Lo, the Raging Battle!

In the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, Firelord continues his exploration of the planet Earth. Spotting a strange cube on the mountain side he decides to investigate further. Discovering it is a portal, the former herald of Galactus crosses through the portal and is transported to another dimension. There he is confronted by a man whose identity is obscured in shadow. This mystery man tells Firelord that he is power incarnate and the cosmic being will do his bidding or die.

Meanwhile, Thor has gathered a bunch of rare medicines and gives them to Jane Foster’s doctor in the hopes they will save her life. Unfortunately, despite the medicine, there is nothing that can be done to approve Jane’s condition. Putting on a brave face, Thor returns to Jane’s bedside and discovers that she is awake. He tells her that he will remain by her side always.[1]

While in Asgard, Sif has sought out Odin’s aid in saving the life of Jane Foster, only to learn that he is missing from the kingdom and nobody knows where he went or when he will be back.[2] When she explains Jane Foster’s fleeting mortality, Hildegard knows of a solution: Sif should seek out the Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn. Sif agrees to quest for this mystical artifact and teleports herself back to Earth to recruit allies to help her on her mission. She appears in Avengers Mansion where Hercules and Krista are waiting for word on Jane Foster’s condition. When Sif explains her quest to Hercules, he agrees to accompany her and they teleport away moments later.

Elsewhere, Thor has gone to the rooftops to contemplate his current situation. That’s when Firelord arrives and attacks him unprovoked. This leads to a battle between the two across the city. However, when Firelord collapses the side of a building on the thunder god, he remembers that he didn’t come to fight. Thor manages to free himself from the rubble and is spoiling for a fight, but when Firelord apologizes for the attack he agrees to listen. However, before Firelord can explain anything, Detective Ralph Blumkenn arrives on the scene and demands answers from the two combatants.

Back at Avengers Mansion, Jarvis tells Iron Man that there is a call from Tom Fagan out in Rutland Vermont. Fagan is distraught because Loki — who was left under his watch — has managed to escape, using his magic to make a local boy appear to be Loki over the past few months. Iron Man thanks Tom for the heads up and promises to use the Avengers resources to get Fagan out of trouble for unintentionally keeping a minor a prisoner in his home.[3] That’s when Thor and Firelord arrive and reveal that it was Loki who contacted the former herald of Galactus earlier that day. During this encounter, Loki revealed that he gained some of Dormammu’s power when he was defeated during the Avengers/Defenders war and intends to use this power to destroy Thor once and for all. He then dismissed Firelord so he could pass along this message.

Hearing all of this, Thor finds himself torn between his duty to stop Loki and his desire to remain by Jane Foster’s side.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Loki, Sif, Hildegarde, Krista, Hercules, Jane Foster, Firelord, Edwin Jarvis, Iron Man, Ralph Blumkenn, Tom Fagan

Continuity Notes

1. Thor recalls how he and Jane Foster were forced to separate by Odin, that happened back in Thor #130. Also mentioned how the Jane Foster was manipulated by the Dweller in Darkness to commit suicide. That was in Thor #230.

2. Thor #233 reveals that Odin went to Earth in a mortal guise to learn a lesson in humility.

3. Loki appeared to have been driven mad at the end of the Avengers/Defenders War and was left in the care of Tom Fagan. See Avengers #115-119 and Defenders #8-11.

Topical References

• Jane’s doctor is depicted developing an x-ray in photo developer. This should be considered topical as x-rays are no longer produced in such a way.

• While most real life people appearing in Marvel stories are considered topical reference, Tom Fagan is one of the few exceptions due to his association with the Marvel Bullpen vis-a-vie the annual Rutland Vermont Halloween parade. Although the real life Fagan died in 2008, he exists in the Modern Age of the Marvel Universe in the relative prime of his life.