Only Death Can Save Thee!

An alien vampire calling itself the Dark Dweller has attacked Hercules in the home of Eric Masterson, the mortal identity of Thor. When Eric tried to save Herc and his assistant Susan Austin from the creature’s thrall, he finds himself tossed out the balcony. Losing grip of his cane, Eric scrambles to grab hold of it before he hits the ground. Luckily, he manages to rap the cane on the ground on impact, triggering his transformation into Thor.

Seeing the thunder god emerging from the hole in the street, the Dark Dweller orders Hercules to leap down and fight his friend. As the thunder god is locked in battle, the Dweller absconds with Susan in order to find more victims to enslave. Moments after the monster is gone, Hercules snaps out of it and stops fighting. The pair then race back up to the apartment to find it empty. Using Mjolnir, Thor is able to lock onto the Dark Dweller’s unique energy signature and follows it with Hercules in tow despite the fact that the Olympian is gripped with uncharacteristic fear.[1]

Meanwhile, deep within the bioverse within the Black Galaxy, the High Evolutionary continues his work. He has come to study the unique properties of this sector of space and learn what he can from the Celestials who are here for some mysterious purpose. He intends to ply the knowledge he is learning to create a new race of gods in the hopes of pushing humanity beyond the limits of natural evolution. Accompanying him is Count Tagar, who fears that his master might be playing in things beyond his control.

While in distant Asgard, Odin awakens from a nightmare that his interrupted his attempts to enter the Odinsleep. Heimdall and the Grand Vizier come running into the chamber in answer to his cries but he assures them that everything is well. However, the All-Father is lying as he senses that the final confrontation — where fire joins with ice — will soon be upon them all and the coming conflict might end all life in the universe.[2]

By this time, Thor and Hercules have followed the Dark Dweller’s trail to a nearby junkyard where the creature has already amassed a small army of slaves. As Thor prepares to confront these thrall’s, Hercules also falls under the monster’s control once more and attacks his friend again. As Thor struggles with the Dark Dweller’s slaves, Kevin Masterson waits at school for someone to pick him up. His teacher Ed Marrero is concerned that nobody has come to pick the boy up and tries unsuccessfully to reach Kevin’s father. Kevin is also worried and fears that something might be wrong.

Meanwhile, the battle rages on in the junk yard and Thor quickly discovers that the Dark Dweller is vulnerable to bright light. Summoning lightning bolts to further weaken the monster, Thor then uses Mjolnir to send the Dark Dweller into the heart of the sun when it tries to escape in its energy form. With the defeat of the Dark Dweller, everyone under its thrall passes out. As he picks up Susan Austin to bring her back to Eric’s apartment, Thor wonders if Hercules’ warning that something was live in the stars was in relation to the Dweller, or something far more sinister.

When Susan wakes up back at the apartment, both Eric and Hercules are busy cleaning the place up after the fight with the Dark Dweller. That’s when Eric’s ex-wife Marcy arrives with Kevin and his teacher to find out why Eric failed to pick the boy up from school. Seeing the state of the apartment, Marcy once again threatens to take full custody of the boy, something she won’t rest until she achieves.[3] Since the representatives from child welfare have arrived at the same time, Eric appears to be a negligent father after all the damage done to his apartment by the Dark Dweller.

While in deep space, the Celestial Replicoid of Thor is heading for Earth on a mission that will see the passing of the old gods and the birth of the new.[4]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Eric Masterson, Dark Dweller, Hercules, Odin, Heimdall, Grand Vizier, Sif, Count Tagar, High Evolutionary, Red Celestial, Replicoid, Susan Austin, Kevin Masterson, Ed Marrero, Marcy Steele

Continuity Notes

1. Hercules has been having a bad time of things recently. He got the shit beat out of him by the Masters of Evil in Avengers #273-277, then got hyper-evolved battling the High Evolutionary in Avengers Annual #17. From there, he was abducted by the Celestials in the Black Galaxy to be used in the creation of a brand new Celestial in Thor #406-408. Part of him is missing and it will be recovered again in Thor #419-424.

2. Odin has foreseen the return of Surtur and Ymir whose conflict against one another threatens to bring about Ragnarok. See Thor #419-425.

3. Marcy has been trying to get full custody of Kevin since Thor #392.

4. The Replicoid was cloned from Thor’s DNA back in Thor #389.

The Abduction

On the Isle of Avalon, home to the Celtic Gods, Dagda has finally managed to open a mystical portal to Asgard, something that has become increasingly difficult since the realm drifted into the Negative Zone.[1] Lier intends to go to Asgard so he can convince Sif to marry him, despite warnings from Caber who reminds him that they are the mortal enemies of Asgard.[2] Lier ignores him and leaps into the portal and Cabre has Dagda hold it open just long enough for him to follow after his reckless friend.

Meanwhile, Odin has once more awoken from the Odinsleep after a prophetic nightmare. He is visited in his room by Heimdall and the Grand Vizier who ask what’s wrong. Odin assures them it was nothing but a dream, and orders them to leave him be.[3] Exiting the All-Father’s bed chambers, the Vizier meets with Sif to express his concerns over Odin’s well being. Returning to her own chambers, Sif wishes Thor would return from his exile as Asgard surely needs his help.[4] Her thoughts are interrupted by Lier who barges into her room.

Outside, Cabre has followed Lier to the door to Sif’s chambers where he is caught by the Warriors Three, leading to a clash between them. However, the battle has comes to an abrupt end when Sif and Lier emerge moments later and she announces that she has accepted Lier’s proposal of marriage.[5]

Recurring Characters

Sif, Heimdall, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Leir, Dagda, Caber, Odin (possessed by Surtur), Grand Vizier

Continuity Notes

1. Asgard has been cast adrift since the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge in Thor #351. It drifted into the Negative Zone. It will be restored in Thor #426.

2. Leir met and fell in love with Sif during the so-called War of the Gods in Thor #395-400.

3. Odin has foreseen the return of Surtur and Ymir who will bring back the threat of Ragnarok as we’ll see in Thor #419-425.

4. Thor refused to return to Asgard when Odin summoned him back in Thor #408 due to the fact that he merged with Eric Masterson and now had a double-life on Earth. Odin then placed him in exile.

5. Except not really, she is merely using Lier as a means of returning to Earth and warning Thor of the danger back home, as we’ll see in Thor #423. She later gets out of her promise by defeating Lier in battle in issue #426.