Enter the Earth Force!

Thor has returned to New York City following his battle to Quicksand. There he catches a news broadcast about how Hogun has been injured during a clash with the police is being taken to a nearby hospital.

As Thor heads to help his friend, Daredevil joins Hogun on the ride to the hospital. One of the EMT’s is not happy to save the life of a rampaging criminal since a police officer is currently clinging to life back at the hospital. When they arrive, Daredevil heads off to find out what connection Hogun has to Thor. He just misses the thunder god as he arrives to check in on his friend.

This scene is being observed by Seth, the Egyptian god of death. He is certain that his attacks on Asgard will lead to victory and the destruction of his hated enemies. When one of his minions asks Thor, Seth slaps him across the face as he has already come up with a plan to deal with the son of Odin.

Back on Earth, Thor arrives at the hospital and learns that it is under guard from a SWAT team. He checks in with the doctor who has just finished performing surgery. The doctor has done everything he can to try and save Hogun’s life and tells Thor that the only that can be done is to pray for a recovery.

In another hospital, an officer named Kyle Brock is in a coma after getting shot in the line of duty. His wife is by his bed side hoping he will wake up, while she is consoled by one of her husband’s colleagues on the force.[1] Kyle is ordered to awaken and he finds himself in a strange neither realm with two others, Winston Manchester who over worked himself into an early grave and Pamela Shaw who attempted suicide after her baby died and her husband left her. They have been brought together from the brink of death by Seth, who tells them that the planet is faced with immediate extinction if they do not agree to kill Hogun. To facilitate their mission, Seth imprints sigels to Aton the sun god on the palms of their hands. This endows the trio with super-human abilities. Pamela is transformed into Wind Warrior, who can channel powerful winds. Winston becomes Skyhawk, the master of flight. Lastly, Kyle is increased in size and becomes the powerhouse known as Earth Lord.

The trio are then teleported to the hospital where they are to slay Hogun. They clash with the NYPD SWAT team that is on guard with ease, but their path is blocked by Thor. As Hogun is undergoing yet another surgery he is even more at risk. Knocked into the operating theater, Thor uses the magic of Mjolnir to erect a barrier around the surgeons in an effort to protect his friend. As the battle rages on, the doctors notice that Hogun is going into a coma and begin to scramble to revive their patient.

Hogun appears in the neither realm where Earth Force was created and is confronted by Seth. He tells Hogun that he has fought his last battle and gives him the opportunity to embrace death. Hogun naturally refuses, angering Seth. Grabbing Hogun’s face, the death god burns the image of a snake on his cheek. Departing, Seth tells the Asgardian that his mark has sealed Hoguns fate, as when next they meet the warrior will die.

Back on Earth, the battle between Thor and the so-called Earth Force has spilled out into the hospital parking lot. There, Earth Lord spots his wife and tries to talk to her. However, neither she nor her partner recognize him and react in fear. Thor continues to battle Wind Warrior and Skyhawk until a surgeon is put in danger. When Thor breaks off from the battle to save this man’s life, the Earth Force begin to realize that they may have been played. Wind Warrior then summons a tornado to sweep her and her comrades away, and they vow to return after they sort out what to do from this point on.

With the battle over, Thor races back to the operating room and removes the barrier. The doctors tell him that Hogun has made it through surgery and is expected to survive so long as there aren’t any surprise complications.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard, the constant attack from Seth’s forces have left the kingdom in a precarious situation. Unable to bring Thor back from Midgard, Balder makes the decision to take the power of the thunder god and use it to defend Asgard, even if it ends up leaving Thor powerless.[2]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Seth, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Balder, Grand Vizier, Earth Force (Earth-Lord, Skyhawk, Wind Warrior), Daredevil, Marge Brock

Continuity Notes

1. In this story, Earth Lord is called Tyle Brock and later Kyle in issue #400. Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe ‘89 Update #2 has a profile on Earth Force that confirms that his name is indeed Kyle. As such, his being called Tyle here should be considered a typo, because who the fuck is named Tyle? At any rate, I have used the correct name in my summary.

2. The reason why they cannot travel between Earth and Asgard is because the Bifrost Bridge had been destroyed by Surtur in Thor #351. This has caused Asgard to become unmoored from its cosmic axist making travel between the two realms nearly impossible. The bridge will not be repaired until Thor #426.

Topical References

• The televisions in this story are depicted as CRT models. This should be considered topical because these types of televisions are obsolete.