Thor (vol. 2) #53
100 Days
In an effort to guide humanity, Thor has transported Asgard to Earth. The kingdom now floats over New York City. Since its arrival, mortals have begun to form a religion worshiping the Asgardians. However, not everyone openly accepts the Asgardian’s presence.
In New Mexico, a heavily armed military convoy arrives in the middle of the desert so a US government official can meet with Zarrko the Tomorrow Man. The time traveler has seen the future and has come with a dire warning to the powers that be that will come to pass if they do not do something to stop the thunder god now.[1] Although both sides of the meeting don’t know if they can trust each other, they both know that they have to work together to stop this threat. Time is of the essence because Thor and his people have been healing the sick and helping those in need. This is destabilizing the planet as religious groups are in an uproar and the stockmarket is in freefall. Zarrko assures them that he has someone working on removing Thor as they speak.
This is no easy task with Heimdall standing guard at the gates of Asgard as he can see and hear things from miles away. Luckily, Zarrko has enlisted the aid of the Dark Gods. Using a teleportation gateway, Perriku and Adva are able to appear behind and ambush Heimdall and take him down before he can raise the alarm. When they reach the gates of Asgard, they find soldiers waiting for them. A Perrikus clashes with them, Thor is in a meeting with Thialfi and Balder to discuss the distribution of food to Ethiopia. Thialfi explains that they are getting resistance from local religious leaders, which baffles Thor. Balder explains that the mortals are less reliant on gods as they were centuries earlier. Thor still doesn’t understand and Balder points out that what they are doing now was not asked for by the mortals, and he fears that the resistance will become worse as they continue down this path.
In the South America, Thor Girl (Tarene) and a team of Asgardian warriors are blocking the path of crews hired to tear down sections of the rainforest. When the worker explain that they need the money or they will starve, Tarene gives them enough gold to make them all incredibly wealthy. Once the workers leave, Thor Girl and the others are ambushed by the local military.
At that same moment, Thor has returned to his throne, when Thialfi comes racing in to warn him of danger. Seconds later, Perrikus comes crashing into the throne room. Having heard that Thor now has the Odinpower pleases Perrikus as the thunder god will now be a match for him.[2] The Dark God explains that once he has killed Thor, he will be allowed to take Asgard as his own, provided he remove it from Earth.[3] When Thor fights back, Adva uses her powers to teleport Mjolnir away to another dimension. As Perrikus pummels the thunder god, he boasts that Thor’s morals will prevent him from slaying his foes.
However, the battle quickly turns when Thor lands next the Bloodaxe. Seizing the weapon he uses it to cut off Perrikus’ right arm. As his foe begins bleeding out, Thor resists the urge to kill him. Remembering that the Bloodaxe is cursed, Thor tosses it aside and uses the Odinpower to melt it to slag so he will not fall victim to its bloodlust.[4] He then takes Perrikus’ spear and orders Adva to return Mjolnir or else he will gut her master with his own weapon. Adva does as she is told. Before letting them go, Thor asks Perrikus who sent them, and is told that this was a plan of Zarrko’s.[5]
Moments later, Zarrko gets a call to inform him that Perrikus failed to eliminate Thor. Seconds later, Mjolnir slams into the ground knocking everyone off their feet. Thor then arrives and apprehends Zarrko, telling the time traveler that he will spend the rest of his life in the dungeons of Asgard.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Heimdall, Balder, Thor Girl, Zarrko the Tomorrow Man, Perrikus, Adva
Continuity Notes
Zarrko is referring to the Reigning, a nightmare future where Thor rules both Earth and Asgard with an iron fist. He’s been trying to prevent this future from happening since Thor (vol. 2) #33. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2, this future takes place in Reality-3515.
It is mentioned here that Odin is dead. He perished fighting Surtur in Thor (vol. 2) #40, leading to Thor taking the throne and the Odinpower. He will remain among the deceased until Thor #618.
Perrikus has previously conquered Asgard in the past, as seen in Thor (vol. 2) #9-12.
As first referenced in Thor #450, the Bloodaxe has a curse on it compelling those who use it to kill. Although the weapon is destroyed here, it is seen again in Hel in Thor God-Sized Special #1. No clear explanation is given, but — come on, guys — it’s a magic axe, does it need an explanation?
As of this writing (June, 2023), this is the last we see of either Perrikus or Adva. It’ll be interesting to see if Perri ever grows a new arm or something.
