Thor #478
Come the Lightning!
Thor’s enchanted hammer Mjolnir was broken during his recent battle with the Destroyer.[1] In order to repair the damage, the thunder got has traveled to the rooftops where he summoned a powerful storm. He then uses the lightning to fuse the broken pieces of Mjolnir back together, restoring the hammer to its former glory. With this task complete, he dispels the storm and uses Mjolnir to open a portal to Asgard so he can confront his father and make him tell the real truth about Don Blake.[2]
Thor makes a bee-line directly to the royal palace which draws Sif, Blader, and Beta Ray Bill to follow after him. As Thor demands to know the truth, Sif asks if he has come back to stay. He tells her that he’s only here for answers and once more demands Odin reveal the truth about Blake. Odin refuses to divulge anything due to the fact that Thor abandoned Asgard with the threat of Ragnarok looming over the kingdom.[3]
When Thor is about to get violent, Odin orders his replacement to step in and defend him. Thor is shocked to discover that his father has brought back Red Norvell, a mortal who usurped his title in the past. Naturally, Thor is appalled by this, prompting Odin to justify his decision due to Thor’s refusal to defend Asgard. The All-Father explains that after Norvell’s death during the last Ragnarok crisis, his soul was sent to Valhalla.[4] After Thor left, Odin ventured to Valhalla to collect Red and reinstall him as the new Thor.[5] Odin then gave Norvell the enchanted gauntlets, strength giving belt, and a newly constructed hammer to restore his god-like powers so he can best fill the role of god of thunder. With his powers restored, Red agreed to be Odin’s new right-hand and returned with him to Asgard.[6][7]
This does little to quell Thor’s need for answers and when he makes another step toward Odin, Red steps in to defend his lord. This leads to a massive brawl between the two Thors. The brawl does nothing more than prove that the two men and their enchanted hammers are equally matched and only succeed in wrecking the place. Seeing his palace being turned into shambles, Odin eventually calls a halt to the fight. He finally relents and agrees to tell Thor the truth about Donald Blake, realizing that he cannot keep the secret any longer.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Red Norvell, Heimdall, Balder, Fandral, Sif, Odin, Harokin, Beta Ray Bill, Hugin, Munin, Geri, Freki, Sleipnir
Continuity Notes
Since Thor #129, it was always believed that Don Blake was merely a construct created by Odin to give Thor a mortal identity. However, Thor discovered a man who was apparently Don Blake hidden in a cave beneath Wundagore Moutnain in Thor #475. Next issue we’ll learn that Blake was a real guy and Thor was merged with him until he earned the right to return as Thor. When Blake rapped the enchanted walking stick in Journey into Mystery #83, triggering this transformation, Blake and Thor were separated. Blake was then stashed in the cave by Odin and kept secret, while Thor continued living his life and would merely transform into a facsimilia of Blake when reverting to mortal form. If that’s not confusing enough, Thor #483 reveals that the man Thor found in the cave wasn’t the real Don Blake, but a mystical doppelganger created by Sigyn after she accidentally killed the real Blake.
Thor had a nightmare that predicted Ragnarok was coming back in Thor #472. However, rather than stay he left to find a new life on Earth. This proves to be a moot point as Ragnarok is circumvented by the WorldEngine in issue #491 by making Yggdrasil think the twilight of the gods already passed.
Red Norvell was manipulated into becoming a replacement Thor in Thor #276-278. Norvell’s sacrifice circumvented Ragnarok at that time by sacrificing a Thor instead of the Thor. This fulfilled the prophecy, but allowed the real Thor to survive and prevent the destruction of Asgard.
Odin also encounters Harokin who suggests that the All-Father choose him instead because he thinks himself as Thor’s greatest foe. The pair fought thousands of years ago, leading to Harokin’s death, as depicted in Thor #129-133. Another reason why he could have been suitable is not explained here for some reason. Other than having hair of a different colour, both Thor and Harokin look nearly identical.
Red refers to himself as an “authentic” thunder god because his hair is red. In Norse mythology, Thor is said to have red hair. In the Marvel Universe proper, most depictions of Thor have him as a blonde. However, the people of Asgard go through cycles of death and rebirth and at least one past incarnation of Thor had red hair, as seen in Thor #293.
Odin also casually mentions how he and Red were briefly delayed in returning to Asgard. This is a subtle reference to Incredible Hulk #421-423, where they fought the Hulk who was in Asgard trying to learn the secrets of the Pantheon’s leader, Agamemnon.
Topical References
When Thor says there cannot be two of him, Red points out that there are two J.P. Morgan and Lon Chaney’s in the world. J.P. Morgan was an American businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1837 to 1913. He was survived by his son, J.P. Morgan, Jr who lived from 1867 to 1943. Lon Chaney was a prolific actor who lived from 1883 to 1930. He was survived by his son, Lon Chaney, Jr. who continued his father’s legacy as a great character actor who lived from 1903 to 1973. These are both really dated references but since all four of these individuals were long dead when this story was written it couldn’t be considered a topical reference here.
In the flashback, when Red turns into the new Thor he quips that he’s “Thunder God: The Next Generation”, this is a nod to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1989 to 1994. It’s reference here should be considered topical.