Tears for the Fallen

Thor and his allies — the Recorder and Firelord — have been trying to stop Thanos from capturing the Designate and gaining the power over life and death.[1] While they have found the Designate’s home world, they have arrived too late to stop Thanos from locating the Designate and capturing her. Worse, the Recorder’s tracking device was discovered and discarded. When all seems loss, Firelord tries to track the energy signature given off by the Illumination Stone, an ancient artifact that Thanos used to find the Designate. With his cosmically enhanced vision, Firelord is able to track Thanos and his cohorts to a distant ship some two million light years away. With time running out, Thor uses the power of Mjolnir to teleport himself and his allies to Thanos’ location.

Aboard that ship, Thanos gloats over his victory. All he needs to do now is force the Designate — a woman named Tarene — to weep into the Chalice of Ruins and drink from it and he will gain the power to wipe out all life in the universe. Mangog is growing impatient because he wants to wipe out hated Asgard.[2] Tarakis then brings Tarene to Thanos so she may shed tears in the Chalice of Ruins. However, she refuses to cry no matter what Thanos does to her. As his hands crackle with energy, Thanos tells her that he has no doubts that he will make her weep.

Watching events unfold from Asgard are the Orakle and Odin. Odin is helpless to do anything because Tarakis had poisoned him, weakening his power. However, all is not lost, as Balder the Brave has returned with Jagrfelm a troll who can constructs weapons that will help Thor in his battle with Thanos. However, Jagrfelm refuses to make anything unless Odin grants her a boon. She demands that Odin use his power to re-energize an item she is carrying in her sack. Wanting to get things over with, Odin does as he is asked without a second thought, much to the pleasure of Jagrfelm.[3]

Meanwhile, Thanos and his cohorts have taken Tarene to a lifeless world of ice, the perfect place to wipe out all life in the universe. However, moments after their arrival, Thor and his allies arrive. Throwing Mjolnir, the thunder god strike Mangog in the face, making him drop the Designate. As Firelord joins the fight, Tarakis drops his disguise, changing from an Asgardian to a creature shrouded in a black cloak. As Thor knocks out Mangog, Firelord defeats Tarakis with cosmic fire, but is taken out in the process. This is all being documented by the Recorder until Thanos blasts the robot to pieces. Despite the fact that it is heavily damaged, the Recorder diverts all power to its recording instruments so it can document what will happen next.

Seeing Thor fight on her behalf touches Tarene as she has never seen such a being. While the Asgardian is distracted, Mangog ambushes him from behind. The monster’s attack is unrelenting until Thor is knocked unconscious. Mangog then hangs Thor from a frozen spike by his cape. With the god of thunder defeated, Thanos prepares to torture Thor until the Designate gives him what he wants.

Watching from Asgard, Odin realizes that the future that Orakle showed him earlier is now coming to pass and all has been lost.

Recurring Characters

Thor, “Thanos”, Mangog, Firelord, Recorder, the Deisgnate, Odin, Balder, Orikal, Tarakis, Jagrfelm, Silverhoof

Continuity Notes

1. This is not the real Thanos, but one of his Thanosi, clones created to carry out his objectives. See Infinity Abyss #1-6.

2. Mangog won’t let anyone (including the reader) forget that he has the anger of “a billion, billion souls”. This is in reference to the fact that Mangog was the combination of an entire race of aliens who dared to war with Asgard, as explained in Thor #154-156. Later, it’s explained that the infraction may have been a minor insult and Odin overreacted, as detailed in Mighty Thor #701.

3. The item on her table turns out to be the Cask of Ancient Winters, as we’ll learn in Thor (vol. 2) #28.