Thor #267
Once More, to Midgard!
Odin has been restored as ruler of Asgard and repairs to the palace are underway after Thor’s recent battle with Loki. Overseeing the reconstruction efforts is Balder. However, when repair crews almost drop the massive Pillar of Sovereignty, Thor uses Mjolnir to knock it back upright and hammer it into place. Thor and Sif then attend the sentencing of Loki for his attempt to usurp the throne. During the trial, the trickster god refuses to enter a plea. Odin then responds by banishing Loki to Earth as a homeless derelict with no memory of his past life.
With this out of the way, Thor bids farewell to the Recorder who has completed his mission to record the Odin-Quest and is returning to his masters, the Rigelians.[1] After the Recorder is gone, Thor announces to everyone that he intends to return to Midgard so he can resume his mortal guise of Doctor Donald Blake. When the Warriors Three try to invite themselves along Odin, sensing Thor wants some time alone, instead charges the trio with capturing Loki’s confederates Kroda, Magrat, and Snaykar. Sif also understands Thor’s need for some alone time and tells him that she will wait for his return. Elsewhere in the kingdom, Karnilla tells Balder that she is returning to her domain. When Balder declines to join her, the Norn Queen tells him that he knows where to find her should he change his mind.
Soon, Thor goes to the Bifrost Bridge and takes a moment to take in the beauty before teleporting back to Earth. Appearing in the middle of traffic, Thor is happy to be back in New York City. He quickly finds a nearby alley to change back into Donald Blake. Don is in for a shock when he goes to the building where is practice was located and discovers that it had been torn down and a parking structure put in its place.[2] Trying to figure out his next move, Don decides to go to Trinity Hospital to pay a visit to an old colleague, Doctor Jacob Wallaby. Jacob is happy to see Blake after so long an absence and suggests that Don find work at a free clinic located on the upper west side of the city as it offers the flexibility his inconsistent schedule will bring.
The meeting is interrupted when a terrorist named Damocles and his armored minions steal a supply of synthetic cobalt. Without thinking, Don tries to attack Damocles and is knocked easily aside. Blake recovers quickly and ducks away so he can change into Thor. Seeing that the thunder god is pursuing their escape craft, Damocles fires a missile at the United Nations Building, forcing Thor to break off his pursuit to destroy it. Although the missile is destroyed, Damocles and his men manage to get away. Returning to their hideout, Damocles intends to use the stolen synthetic cobalt to construct a cobalt cannon which he will use to threaten the world.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Loki, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Odin, Balder, Sif, Karnilla, Heimdall, Recorder, Domacles,
Continuity Notes
Odin had been missing since Thor #243. When Thor found out in issue #250, he quested for his father from issues #255-264. Loki usurped the throne at that time, until he was defeated by Thor in issues #265-266.
The last time Don Blake spent time in his practice was in Thor #208.
Topical References
In this story, Don Blake states that he had been away from his medical practice for a whole year. As stated above, the last time Don went to his office was in Thor #208, published in February, 1973 while this story was published in January, 1978. Per the Sliding Timescale would put the two stories as happening in different years (Thor #208 happening in “year three” and issue #267 happening in “year four” of the Modern Age) It’s not quite a year, but it’s somewhat accurate. One could assume that Don is generalizing or referring to the passage of a calendar year as opposed to a year of the Modern Age (which measures a year from the anniversary of the Fantastic Four’s rocket flight, not 365 days of the Gregorian calendar)