Thor (vol. 2) #82 — Nick Peron

May 12

May 12 Thor (vol. 2) #82

Ragnarok, Part the Third

Two Months Ago

In Alfheim, home of the Light Elves, two archers have their target practice interrupted when by the Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg) who are carrying the injured Sif. Fandral tells them that Loki has gone mad and the domain of Ymir-Kul has fallen and Alfheim is next. They also say that Thor has died in battle.[1] That’s when Naglfar — The ship of the dead — appears in the sky overhead and Hogun realizes that they are doomed.[2] Seconds later, thousands of arrows begin raining down on them.

Now

Realizing that Ragnarok is well underway, Thor has been leading the surviving Asgardians to their inevitable final conflict with Loki. When they arrive in Alfheim, the places is a ruined, just like everywhere they have come. As Thor searches the ruins, Volstagg comes out of hiding and thinking Loki has returned, attacks his old friend. However, Volstagg has been starving this entire time and has completely loss his volumious girth and strength. The two compare notes, with Thor reporting that they slew Loki’s allies Ulik and Hymr, but Balder is also among the dead.[3] Volstagg reports that Fandral, Hogun, and Sif all perished, and he only survived because he was too fat to be killed by the hail of arrows that struck them.[4] Volstagg is ashamed of himself, but Thor won’t forgive him unless he agrees to pick up a weapon and continue the fight. Volstagg pledges to fight to the death, prompting Thor to hand him a new hammer. Thor tells him that it was taken clashed and slew Geirrodur, the king of the Trolls, for allying with Loki.[5]

Thor and his army press on, searching for Harokin and his barbarians, whom were separated from the main party during the battle with Geirrodur. They soon find that Harokin and his people dead by the hands of Hrinmeer the Flame, who also perished in the fight. As they ride on, Volstagg gets to know the young orphaned boy that Thor has been protecting this entire time.[6] Volstagg finds it impossible to believe, and Thor quips that seeing Volstagg as skinny and this makes his friend laugh. The conversation takes a turn to the dark, when Thor admits that he tires of seeing his friends die and how much he misses the deceased. When the boy asks if he will feel the same way about Loki, Volstagg scolds the child, telling him not to utter the trickster’s name. Thor tells his friend that it is ok, and admits he does miss his step-brother, at least the innocent trickster of his childhood.[7] Volstagg scoffs at this, saying that a bee will always sting when he feels winter coming. Thor supposes that is true and they press on.

As they progress onward, they find more dead. Outside a cave, they find the body of Kurse, who sacrificed his life to protect a group of orphaned children.[8] In the fields, they find Vidar died defending his land. They turn it into a huge funeral pyre before pressing on.

The trail of destruction leads to Vanaheim, where they finally catch up with Loki’s forces. As they approach the battle, the Fenris — who has grown to giant size — tries to block their past. As the battle rages, Valkyrie tries to join the battle but she is fatally blasted out of the sky by Durok the Demolisher.[9] That’s when Thor sees that not only is Sif still alive, but Durok has set his sights on her again. Thor calls out to her and she stabs Durok with Dragonfang. Thor then tosses Fenris at Durok, knocking him aside. The thunder god and Sif managed to have a brief reunion before Durok and Fenris recover. Thor grapples with Durok, and after a brief struggle, Thor slays him by summoning a powerful bolt of lightning.[10]

The Fenris has also recovered by this point and is ready to attack, when the monster is struck down by another bolt of lightning. However, this wasn’t the work of Thor, but his alien ally Beta Ray Bill who has come to answer the fall to arms!

Recurring Characters

Thor, Sif, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Harokin, Kurse, Vidal, Valkyrie, Beta Ray Bill, Geirrodur., Hrinmeer the Flame, Fenris, Durok the Demolisher

Continuity Notes

To the Asgardians, Thor seemingly died during Loki’s opening assault in Thor (vol. 2) #80. In reality, he fled to Earth to recruit the aid of Iron Man and Captain America. Last issue, Thor realized that they are experiencing Ragnarok, he decided to send his mortal friends back home.
Naglefar is a ship constructed from the finger and toe nails of the deceasd in Hel, as per Thor #362. Loki has been using it since Thor (vol. 2) #80.
Balder, Ulik, and Hymr were all killed last issue. However, their deaths don’t last. After Ragnarok is completed, Thor will later discover his people were cast down to Earth into mortal lives. Balder will be revived in Thor (vol. 3) #5, while Ulik will resurface in World War Hulks #1. As of this writing (June, 2023) Hymr’s ultimate fate is unknown.
Fandral and Hogun were indeed killed in Loki’s attack. They will also be cast down to Earth, and revived in Thor (vol. 3) #4.
As of this writing (June, 2023), Geirrodur has not been seen since. If he was resurrected along with everyone else who perished during Ragnarok remains to be seen.
The fates of both Harokin and Hrinmeer following Asgard’s restoration have yet to be determined, time of this writing.
Vidar is the half-brother of Thor and the product of an affair between Odin and the Storm Giant named Gird. He was banished from Asgard after Odin married Frigga. See Thor Annual #12. We’ll see him deceased later on in this story. Like many of the other deaths in this story, Vidar’s fate following the restoration of Asgard has yet to be revealed, time of this writing.
Kurse will be resurrected eventually, we’ll see him again in Mighty Thor (vol. 2) #14.
Valkyrie and her steed, Aragorn, will turn up alive again in Hulk (vol. 2) #7, however, the tale of their resurrection is reserved for Valkyrie (vol. 2) #1.
As of this writing (June, 2023), Durok’s fate following the restoration of Asgard remains to be revealed.

Topical References

The narrative of this story states that Ragnarok has been going on for two months at this point. Given that the Asgardians will go missing for three years of publications (about 1 year in universe), you could consider this measurement of time as factual.