Thor #363
This Kursed Earth
Secret Wars II continues from Micronauts (vol. 2) #16. This story continues from Power Pack #18…
New York
In order to learn more about desire, the Beyonder has used his power to recreate the Dark Elf known as Algrim the Strong into the powerful entity known as Kurse.[1] Filled with a desire to destroy Thor, Kurse had ventured to New York City where he battled Beta Ray Bill and the Power Pack and ended up buried under a construction site.[2] However, the monster is far from dead and eventually digs himself free and continues hunting for Thor.
At that moment, Thor has returned to Midgard and returns mortal souls that he recently rescued from Hela’s domain.[3] After returning the souls, Thor parks his goat drawn chariot in a nearby alley before he heads back to Asgard. There, he is accosted by some homeless men begging for change. When he doesn’t have anything to give them, they cuss him out for not helping them out making the thunder god wonder why he risks his life helping mortals on Earth. He angrily tells them off, pulling off his make-shift mask to show the scars he suffered battling Hela, frightening them off.
Elsewhere in the city, the Power Packs have sneaked out of their homes to look for people injured during their battle with Kurse. They find Beta Ray Bill — in his humanoid form — passed out in an alley and after waking him up learn he was defeated in battle with Kurse. Learning from Bill that Thor has finally returned to Earth, Lightspeed is sent off to warn him about Kurse.[4]
Asgard
Loki has just hatched another scheme to get revenge against his brother Thor, in order to prevent him from claiming the throne of Asgard. Using his Cosmic Transmuter, Loki fires a beam of mystical energy toward the Earth that will carry out his plan.
New York
This beam of energy is observed by the Beyonder from his sanctum in the Atlantic Ocean. He is amused to learn that someone else is interested in Thor and decides not to interfere. He then turns his eye to Kurse who has just found and ambushed Thor on the street. During the fight, Thor evades Kurse’s attacks. Hearing his foe’s voice, Thor instantly recognizes it as that of Algrim the Strong. Hearing his true name reminds Kurse of how he was left to fall into a pit of lava, bringing on a fresh wave of utter rage.
Asgard
Volstagg’s children are playing outside the city of Asgard when they suddenly come across the Twilight Sword of Surtur, left behind from the fire demon’s failed attempt to destroy all life in the universe.[5] They also discover that someone has build a device that has been draining energy from the powerful sword. Hildy in particularly figures out that the weapon has been hidden thanks to a cloaking spell and suggest they all go back to the city and warn Heimdall of the situation.
New York
Thor continues his battle with Kurse and quickly discovers that his foe has limitless strength. Needing an edge in battle, the thunder god doubles back to his chariot where he recovers his seldom used Belt of Strength to augment his power.[6] The Beyonder appears to watch the battle in person and decides to see how Thor will progress if his foe’s power is increased even more.
Even though Kurse is stronger than ever before, Thor continues to battle the monster. The Beyonder cannot understand why the thunder god continues to fight in the face of impossible odds.
By this time, the Power Pack and Beta Ray Bill have arrived to lend Thor a hand. Energizer uses her powers to convert a nearby trash can into a ball of energy that staggers Kurse. Recovering from this new attack, Kurse looks at this children and sees them as Malekith in his fevered mind. This causes him to remember how it was Malekith, not Thor, who sent Algrim the Strong to his death.
Finally remembering the truth, Kruse stops his attack on Thor and tries to leave the scene to search for Malekith. With Kurse still a danger to anyone he encounters, Thor and Beta Ray Bill are prepared to sacrifice their enchanted hammers as fuel for Energizer’s powers. The young girl absorbs as much power as she can handle from the two weapons. It’s a painful process but she holds out long enough to unleash her most powerful energy blast of all. This time, she succeeds in knocking Kurse out, ending his rampage.
In the aftermath of the battle, Thor sense the presence of the Beyonder and demands that he show himself. The One From Beyond obliges as he wants to make sense of the battle. Thor convinces the Beyonder to put Kurse’s destructive power to good use and convinces the omnipotent being to teleport the monster into Hela’s domain to cause her trouble. Hearing how the Beyonder created Kurse, Energizer gets deeply upset since Kurse injured the Power children’s mother during his first rampage. This whole experience has taught the Beyonder that being good is a choice and doing good is what makes people part of a family. He decides that from now on he will choose to be good and uses his power to restore Mjolnir and Stormbreaker. Unfortunately, the Beyonder teleports away before the Power children can convince him to use his power to heal their mother. However, before he goes he warns Thor to be wary of any women trying to kiss him.
Thor and Beta Ray Bill try to explain to the Power children that life isn’t always fair, giving them little comfort over what has happened. Sending Bill off to walk the children home, Thor heads back to his chariot so he can return to Asgard. Before he can leave he is stopped by a woman who saw the battle and became overwhelmed with the urge to kiss him for his heroics. Before Thor can stop her, the woman kisses him and Thor is suddenly transformed into a frog.
Watching from Asgard, Loki gloats over his ultimate victory over the god of thunder.
… Secret Wars II continues in Power Man and Iron Fist #121.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Kurse, Beta Ray Bill, Power Pack (Gee, Lightspeed, Mass Master, Energizer, Tattletale), Beyonder, Loki, Lorelei, Gunnhild, Rolfe, Flosi, Malekith, Toothgnasher, Toothgrinder
Continuity Notes
Algrim did a noser into a pool of lava in Thor #347-348. The Beyonder resurrected him and gave him new powers in Secret Wars II #4.
Kurse’s battle with Beta Ray Bill and the Power Pack happened in Power Pack #18.
This souls ended up in Hel after their bodies were hijacked by Dark Elves in Thor #345-348. Thor battled to free them in issues #360-362 and his face was horribly scarred during a battle with Hela.
The Power Pack kids state here that Thor is their guardian. Hogun make this proclamation in Power Pack #15.
The Belt of Strength, aka Megingjord, was last seen in Thor #275-278 when it was worn by Red Norvell when he attempted to usurp the role of Thor.
Secret Wars II Reading Order
Secret Wars II #1, New Mutants #30, Captain America, #308, Uncanny X-Men #196, Iron Man #197, Secret Wars II #2, Web of Spider-Man #6, Amazing Spider-Man #268, Fantastic Four #282, Secret Wars II #3, Daredevil #223, Incredible Hulk #312, Avengers #260, Secret Wars II #4, Dazzler #40, Alpha Flight #28, Rom #72, Avengers #261, Secret Wars II #5, Thing #30, Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #74, Fantastic Four #285, Secret Wars II #6, Cloak and Dagger (vol. 2) #4, Power Pack #18, Micronauts (vol. 2) #16, Thor #363, Power Man and Iron Fist #121, Secret Wars II #7, New Mutants #36, Amazing Spider-Man #273, Spectacular Spider-Man #111, Uncanny X-Men #202, Defenders #152, Secret Wars II #8, New Mutants #37, Amazing Spider-Man #274, Avengers #265, Uncanny X-Men #203, Fantastic Four #288, Secret Wars II #9, Avengers #266