Thor #413
Within Me Dwells a Monster!
Eric Masterson’s life has gotten out of control ever since he was merged with the mighty Thor. Things have been particularly rough since his ex-wife is trying to take custody of his son Kevin, Thor has been suffering from sudden spells of weakness, particularly during his battle with Juggernaut.[1] More disturbing, the battle with the Juggernaut seems to be part of a pattern of attacks on super-heroes, and the Avengers in particular.[2] Changing into Thor, the thunder god uses his powers to end the storm and fly away. The moment Thor appears, Loki and his right-hand-man Ulik are able to start tracking him. However, Loki still can’t figure out how Thor sometimes evades his every watchful gaze for periods of time.
Later, Eric Masterson returns home to his son Kevin, his roommate Hercules, and his assistant Susan Austin. Kevin is happy that his father is home safe after all the news reports of super-villains on the loose in the streets. Susan also tries to subtly tell Eric how she feels about him by suggesting that Kevin have a stable home to live in. Masterson mistakes this to mean that Susan wants him to give up his son. However, before she can clarify what she means, Eric’s sometimes business partner Jackie Lukus comes over for a visit to go over some recent designs they have been working on. Susan is instantly jealous of Jackie, who she thinks is much more beautiful. While the grown-ups are talking, Hercules and Kevin go outside to look at the stars. As “Harry Cleese” points out the Big Dipper, he suddenly goes into at trance like state and begins muttering about the stars being alive.[3]
A short time later, Eric is seeing Jackie off and she offers a sympathetic ear if he ever needs someone to talk to about his troubles. Eric is touched by this but is also bothered by what Susan said earlier that day. However, his thoughts turn to Thor’s current troubles when he happens to come upon a magazine article about Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme.[4] He figures if anyone can get to the bottom of Thor’s mysterious bouts of weakness, it’ll be Stephen Strange.
The following morning, Eric and Hercules are taking the subway into Manhattan to go see Doctor Strange. Masterson tells Herc about his recent dizzy spells and how they came shortly after the so-called War of the Gods, the battle where Seth almost destroyed Asgard.[5] Arriving in Greenwitch Village, Eric slips into a nearby alley so he can change into Thor. Soon they are knocking at the door of Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. They are welcomed in by Wong, Strange’s assistant, and while Herc waits in the lobby, Thor goes up to talk to Strange himself.
Meanwhile, Loki and Ulik have been tracking Thor again and this time the trickster decides to send his minion to confront the thunder god. Handing Ulik a special necklace that will boost his strength, he sends the Rock Troll through a dimensional portal to get him to Thor’s location much faster.
By this moment, Doctor Strange puts Thor in a mystical trance so he can send his astral form into the thunder god’s mind and see what’s wrong. Inside Thor’s mindscape, the two search for the cause of his recent weakness and find a second Thor clad in his old body armor.[6] As the two clash, Strange is shocked to discover the essence of Eric Masterson hiding behind some rocks and ushers him to safety.
Back in the waking world, Hercules and Wong become aware that somebody is trying to smash their way through a mystical barrier that keeps evil away from the Sanctum. When Herc goes outside to confront the attacker, the make a run for it, prompting the demigod to give chase.
While in Thor’s mind, the battle between the two Thors rages on until the true thunder god defeats his evil doppelganger. Unmasking the evil Thor, he is shocked to discover that the source of his weakness was actually Loki. With this discovery, Loki severs his connection, revealing that he had been weakening his step-brother ever since he shared some of his power with him during the War of the Gods. Although this particular scheme has failed, the trickster god is confident his end game against the Avengers will be victorious.
Cured of his affliction, Thor thanks Doctor Strange for his help. Hearing how Hercules went off after the intruder, the thunder god figures that Herc can handle himself and heads off to warn the Avengers of Loki’s possible involvement in the attacks on their team.
… This story is continued in Avengers West Coast #55.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Eric Masterson, Doctor Strange, Loki, Hercules, Ulik, Wong, Susan Austin, Jackie Lukus, Kevin Masterson
Continuity Notes
Lots of stuff going on off the top. These issues are:
Eric has been in a custody battle with his ex-wife Marcy Steele since Thor #405.
Thor’s weak spells have been hitting him since issue #402. We’ll learn that these were brought on by Loki who still has a mystical link with the thunder god after sharing a portion of his power with Thor in Thor #398.
Thor fought the Juggernaut in Thor #411-412 as part of the Acts of Vengeance conspiracy against Earth’s heroes.
This is the Acts of Vengeance storyline. As for how this has been affecting the Avengers see Thor #410-412, Avengers Spotlight #26-28, Captain America #365-367, Quasar #5-6, Iron Man #251-252, Avengers West Coast #53-55, and Avengers #311-313
Hercules is sensing the upcoming birth of a new Celestial in the Black Galaxy after his ordeals out there, see Avengers Annual #17 and Thor #406-408. Herc will go back to the Black Galaxy in Thor #419-424.
What Eric sees is an issue of Now Magazine with a cover story about Doctor Strange. Stephen allowed himself to be interviewed by the magazine in Doctor Strange Sorcerer Supreme #9.
Defiance Means Death
Beta Ray Bill has been captured by the space pirate known as Captain Orack, where he and other captured slaves are having their mental energies drained to power Orack’s ship. Beta Ray Bill has just managed to break free and clashes with Orack and his pirates. In the ensuing battle he pleads with the other prisoners to combine their mental power and help him fight back against their oppressors.
At first, the prisoner obey Orack’s orders to mentally stun Beta Ray Bill, however his impassioned speech to them eventually sinks in and they turn on their master. Soon, the prisoners are freed and their captors are put in their place. Bill is assured that Orack and his crew will be released once the prisoners are all returned to their home worlds. Bill decides to believe them, hoping that the former slaves are more merciful than their captor.
Recurring Characters
Beta Ray Bill, Captain Orack
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