Thor #342
The Last Viking
Asgard
Odin has come to Valhalla to celebrate the celebrated heroes of this domain. However, the All-Father’s mind is preoccupied by a threat that could consume them all and hopes Thor will soon return to them from Midgard. He also senses that the long anticipated Last Hero will finally arrive in the halls of Valhalla and wonders if he will be a harbinger of their impending doom.
New York
Following his battle with Fafnir the dragon, Thor has returned to his new mortal identity of Sigurd Jarlson. He is heralded as a hero for saving the life of a woman endangered by the monster, little knowing that she is actually Lorelei, sister of the Enchantress. While everyone else is taken by Lorelei’s beauty, Thor is too distracted by someone calling out to him in the same way as the Vikings who worshiped him centuries ago. Before Lorelei is taken away in an ambulance, she promises to repay Sigurd for his kindness and is taken away.
With that out of the way, Sigurd finds a secluded alley to change back into Thor and follow the sound of the voice beckoning to him.
Elsewhere Beyond the Fields we Know
The entity that has been forging a massive sword tells his followers to be silent as he sense an intruding presence. Illuminating the darkness all around him the entity discovers that he is being spied upon by Odin’s ravens, Hugin and Munin and tries to slay the birds before they can report back to their master.
Antarctica
Thor has followed the sound of the voice to the South Pole itself and he is shocked to discover a secret Viking village hidden among the frozen mountains of the region. Looking around for the person who has been calling him, Thor finds the village deserted but someone has been there recently as there is a pot of stew cooking over a fire. Wandering around he comes across a traditional Viking graveyard that stands before a cave. Deciding to explore the cave, Thor sets off a trap that sends thousands of deadly spears raining down on him.
Asgard
Balder has sought to get away from everyone by retreating into the forests. There he has set up camp hoping to get a reprieve from the memories of death that continue to haunt him.[1] He quickly becomes aware that he is being observed by someone and orders them to come out of the gloom and join him by the fire. He quickly sees through their disguise and knows he is talking to Karnilla, Queen of the Norns. When she once again tries to convince him to become her consort, Balder flat out rejects her offer. Seeing that she won’t get through to him, Karnilla leaves telling Balder that she will be there for him should he change his mind.
Antarctica
Thor easily avoids the death trap set at the cave entrance and decides to continue pressing on. He discovers that the entire tunnel is full of booby-traps. Surviving them all, Thor discovers a warrior wearing ancient Viking armor is responsible for setting all the traps. This warrior wishes to fight Thor to the death but the thunder god easily overpowers this warrior. The thunder god is shocked when he removes the warrior’s helmet and sees the true face of his opponent.
New York
After retreating from his battle with Thor, Fafnir the dragon realizes that he fled the battle prematurely. Furious and desiring revenge, Fafnir returns to the surface and begins terrorizing the people of New York in the hopes of drawing Thor out to face him.
Meanwhile, Lorelei has returned to her penthouse that overlooks Central Park. There she begins working on a drugged batch of golden mead which she intends to trick Thor into drinking so she can make him her unwitting slave.
Antarctica
Thor has defeated his opponent and is shocked to discover that he is an incredibly old man. Thor takes the warrior back to the Viking village and asks how his people came to be here. The warrior, who calls himself Eilif the Lost, explains that his descendants were loyal to King Harold Hardraada. In the year 1066, King Herald was slain during the invasion of England and his warriors were scattered. One group packed up everything and fled into seas in seven dragon ships and sailed south. Only one ship survived the harrowing trip and eventually arrived outside Antarctica. They then found a frozen cavern that led them to the temperate plain where they lived in peace for centuries.
Now, Eilif is the lone survivor of the Vikings who settled here and he had lured Thor to his domain in the hopes that he would die in combat against the thunder god and secure his seat in Valhalla. Failing to do this, Eilif fears that he will die of old age and not the warrior’s glory he had hope for. Thor points out that trying to win his place in Valahalla through tickery won’t work and decides that since Eilif called out to him then the elderly warrior’s life now belongs to him.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Fafnir, Odin, Balder, Karnilla, Eilif, Lorelei, Surtur, Jerry Sapristi, Hugin, Munin
Continuity Notes
Balder spent a period hovering between life and death from Thor #274 through 301. The incident was horrifying and left him profoundly changed as a result.
Topical References
The original twin towers of the World Trade Center are depicted as part of the New York City skyline in this story. This should be considered topical as these buildings were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and subsequently replaced with the Freedom Tower.
