The Wrath of Replicus

A mobster named Slugger Sykes is given a demonstration of the replicants that are have been created by a scientist named Chuda. Chuda shows off a replica of Thor, which Sykes beats up to vent his frustrations over the real Thor returning to the city. With the demonstration over, Chuda then reveals his greatest creation yet, Replica Model X-3, aka Replicus. Chuda boasts that this creation can commit any crime successfully.

Meanwhile, Don Blake makes a house call to an elderly woman the locals call Granny Gardenia, because she sells flowers on the street. As Blake does his check-up, the woman tells him how her son never comes to visit her. Suddenly, two of Slugger Sykes’ men barge in. They have come to buy a carnation for the boss. As it turns out, Slugger Sykes usually buys a flower from Granny every day because he sees her as his good luck charm. The men have come since Slugger learned she was sick. They give Don some grief before leaving. When Blake tries to warn her that Slugger is a notorious criminal. Granny shrugs this off as a joke and asks him to turn on the television that Sykes bought for her in the hopes there is a wrestling match on. Instead, they catch a news broadcast about a robbery committed by Replecus.

After finishing the bank robbery, Replicus returns Slugger Sykes is impressed by the haul. He then tells his bodyguards they are fired because he is going to buy Replicus from Chuda. When they protest this, Replicus shows them the door. Over the next few days, Replicus commits a series of daring robberies that make headline news. As Don Blake reads about the latest robbery in the paper, he decides it is time for Thor to get involved. Tapping his walking stick on the ground the mild-mannered doctor is replaced with the god of thunder.

While Thor searches for Replicus, the machine detects his presence and prepares for battle. Thor and Replicus appear to be evenly matched. As they fight it out in the street they police and the press arrive at the scene. The authorities bring out the heavy artillery should Replicus manage to defeat Thor.

Watching from Chuda’s lab, Slugger Sykes is impressed with how the replicant is dealing with Thor. When Chuda mentions his plans to sell other models to mobsters all over the country, Slugger doesn’t understand why he’d do such a think, promising to pay for the exclusivity. Chuda scoffs at this, saying that his intentions are beyond mere money. Assuming that Chuda is a foreign spy, the mobster refuses to betray his country — even if he’s a crook. However, Chuda isn’t from a foreign nation, but an alien world. He pulls out a stun blast and blasts Slugger with it. Sykes withstands the blast and tackled Chuda, sending them both crashing into the power supply for Replicus. This causes a massive explosion that destroys Slugger’s hideout.

At the scene of the battle, Replicus finally managed to get a hold of Thor’s hammer but suddenly shuts down before it can use it against the thunder god. With Replicus shut down, Thor figures that its purpose will remain a mystery. Later, Don Blake pays another visit to Granny Gardenia who is mourning the death of Slugger Sykes. Don has deduced that Slugger was Granny’s son and tells her that no matter who he was in life, he died a hero and she should be proud of that.[1]

Recurring Characters

Thor

Continuity Notes

1. Chuda’s homeworld and his race have yet to be revealed. Neither is Slugger Syke’s full name is revealed to be Sylvester Sykes in the Replicus entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #9. Granny Gardenia is only ever identified as Mrs. Garden. I suppose the different last name is because Garden is her maiden name. It’s not uncommon for widows to go back to their maiden name after the death of their husband. However, that’s speculation on my part.

Topical References

• Dated pop-culture references: Lawrence Welk

• Granny’s television is referred to as a “brand new color television”. It is depicted as a standard screen with fucking dials. When this story was originally published in 1967, color televisions were just starting to become commercially available and were seen as a luxury. I’ve got a 70” 4K television in my living room that responds to my voice, and that’s outdated. You tell me how dated this reference is.

• The news program that Don finds on TV is identified as the Huntley-Brinkley Report. This news broadcast ended its run in the 1970s.

• The camera crew is using a massive 60’s era TV camera and the newscaster is reporting through a microphone directly connected to the camera by a cable.

Alibar and the Forty Demons!

Thor and the Warriors Three have entered the city of Zanadu to rescue Hogun’s captured people. Their arrival frightens away the locals and while Thor, Fandral, and Hogun are busy fighting Mogul’s soldiers, Volstagg decides to follow after a veil-wearing damsel being carried away in a litter.[1]

Meanwhile, Mogul is distracted from the battle because a pair of his guards have caught Alibar, a local thief, trying to steal from the royal kitchen to feed the poor. At first, the evil wizard sentences Alibar to death. However, he changes his mind and instead casts a spell that turns Alibar’s rags into a suit of armor. Alibar is surprised to be knighted but soon learns that this is not the change in status he was hoping for as Mogul orders him to lead his warriors, Satan’s Forty Horsemen, to battle against the invading Asgardians. As a final jest, Mogul has Alibar the battle standard stolen from Hogun’s people.

Riding into battle, Alibar realizes that Mogul is willing to sacrifice his own people in order to destroy the intruders to this mystical land.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Mogul, Alibar, Shezada (unidentified)

Continuity Notes

1. The veiled woman seen here is not identified until Thor #143. She is Shezada, the sister of Mogul.