Nick Peron

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Thor #600

Nick Peron

Victory

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Since her resurrection, Loki has been plotting to destroy her hated half-brother Thor.[1] To this end, Loki went back in time a few centuries and turned Bor — the son of Odin — into snow.[2] Now in present day New York, Loki undoes the spell, reforming Bor in the middle of ice rink at Rockefeller Plaza. Loki also uses a spell to cloud Bor’s mind, to make him think he is trapped in Hel, prompting the confused warrior to go on the rampage. Witnessing the carnage is Jane Foster who runs to an alley to call for help.

The call it to Don Blake in Broxton, Oklahoma. Don is just finishing up a check-up with one of the local kids when he takes her call. Hearing about an Asgardian rampaging on the street, Blake says he’ll get there as quickly as possible. Dismissing his patient, Don rushes up to the roof of his building where he changes into Thor. As the thunder god takes to the air to reach New York, he wonders if there are more Asgardians still unaccounted for, such as the still missing Sif.

Back in the city, Bor tries to make sense of his surrounding and calls out for his son, Odin. When Thor arrives, he tries to calm the newcomer down, but Loki’s spell makes him appear as a demon to Bor. Worse, Thor’s words are manipulated, making Bor think that the “demon” is reveling in the fact that it killed his son. When Bor attacks his grandson, Thor is shocked by the sheer strength of his opponent. If it were not for the Odinpower, Thor would have been killed immediately. Fighting off his attacker, Thor cuts his hands open on Bor’s axe, and realizes that this battle needs to be ended as soon as possible. He then throws Mjolnir at his opponent, but Bor manages to catch it in mid-air, something that should be impossible since none but those deemed worthy by Odin can lift the enchanted hammer. Bor then tosses Mjolnir aside and the two begin brawling in hand-to-hand combat in the middle of the street.

Realizing that his opponent is too powerful to fight on his own, Thor bellows “Avengers Assemble” to summon his old teammates. Soon, an NYPD SWAT team arrives on the scene, but Bor shrugs off their machine gun fire but are swatted away. As Thor tries to keep Bor back, the Avengers arrive. However, these are not Thor’s old teammates, but Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers — Iron Patriot (Osborn himself), “Spider-Man” (aka Venom/Mac Gargan), “Wolverine” (aka Daken), “Hawkeye” (aka Bullseye), Captain Marvel (Noh-Var), and “Ms. Marvel” (aka Moonstone/Karla Sofen) — have arrived to lend a hand.[3] However, these Avengers are inadequate in battle against Bor. Thor grabs the Iron Patriot and tells Osborn that if he and his team are to survive they should run. Meanwhile, Bor begins channeling all of his power, deciding that if he dies in battle, it will be as a god.

Meanwhile, Loki has returned to Asgard and shows Balder the some troubling imagery, Bor has returned and is locked in a life or death battle with Thor. Balder realizes the gravity of the situation and agrees that they need to stop the fight before it is too late.

Back at the scene of the battle, Thor pushes through the storm summoned by Bor. He soon finds Mjolnir and resists the lightning called down upon him to grasp his weapon. He then clashes with Bor one last time. As they trade blows, both Loki and Balder arrive and try to stop the fight. Unfortunately, they are too late, as Thor sees an opening and fatally strikes Bor in the chest with Mjolnir, shattering the weapon and ending the battle. Balder then tells him Thor that the man that he has been fighting is their own grandfather. Dying, Bor confirms this by calling out to Odin, pleading for his son to avenge him. Thor realizes to his horror that Balder speaks the truth, and rushes to Bor’s side, but it is too late, his grandfather is dead.[4]

When Balder tells Thor he killed the king, Loki points out the gravity of the situation. Although he had been lost for centuries, Bor is indeed the rightful king of Asgard. By killing Bor, Thor has committed a grave crime against his people and per Asgardian law must be stripped of all titles and be banished forever.

When they get back to Asgard, a trial is quickly organized and when it begins Thor is given the opportunity to answer the charges against him. Thor admits that he killed Bor, but says arguing in his own defense won’t change the reality and the crimes committed. He can’t prove truth from untruth but promises he will speak of what happened to those responsible soon enough and on that day there will thunder, fire, and darkness thereafter. Loki quickly renders his verdict, saying Thor is guilty. The rest if left up to Balder, who also agrees that Thor is guilty of his crime and is to be banished from Asgard for all time. Thor then departs without any further word.

