Sunlight and Shadows

Thor has found himself transported to Asgard and is shocked to discover the golden realm is in ruins.[1] He is suddenly ambushed by an army of Rock Trolls, who have moved in to take over the region following the kingdom’s downfall. Even though Thor is without his godly powers, he is able to hold his own against his attackers, however he is winded by the time the battle is over. Hearing the sound of slaves being worked over the ridge he discovers that the Rock Trolls have enslaved members of the Aesir.

Also among their numbers is Doctor Strange, Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. Strange thanks Thor for saving him and explains that he ended up in Asgard while investigating a growing source of evil that threatens to envelop humanity. That’s when he got a phone call from the Enchantress seeking his aid in finding Thor. Learning how Thor was hired to protect the enchanted Raven’s Eye, they found the room where Thor was last seen and found a ruined Loki robot. They were able to detect the essence of the man who created it and followed it to the state prison. There they found its creator, the Mad Thinker who had his mind shattered when Thor and his comrades were teleported away by the sword.[2] When Strange tried to follow Thor’s essence, the spell transported him and Amora to the ruins of Asgard where they were separated and Strange captured. Unfortunately, he has no idea what happened to the Enchantress.

Amora ended up appearing just outside the kingdom walls in front of an army of Ice Giants led by Snagg, son of Bort, son of Hjak, son of Moot. Snagg as aspirations of taking Asgard from the Rock Trolls and installing himself as the new king of Asgard. Amora has no love for Trolls and offers her assistance. This makes Snagg laugh as the only thing he intends to use Amora for is a sex toy when he’s celebrating his upcoming victory. When he explains how his forces intend to storm the front gates, Amora suggests a more subtle approach.

Elsewhere in Asgard, Annie Prazniki — who was transported here along with Thor — is searching for her step-mother, Sylvia who had been captured by the Rock Trolls and placed inside the royal palace. Scaling the wall with a rope, she quickly finds Sylvia and suggests they get out while they still can.

This is when the Ice Giants smash through a weak point in the wall surrounding the city and come charging in. Thor and Doctor Strange begin working together to stop the invaders but they are too big and too numerous for the two heroes to be effective. That’s when Ulik arrives with an army of Rock Trolls to fend off the invaders. He is surprised to see his old enemy Thor fighting on the same side, but appreciates the assist none the less. Not far away, some Ice Giants run into NYPD’s Kim Gaunt, another person transported to Asgard along with Thor. They think the woman is an easy mark until she draws her gun and begins shooting at the titanic creatures. Thinking this evil magic to make them blind, the two giants flee from the officer.

As they battle, Doctor Strange tells Thor that his father Odin is the key to all of this, however his time on Earth as a drunken bum may prevent him from harnessing the power of the Raven’s Eye.[3] As Strange is explaining all of this, Wad — the homeless man Odin has become — is in the royal banquet hall chugging down every open goblet of wine set out on the table. Nearby is the Raven’s Eye, imbedded into the trunk of Yggdrasil, the World Ash. Strange figures that this situation can be remedied if Thor can wield the Raven’s Eye. With their battle over, Ulik informs the pair that the enchanted sword appeared in the trunk of Yggdrasil the day before. They all race into the palace where Kim, Annie, and Sylvia have gathered and found Wad passed out at a table. Thor spots the Raven’s Eye and pulls it out of the trunk. As he does so, the weapon begins to glow and then crumbles into dust. Feeling his powers returning, the newly restored rejoyces when Mjolnir — which ended up in Ulik’s possession during the fight with the Ice Giants — responds to his summons to return to his hand.

Thor revels in being able to control the storm for a moment, before turning his power against the second wave of Ice Giants. Creating powerful hurricane winds he blows the invaders away, unaware that the Enchantress was among them. Little does he know that she has been buried alive under tons of rubble. With the Ice Giants gone, Thor tells the others that he needs to return to Earth to find his missing people. Strange also insists that they have to get back because he has a premonition of a great disaster that is imminent back home.[4] Thor agrees that they must return at once as their destinies, whatever they may be, reside on Earth.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Enchantress, Wad, Ulik, Snagg, Annie Prazniki, Sylvia Prazniki, Kim Gaunt

Continuity Notes

1. Asgard has been deserted and left in ruins since the WorldEngine forced Yggdrasil to believe Ragnarok already passed in Thor #491-494. It will remain in this state until it is fully restored in Thor (vol. 2) #13. This process also left Thor powerless and the Asgardians scattered across America in mortal guises. It’s later revealed in Journey into Mystery #505 that this is all part of a grander scheme by Seth, the Egyptian god of death, to destroy all life in the universe. Thor and his friends were transported to Asgard last issue.

2. The Mad Thinker will recover from this and will be seen again in Spider-Man Team-Up #2.

3. As explained in Journey into Mystery #511, Odin took advantage of the WorldEngine’s work to save his people. To this end, he had every Asgardian banished to Earth stripped of their power and past memories. Odin ended up being sent backward in time and has spent years living on the street as a homeless man.

4. Strange doesn’t elaborate on what this disaster is, but it’s probably the coming of Onslaught which both he and Thor will battle in different capacities. Thor will be involved in the main conflict that starts in Onslaught: X-Men #1. Strange in particular will only have a minor involvement, freeing the Juggernaut from the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak after being trapped inside the gem by Onslaught himself, as seen in X-Men Unlimited #12.