Thor #180
When Gods Go Mad!
Having swapped bodies with Thor, Loki is now going about ruining his step-brother’s good name. Wielding Mjolnir, Loki begins trashing vehicles in the street, causing a panic. That’s when Thor — trapped in Loki’s body — arrives and tries blasting the trickster with one of his own spells. He is joined by Sif and Balder who are assisting Thor in restoring his true appearance and bringing Loki to Asgard to face justice.[1]
Unfortunately, Odin has taken this opportunity to observe things on Earth. Unaware of the body swap, Odin teleports who he thinks is Loki back to Asgard for punishment. This amuses Loki as his brother will be suffering the punishment meant for him. Brought before his father, Thor tries to explain the situation, but Odin refuses to listen. Disgusted with Loki’s acts against the kingdom of Asgard, Odin decides to banish him to Hades.
Back on Earth, Sif and Balder try to fight Loki but the trickster is more powerful due to his ability to command all the powers of Thor. When he subdues Sif, Balder uses his own power to send her back to Asgard so no harm may come to her. Loki then knocks out Balder with some falling rubble and then takes off to carry out his smear campeign.
When Sif appears in Asgard, she races to Odin’s vizier to seek an audience with the All-Father. Unfortunately, Odin has retired to his chambers to brood and is not to be disturbed. He then takes Sif to the Cosmi-Screen to show her where Odin banished “Loki”. Sif is horrified to discover that Thor has been inadvertently sent to the netherworld of Mephisto.
There, Mephisto is pleased to see that he now has Loki as a guest in his domain. However, he quickly discovers that this is actually Thor when he touches “Loki’s” arm and he is burned by the pure goodness of his soul. Mephisto is overjoyed at the prospect of torturing Thor for all eternity and sets his globules of madness upon the disguised thunder god. Despite his lack of skill, Thor manages to defend himself from the creatures born of the globules with Loki’s mystical powers.
Back in Asgard, the Warriors Three are in the middle of a barroom brawl, fighting with some trolls who have taken Odin’s name in vain. The battle is quickly ended when Volstagg is sent tumbling down a flight of stairs, taking out all of their attackers. The trio then make a hasty retreat when they are found by Sif. She enlists their aid and returns to the palace to the Vizier. After seeing the damage done by Loki in Thor’s guise, the Warriors Three agree that they must first save the real Thor from Mephisto’s realm before dealing with Loki’s threat. Using the powerful Odin-Helmet, the Vizier sends them to Mephisto’s realm. The Lord of Darkenss is pleased to have more visitors and shows them that he has frozen Thor in a block of ice.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Loki, Odin, Sif, Balder, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Mephisto, Galactus
