No More the Thunder God!

Thor and the warriors of Asgard survey the damage done during to their kingdom during their battle with Surtur.[1] He congratulates them for a job well done and then retires to spend time with his beloved, the lady Sif. However, their moment of romance is short-lived when Odin arrives to speak with his son. He wishes to punish Loki for briefly usurping the throne and dispatches Thor to Earth to bring him in.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Loki and Igron have checked into a hotel after fleeing Asgard. Here, Igron is hard at work on a potion to help his master against Thor.

As Thor arrives on Earth, he decides to start looking for his step-brother by investigating things in his mortal form of Donald Blake. He is unaware that Loki is observing him from afar. When Igron completes his work, Loki repays him by teleporting him back to Asgard into the realm of the Trolls where he is sure to be tortured. Changing into his regular garb, Loki then goes to the office of Donald Blake. There he finds Thor is there waiting for him, as he anticipated Loki was spying on him and would come here.

However, the thunder god is not prepared for Loki’s newest scheme. Opening a carrying case a strange mask-like object leaps out and attaches itself to Thor’s face. This causes Thor and Loki to swap faces. Thor is horrified to learn that this is far more than just a cosmetic change when Loki is able to lift Mjolnir and use it against him. Knocking out his half-brother, Loki changes their clothing so he can initiate the next phase of his plan.

Back in Asgard, Balder is still recovering after saving Odin from the Sea of Eternal Night. Well wishers have come to celebrate his bravery, but he quickly tells them to leave him to rest. In reality, he doesn’t want to rest at all because he senses that Thor is in danger. Once he is alone he begins getting dressed and is caught in the act by Sif. The pair agree to go to Earth and help Thor in his time of need.

Meanwhile, Thor has woken up and discovers that he wasn’t dreaming, that he is trapped in Loki’s body. That’s when Balder and Sif teleport into the room and, falling for Loki’s trick, begin attacking Thor. When Thor tries to explain the situation, his allies do not believe him. As a battle break out, the real Loki watches on a television with glee. With the real thunder god occupied, Loki then sets about using his likeness to Thor to ruin his half-brother’s name.

At that same time, the real Thor lures Balder up onto the rooftops. There he attempts to cast a spell that makes the electricity from a billboard jolt Balder. Still weak from his previous injuries, Balder is knocked out immediately. Fearing his lack of magical skill had killed his best friend, Thor begins lamenting over him. This is witnessed by Sif, who is convinced that “Loki” has been telling the truth. When Balder wakes up, no worse for wear, he is also convinced that this is really Thor. Thor is relieved as he now has hope to reverse this horrible situation.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif, Balder, Igron, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg)

Continuity Notes

1. Loki taking over Asgard, the battle with Surtur and Balder’s injuries were all detailed in Thor #175-177.

Topical References

• Loki is depicted watching the battle between Thor and Balder on a CRT television.