After the thunder god is gone, Loki begins theorizing on Thor’s motivations for killing Bor, in an attempt to further poison Balder’s ear. However, the warrior draws his sword and warns Loki against speaking out against his half-brother in such a way ever again. However, Loki isn’t finished her mischief for the day. She goes down to the local tavern house where she starts telling the patrons that she has located a place that will remind them of home, with many cold mountains and game to hunt. In fact, the ruler of this far away land has offered to give the Asgardians a home in his kingdom. When they ask who this benevolent king is, Loki tells them that the king in question is named Victor Von Doom, the ruler of Latveria.[5]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Balder, Loki, Bor, Don Blake, Jane Foster, Dark Avengers (Iron Patriot, Ms. Marvel, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Spider-Man), Doctor Doom

Continuity Notes

  1. Loki and the other Asgardians all perished in Ragnarok in Thor (vol. 2) #85. Since Loki was revived in Thor (vol. 3) #5 he has been in female form. As explained in issue #12, Loki has stolen the body of Sif, trapping her in the body of an elderly cancer patient named Rose Chambers. This will remain the status quo until Thor #602.

  2. Loki travelled back in time in Thor (vol. 3) #12 to orchestrate events that ensured he would become the step-brother of Thor, among other things.

  3. This story follows the events of Secret Invasion #1-8, where Earth was invaded by the Skrulls. In the final battle, Norman Osborn assassinated the Skrull Queen, and was hailed a hero. As a result he took over SHIELD (renamed HAMMER) and formed his own team of Avengers in Dark Avengers #1.

  4. As of this writing (July, 2023) Bor remains among the deceased.

  5. Doom’s interest in the Latverians is that he wants to perform grisley experiments in cybernetics upon them, as we’ll learn in Thor (vol. 3) #604-606.

Topical References

  • Don Blake is depicted as having a cell phone with a small screen and physical buttons. While these types of phones still exist, they have fallen out of popular use and are on their way to obsolescence. Its depiction here should be considered topical.

  • When Iron Patriot is slammed through 30 Rockefeller Plaza it is depicted with a large General Electric (GE) sign. This should be considered a topical reference as this sign was replaced in 2014 as ownership of the building changed.

To Asgard! Forever!

Many Years Ago[1]

The Avengers — Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch — are defending New York City from giant robots sent from the Raggador galaxy. Needing some extra muscle, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes summon Thor to aid them in the fight. With Thor’s added might, the robots are quickly destroyed. After Cap and the others thank the thunder god for his help, Thor receives a summons from Odin, who asks for his son to return home to Asgard.

Using Mjolnir, Thor teleports himself back to his home dimension where he joins the armies of Asgard in repelling an invasion force of Giants led by his evil step-brother, Loki. After a brutal batter, Thor grows weary of the constant conflict and wonders when it will all end and he can finally live at peace. Thor eventually decides that enough it enough and it is time to stop fighting.

He returns to the city of Asgard and tells Sif that he has had enough of the constant battles and how he wishes to marry her. Sif is happy to do so and they begin planning to leave Asgard behind and return to Earth. Thor quickly writes up a proclamation announcing his retirement and marriage to give to Odin. However, before he can deliver it, his mystic cauldron boils signaling that there is a need of Thor’s alter ego — Surgeon Donald Blake — on Earth. Thor believes that this is an omen that he is making the right choice and reverts back to his mortal guise and returns to Earth.

Blake operates on a young boy and the kid pulls through. When the surgery is over, Don invites the boy’s parents to see their son. When Don talks about how brave their son was, the boy says he was inspired by Thor, who never gives up. Hearing this makes Blake realize that there is more at stake than his personal wishes. Rejoining Sif on the roof of the hospital, the two lovers realize that they can’t give up now. Don then rips the letter for Odin in half and changes back into Thor. He and Sif then fly back to Asgard.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Odin, Sif, Loki, Avengers (Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch),

Continuity Notes

  1. This story takes place not long after the formation of the second team of Avengers circa Avengers #16. Per the Sliding Timescale, this story takes place nearly 12 years prior to the first story in this issue.

Welcome Back Thor

A humor strip commemorating Thor’s return to comics.

Recurring Characters

Thor

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