Behold… The Living Planet!

Venturing into the Black Galaxy on behalf of the Regellians, Thor and the Recorder have discovered a Bio-Verse ruled by Ego the Living Planet.[1] They soon land on Ego’s surface and find a bizarre landscape that is completely organic. There, Ego shapes a face on a mass of rocks so he can communicate with Thor and the Recorder. Ego explains that he has waited for eons for someone of Thor’s power to enter into his bio-verse and appear to him. As a demonstration of his power, Ego reads Thor’s mind and reshapes the surface of his world to resemble that of Earth. Ego then appears in human form on horseback and asks Thor and the Recorder to join them to the city of New Asgard so they can talk about what Ego intends to do next. As they ride through a demented landscape, Ego cuts to the chase and says that he intends on leaving the Black Galaxy to conquer all of space.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Jane Foster has traveled to Europe under the mental command of Tana Nile. She has made friends with Sir Porga, her seatmate on a flight to Europe. They stop for dinner and Porga explains how he has been seeking someone who possesses courage, enthusiasm, and dedication. When Jane presses him for more information, he says he cannot tell her any more until his partner, Count Tagar, arrives. Tagar arrives moments later and begins questioning Jane to see if she is the person they are seeking. When she mentions that she is a nurse, Tagar believes she will be perfect for what they need. He then informs her that the Genetic Table of the High Evolutionary must have her services, and they will not take no for an answer.

Back in the bio-verse, Thor and the Recorder arrive in Ego’s “New Asgard”. There the living planet explains that he intends to create an army of humanoid duplicates of himself to conquer the universe outside of the bio-verse. When Thor refuses to allow that to happen, Ego dissolves his human form and stuns the thunder god with a powerful blast of energy. Ego then scans Thor’s body and uses it to create an anti-body warrior that will be part of an army. The Recorder documents it all and when Thor tries to attack the creature the anti-body dissolves into mist. Having gotten on what he wanted from Thor, Ego then restores his domain to its true form and orders them to begone.

Thor doesn’t want to leave until he has defeated Ego and he and the Recorder are soon chased off by a torrent of water. They leap through a hole on the surface that resembles the pore on human skin. Below the surface, they find the inside of Ego to resemble that of an organic being. There they are swarmed by an army of anti-bodies. Thor fights them off but both he and the Recorder are sucked into an arterial tunnels.

On Earth, Tana Nile has been brought to a police station. There she demands the desk sergeant to bring her to the leaders of Earth. The cops all think she is some nut. Deciding to give a display of power, Tana contacts her fellow Colonizers on Rigel and orders them to use the space lock to move the Earth out of its orbit. They refuse and, to her surprise, she is told that they are revoking her claim to the planet. Before she can get any answers out of them, the line of communication is cut off.

Meanwhile, Thor and the Recorder continue to fight through Ego’s system. When the Recorder gets buried alive, Thor stops to dig the robot out as he has come to view him an ally. This causes the Recorder to suddenly feel gratitude first time. Thor carries the Recorder up to the surface and uses his powers to summon a powerful storm on the surface of the planet before launching himself into orbit. Feeling the fury of the storm, Ego realizes that there are forces that exist outside the Black Galaxy that are more powerful than he could ever imagine and vows to not attack any worlds outside of his bio-verse. Flying back to Rigellian space, Thor considers the danger from the Black Galaxy neutralized and can now return to Earth, but fears that there is something dangerous waiting for him there.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Ego the Living Planet, the Recorder, Jane Foster, Sir Porga, Count Tagar, Tana Nile

Continuity Notes

1. Unspecified here, the Recorder is actually one of many. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #8 reveals that he is the 211th Recorder unit.

Valhalla!

The Black Stallion of Doom has come to take Harokin, who was gravely wounded in battle against Thor. Resigning to his fate, Harokin is dressed in a suit of armor and put on the back of the Stallion. That’s when Hela, the goddess of death and the Valkyries come to claim Harokin.[1] Everyone is ordered to look away as what comes next is not meant for the living. Volstagg of the Warriors Three takes this a step forward by hiding under a table.

Hela and the Valkyrie then lead Harokin out beyond the mists between life and death. There, Harokin rides the stallion across a golden path all the way to the mountains of Valhalla. He is welcomed by all of the warriors that make the domain their home in the afterlife. Feeling strength return to his bones, Harokin races the Stallion of Doom into battle.

Back in Muspelheim, Thor and the Warriors Three toast the passing of Harokin. They tell Volstagg that Hela is long gone and he can come out from under the table. Emerging with a glass in hand, the cowardly Volstagg tries to convince them that he fears no woman, not even the personification of death.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Harokin, Hela, Stallion of Doom, Valkyries (Brunnhilda, Valtrauta, Grimgerta, Hecara, Leita, Ortlinda, Rossviessa, Sygnet, all unidentified)

Continuity Notes

1. The Valkyrie that appear here are all unidentified in this story. Their identities are all confirmed in the summary for this issue that appears in Official Index to the Marvel Universe: Thor and confirmed in the Valkyrior entry in X-Men: Earth’s Mutant Heroes #1.