Thor #371
Peace on Earth!
Asgard
After being rescued by Thor, Balder has returned to Asgard where he is crowned the new king of the kingdom.[1] However, Balder doesn’t see this as a permanent position and has a smaller throne built next to the one used by Odin, as he expects the All-Father will return to his rightful role eventually.
Chicago
Since getting out of prison, Thug Thatcher has tracked down his old girlfriend Ruby who is now a single mother. Thug wants to get revenge against Thor for sending him to the slammer and has concocted a plan to get at the thunder god through his association with Jane Foster.[2] To this end, he sends Ruby off on a mission for him, forcing her to comply by keeping her sons Kevin and Mick as hostages.
Asgard
Thor congratulates Balder for his new position and tells everyone that he intends to head back to Midgard, as he has been away from his second home for far too long. Also departing is Beta Ray Bill, who thanks the Asgardians for involving him in the althing to select their next leader, but must get back and continue finding a new home for his people. After bidding farewell to his step-mother Frigga, Thor pulls Sif aside so they might talk about their feelings in private.
New York City
A rent in time and space opens high over the city and an armored mercenary calling himself Justice Peace emerges from it on his jet cycle. Shocked to see people jay walking in the street, Peace pulls his gun and shoots these law breakers with pellets that alter their minds so that they never commit such a crime again. Stopping at a newspaper stand, Justice Peace demands to know what the date is. Learning what year he is in, Justice Peace curses the imprecision of time travel because he only has a few hours to complete his task.[3]
When Justice Peace tries to head off for Chicago, he is ambushed by Thor who arrived just in time to see what Justice Peace did to the jaywalkers. The future law enforcement officer has no time to deal with distractions and fires a missile at Thor which turns into a restraining device on impact. After Peace makes his escape, Thor tries to break free from his bonds but discovers that they are incredibly strong. With his free hand, the thunder god then spins around Mjolnir to create a vortex that allows him to teleport out of the shackles.
Chicago
Ruby has gone to Skraggmore prison outside of town and arranges a visit to see a prisoner who is an associate of Thug Thatcher. This is to facilitate her sticking a small package under the meeting table. After Ruby leaves, a prisoner on janitorial duty picks up the small package and smuggles it back inside the cell block. There he hands it over to a prisoner named Brad Wolfe, who was locked away for his crimes as the Zaniac.[4]
This packet is a small breathing device that Wolfe wears out on the exercise yard when one of Thatcher’s men — Kellen — arrives in a helicopter. After gassing the guards, Kellen helps Wolfe escape and brings him back to Ruby’s home. There, Thatcher explains that he wants Wolfe to murder Jane Foster for him. However, when Kellen unlocks Brad’s shackles the sight of Ruby triggers Wolfe’s murderous impulses. Creating a dagger out of thin air, Wolfe fatally stabs Ruby with the weapon, killing her instantly. Disgusted by this senseless murder, Kellen shoots Wolfe dead. This angers Thatcher because his carefully laid plans are now ruined.
That’s when they notice that Wolfe’s body is beginning to squirm and convulse. The body then bursts open, unleashing a swarm of strange creatures from Brad’s body. Fearing for their lives both Thatcher and Kellen make a run for it outside. Thatcher proves to be too slow and one of the creatures leaps onto his neck and burrows into his body. Thug is then transformed into the newest host the entity known as the Zaniac and he has only one thing on his mind: killing Jane Foster.[5]
Recurring Characters
Thor, Time Variance Authority (Justice Peace), Zaniac, Balder, Sif, Frigga, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Grand Thane, Beta Ray Bill, Thug Thatcher, Hela, Geri, Freki, Munin, Ruby Mortensen, Kevin Mortensen, Mick Mortensen
Continuity Notes
There is a lot going on here off the top. The deets:
Odin seemingly perished during a war against Surtur in Thor #350-353.
Without a leader, Thor turned down the role of ruler and nominated Balder instead in Thor #366.
However, Balder was lured into a trap on his way back to Asgard, requiring Thor to save his ass in Thor #368-369.
By the way, Odin’s not really dead and will be discovered alive and a prisoner of Seth in Thor #398-400.
Thug Thatcher was busted by Thor some seven years earlier (per the Sliding Timescale) back in Journey into Mystery #89. Thug’s first name and Ruby’s last name are not given here. The Zaniac entry in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #13 reveals them to be Andrew and Mortensen, respectively. Also, in case anyone cares, Thatcher’s accomplice Kellen has his first name revealed in that same story. his full name is Marcus Kellen. You’re welcome.
The possible future that Justice Peace hales from has been identified as Reality-868971 per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #5.
The Zaniac landed in jail thanks to Thor’s interrupting his assault on women in Thor #319.
Next issue Thor and Justice Peace are forced to go backward in time to prevent Jane Foster’s murder by preventing Zaniac from taking possession of Thug Thatcher. As a result, the moment where Thatcher is possessed creates a divergent point. This alternate reality is designated as Earth-823019, also identified in Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #13’s Zaniac profile.
Topical References
The newspaper vendor states in this story that the date is May 1st, 1986. The year in particular should be considered a topical reference.