Dragon’s Blood!

Thor has sought out Odin’s eye to learn the secrets of his past. He has just learned that his father was forced to kill him during a time when he was reborn into a mortal guise of Siegmund. Reborn again as Siegfried, this brash reincarnation of Thor was quickly used as a pawn. See, decades earlier, Odin had taken the all powerful Ring of Neiblung from a dwarf named Alberich, who then cursed Odin.

The ring ended up in the ownership of Fafnir the dragon. Siegfried, meanwhile, was rasied by Alberich’s brother Mime who sought to claim the ring for himself by training Siegfried to slay the dragon. The boastful Siegfried agreed to battle the monster in the hopes of learning the the meaning of fear. Despite Fafnir’s efforts to kill him, Siegfried does not experience fear and mortally wounds the creature. Dying, Fafnir reverts back to his true form: That of a Storm Giant from Asgard. He tells Siefried about how he coveted his hoard of gold and the Ring of Nibelung, even going so far as slaying his own brother to obtain it. His final words are awarding the gold to Siegfried. Curious about the ring, Siegfried finds it on one of Fafnir’s fingers and, upon removing it, the massive ring suddenly shrinks down in size so he can wear it himself. With the ring in his possession, Siegfried enters Fafnir’s cave to see his treasure.

Not far away, Mime cowers in the bushes where he is found by his brother Alberich. The two fight among themselves over who will possess the Ring of Nibelung. Mime assures his brother that the ring will be his thanks to his manipulation of Siegfried. While inside the cave, Siegfried finds the mystical Tarnhelm and decides that it is the only item of value he really wants. Exiting the cage, Mime approaches his adopted son and returns his battle helmet that he lost fighting Fafnir. The warrior then puts it on over the Tarnhelm and suddenly discovers that exposure to Fafnir’s blood has allowed him to read Mime’s mind and learns that his is about to be betrayed. When the dwarf offers Siegfried a flagon of wine, he knows that it has been poisoned and rips it apart. Furious over being exposed, Mime tries to attack and is knocked into the pool of Fafnir’s blood, which turns out to be poisonous to the dwarf, killing him instantly. Seeing how Fafnir’s treasure brings about death to those who covet it, Siegfried uses the Storm Giant’s body to seal off the cave from other fortune seekers.

Seeking companionship, Siegfried wanders the forest when he is suddenly approached by a bird. He is surprised when he can understand its language and it tells him about the beautiful Brunnhilda, who has been put to sleep atop a mountain by Odin himself and surrounded in a barrier of fire. Seeking to wake Brunnhilda and making her his bride, Siegfried heads to the mountain. There he comes upon an old man blocking the path. Unaware that this is Odin himself, Siegfried orders him to get out of his way or the old man will taste his blade. Odin warns the young man that those who know fear will not be able to reach the top of the mountain. When Siegfried uses his sword to cut Odin’s spear in half, the All-Father is convinced that Siegfried is worthy to continue on and teleports away.

Siegfried then scales the mountains, enduring its sheer cliffs and roasting flames. When he reaches the top, Siegfried is about to wake Brunnhilde with a kiss when he suddenly feels fear for the first time. He overcomes his reluctance and kisses the woman. At first, Brunnhilde rejects the man who woke her until she remembers that Odin decreed only a man worthy enough to be her husband could wake her. She and Siegfried fall immediately in love and consummate their relationship.

Watching these events from the present day, the eye of Odin tells Thor that this is all part of Odin’s machinations and this moment of pure happiness will soon end in tragedy.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Odin’s Eye, Odin, Mime, Valkyrie, Fafnir, Alberich

Continuity Notes

1. Odin made this claim in Thor #291. Odin removed his eye and fed it to Mimi to stave off Ragnarok in issue #274 it has terrorized another dimension until Thor found it in issue #292.