Thor #449
Riot on Ryker’s Island!
In the aftermath of the battle between Absorbing Man and Titania, Thor commends Marcus Stone and his Code: Blue team for a job well done.[1] Marcus isn’t quite so cheery since Absorbing Man and Titania escaped. Worse, the damage done to the construction site they fought in has resulted in the project being shut down until a damage assessment can be completed. This has put the workers out of a job and much needed money, including Eric Masterson’s friend Jerry Sapristi. This makes Thor realize that his actions have greater consequences and promises to himself to do better in the future.
At that same moment, Uroc the Invincible teleports inside Ryker’s Island Prison in order to recruit an inmate into an army preparing to wage war with Asgard. The jail break soon reaches Code: Blue who start scrambling to get to the prison. When Thor offers his assistance, Marcus Stone turns him down, telling him to butt out of police business. Disappointed with this response, Thor sheepishly heads for home.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Heimdall and the Grand Vizier meet with their supposed ally Karnilla to discuss strategy in the coming war. Little do they know that Karnilla is actually planning on double-crossing them. When Karnilla suggests they wake Odin up, the Vizier explains that completing the Odinsleep is important and to suggest rousing the All-Father before he is fully recharged is tantamount to sacrilege.[2]
Back on Earth, Eric Masterson decides that he has had enough with focusing on his duties as Thor and instead refocus on his personal life since it has been in big trouble ever since Thor entered his life.[3] First things first, he decides to pay a visit to Susan Austin who is still recovering in the hospital after awakening from her coma.[4] When he arrives he is surprised to see his colleague Jackie Lukus visiting Susan as well.
While at Ryker’s Island, Uroc reaches the sub-basement where Ulik has been held since being arrested by Code: Blue.[5] They quickly break out of the prison and clash with Marcus Stone and his team. Seeing that Code: Blue is in over their heads, Mother Majowski — their head of operations — decides to send in a distress call to the Avengers.
At the hospital, Eric is finally alone with Susan and as the two get to talking, his Avengers ID card begins to buzz. Fed up of always putting his personal life on hold, Eric chooses to ignore the call to spend more time with Austin.
As Susan is talking about her roommate “Leena Moran”, the woman in question — actually the Enchantress in disguise — is back at their apartment infusing the Executioner’s old axe with more magical power than before.[6][7] She is doing so because she wishes to assist Heimdall against the forces mounting against Asgard.[8] Her work is interrupted by Skoll the wolf god, who has come to collect Amora for Karnilla and quickly teleports away with her. As this is happening, someone is heading to Susan Austin’s apartment to check in on Leena Moran. They arrive just as Skoll teleports away with Amora, a departure that is so explosive it shatters the front door into the apartment. Curious, the person enters the apartment and finds the glowing Executioner’s axe floating in the middle of the room an decides to pick it up. Once they do so, they start undergoing a startling transformation.[9]
Back at Ryker’s Island, the battle between Code: Blue and Uroc and Ulik is not going very well. Ulik in particular sets his sights on Marcus Stone, as the Code: Blue founder has frequently interfered with his plans.[10] At that same moment, Eric Masterson is leaving the hospital and decides to finally check in with the Avengers and find out what’s been going on.
In Asgard, Karnilla has convinced Heimdall that the key to victory is prematurely waking Odin up from the Odinsleep. The Grand Vizier protests this blasphemy from happening, but Karinlla insists that it is necessary and asks to be left alone to cast the awakening spell.
On Earth, Mother Majowski decides to take matters in his own hands and rescue Marcus Stone, despite the fact that he is confined to a wheelchair. Getting behind the wheel of Code: Blue’s tactical van, Majowski attempts to ram Ulik. However, the Rock Troll easily swats the van aside as though it were a mere fly. That’s when Thor arrives on the scene and uses Mjolnir to knock Stone free from Ulik’s grasp. With the tide of battle slowly shifting in the mortal’s favor, Uroc decides it is best to leave and teleports away with Ulik. Soon, paramedics arrive on the scene to take Majowski away. Seeing how serious the injuries are, Thor blames his inactions for this happening.
Suddenly, storm clouds fill the sky and the astral projection of Odin appears searching for his son, Thor. He is shocked to discover Eric Masterson has taken his place and demands to know what happened. Eric points out that the real Thor was banished and it was by Odin’s decree. The All-Father denies giving this order, and believes that Heimdall has somehow betrayed him. As Masterson offers his aid, the communication is suddenly cut off. Despite this, Thor intends to go to Asgard and assist in anyway he can. He isn’t going alone though, as Marcus Stone insists on Code: Blue tagging along so they can bring Ulik back into police custody.
