When the Gods Make War!

Odin is missing somewhere on Earth, having gone to learn humility. Thor has decided to try and find his father and returns to Asgard to find answers. When he arrives on the Bifrost Bridge, he is greeted by Heimdal. He decides to not tell the guardian of the bridge that his sister, Sif, seemingly sacrificed her life to save Jane Foster until later.[1] More over, Heimdall is disturbed over the fact that he can no longer lift the horn needed to warn the kingdom of invaders.

Thor takes note of this and the fact that everyone in Asgard appears to be listless and out of sorts. Inside Odin’s palace, the Warriors Three are equally stricken by a strange malaise. Thor realizes that the kingdom is suffering due to Odin’s absence, making his need to find the All-Father even more important as the enemies of Asgard will assuredly attack when they find out that the very willpower has been sapped from its people.[2]

Odin’s vizier believes that if anyone will know where Odin is, it will be Mimir the embodiment of knowledge that exists within the world ashtree Yggdrasil. Casting a spell, the vizier summons the flaming form of Mimir. The entity reveals that Odin has been living in a California commune during his sojourn on Earth. He also reveals the sudden appearance of the Egyptian gods and how Odin had gone with Horus, Osiris, and Isis. Seeing that Thor is unfamiliar with these gods, Mimir explains who they are.

They were worshiped by the ancient Egyptians and along with Seth, the god of death, they ruled a domain called Heliopolis. According to legend, Seth once cut his brother Osiris into fourteen pieces and scattered them across the deserts of Egypt. These pieces of his body caused the growth of the first crops to grow, allowing Isis to find them and reform her husband. Osiris send his son Horus to find Seth and punish him for his crimes. The battle between Horus and Seth also coincided with the invasion of Egypt by Rome. As the Egyptian empire fell, Seth managed to defeat Horus in battle and trapped him and his parents within a mystical pyramid where they would be trapped until such a time when Atum-Re — the father of the gods — returns to free them. Seth vowed they would never get free. As Mimir concludes his story, it cannot say why the Heliopians have returned or what their interest in Odin might be.

Thor decides to return to Earth alone to find the answers to those questions. When he arrives in California, he is surprised to see that Jane Foster — who learned about the pyramid on the news — has arrived on the scene as well. As the thunder god approaches the pyramid, Horus emerges from the construct and orders Thor to go away. When Thor refuses, he tries to use his mystical eye to drive the thunder god back. Thor fends off this attack and quickly overpowers Horus. Thor is then ordered to stand down. Looking up he sees that Osiris and Isis have emerged from the pyramid with Odin by their side. Dressed in battle armor, they have convinced Odin that he is Atum-Re, the father of all the gods. "Atum-Re” orders Thor to kneel before him or else he will be killed. However, Thor is ready to fight his own flesh-and-blood but wonders if one will be able to live with themselves if they kill the other.[3]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Seth, Heimdall, Tyr, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Jane Foster, Mimir, Odin, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Seth

Continuity Notes

1. Jane Foster was mortally wounded in Thor #231. Sif later recovered the Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn to save her life, merging the two women together in Thor #235-236. Although Sif appears to be gone, she actually lives a shared existence with Jane and will reappear in Thor #244 and later for a prolonged period from Thor #249 until she and Jane are separated in Thor #334-335.

2. Thor believes that Odin’s absence from Asgard is the reason why everyone suddenly feels weak. This is not the case, as we’ll learn in Thor #250, which reveals that this was caused by a spell by Igron that used a portion of every Asgardian’s life-force to restore Mangog’s strength.

3. Atum-Re, aka Amon Ra, aka a lot of other alternate spellings, is actually a unique entity. He will be first seen in Thor #300. Per Thor Annual #10, Atum was the first of a race of new gods that were birthed by Gaea, the Earth goddess who birthed all the leaders of the various pantheon religions. Alternatively, Moon Knight #191 suggests that Ra, and other entities, were actually spawned by people saying god damn it too much, but that sounds like so much bullshit nonsense, which explains why it’s only mentioned in a Moon Knight comic nobody gives a shit about, but still for the sake of being complete, I mention it here.