A Gathering of Heroes

This story continues from Thor #502…

Handyman Hal Daws is working away on a broken air conditioning unit musing about how much he likes the cold. He is then approached by men in black uniforms who ask if he is “Ho Der”. After correcting them on the pronunciation of his name, the strange men pull out guns and shoot Daws to death.[1][2][3]

Meanwhile, at a bar in Belleville, New Jersey, Red Norvell is celebrating the restoration of his title as god of thunder.[4] With him is Wad, the man who was once the All-Father Odin. Sensing Hal Dawds’ death, Wad begins screaming about how his people are being murdered.[5] One of the patrons doesn’t like the old man’s shouting and begins to complain. Red tries to explain how Odin lost it all, including his son but the patron doesn’t care and tries picking a fight with Norvell.[6] Red obliges him by throwing him out the window, taking all the fight out of him. Red decides that the time for fun is over and takes Wad back to his trailer for the night.

As they arrive home, Wad is still going on about how they have to find an protect the other lost gods when they are attacked by the same men in black who killed Hal. Luckily, Red is able to fend the attackers off with his enchanted hammer. However, before he can question their attackers they immolate themselves, leaving nothing behind but ash. Going inside the trailer to figure out their next move, Wad has a moment of lucidity from his usual drunken stupor and is able to write down the secret identities of the Asgardians exiled to Earth and where they can be found. Red decides to follow up on this lead and leaves Wad behind in his trailer.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of Asgard, the Enchantress finds herself a prisoner of Snagg, ruler of the Ice Giants. He has decided that Amora will be punished for the crimes of her people against the Ice Giants. Despite her precarious situation, Amora is already plotting to break free from her bonds and escape.[7]

Back on Earth, Professor Barry Landers is out on a jog between classes at the University of Plattsburg. He is a serious no-nonsense man entirely devoted to his work, ignoring the lustful eyes of his young students. His only companion he has or needs in his life is his pet cat, Nanna.[8] When he returns to his apartment to feed his beloved cat, Red Norvell comes knocking at his door and tries to reveal the truth to him and warn him of the threat posed by the men in black. Barry entertains Red’s wild story but ultimately thinks it is some kind of pledge week prank and kicks Norvell out since he has a lot of work to do. Red decides to let it go for now, but leaves his business card in case Barry changes his mind.

Sometime later, Ericka Velez — a sniper for the NYPD with aspirations of joining Code: Blue — is on the roof top across the street of a hostage situation. She has her shot lined up and is about to take it when she is suddenly ambushed by the men in black. Miraculously, the sudden eruption of gunfire panics the hostage taker enough to surrender without anyone getting hurt. When officers get up onto the roof to help Velez out, the attackers have retreated and vanished without a trace. While her lieutenant believes her story, he will still have to report the incident to internal affairs, much to Velez’s chagrin. That’s when Red Norvell approaches her and convinces her to listen to his story when he explains he too had a run in with the men in black.

Back at Red’s trailer, Wad is scouring the pantry to find something to drink when someone shows up with a bottle of whiskey and uses it to entice him to leave.[9] While in Plattsburg, Barry is returning to his apartment late with barely enough time to feed Nanna before his afternoon seminar. However, as he arrives at his building a bomb goes off, killing his beloved feline in the blast. As her ruined collar flutters to the ground, Barry breaks down into tears.

Meanwhile, corporate hatchet man Tso Zhung is disappointed about how his recent acquisition of a global telecommunications company resulted in the loss of 5423 jobs, when he estimated 6238. Leaving work for the day, Zhung returns to his apartment where his doorman informs him that there are guests waiting for him in the lobby. They turn out to be Red Norvell and Ericka Velez. As they are in the middle of explaining the threat to Tso’s life, they are attacked by the men in black again. Zhung helps the two strangers fight off their attackers who quickly flee. Red then takes them back to his trailer for answers. They arrive only to discover that Wad has disappeared. Moments later, Barry Landers arrives and Red tries his best to explain to the three strangers that they are actually gods of Asgard cast down to Earth in mortal form.[10]

That’s when they are attacked by the men in black yet again. This time, one of their number is dressed in a refurbished suit of old Iron Man armor.[11] Red charges in to defend them but is caught off guard when the Iron Man’s mace shatters his enchanted hammer in a single blow. Red is then fatally shot. Rushing to his aid with guns blazing, Ericka leads the charge against their attackers, but they quickly flee the scene. They then gather around Red Norvell, whose final words are disbelief that he is dying because he was supposed to be the god of thunder.[12]

Recurring Characters

Red Norvell, Ericka Velez, Tso Zhung, Wad, Barry Landers, the Enchantress, Hal Daws, Snagg, Pietro Vizarri (unidentified)

Continuity Notes

1. The gods of Asgard have been exiled from their home land and have been cast down as mortals with no memories of their past. The was caused when the WorldEngine tricked Yggdrasil into thinking Ragnarok had come to pass. See Thor #491-494 and Journey into Mystery #511 for the details on this.

2. These assassins are minions of the Egyptian death god Seth, as revealed in Journey into Mystery #506.

3. Although Hoder appears to be killed here, he is apparently resurrected later as we’ll see him back in his godly form in Thor (vol. 2) #14.

4. Red Norvell was once given the power of Thor in Thor #276-278 and sacrificed to prevent Ragnarok from happening. When the real Thor later turned his back on Asgard in Thor #472, Odin restored Red to live and made him the new god of thunder in issue #478. He was stripped of this power and banished to Earth and later had his power restored in issue #501.

5. Odin was also exiled from Asgard and sent years into the past where he lived as a homeless drunk until he was found by Thor in Thor #497. He has been in the care of Red since issue #501

6. At the time of this story, everyone believes Thor died sacrificing his life to stop Onslaught in Onslaught: Marvel Universe #1. However, he and the other Avengers were actually transported to a pocket dimension to live out reborn lives. He will return to the Prime Marvel Universe in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4/Avengers (vol. 3) #1.

7. The Enchantress was left behind on Asgard in Thor #500 and ended up becoming a prisoner of the Ice Giants in the following issue.

8. This is a clue as to Barry Landers true identity: Balder the Brave. Nanna was the name of his beloved who took her own life in order to prevent Balder from entering into a forced marriage to Karnilla the Norn Queen, as seen in Thor #305-306. That Barry is Balder is confirmed in Journey into Mystery #512.

9. The man who kidnaps Odin here is identified as Pietro Vizarre in Journey into Mystery #506. The reason Pietro wants Wad is to learn the secrets of a trunk the drunk left in his care years earlier. Vizzare is the mortal form of the Grand Vizier as we’ll learn in Journey into Mystery #511.

10. Red envisions that Ericka is Sif, Zhung is Hogun, and Barry is Balder. He’s got 2 out of 3 right. Sif and Balder’s true identities are confirmed in issue #512, while Journey into Mystery #509 reveals that Zhung is actually Loki. Hogun is actually disguised as Tyrone Hammer, coach for the New York Smashers football team, who will be recruited in Journey into Mystery #508.

11. This suit of armor is based off the original Iron Man armor created back in Tales of Suspense #39.

12. This is not the last we’ll see of Red. He’ll be resurrected by Seth in Journey into Mystery #508.