With My Hammer in Hand…!

Thor has come to Pittsburg in order to use the industrial forges to repair the damage done to Mjolnir during his recent battle with the Destroyer.[1] With his mystical weapon repaired, Thor tests and confirms that once again returns when he throws it. After thanking the workers for their help, Thor then heads to a secluded area so that he can inspect the Norn Stones.[2] He deems the mystical gems a dangerous weapon and decides to return them to Asgard. However, when Thor leaves for home he is unaware that he has dropped one of the Norn Stones and leaves it behind.

Thor then turns the stones over to Odin, confirming that Loki used them to win the Trial of the Gods. Odin assures his son that Loki has already been punished as he has been ordered to serve under Ularic, the royal warlock.

However, at that very moment, Loki has finalized his latest scheme to destroy his half-brother. First, he sprays Ularic was a gas that places him in suspended animation, and then locks the mage away in his own time vault. Loki then begins going through Ularic’s scrolls looking for the spells necessary to complete his latest plan.

Meanwhile, Thor finds things in Asgard too quiet and longs for battle. When he asks Odin for permission to return to Earth, the All-Father grants this request as Thor has earned the right. Thor is teleported back to Earth where he realizes that he has been gone for weeks. Returning to the office where he works as Doctor Donald Blake, Thor hopes to see his beloved Jane Foster again. Unfortunately, when he looks inside he discovers that Blake’s office is empty. Going up to the roof, Thor resumes his mortal guise and goes inside to find out what happened. Don enters his office and discovers a pile of unopened mail and a blank appointment book. That’s when his landlord enters the building and tells Blake that he is rent is months overdue. Blake tells his landlord that he’ll get his money as soon as Don figures out what happened to Jane Foster.

Out in the hallway, Don finds one of his patients and learns that she has started seeing another doctor who has taken up residence down the hall. Becoming more upset, Don rushes around the corner so he can change back into Thor. Going down into the street, Thor becomes even more annoyed with the noise and crowds on the street. He decides to seek out the aid of his fellow Avengers to try and find out what happened to Jane. However, when he arrives at Avengers Mansion he discovers that Hawkeye, Quiksilver, and the Scarlet Witch have since become members and the only original member left is Captain America, who is away on other business.[3] Not liking the attitudes of these new members, Thor declines their offer of assistance and resumes his search alone. However, Thor quickly begins to feel the task is hopeless without any clues.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Jane Foster wonders if she’ll ever see Don Blake again. That’s when a man enters the room and tells her to forget Blake, telling her that she needs to put him out of her life as there is no other choice.[4]

At that same moment, Loki uses a massive telescope to scan the universe and quickly finds what he is looking for, a cloud of helium that is drifting in space. He then casts a spell to return the helium to its true form and encases it in a sphere that brings it back to Earth. There, Thor spies a television news crew interviewing a movie star and realizes that he could try to appeal to the public to help find Jane Foster. However, before he can get in front of a TV camera, Thor witnesses the sphere created by Loki arrive on Earth. The sphere shatters as Thor approaches it. Thor discovers that it carrying his old foe the Absorbing Man.[5] Crusher Creel is happy to see Thor as he was looking forward to a rematch. Creel then touches the side of a building so he can absorb the properties of the brick and prepares to attack.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Absorbing Man, Loki, Jane Foster, Odin, Ularic, Harris Hobbs (unidentified), Avengers (Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver)

Topical References

• Thor states that the planet Earth as a population of two billion people. There are vastly more people on the planet now than there were when this comic book was published in 1965. As I write this (January 2021) there are 7.8 billion people and counting. For a slightly more specific figure on the current world population go here.

Continuity Notes

1. The head of Mjolnir was cleaved in half by one of the Destroyer’s energy beams in Journey into Mystery #118. It’s later revealed that a fragment of Thor’s hammer is collected by one of the steel workers here, as we’ll learn in Avengers #192.

2. Thor has been after the Norn Stones since Loki used them to cheat during the Trial of the Gods in Journey into Mystery #116. He recovered them in Vietnam in the following issue.

3. Some facts about the Avengers in this story:

   • Since Thor left Earth for the Trial of the Gods, most of the original Avengers decided to retire from the group and selected Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scalet Witch as new members and left Captain America in charge. This happened in Avengers #16.

   • Captain America is referred to as one of the original Avengers. This is not entirely accurate as he didn’t join the group until they revived him from suspended animation in Avengers #4. However, as explained in Avengers (vol. 3) #4 and Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #1-8, Captain America was retroactively given founder status to replace the Hulk, who left the team in Avengers #2.

4. This mystery man is revealed to be Harris Hobbs in Journey into Mystery #122. Hobbs has kidnapped Jane as part of a plan to learn Thor’s mortal identity.

5. The Absorbing Man was trapped in space after Thor tricked him into turning into helium causing him to float into space. See Journey into Mystery #114-115.

Set Sail!

With the Odinsword cracking, Odin himself has begun to fear that Ragnarok may be upon them. In order to prevent this from happening, the All-Father is sending Thor and Loki off on a voyage to learn what is causing the sword to crack. With a crew selected and their vast ship ready to go, Odin officiates on the departure of the vessel.

As the ship sets sail and begins pulling from port a group of fair maidens bid a fond farewell. Among the crew, none are more delighted by this sight than Volstagg, who is as boastful as he is fat. However, the portly crewman quickly runs for cover when he notices his wife has seen him waving back at the maidens and is not happy.[1] Loki is also not pleased and kicks the buffoon. Thor stops his brother, who warns his half-brother that no member of the crew is to be mistreated by anyone or they will feel his wrath.

Loki is furious at being emasculated in front of the rest of the crew. As the two siblings argue, Loki’s minions Kroda and Magrat prepare to stab Thor in the back from behind. Overhearing them, Hogun throws a knife past their noses as a warning to stay away from their captain. Skulking away, Kroda tells Magrat that they’ll try again later after they deal with Hogun the Grim. As the ship sails onward, Thor tells his crew that they are going where none have gone before.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Odin asks his Master of Prophecy if he made the wise decision. the profit assures Odin that not only was this the right move but the only one the All-Father could have made.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Loki, Odin, Volstagg, Hogun, Magrat, Kroda, Gudrun

Continuity Notes

1. Volstagg’s wife is first identified as Gudrun in Thor #367. She starts being called Hildegund starting in Thor #454.