Empty Vessels

Loki has resurrected the real Jake Olson in order to make Thor’s double-life as a mortal a living hell. Before his death, Olson was stealing drugs from the hospital he worked at and sold them on the streets. The was being investigated by officers Dimitris Collins and Brady O’Neil. However, they were convinced that “Olson” was innocent after Thor saved O’Neil’s life.[1] Dimitrius is telling Jake’s girlfriend Hannah Fairmonte that he is convinced that Jake is innocent. That is until he looks at the monitor in Brady’s room and sees Olson — the real Olson, returned to life by Loki — trying to smother Brady with a pillow. As he rushes to save his friend, the alarm goes off as O’Neil’s vitals hit the danger point, drawing Doctor Jane Foster to his room. However, when they arrive, Jake Olson is long gone.Olson has fled to the roof of the building where Loki is waiting for him. The trickster god is pleased that everything is going according to plan.

Loki makes sure to speak loud enough that his words are picked up by Heimdall, who is ever standing guard at the Bifrost Bridge to Asgard. As he becomes aware of Loki’s treachery, Thor and Odin return from their battle with the Enchanters. It was during their battle that Thor discovered that the Enchanter known as Enrakt took possessions of the body of Ceranda, a woman who previously saved Thor’s life, someone that he soon came to love.[2] They are joined by Balder, Sif, and Tarakis, Odin’s new advisor. That’s when Brona explains how Enrakt’s carried out his pla. Sacrificing his physical body, Enrakt traveled the myrade dimensions in his astral form to find and get revenge against Thor. To that end, he found Thor while he was trapped on Ceranda’s world and possessed Mjolnir while the thunder god was distracted. When Thor left that dimension, Enrakt divided his essence by taking possession of Ceranda’s dead body so that he could walk the physical world once more.

This greatly angers Thor, and hearing how much he cared for Ceranda bothers troubles Sif. When the thunder god moves to execute the remaining two Enchanters on the spot, Odin stays his hand. After confirming that Magnir and Brona have no other family to seek revenge on their behalf, the All-Father banishes them once again to the Lost Limbo of Infinity, where they will be trapped forever. Sif then asks if Thor still has feeling for Ceranda as well as Hannah Fairmont on Earth. This gives Thor pause as he realizes that his life has gotten overly complicated of late. Thor then pleads with his father to use his power to restore Ceranda to life. Unfortunately, it is beyond Odin’s power to do so, but promises his son that she will be laid to rest in the Chamber of Eternal Heroes under Glass of Everlasting Honor. This does little to ease Thor’s sense of loss, and seeing it for herself deeply troubles Sif.[3]

Back on Earth, Jane Foster and Hannah Fairmont are trying to make sense of the accusations leveled against Jake Olson. They were convinced that he was innocent of drug dealing, but after Hannah saw Jake trying to suffocate Detective O’Neil with her own eyes, she has no choice but to believe it. This revelation is not just going to be hard on Hannah — who started dating Jake after her husband died of cancer — now she has share the truth with her daughter Amanda. They head down to Jake’s apartment as Hannah wants to water Jake’s plants and write him a goodbye note. However, inside they are shocked to discover Jake Olson is inside his apartment.

When they ask him why he attacked O’Neil, he assures them that it is all a big misunderstanding and he’ll straighten everything out if they trust him. He then shocks Hannah by kissing her on the lips for the first time in forever. That’s when Thor appears before them and denounces Jake Olson as an impostor. Thinking the Avengers are after him, Hannah blocks Thor’s path while Jake runs to the roof. Once there, Loki appears and teleports his pawn away before his step-brother is able to catch up.

Meanwhile, in the domain of the trolls, the imprisoned Orikal has summoned Ulik to speak with him. This is because the all seeing entity is aware of a threat that is coming to their location. Unfortunately, this warning comes too late as the evil it has sensed has arrived. The being responsible knocks out Ulik then extracts the Chalice of Ruins from its hiding place inside Orikal’s body. This powerful being turns out to be Mangog, however, he isn’t seking the Challice for himself, but for his master. Mangog’s master intends to use the Chalice to collect the tears of the Designate, something that will bring about universal Armageddon.[4]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Heimdall, Odin, Sif, Balder, Tarakis, Ulik, Orikal, Loki, Enchanters (Magnir, Brona, Enrakt/Ceranda), Mangog, “Thanos”, Hannah Fairmont, Dimitris Collins, Brady O’Neil, Jane Foster, Jake Olson

Continuity Notes

1. This is a long and complicated situation. See, the real Jake Olson was killed during Thor’s battle with the Destroyer in Thor (vol. 2) #1. Seeking to save Olson’s life, Thor petitioned Odin to save him, and the two were seemingly merged together. Over the next 18 issues it was revealed that Olson was involved in stealing drugs and selling them on the street. Last issue, Loki ventured into Mephisto’s Hell to recover the real Jake Olson’s soul.

2. Thor was lost in another dimension following the events of Heroes Reborn: The Return #1-4. He was found by Ceranda and nursed to health, however she died when he liberated her world from Doctor Doom, as seen in Thor Annual 1999. Last issue, Thor discovered that Enrakt took possession of her body.

3. As of this writing (May, 2023), neither the Enchanters nor Ceranda have been seen since. The final fate of Enrakt is never fully explained. Is he still trapped inside Ceranda’s body, or was his spirit expelled from her body?

4. Next issue, we’ll learn that Mangog’s master is apparently Thanos. In reality, this isn’t the real Thanos, but one of his Thanosi, clones that Thanos created to carry out various tasks. See Infinity Abyss #1-6.