To Reach Beyond

In the seas of Jotunheim, Balder leads an expedition on a mission for Thor. It is a voyage fraught with danger as they are pounded by a heavy storm and have to fight a sea monster. As the warriors Balder, Jyrmrsk, and the elderly Ggorgstog fight off the monster, the paddlers continue to row. The crew are unhappy and think they are on a fools errand, not trusting Thor’s rule of Asgard as he has devoted most of his life to Midgard.

Overhearing them, Ggorgstog chastises them for their lack of faith in their new lord.[1] He reminds them of how the Rock Trolls tried to attack the kingdom shortly after Thor took the throne and how he led the warriors of Asgard — including the Warriors Three — along with him. They beat back the invaders and as Thor assessed the loss of life, he came upon a Troll that was dying and stayed with him until he passed on. This battle alone, according to Ggorgstog, proves that Thor cares deeply for Asgard and its people and it worthy of the mantle of leadership. By this time they have fought off the sea monster and quelled the rowmen’s fears. Still, Jyrmsk questions if the contenst of the Chest of Strength are worth the trouble. Balder sharply rebukes him, reminding him that doubting the royal throne is to court disaster.

Soon the come to shore on the island where the Chest of Strength is being kept. As they make their way on land, the subject of Thor’s leadership comes up again. When the other soldiers begin to question Thor’s vision, Jyrmrsk is the one to speak up on his behalf. He was among the groun of warriors that Thor had led to the Path of Shattered Dreams. This is a treacherous location that leads them to the edge of a cliff. The legends spoke that to leap over the edge would be to fall into paradise. Thor wished to learn if this was true, and took send warriors to investigate. When they arrived on the edge of the cliff, Thor sent his raven, Munin to fly down and see if there is a bottom to the chasm ahead. It took a week, but thanks to the Odinpower enchancing his hearing, Thor was able to hear when the raven reached the bottom. Convinced it was safe, Thor sent a team of warriors to explore. Jyrmsk concludes his tale by saying that Thor went searching for them later and found a bountiful domain and now an Asgardian outpost exists out there and it will soon be home to future generations.

By this time, they have entered a cave and come upon the crimson pool where the Chest of Strength is hidden. Balder insists on diving in alone to retreive the chest. Swimming deep down into the cavern, Balder finds the chest chained up at the bottom. When he nears it, stone hands begin coming from the ground and try to keep him under until he suffocates. Struggle as he might, Balder cannot get free. But when all seems lost, Thor suddenly arrives and uses Mjolnir to free his friend. They grab the chest and swim to the surface. Balder thanks Thor for his intervention. It was good that Thor grew bored with mundane affairs at home and came out to help. When Jyrmsk asks what is inside the chest, Thor tells him that he will show them some other time, as the person asking for the chest needs it urgently and is less patient than he is.

When Thor flies off, the other soldiers begin to complain about this mission once more. When Jyrmsk tries to silence them again, they are all shocked when Balder also begins to question Thor’s leadership as well. This stuns everyone, as they thought that if anyone was going to be unquestionably loyal to Thor, it would be his best friend.

However, what they don’t know is that this is not Balder at all, but Loki in disguise. The trickster had a use for the Chest of Strength as well, to use it as a means of sowing dissatisfaction among the people of Asgard.

When Thor returns to Asgard, he presents the Chest of Strength to the one who requested it: Zeus, the ruler of Olypmus. Zeus then tells Thor that he had the chest recovered for the contents are meant for him. When Thor opens the chest the only thing he finds inside is a mirror. Looking into it, he sees his reflection looking back at him, but it seems different somehow. Zeus says that the mirror reflects the inner strength of the person who looks into it. Seeing Thor’s reflection, Zeus is convinced that Thor will be equal to the task of ruling Asgard as his father was.

When Zeus departs, Thor sits back upon the Throne of Asgard and conjures up images of Earth. He sees Tarene — as Thor Girl — saving people from a burning building and Jake Olson — his mortal half — working as a paramedic. He longs to be back among the mortals but he has to put that life behind him now and he will have to focus on whatever dealings and dangers threaten Asgard on the horizon. Discarded on the floor is the mirror from the Chest of Strength. Suddenly, the image of Thor within it changes from nobility to anger.[2]

Recurring Characters

Thor, Zeus, Loki, Ggorgstog, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Thor Girl, Jake Olson

Continuity Notes

1. Odin died battling Surtur in Thor (vol. 2) #40, leading Thor to taking the throne in issue #42. Odin will remain among the deceased until Thor #618.

2. This is alluding to the Reigning, a future where Thor rules over Earth and Asgard with an iron fist as we’ll see in Thor (vol. 2) #67-79. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2, this future takes place in Reality-3515.