The Fury of Firelord

At the home of Jane Foster, Thor and the Warriors Three are relaxing in front of the television when the movie they are watching is interrupted by a news bulletin. It contains a report about the on going conflict between the government of Costa Verde and rebels led by a man called El Lobo. Thor is disturbed to see that Firelord has apparently joined El Lobo’s army who is trying to topple the democratic government of President Juan Elmirez.[1] The thunder god decides to go and stop Firelord. While he orders the Warriors Three to stay behind, Thor is unable to convince Jane Foster to remain as well.

Meanwhile, in Asgard, Odin has found a number of warriors guilty of treason and — at Igron’s suggestion — banishes them to the molten mire pits as punishment.[2] Witnessing this display is Balder who, although vocally pledging allegiance to Odin, fears that the All-Father may have gone mad.

By this time, Thor and Jane Foster have arrived in Costa Verde. Their first task is arriving at the President’s home and announcing their intent to stop El Lobo and his militia. After dealing with the guards, Thor meets with President Elmirez. Juan is more than happy to have the thunder god present and points out the jungle where El Lobo and his men are hiding out. Thor and Jane then begin searching the forest, pausing only long enough for Jane to adjust her clothing to deal with the hotter climate. As they search, they are are unaware that they have been spotted by one of El Lobo’s men. He reports Thor’s arrival to his boss, El Lobo, who is in a meeting with Gypsy, his female ally who has used her feminine charm to entrance Firelord and force him into their cause. Annoyed at the interruption, El Lobo tells his man to go out with an accompaniment of guards and slay the intruders. While El Lobo is off giving orders, Firelord becomes confused over his involvement in these affairs. His concerns are lulled by Gypsy, who assures him he is doing the right thing.

While back in Asgard, Balder meets with Hildegard in a local tavern to tell her about Odin’s strange behavior. Both agree that even though it is tantamount to treason, they must do something about it. Unfortunately for Balder, their conversation is overheard by Snaykar the Skulker who decides to share what he has learned with Odin.

While back in the jungles of Costa Verde, Jane begins to succumb to the jungle heat. As she collapses she and Thor are also ambushed by El Lobo’s minions. However, they are no match for the might of Thor. Not even the heat-exhausted Jane Foster is easy pray as she is able to fight off the men who try to nab her. That’s when El Lobo arrives with Gypsy and Firelord. Ordered to attack the thunder god, the former herald of Galactus does so without question.[3] In the ensuing battle, both thunder god and cosmic herald are evenly matched. To try and twist things in their favor, El Lobo nabs Jane and holds her at gun point. With Jane in danger, Thor is forced to surrender and soon Gypsy uses her hypnotic powers — powered by the gem she wears on her forehead — enthralls Thor as well, adding even more might to El Lobo’s army. Gloating over their victory, the two rebel leaders are convinced that nothing can stop them now.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Firelord, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Balder, Hildegard, “Odin”, Jane Foster, Igron, Snaykar, Gypsy, El Lobo

Continuity Notes

1. Thor mentions how Firelord remained on Earth after being released from being a herald of Galactus. This happened back in Thor #228.

2. This is not actually Odin, but Mangog in disguise. As explained in Thor #250, he took Odin’s place following the events of Thor #242. Odin will remain missing until Thor #262.

3. Thor mentions the last time he and Firelord fought side-by-side this was in Thor #234.

Topical References

• Jane Foster’s television is depicted as a CRT television. This is topical since these types of TVs are obsolete. That the Warriors Three are watching an Errol Flynn movie is not topical since old films often play on network television or specialty television channels that cater to classic film.

• The character Gypsy’s name is unfortunate since, by today’s standard, the use of that word is considered a pejorative toward the Romani people. I have opted to continue using the word Gypsy here since it is the name of an actual character and not being used as a term describing the Romany.