A Spectre From the Past!

Following their battle with the Dweller in Darkness, Thor and Hercules emerge from the sewers. There they are greeted by Detective Ralph Blumkenn who thanks them for their assistance in a string of mysterious suicides that were related to the Dweller. Blumkenn then asks the two gods to repair the damage done to the street, which they do promptly. That’s when Ralph tells them how one of the suicide victims survived and is hospitalized and asking for Thor. This woman turns out to be Jane Foster. Hearing Jane’s name for the first time in a long time shocks Thor who demands to know where she is being treated. He then races to her bedside at Midtown Hospital. Seeing her asleep in her hospital bed causes Thor to think back to how he once loved Jane Foster back when he mostly operated as Don Blake. Odin denied his wish to marry Jane until one day the All-Father tested her to see if she was worthy of godhood. She failed and was cast out of Asgard. Thor quickly forgot about Jane when he was reunited with Sif, his first love.[1] Seeing her again, Thor realizes that he still loves her.

Meanwhile, on the Lower West Side, Madam Cynthia and her son, Arnold are conducting the seance for the Carwell family, who wish to contact their son from beyond the grave. What the Carwells don’t know is that the Nicholson’s are grifters who use technology to fake contacting the afterlife. However, when the seance begins Arnold actually makes contact with some kind of spirit. Madame Cynthia, thinking her son is playing things up, warns him not to go overboard. In reality, her boy has been possessed by the spirit of Armak a primitive who claims to be the first man.[2] This possession transforms Arnold into a massive primate. He then grabs Anne Carwell, the widow of the man his mother tries to contact and storms out of the building.

Back at the hospital, Sif and Krista has caught up with Thor and learn of Jane Foster’s failing health. Seeing how much Thor still loves the Foster woman convinces Sif to find a way to cre her. Seeking Odin’s aid, she then teleports herself back to Asgard. When she enters Odin’s throne room she finds Hildegard who tells her that Odin is missing.[3]

At that moment, on Earth, Hercules has just finished an adventure with Spider-Man when he runs into Amrak’s rampage.[4] Hercules looks forward to the battle and begins fighting Amrak. The news of the battle quickly makes the news and is seen by Krista on one of the hospital televisions. She races into Jane Foster’s room to try and get Thor’s assistance. At first, the thunder god refuses to leave Jane’s bedside until Krista slaps some sense into him. Thor then races to the nearby construction site where Hercules is battling Amrak. There, Thor manages to separate the primitive warrior from his female captive, allowing Hercules to carry Anne Carwell to safety. As the two titans slug it out, Arnold’s mother arrives on the scene. Grabbing a police megaphone, Hercules has Madame Cynthia try to talk sense into her son.

Hearing his mother’s voice awakens part of Arnold’s personality, distracting him long enough for Thor to knock the brute off the side of the partially constructed building. When Amrak hits the ground he is mortally wounded and as he dies he reverts back to Arnold Nicholson. Looking at Anne Carwell, Arnold’s final words are how beautiful she looks. Hercules then promises her that he will find out who or what was responsible for his transformation, while Thor races back to the hospital so he can return to Jane Foster’s bedside.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Hercules, Sif, Jane Foster, Krista, Ralph Blumkenn, Heimdall

Continuity Notes

1. Thor’s romance with Jane Foster ran from Journey into Mystery #83 through Thor #136 when Odin deemed her unworthy. Thor last saw Jane in Thor #172.

2. It’s later revealed in Thor #233 that Loki was responsible for Arnold Nicholson’s possession by Amrak.

3. Also revealed in Thor #233, Odin has gone to Earth in a mortal guise so he can learn a lesson in humility.

4. Spider-Man and Herules worked together in Marvel Team-Up #28 to stop the so-called City-Stealers.

Topical References

• Thor states here that he hasn’t seen Jane Foster in years. This should be considered a topical reference as it denotes the length of time between publications and not the passage of time in universe. Per the Sliding Timescale of Earth-616, it’s been roughly a year and a half since Thor last saw Jane.

• The Nicholaso’s are depicted using an old reel-to-reel film projector to pull their fakery.

• The television in the hospital is depicted as a black-and-white CRT television.