Thor (vol. 2) #16
Revenge of the Enchanters
Seeing a blinding flash of light coming from Odin’s bed chambers, Heimdall sounds the alarm. A team of warriors led by Balder and Sif arrive to see what’s wrong. Inside, they find Odin alone and in no apparent trouble. Odin assures them that he is fine and that he had merely awoken from a bad dream.[1]
On Earth, Jane Foster has helped Thor — in his mortal guise of Jake Olson — escape the hospital where he was being held in police custody under accusations that of drug trafficking.[2] “Jake” needs to recover his enchanted hammer which has been embedded in the side of a building after he was stricken by a heart attack by Enrakt. Still weak from his injury, “Jake’s” is out of breath. Jane suggests that they find him a lawyer instead, but he refuses. He thanks her for her help and runs off on his own since Foster has stuck her neck out enough for him.
Back at the hospital, Detective Brady O’Neil has is coordinating a dragnet to find “Olson” following his escape from the hospital. Hannah Fairmond, who is engaged to marry “Jake”, still cannot believe her fiancée could be guilty of stealing drugs from the hospital. O’Neil and Dimitrius Collins — an undercover officer posing as “Jake’s” EMT partner — insist that all the evidence they have gathered is irrefutable.
Meanwhile, “Jake Olson” arrives at the scene where Mjolnir was imbedded and discovers Enrakt fighting with the Warriors Three. Although the Enchanter is much more powerful, he grows tired of fighting the heroes and uses his power to transform all the nearby bystanders — who all showed up to try and pull Thor’s hammer free — into hideous monsters. However, this distracts Enrakt enough for “Olson” to slip by and recover his hammer and finally change back into Thor.
The battle is not an easy one as Enrakt’s magical talisman allows him to take control of Mjolnir and use the weapon against Thor. As the two fight it out, Detective O’Neil, Demitrius, and Hannah arrive on the scene after police in the area spotted “Jake Olson” in the area. Seeing Thor in battle astonishes them. However, the trio suddenly gets sucked into the battle between the Warriors Three and the transformed bystanders.
As Thor continues his battle with Enrakt, the Enchanter explains how he orchestrated his revenge against Thor. He recounts how during Thor’s encounter with his brothers, Forsung was killed by Odin while Bonar and Magnir were banished to the Lost Limbo of Infinity Unending.[3] Learning of his brother’s fate, Enrakt searched for years to find them. When he finally did and freed his brothers, Enrakt then started looking for Thor. He ultimately found the thunder god on the world of Balatraan when he was in the care of the sorceress known as Ceranda. He used this situation to hide inside Mjolnir while he regained his strength to attack the thunder god directly. In the meantime, Enrakt would interfere with Mjolnir’s enchantments until it was time to strike.[4] He then reveals to Thor that as they fight, his brothers Bonar and Magnir have whisked Odin away to their home dimension where they are now engaged in battle. With that, Enrakt blasts Thor with a bolt of magical energy.
This is being observed by the man in Asgard who appears to be Odin. When the All-Father’s Grand Vizier — Tarakis — comes to see if he needs anything, “Odin” tells him to leave him some privacy. As it turns out, “Odin” is actually Loki in disguise and intends to keep his true identity a secret until he completes his current scheme.[6]
Recurring Characters
Thor, Jake Olson, Enchanters (Bonar, Magnir, Enrakt), Heimdall, Balder, Sif, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Loki, Tarakis, Jane Foster, Brady O’Neil, Demitrius Collins, Hannah Fairmont
Continuity Notes
As we’ll see later, this isn’t Odin but Loki in disguise. The real Odin was teleported to another dimension by the Enchanters last issue.
The whole Thor/Jake Olson drug accusation thing is rather complicated:
Both Thor and Jake Olson were killed during a battle between the Avengers and the Destroyer. In order to cheat death, Thor agreed to take over the personal life of Olson as penance for failing to preserve his life. See Thor (vol. 2) #1-2.
As it turns out, Jake Olson was stealing drugs from the hospital to sell on the street prior to his death. An investigation into the missing drugs in Thor (vol. 2) #5. A warrant was issued for “Olson’s” arrest Thor (vol. 2) #14.
Thor’s encounter with the original three Enchanters took place in Thor #143-145.
Thor’s time on Balatraan and with Ceranda was chronicled in Thor Annual 1999.
Enrakt had been causing Thor’s hammer to act up since Thor (vol. 2) #3.
Loki ultimately ends up working with Mephisto to resurrect the real Jake Olson in order to make life difficult for Thor on Earth. See Thor Annual 2000.
