Though Hel Should Bar the Way!

Space

Wielding a newly forged hammer called Stormbringer, Beta Ray Bill rushes back to his people with Thor and Sif by his side. The armada of alien ships have been pursed by demons across the universe and their pursuers have finally caught up with them.[1] They arrive on the scene in a chariot pulled by Thor’s pet goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder. Sif leaps into battle and tells Thor and Bill to keep moving onward to find out where these demons are coming from.

Following the trail back to Bill’s home galaxy they discover a massive portal where the demons are coming from. Before they can see what is on the other side, they are swarmed by the demonic invaders.

Somewhere Beyond the Fields we Know

The massive entity behind the demonic invasion is still hard at work, hammering away at his anvil. The star-stuff that he has been forging is quickly beginning to take the shape of a sword. As his minions gather around to watch the creation of this new weapon the bangs of hammer can be heard across the universe. The sound even reaches Earth where it begins waking ancient monsters from their eternal slumber.

Space

Back at the scene of the battle, Sif is holding her own against the seemingly endless stream of demons but she figures it is only a matter of time before she begins to tire. Although she is willing to meet her fate she is given an assist from Scuttlebutt, Beta Ray Bill’s sentient ship and the pair begin working together to defend Bill’s people from their pursuers.

Asgard

Volstagg continues to tell Agnar of Vanaheim the tragic tale of Balder the Brave to explain to the young warrior why Balder no longer wishes to fight. During his recent brush with death, Balder’s soul was trapped in Niffleheim, the realm of the dead.[2] There he wandered and witnessed untold horrors. However, the one that struck him the most was watching as the dragon Nidhogg consumed the souls of those who fled into the realm in terror. Getting a closer look, Balder realized that Nidhogg’s victims were all individuals that he had killed in battle. Seeing their torment was so horrific it turned Balder’s hair stark white. Upon his return to the land of the living, Balder swore never to raise a sword in violence ever again.

Finishing his tale, Volstagg gets up off Agnar and begins brushing him off. He warns the youth that picking a fight with Balder is a bad idea. While he and Balder’s other friends might be able to forgive and forget, Hogun the Grim is not one to do either. Agnar’s complaints die in his mouth when he witnesses Hogun’s icy glare.

Space

This whole time Thor and Bill have been trying to breach the portal in order to learn where the horde of demons are coming from. Unfortunately, they are unable to break through to the other side. With Bill’s people still in jeopardy, they decide that the best course of action is to close down the portal one and for all. Combining the power of both Mjolnir and Stormbreaker, the pair shatter the dimensional gate. With the portal to their home dimension closed off, the demons suddenly fade away. This comes a relief to Sif who was coming to the end of her endurance even with the added assistance from Scuttlebutt.

Earth

At a penthouse overlooking New York’s famous Central Park, Loki and Lorelei are working on their latest scheme against Thor. Lorelei believes that she will succeed in making Thor her plaything, but Loki warns her that Thor is no easy mark. When Lorelei questions why Loki is helping her he explains that he is doing so merely for his own amusement.

Asgard

Thor, Beta Ray Bill, and Sif return from their mission victorious and are celebrated by the people of Asgard. However, Beta Ray Bill has little to celebrate about as the transformation into his people’s protector has also made him shunned due to his horse-like appearance. As Bill is confiding this to Thor, Sif meets with Odin who is well aware of her growing interest in Bill. He reveals to her that there was more to the story of Bill being chosen to be his people’s defender. He reveals that Bill was but one of thousands who were chosen as candidates. The cybernetic process each candidate underwent was a horrible torment and those who didn’t die were driven completely mad. Although Bill survived with his mind intact the process was painful beyond imagination. Sif wonders why mortals have to suffer so much. Odin doesn’t have an answer, but suggests that there might be something he can do for their newfound friend.

Soon, a celebratory feast is held in honor of Bill. It is here that Odin asks Thor and Bill to approach him and lock their hammers together. Odin then uses his power to transfer an enchantment from Mjolnir over to Stormbreaker. Ordering Bill to strike his hammer on the ground, there is a flash of lightning and Bill is suddenly reverted back to his original form. Bill is overjoyed to finally regain his “humanity” and thanks Odin for all his kindness.[3] Deciding it is time to resume his quest to find a new home for his people, Bill prepares to leave Asgard. However, before he goes, Sif insists on accompanying him on his journey. Accepting Sif’s aid, Odin then teleports the pair back to Scuttlebutt. Thor is disappointed to no longer have his mortal guise, but Odin assures his son that Don Blake has outlived his purpose and that the enchantment will live on with Bill who will make better use of it.

Earth

A large tanker ship called the Astraglia is making a voyage across the coast of Cape Cod for the St. Lawrence River. The clear night and tame waters are suddenly shattered when the dragon Fafnir emerges from the waters and wrecks the ship. Calling out to Odin, the dragon vows that he will get his revenge by slaying Thor.[4]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Sif, Hogun, Volstagg, Balder, Odin, Agnar, Heimdall, Surtur, Loki, Lorelei, Fafnir, Toothgnasher, Toothgrinder, Nidhogg

Continuity Notes

1. Bill’s race is not identified in this story. The alien appendix in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition #15 identifies them as the Korbinites.

2. Balder spent time hanging between life and death between Thor #274 and 301. In his recollection of his time in Hel, he claims to have encountered Nidhogg the Dragon. Subsequent stories complicate the dragon’s appearance in this flashback, particularly Avengers: Endless Winter #1. See below for more on that.

3. This enchantment, as explained in Thor #159, allowed Thor to change into his mortal guise of Donald Blake. However, the transfer of this enchantment is not the end of Blake himself. He will turn up again in Thor (vol. 3) #1.

4. Fafnir has an axe to grind with Odin after the All-Father decimated his domain of Nastrond. See Thor #134-136.

Theory: Nidhogg’s Appearance

In this story, when Balder recounts his time in Hel, he recounts how he encountered Nidhogg the Dragon feasting on corpses. This is in line with Norse mythology which speaks a bit about how the dragon was around to eat carrion following Ragnarok. However, later stories make the dragon’s appearance here problematic.

Particularly the 2013 one-shot, Avengers: Endless Winter #1. Nidhogg is the central antagonist of the story. In it, it is revealed that Nidhogg ended up on Earth during World War II and got captured by the Nazis who did a bunch of experiments on the monster. The creature ended up getting buried under an island in 1944 where it remains trapped until the modern age. The modern age portion of this story — wherein Hulk battles Nidhogg — take place years after Balder’s trip to Hel. Moreover, we see Nidhogg again as an escapee from Hel that appears in Thor #486-488 and it is returned there after it is defeated. The dragon would go on to appear as one of the Asgardian creatures unleashed by Morgan le Fay in Avengers (vol. 3) #1. It’s seen dead in Asgard after Ragnarok in Thor (vol. 2) #85. It’s seen in the afterlife again in Journey into Mystery #646.

I think its fitting that this incongruity is actually quite appropriate since scholars can’t seem to agree on the translation of Norse poems that involve Nidhogg.

At any rate, I think the simplest solution is usually the easiest and I think that there are two different dragons who have the same name. Repeated names are actually quite common in Thor stories with unrelated characters are given the same name. The best example is Fafnir, which is the name to both a giant and a dragon who are unrelated. I don’t see how it is impossible for two dragons to have the same name.