The Reigning, Prologue: Earth 2020

Seventeen Years From Now[1]

Two women race across the wilderness of South Dakota. They pause briefly as they pass Mount Rushmore, as one of the riders can’t help but be in awe every time they pass. This is because someone has added to the landmark. In addition to the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt there have been two new additions. Next to Lincoln is now the fact of Thor, the current ruler of Asgard. Towering over them all is a massive stone carving of Odin, Thor’s late father.[2]

However, before they are able to leave they are caught by Hogun and another Asgardian warrior named Yarsyg, who demand to know what the two mortals are doing. One of the women removes her hood and reveals that she is Thor’s old friend, Jane Foster. This makes Hogun lower his guard she explains that her companion — a woman named Diaea — needs her medical assistance as she has suffered an injury. When Hogun asks why this injured person wasn’t taken to a hospital, Jane tells him that there isn’t much time and that if she doesn’t hurry they will die. Hogun allows the Foster woman and her companion go, but decides to follow them and make sure there is nothing amiss.

Once they reach Diaea’s home, Jane rushes in to check on her patient and asks the others to fetch some drinks for their suspicious visitors. In reality, the story that Jane told Hogun was a lie. She has actually come to help the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) deliver a baby. By her side is her brother Quicksilver (Pietro Maxmoff). Pietro is furious to learn that Asgardians have come by because they will kill them and his sister’s baby if they are caught. Jane assures them that won’t happen and to keep a cool head. With Jane’s help, Wanda delivers the baby as quietly as possible. Once the baby is born, Jane hands it over to Quicksilver and tells him to flee as fast as his feet can take him. This is because Wanda is still in bad shape and needs a hospital. Dressing the Scarlet Witch up, Jane takes her outside and says that her patient will need a hospital after all.

Hogun and Yarsyg follow and stick around until they get a prognosis from the resident Asgardian healer. After examining the patient, the healer comes out and informs them that the woman’s condition is from giving birth less than an hour ago. Hogun then demands that Jane tell him the location of the unscreen baby, but Foster refuses to give its location away. That’s when the healer informs him that he used a Jewel of Identification on the patient and it confirmed that she was the Scarlet Witch, a former Avenger.[3] Hogun is furious over this betrayal and decides to take Jane to New Asgard for punishment, leaving Yarsyg to deal with Diaea and her family.

Using a magic ring to summon Loki, Hogun and Jane are teleported to New Asgard — built in the ruins of old New York City. The city has been completely rebuilt, turning it a mish-mash of Asgardian and mortal architecture. Hogun sees the city as a thing of beauty, but Jane can only see it as a sign that humanity has lost. At first, she thought Thor was doing great things for the world, now — after everything that has happened — she thinks its a nightmare and questioned what she ever saw in him.[4] She is soon greeted by Loki — who now wears the cloak of Doctor Strange and the Orb of Agamotto. He is surprised to learn that she is part of the separatists movement. Jane accuses the trickster of mentally controlling Thor, however the thunder god soon arrives and assures her that his step-brother is a loyal subject who has helped him make the planet more secure.

Loki quickly tells Thor of Jane Foster’s crimes and his warm welcome becomes a cold one. He reminds Jane that every child born among the mortals needs to be recorded. Foster scoffs at this because all they are doing is cataloguing kids that might be mutants with power that could threaten the Asgardian’s rule. Thor tries to justify the baby registry then calls upon Amor the Enchantress. She soon arrives with their son, the infant Magni. Thor tells Amora that he will be gone for a bit and then teleports away with Jane Foster.

They appear somewhere out in the mortal world and Thor talks about the day that both Asgard and New York City were destroyed by those who feared the aid he was providing the world. He tells her of all the dead — hundreds of thousand — both mortal and Asgardian alike. He tells her that he has taken over the world to ensure such a loss is never felt again. Jane points out that humanity doesn’t want him to rule over them, that they are all frightened, and more will fight for freedom. Thor recalls how there was resistance in the beginning — even from his fellow Avengers. Jane cannot believe Thor is the same man she used to love, pointing out how he has joined forces with Loki and is romancing the Enchantress.[5] Thor brushes these criticisms off and tells Jane that he will forgive all her crimes if she just tells him where Quicksilver took the baby. Jane starts pretending to not know what Thor is talking about and suggest he just club her over the head and get it over with. That’s when she realizes that Thor isn’t carrying Mjolnir, and asks what happened to it.[6]

Thor chooses not to answer and gives Jane one more chance to tell the truth. When she refuses and argues that what he is doing is wrong, Thor runs out of patience. Using the Odinpower he summons Diaea and her family in a sphere of magical energy. He then imprisons Jane inside and takes them all back to Asgard to ask Loki and Amora about what to do for punishment. Loki suggests a technique that will re-educate them and make them loyal subjects. Jane pleads with Thor to reconsider, asking why he would do this to someone he loves and over a child. Thor tells her that he has no more love for Jane and then turns her and her allies over to Loki for re-education. Thor then walks away as Jane tries to shame the thunder god for doing this to her.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Jane Foster, Hogun, Enchantress, Loki, Magni, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Kya (unnamed)

Continuity Notes

1. The events of this story take place in Reality-3515, per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #2. This story is stated as having happened in 2020, see topical references for more details on this.

2. As this reality is a divergence of the Prime Marvel Universe (aka, Reality-616) it’s past history prior to the divergence point mirrors that of Reality-616. Odin died fighting Surtur in Thor (vol. 2) #40, Thor took over the throne of Asgard and had been trying to better humanity since Thor (vol. 2) #50. Eventually, the world’s leaders became afraid that Thor was going to take control of the planet and launched a devastating attack on Asgard, as seen in issues #66-69, causing Thor to do exactly what they feared he would do.

3. In case you’re wondering what happened to most of Earth’s other heroes, they will all be wiped our shortly after this, as seen in Thor (vol. 2) #73.

4. Thor and Jane Foster have had a will-they-or-won’t-they relationship over the years starting in Journey into Mystery #84, even after she married Keith Kincaid in Thor #336.

5. Here, Jane refers to the time that she shared her existence with Sif. The two women were merged together for a time…. it’s really complicated.. but it lasted from Thor #236 through 335.

6. As we saw last issue, Thor became unworthy to lift Mjolnir after slaying Jake Olson, his mortal half. It is buried under the rubble of old New York where it will remain until it is unearthed over 100 years in the future by the rebellion, as we’ll see in Thor (vol. 2) #70.

Topical References

• Yeah, so this story is stated as taking place in the year 2020. Since that year has already passed, it should be considered topical as it was relative to the date of publication. Modern readers should interpret this story as taking place some 17 years in the future from the Modern Age rather than a specific date.