The Growing Man

Following their victory against the Rock Trolls, Odin addresses his subjects and congratulates them on a battle well fought. Retiring to take a bath, Odin has council with his son, Thor. The thunder god is worried that he has been away from Earth too long and fears that there might be danger brewing.

Thor’s intuition is correct, a historian has been asked to examine a doll shaped man that was found during an archeological dig. However, when he arrives this doll man has suddenly grown to normal size. When they begin examining the strange orange skinned man it suddenly springs to life. When an officer at the scene starts trying to shoot this mystery being, each bullet bounces harmlessly off the armor. With each impact, the being grows slightly more giant. This being, the Growing Man, plows through a wall to get outside and begins searching for its master. Continuing to grow, the entity becomes increasingly anxious the longer his search takes and begins to wonder if he has been forsaken.

Back in Asgard, Sif asks if she can accompany him back on Earth. He denies this request, saying what he will do is man’s work, but the warrior woman refuses to accept this response. What Thor doesn’t say is that he is still conflicted between the feelings he has for Sif, and the recently departed Jane Foster.[1] When Thor doesn’t give a straight answer, Sif tells him to go as she will not bring herself to beg. With that out of the way, Odin then casts a spell to send his chosen son back to Earth.

When back on Earth, Thor returns to the doctor’s office that he runs in his mortal guise of Donald Blake. Thor changes back to Don Blake, and begins getting his office back in order because he has been away for a number of days.

Meanwhile, the police have chased the Growing Man into a nearby forest. By this time, the humanoid has grown large enough to rip trees out of the ground and hurl massive bolders to drive them away. Once the police are gone, the Growing Man’s master — Kang the Conqueror — uses a weapon to shrink the Growing Man back to down to doll size. That’s when the police return and catch Kang and order him to surrender. Not far away, Don Blake is being brought to the scene by more police officers. They have brought him along due to Blake’s association with Thor. He is shocked to hear that Kang is back in this era and when they get out of the car, Don sneaks off some place private to change into Thor.[2]

When Thor arrives, the Growing Man has been unleashed again. Although they are evenly matched, whenever Thor strikes the Growing Man his size increases.[3] Seeing this android as a threat to the world, Thor is ambushed by Kang who jolts the thunder god with his gauntlet. He tells Thor that the Growing Man is his creation and, restoring it to doll size, explains that he hid it in the present day until he was ready to use it in his future time to quash those who resist his rule.[4] Now that he knows his new weapon will work, Kang tries to escape in a time machine disguised as a large rock. However, before Kang can flee into the future, Thor uses his hammer to create an infinity vortex around the time machine to trap it outside the time stream for all time.[5]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Kang, Growing Man, Odin, Sif

Continuity Notes

1. Thor loved Jane Foster for some time starting in Journey into Mystery #84, in Thor #136 he finally convinced Odin to let him marry Jane. However, this was conditional on her passing a test to prove she was worthy of becoming an immortal and failed. Odin banished her back to Earth. This was all a manipulation to get Thor to reconnect with Sif.

2. Thor recounts his last encounter with Kang. That was in Avengers #8.

3. Thor compares the Growing Man with the Absorbing Man. Stan points out that Crusher Creel appeared in earlier issues but doesn’t specify which, because Stan Lee was phoning it in by this point. Absorbing Man fought Thor in Journey into Mystery #114-115 and 120-123.

4. Although Kang comes from the year 4000, this is the future of another reality. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Alternate Universes 2005 designates it as Reality-6311.

5. This story is expanded upon in Avengers #269, Thor Annual #17, and Avengers Forever #8-9. These stories later reveal that whenever Kang traveled through time he created divergent versions of himself. Thor’s attempt to banish Kang out of the time stream actually created two divergent Kangs. One ended up in Limbo and used the fortress belonging to Immortus to observe the timeline while the other returned to his native 40th Century. The Limbo Kang is next seen in Avengers #269 and the one that ended up in his own time is seen again in Avengers #69.

Topical References

• All reference to the Modern Age taking place in the 20th Century should be considered a topical reference. The Sliding Timescale has pushed the Modern Age forward in time so that it does not begin until after the start of the 21st Century.

The Battle Begins!

Thor and the Warriors Three have finally found Mystic Mountain to try and rescue Hogun’s people. Barring their path into the city of Zanadu is Mogul’s Devil Jinni. Despite the Jinni’s massive size, the four warriors are able to hold their own against the creature. When brute force can’t stop Thor and his comrades, he begins using his magical powers.

Watching the battle is Mogul, who figures that Hogun has come for his tribe’s battle standard and looks forward to slaying him and his friends if they survive their battle against the Jinni. Eventually, night begins to fall, the Jinni’s one weakness and it disappears in a puff of smoke. With the first obstacle out of their way, Hogun insists on going into Zanadu first. He vows to defeat Mogul and avenge his people.

Recurring Characters

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