The Menace of the Living Universe!

Thor has joint Count Tagar and his New Men to the Black Galaxy in the hopes of rescuing both the High Evolutionary and Hercules after the pair were hyper-evolved into discorporate beings.[1] Joining him on this quest is his new friend, Eric Masterson after he was inadvertedly dragged into things by the Mongoose. Within the Black Galaxy they all discover that both the Evolutionary and Hercules’ forms have become entangled in the Bio-Verse that exists at the heart of the Black Galaxy. Eric finds this incredible and as Tagar tries to explain the existence of the Bio-Verse the ground under their feet is suddenly torn asunder by eruptions of molten energy.

Meanwhile, the home world of the Rigelians has been experiencing powerful earthquakes. The Scientist Supreme has determined that the cause is coming from the Black Galaxy and that it must be destroyed if they are to survive. The Grand Commissioner then orders the launch of a massive null bomb to wipe out the Black Galaxy and dispatch their Recorder robot to observe and make sure the launch is a complete success.

Back in the heart of the Black Galaxy, Thor uses the power of Mjolnir to sweep up his friends from the void and plant them safely on solid ground. They are soon joined by the Recorder who is pleased to see his old friend Thor, and tells him how the Rigellians have launched a null bomb that will destroy everything around them. With no way to divert the weapon, Thor realizes that he is the only one who can stop the null bomb. In order to protect himself, the thunder god puts on his suit of enchanted armor. Thor and his allies are then lead to the location of the bomb by the Recorder.

Along the way they are attacked by the massive viruses and anti-bodies that live within the Bio-Verse. At one point, both Thor and one of the Knights of Wundagore pass through a strange energy field that rapidly ages them by 100 years. While the Knight has been aged to dust, Thor only grows a beard for some stupid reason. Eventually, the near the mist covered planet where the null bomb is supposed to go off.

Entering the planet, they are attacked by more anti-bodies which Thor finds similar to the ones he faced when he ventured inside the body of the Celestial known as Exitar the Executioner.[2] At the center of that world, they find the null bomb had landed in the middle of a mountain top covered with strange structures that are being looked over by one of the Celestials. With no time to try and make sense of this bizarre scene, Thor leaps atop the null bomb and channels its destructive energies through Mjolnir and shoots them out into deep space, where it reignites a dying star and saving seven populated worlds from the brink of destruction.

With the immediate danger over, Thor and Eric are surprised when both Hercules and the High Evolutionary start talking to them through two of the structures. When Thor goes to shatter these prisons, the Celestial watching over it all begins to reach down to stop him but is too late. In response, the Celestial ejects Thor and his comrades from the Bio-Verse on an asteroid. Once out of the Black Galaxy, they are delighted to see that they have succeeded in freeing Hercules and the High Evolutionary, who have been restored to normal. In the aftermath of this encounter, the Recorder cannot make sense of anything they witnessed. Thor tells the robot not to be distressed as there are some things that are beyond the ken of mortals and machines.[3]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Tefral the Surveyor, Grand Commissioner, Scientist Supreme, Recorder, Hercules, High Evolutionary, Eric Masterson, Knights of Wundagore

Continuity Notes

1. Hercules and the High Evolutionary were evolved to these states at the end of Avengers Annual #17.

2. For more on Thor penetrating a Celestial see Thor #387-389, but it’s not what you think, you sick fuck.

3. What’s going on you might ask? Well, the Celestials are using the Bio-Verse to give birth to a new member of their race as we’ll see down the line in Thor #419-425.