To Die Like a God!

After Rock Trolls have stolen Mjolnir, Thor is trapped on Earth. In the next sixty seconds he will change back to Don Blake, leaving him powerless to return home to Asgard and stop an invasion of his home. Thor is about ready to give up, but Sif assures him they’ll succeed. When a subway train comes speeding toward them, Thor tells Sif to get behind him while he shields her with his body. However, Sif finally reveals that she too has the ability to return them to Asgard. She then casts the necessary spell to teleport them back home.

Once away from Earth, Thor is no longer held to the spell that causes him to change back to Don Blake if he is separated from Mjolnir for more than sixty seconds. They materialize deep in the domain of the Rock Trolls. There, Thor tries to convince Sif that the battle ahead is no place for a woman, but she refuses to leave his side because she is a warrior herself. Wandering the tunnels of the Troll kingdom, they soon find their armory and discover that they have been developing advanced weapons and wondering who has been teaching them how to build such weapons of mass destruction.

While in the Kingdom of Asgard, Odin continues to lead his forces against the invading Rock Trolls. However, the Trolls advanced weapons are giving them the advantage. Even Odin himself is beginning to wonder who gave the Trolls such weapons. Although he uses his Odinpower and sceptre to summon a barrage of fireballs to fall from the sky, still the Trolls press forward. Although King Gerriodur nor Ulik are present in battle they have the confidence in the weapons given to them by Orikal, a being from another universe that they have imprisoned. Ultimately, Odin exhausts his powers for the time being. However, he is unwilling to accept defeat and leads his warriors on the charge against the invaders.

Back in the kingdom of the Trolls, Girrodur has learned how to duplicate Thor’s hammer and created a copy of Mjolnir for Ulik to wield. When Thor and Sif arrive, Thor commands the real Mjolnir to return to his hands. While Thor matches his hammer against Ulik’s, Sif manages to grab a sword to fend off the other Trolls trying to attack them. Fearing that he may lose this battle, Gerriodur summons Orikal to deal with the two invading Asgardians. Orikal responds by using his powers to pull Thor and Sif toward the secret passage to his hidden chamber. Sensing that there is something on the other side, Thor shatters the wall with Mjolnir.

Face-to-face with Orikal, Thor and Sif are told how he is restrained by the circle of flames around him and has been forced to do the bidding of the Rock Trolls. That’s when Ulik enters the room and threatens to throw a switch that will increase the intensity of the flames and kill Orikal, Thor, and Sif. Thor proves faster than Ulik and knocks the Troll out by throwing Mjolnir at him. Thor then promises to free Orikal if he takes away the power from the Rock Troll’s new weapons. Orikal agrees and when Thor shuts off the flame keeping him prisoner, Orikal teleports back to his home dimension. With Orikal gone, Thor convinces Gerriodur that further battle will be futile. The King of the Rock Trolls decides to retreat back to his kingdom to plot anew.

Back in the Kingdom of Asgard, the Rock Troll’s weapons stop working and they are quickly forced to retreat. When Odin and the others find the secret tunnel they discover Thor and Sif and learn how they helped stop the invasion. Odin is proud of Thor and he and Sif are celebrated by the other Asgardians.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Sif, Ulik, Orikal, Odin, Gerriodur

Continuity Errors

• Ulik is depicted being able to hold Mjolnir. However, it has been well established since Journey into Mystery #83 that only someone who worth can wield Thor’s hammer. This was also reinforced last issue. While we can excuse Ulik being able to hold a duplicate of Thor’s hammer, there is no explanation as to how Ulik can hold the real Mjolnir. Sort of Ulik being worthy (I doubt it) maybe the duplicate hammer was able to nullify the enchantment in the real Mjolnir, but that’s speculation on my part.

The Secret of Magic Mountain

Mogul, the ruler of Mystic Mountain, has grown tired of being entertained and sends his dancers away. His advisor, Abu Dakir, informs him that four strangers are approaching their domain. Furious that intruders are on their way to his land, he summons his enchanted crystal so he can observe them. He sees that it is Thor and the Warriors Three, and muses that Hogun the Grim is coming to free his people. He then summons his Jinni Devil and orders the mystical creature to deal with the intruders.

Nearby, Thor and his allies arrive at the location where they are told they could find Mystic Mountain. Instead they find nothing but an endless desert. This angers Hogun, who believes they have been deceived. Thor, on the other hand, suspects that there is more than meets the eye and slams Mjolnir on the ground as hard as possible. This disburses the stand under the feet revealing a glass surface. Below that the see that Mystic Mountain actually exists underground.

Hogun is eager to free his people and begins smashing the glass with his mace. This opens a path into the mystical kingdom of Zanadu. As the quartet venture down into the village they are suddenly confronted by the Jinni Devil who warns them that crossing the threshold into Zanadu will pay with their lives.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Mogul, Jinni Devil, Abu Dakir