Defining Moments

Thor has been exiled from Asgard after he was forced to kill Bor, his grandfather and true king of Asgard.[1] Setting up a camp fire, he assesses the damage done to Mjolnir, which was shattered during the battle. Having council with Don Blake — his mortal half — Thor explains that, in the past, his hammer has been shattered by magic, allowing for it to be easily repaired. However, this is the first time that it was broken by striking it against something stronger than it, and isn’t sure if it can be fixed now.

What’s more important to Blake is if they can swap places still. Thor figures there is only one way to find out, despite the risks. When Thor taps the handle of Mjolnir on the ground, the transformation to Don Blake briefly splits the two apart and is incredible painful, but it works. When Blake recovers, he gathers up the the shattered pieces of his walking stick and heads.

Meanwhile, Loki has convinced Balder — the new ruler of Asgard — to have a meeting with Latveria’s ruler, Doctor Victor Von Doom, to discuss the immigration of his people to Doom’s nation.[2] Doom tells Balder that he is offering the Asgardians a home that is very much like the Scandinavian countries they once roamed centuries earlier.[3] He promises that every comfort and law will be bent to make the Asgardian’s stay in Latveria a pleasant one. He reminds him that they currently live in the Oklahoma desert and in a country filled with laws and rules to follow. Balder wonders about moving Asgard to Latveria. Loki says that Asgard is where their people go, prompting Balder to ask Doom if he intends on renaming his kingdom to Asgard. Doom denies this, and the issue of Thor being allowed to come to Latveria is brought up again. Doom says all are welcome as long as they follow the law of Latveria. Balder doesn’t see how this is any different than living in America. That’s when Loki speaks up, reminding Balder that Latveria is much like Asgard in that it is ruled by a king, not like America, a democracy. This is enough to convince Balder that they should relocate.

While back in Asgard, Volstagg has drank himself into a stupor since Thor was exiled from the kingdom. When Fandral and Hogun go to check on him, he rages about the injustice committed upon their friend. Fandral and Hogun, then try to convince Volstagg that their only choice is to follow Thor into exile going forward. As per usual, Volstagg takes credit for this idea before collapsing to the ground. Fandral and Hogun decide to let him sober up before trying again.

In nearby Broxton, the diner where Bill Cobb works is packed as usual. The locals have noticed that things in Asgard have been quiet lately and wonder what’s been going on. That’s when Kelda — the Asgardian goddess smitten by Bill — comes by to tell him that she and her people are leaving for Latveria. He goes outside to speak to her in private and Kelda says that she must go with her people as she needs to be with them to live. However, before she left, she wanted to tell Bill that she had fallen in love with him and to say goodbye one more time.

By this time, Don Blake has returned to his motel room and is taking his walking stick back together. While Thor doesn’t think this will work, Blake figures it is better than nothing. That’s when they are visited by the astral form of Loki. He tells Blake that he and the people of Asgard are relocating to Latveria. However, before she goes, she wants to reveal something she has learned about her new female body. Loki’s true body has spent this entire time regenerating and the one he wears now belongs to somebody else — Sif. Sif is still trapped in the body of a human host, one that is dying. Loki wanted to pass along that she fears that when her true form finally manifests the strain will kill both her and her human host. The connection is severed before Blake and find out who Sif’s human host is and where he can find her.

Meanwhile, Bill Cobb decides that he can’t let Kelda leave him and races to Asgard. He then uses a grappling hook to climb up into the city. He manages to catch up with Kelda before she steps through the portal to teleport her to Latveria. He kisses her and says he loves her as well and wants to go with her. With that, the two step across the threshhold to a brand new future together.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Balder, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Loki, Doctor Doom, Don Blake, Kelda, Bill Cobb

Continuity Notes

1. As explained in Thor (vol. 3) #7 & 12, Bor was turned into snow centuries ago by a time traveling Loki. He remain trapped in winter until Loki freed him last issue. Thor was forced to slay his grandfather in order to stop his rampage. However he was forced into exile as a result of his actions.

2. 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.

3. 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

• When discussing the possibility that a damaged Mjolnir might not properly allow them to swap places, Don Blake references Return of the Fly the 1959 sequel to The Fly, made a year earlier. He makes a point to clarify that he is not referring to The Fly 2, which was the 1989 sequel to the 1986 remake of the original. Since he is referring to a piece of classic cinema, this wouldn’t necessarily be considered a topical reference.

• Doom states that he had to look up what winkles (they are snails, FYI) were on Wikipedia, an on-line encyclopedia. This should be considered a topical reference as Wikipedia is a real world resource.