Thor #352
Ragnarok and Ruin!
Asgard
The Bifrost Bridge has been shattered, Thor has fallen, and now the only one standing between Surtur and the Eternal Flame — and the death of all life in the universe itself — is Odin.[1] The All-Father refuses to let the demon pass and is willing to fight to death in order to avenge his fallen brothers.[2] Using the Odinpower, the All-Father tries to keep Surtur at bay but he is quickly swatted away by the massive Twilight sword.
New York
The forces of Asgard continue the seemingly endless battle against the demonic hordes of Surtur that are investing the city. Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four warns their feild-leader, Beta Ray Bill, that they will soon be overwhelmed unless they can shut down a portal that has been constructed onto the side of the Empire State Building.
To this end, the Einherjar, led by Sif, have been dispatched to attack the demons at the gate and then retreat as part of Bill’s strategy. As they pull back, Harokin makes a comment about how foolish Thor was letting her go, which makes Sif wonder what her future is with Bill.[3]
England
The Human Torch and Roger Willis have arrived at the Cotswold fortress of Mikaleth the Dark Elf. There, Roger digs up the shattered remains of the Casket of Ancient Winters and goes about the task of gluing it back together. Having been followed by Surtur’s demons, the Human Torch flies off to keep them busy so Roger can work. However, without the Torch’s flames, Roger begins to struggle under the crippling cold weather.
New York
The heroes gamble pays off when they lure the demonic horde into an ambush on the opposite side of the World Trade Center. While the legions of Asgard clash with their foes, Mister Fantastic is able to shut down the portal and cut off any reinforcements from joining the fight. The trapped demons are quickly destroyed but Sif goes missing in the battle. Beta Ray Bill begins to call out to her and is about to go off looking for her when Volstagg stops him and reminds him of his duty to lead their armies to victory.
Realizing that he has no other choice, Bill vows to avenge Sif if it turns out she died in battle.
Asgard
The battle between Odin and Surtur rages on with the All-Father able to hold his own against the demon thanks to the Odinpower. With the battle in a stalemate, Surtur decides to summon the full fury of the Casket of the Ancient Winters and channel it through his sword to defeat his foe.
Meanwhile, in the nearby mountains, Frigga has been trying to lead the children of Asgard to safety. However, their path across a bridge has been blocked by a troll who demands she hand over one of the children to eat or else he will kill them all. Young Grunhild comes up with a plan and leaps over the troll while the other children distract him with insults. With the troll thoroughly distracted, Grunhild ties her self to one of the bridge posts and approaches their opponent with a knife in hand.
New York
The endless blizzard that has been pounding the Earth has suddenly abated. One of the demons has been captured and Beta Ray Bill threatens torture in order to learn where the enemy is coming from. Fearing for his life, the demon explains that they have been using a “great desert” as their staging ground for their invasion of Earth. Rallying his forces, Bill re-activates the portal and leads them through it. They appear on the other side in the Sahara Desert where a seemingly endless legion of demons are waiting for them.
England
Roger is almost finished re-assembling the Casket of Ancient Winters. With one piece left he struggles to break it free from the ice due to the fact that his fingers are starting to freeze. It’s then that he becomes aware that he is not alone anymore…
Asgard
Surtur uses the power of the Casket to blast Odin with extreme cold, sealing him in a prison made of ice. With the last obstacle out of his way, Surtur uses the Eternal Flame to ignite the Twilight Sword.
Recurring Characters
Beta Ray Bill, Odin, Surtur, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Sif, Harokin, Enchantress, Hermod, Tyr, Executioner, Frigga, Mister Fantastic, Human Torch, Storm, Avengers (Vision, Hercules, Captain Marvel), Gunnhild, Hrolf, Arngrim, Roger Willis
Continuity Notes
The Bifrost was shattered last issue. It will be restored in Thor #426.
Odin’s brothers, Vili and Ve, sacrificed their lives so Odin could flee Surtur’s realm centuries earlier. See Thor #349.
Sif and Thor called it quits following the events of Thor #336 when he refused to return to Asgard. She subsequently ended up leaving to help Bill find a new home for his people in Thor #340.
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 a topical reference as these buildings were destroyed in a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 and since been replaced with the Freedom Tower.