If Asgard Should Perish…!

With Odin having gone apparently insane, Thor has confronted his father only to discover that “Odin” was actually Mangog in disguise this whole time. Revealing his true identity, Mangog vows to pull the Odinsword from its scabbard and trigger Ragnarok if his rule of Asgard is threatened.

Thor can hardly believe that Mangog can still exist even though the alien race whose hatred for Odin had long since been freed.[1] Igron decides to indulge the thunder god with an explanation since they’ll be killing him anyway. It all began after Igron was imprisoned after his failed coup of Asgard.[2] It was in the dungeon he came upon the diminutive Mangog, who survived his last encounter with Thor. The two agreed to work together and Igron use his magic to siphon a portion of life-force from everyone in Asgard to restore Mangog to his original stature.[3] This was around the time Odin was absent from Asgard on a mission to Earth.[4] Creating a seeing pool, the pair observed Odin just as he supposedly teleported back to Earth. However, something intercepted the teleportation and Odin never reached his intended destination.[5] Seeing this as an golden opportunity, Igron then cast a spell to disguise Mangog as Odin himself. This disguise so fooled the people of Asgard, Mangog was able to take control of the kingdom and install Igron as his new assistant.

With their entire scheme revealed, Mangog then resumes his Odin disguise and orders the arriving guards to capture Thor. The thunder god fights back but he is soon knocked out when “Odin” blasts him from behind.

As Thor is getting captured, his allies — the Warriors Three, Karnilla, Sif, Hildegard, Krista, Odin’s vizier, and Balder — are continuing to recruit people into their rebellion against “Odin”. With a massive army gathered, they then enter the palace where they are shocked to discover Thor in shackles inside.[6] When “Odin” appears he tells them that Thor is being punished for disobeying his rule. When the vizier tries to plead for mercy, “Odin” lashes out at him. When Balder and the Warriors Three try to attack, “Odin” then turns them into animals and then turns Sif into an old woman. Seeing his friends being tortured in this way gives Thor the strength to break free from his bonds.

When “Odin” demands Igron help kill the rebels, the wizard finally thinks his partner is going to far. In response, Mangog slays Igron. Without the wizard to sustain the illusion, Mangog’s true form is revealed to everyone. As the monster tries to make his way to the Odinsword, Thor lashes out at Mangog. Although Mangog is more powerful than the thunder god, without the faith of the people of Asgard to sustain him, Mangog eventually burns himself out and fades into nothingness, ending his threat.[7] Although Asgard is now free from Mangog’s tyranny there still remains one lingering question: What has become of Odin?

Recurring Characters

Thor, Mangog, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Karnilla, Sif, Balder, Hildegard

Continuity Notes

1. Mangog was originally created when Odin punished an alien race that threatened Asgard by merging them all into a single entity, Mangog. After Thor defeated the monster, Odin freed the alien creatures, see Thor #154-157. Still, the hatred for Asgard sustained Mangog until Thor defeated him again, causing him to shrink down to nothingness. See Thor #195-198.

2. Igron attempted to conquer Asgard with mystical constructs of Odin, Thor and other in Thor #217.

3. This spell is the reason why the people of Asgard were lethargic when Thor visited the realm in Thor #240.

4. Odin went walkabout on Earth in order to learn humility and then got roped into saving the Helipoian gods from Seth. See Thor #233-242.

5. What happened to Odin is not explained until Thor #262 which reveals that Odin was kidnapped by Deonists who sought gods from across the universe to power their society.

6. Thor is separated from Mjolnir for over 60 seconds. Usually, this would cause him to revert back to his mortal form of Don Blake. Although unexplained here, Thor #263 reveals that this was a sign that Odin’s power — which enforce the enchantments on Mjolnir — are beginning to run down, signaling his death is coming nigh.

7. You better believe that Mangog is not gone for good. Mangog will return in Thor (vol. 2) #20.