While in Asgard, Himdall checks in on Karnilla to see if she succeeded in waking up Odin. She lies and tells him that her attempts to rouse the All-Father were a failure.[11]
Recurring Characters
Thor, “Odin”, Grand Vizier, Code: Blue (Marcus Stone, Rigger Ruiz, Mad Dog Rossitano, Jock Jackson, Mother Majowski), Enchantress, Karnilla, Uroc, Ulik, Skoll, Jerry Sapristi, Susan Austin, Jackie Lukus, Aloysius Jamesly
Continuity Notes
The Absorbing Man and Titania promised to go straight in Thor #436. However, when Titania couldn’t give up the thrill of committing robberies, her boyfriend enlisted Thor to help scare her straight. This plan didn’t go very well as it led to a clash with both Code: Blue and Spider-Man in issues #447-448.
Odin went into the Odinsleep in Thor #426 and left Heimdall in charge. What nobody knows is that shortly thereafter Odin’s body was possessed by Loki who was seemingly slain in Thor #423. This will be revealed and Odin’s spirit saved in Thor #450-455.
First, Masterson was merged with Thor in Thor #408. Later, when Thor seemingly slew Loki, Heimdall banished the thunder god, leaving Eric to take his place in issue #423. Over this period, Eric lost custody of his son Kevin (Thor #421), suspected as being an alcoholic (Thor #429-430), and had his apartment trashed leading to his eviction (Thor #438 & 443).
Susan was struck down by one of Loki’s mystical bolts in Thor #423. She was in a coma until receiving surgery from Mephisto while he was disguised as Don Blake, as seen in Thor #442.
Ulik was arrested after being beaten by Thor and Code: Blue in Thor #433.
The Enchantress has been posing as Leena Moran to spy on Thor’s civilian allies back in Thor #422, when she became Susan’s roommate. Although readers learned the truth in issue #431, neither Eric or his supporting case know the truth.
The Executioner sacrificed his life while on a quest with Thor into the bowels of Hel itself, as seen in Thor #360-362. The Enchantress has been in possession of his enchanted axe since Thor #402. It was last used by a Brute Benhurst, a violent construction worker whom Amora tried to groom into a new Executioner, also in issue #402.
The Enchantress still has feelings for Heimdall as the two had a bit of a relationship going for themselves from Thor #360 to 402.
This individual is transformed into a new vigilante called Bloodaxe, as we’ll see in next issue. Their identity is kept secret for months until Thunderstrike #22, which reveals that Bloodaxe is actually Eric’s colleague Jackie Lukus.
Marcus managed to collar Ulik all by himself in Thor #414, this encounter inspired him to form Code: Blue, which first formed in issue #426.
Odin denying that he decreed the true Thor banished, and Karnilla’s lie about waking up Odin is all part of Loki’s grand scheme to take over Asgard. Karnilla’s duplicity was revealed last issue.
Obsessed!
On their search for the exiled Thor, Sif and Balder have found themselves aboard the starship Wundagore II.[1] It’s occupants, the New Man Count Tagar and the New Immortals Nobilus, Juvan, and Zon have been searching for their missing master the High Evolutionary. They manage to track down their master to the surface of Ego the Living Planet, where the entity is engaging in a battle with a recently born Celestial.[2]
Sif and Balder head to the planet surface with Nobilus a New Immortal created from DNA stolen from Thor.[3] Sif has hoped that he is somehow her long lost Thor, but as they fight their way through Ego’s planetary defenses she notices that Nobilus fights like a berserker. His savagery convinces her that he cannot possibly be Thor.
They quickly find the High Evolutionary who has hooked up the Analyzer robot to the Celestial. As the robot warns that “contact is immanent”, the Evolutionary explains that he is using Ego as bait, saying that he is not the only biological planetary mass in the universe. Suddenly, contact is made and a massive tentacle begins to wrap itself around Ego’s surface.[4]
Recurring Characters
Balder, Sif, Ego the Living Planet, Blue Celestial, Nobilus, High Evolutionary, Analyzer, Super-Ego
Continuity Notes
Sif and Balder have been searching for Thor since Thor #437, thinking he was banished to some other plane of existence. In reality, his personality was submerged deep inside the mind of his human host, Eric Masterson, as we’ll learn in Thor #456-457.
This Celestial was birthed during the events of Thor #419-424, which also led to the High Evolutionary being driven insane. His madness will remeain the status quo until Thor #472.
This DNA was collected back in Thor #408. At the time, Thor was tainted by Loki’s evil essence since issue #398 but was ultimately freed from his influence in Thor #413. Nobilus was later created using the stolen DNA sample in Thor #422. His mental instability has been blamed on the fact that the genetic sample was also tainted by Loki’s evil, because magic.
The entity is identified as Super-Ego next issue, a living bio-verse.