Thor (vol. 3) #4
No Borders
It is morning at the Sooner Hotel, and its owner answers the front bell and finds a man named Lereaux calling on one of her tenants, Doctor Donald Blake. She rings up his room and tells him that there is a visitor waiting for him downstairs. While they wait, the man explains that he is part of a humanitarian organization that provides medical aid to people in need all over the globe, even in dangerous and war torn locations, despite the risks to their lives.
Eventually, Don Blake finds himself in the nation of Duhran, Africa. It is a nation that has experienced five years of tribal warfare with over half a million dead. The dominant Ngare tribe is trying to wipe the others out through ethnic cleansing. They have come to the Umeme Mungu Refugee Camp that has been attacked at night. As Don works to treat the refugees he thinks about how he used to be a surgeon in America. Things have changed, and given his experience with Ragnarok, a war that they just barely managed to came back from the brink of death, he wonders what will happen if the same cataclysm comes for the mortals.[1] Who will bring them back from the brink?
After a grueling day of work, Don manages to get some time off. Lereaux comes to see how Don is doing on his first day. The two take a walk around and Blake learns how the violence in the region has ramped up in recent years as the Ngare have been able to purchase illegal arms and bombs from other countries. The United Nations is reluctant to intervene, as arming the other tribes will only compound the problems. When Don asks what they can do instead, Lereaux suggests common sense, compassion, and perhaps an act of god. Until then, they need to focus on treating those who need medical attention. Lereaux then introduces Don to their security detail which consists of Rolf Mueller from Berlin, Leo Kincaid of San Francisco, and Trevor Newly of London.
Curiously, the three men were compelled to come and work with the organization to work with Don Blake. The meeting is interrupted by the sound of a woman screaming. They then see a woman running toward the village. They all rush toward her until Don notices that she has a jacket draped around her and realizes that she is wired up with explosives. He just barely manages to warn everyone to take cover before the bomb explodes. The blast separates Don from his walking stick and as he struggles to reach it, Ngare soldiers come out of the woods with guns blazing. Mueller, Kincaid, and Newly return fire. While gunfire is exchange, Blake reaches his walking stick and changes into Thor.
The thunder god quickly deals with the enemy soldiers and just as the three mercenaries run out of ammunition, the Ngare realize that they are facing an invincible foe and surrender. With the battle over, Thor questions the three men as to why they came too this specific camp. They explain that it felt right. One of them points out that the refugee camp’s name — Umeme Mungu — translates to “lightning god”. This convinces Thor that these men are hosts for more Asgardians. He tells them to hold still and summons a storm which frees the trio, who turn out to be the Warriors Three — Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg.
The warriors are happily reunited and Thor suggests that they take some time to deal with the Ngare. However, one of the tribal elders rejects this offer. He tells the Asgardians that African problems need to be solver by Africa, not by white men from foreign lands. When Hogun asks why they would reject the offer of aid from gods, the tribal leader tells them that in his country, anyone who has the power over life and death is considered a god. He also says that his people need time to figure out how to live together without killing each other and hopes that other nations will find ways to keep them apart until that peace can be established. At that, Thor can offer aid. He asks to be brought to the border between tribal lands. Once he is taken there, he smashes the ground with Mjolnir, creating a wide chasm that runs the length of the country. Now the Ngare will have to build bridges to cross giving the other tribes time to figure out a solution to their conflict. Thor tells them to use that time wisely before leaving.
Back in Asgard, the Warriors Three settle in the best they can, but the city is too empty. Hogun notices that Thor’s quest to reawaken their people appears to be slow and methodical, as though there are those he is avoiding to restore. Thor admits this, but also agrees that there is some urgency to their mission since they aren’t sure what will happen to an Asgardian if their human host dies. Thor decides he needs help and asks Heimdall if his ability to see can help him in his quest. With glowing eyes, Heimdall says he can.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Heimdall, Beth Sooner
Continuity Notes
Thor and the rest of Asgard was destroyed in Ragnarok, as seen in Thor (vol. 2) #80-82. Thor cheated death in Thor (vol. 3) #1, and since learned that his fellow Asgardians are were cast down to Earth into mortal lives and has been searching for them.
Topical References
In this issue, Don Blake volunteers to work with Doctor’s Without Borders.This should be considered a topical reference as this is a real world organization.
Blake is depicted listening to music with wired headphones. With the advent of wireless technologies, this style has fallen out of common use and is on its way to obsolescence. Its depiction here should be considered topical.
