vol. 2) #12.1. In that version of events, Agnar was responsible for the theft of the Golden Apples and Idunn and was that the great eagle was killed by Thor during a rescue mission. Go here for more on the contradictions of Asgardian lore.