Walt Simonson's Thor

THOR #381:

SUMMARY: The Frost Giants on Midgard, led by Grundroth, make their way through New York State. They come upon a barrier of mystic flame which is a crossover element from the Mephisto limited series. Breaching the barrier, they find not only the empty armor of Thor, but also the inert forms of eight other Avengers. When Grundroth picks up Thor's "empty" armor, however, it is heavy and warm, as if Thor was still within, reduced to a state of jellied flash. Knowing that thor cannot die, they begin to beat the armor mercilessly. As the flames rise higher and the giants hide themselves from sight, the Avengers revive and depart. Loki appears withhis prize from the Andes: the Destroyer (which was thought destroyed in #300), who immediately begins killing the Frost Giants.

In Asgard, Kurse takes the vial of water from the Well of Wryd from Kevin and pours it into Balder's mouth, reviving him. Somehow, Volstagg staggers in, and the other Asgardians, including Hildy, begin to revive as well. Kurse carries Balder to Odin's High Seat of Hildskjalf when he peers into Jotenhein and sees Utgard-Loki rallying the remaining Frost Giants to attack Asgard. Back on Midgard, Grundroth is the only Frost Giant left alive. He picks up Thor's armor in thehope that it will sheild him from the Destroyer's deadly attack, but it does not. Then the Destroyer and Thor move the battle to the astral pane, where only one of them will survive. After a fierce battle, back in the real world the Destroyer begins to move. It takes Thor's cape, belt and helmet wings from Thor's armor and attaches them to itself, then it picks up Mjolnir and transports itself away.

COMMENTARY: One issue to go!

THOR #382:

86927464040.382.jpg

First, a note about that cover blurb. #382 is not, in fact, the 300th "anniversary" issue of Thor. For that to be true, the first issue would have had to have been published in the year 1687. It is, however, the 300th appearance of Thor in the series once titled Journey into Mystery, which was first published in 1952 (so it's closer to the 35th anniversary than the 300th). Marvel did, however, in this case, get the math right, if not the nomenclature.

Thor, in the Destroyer armor, makes his way to Hel, retracing the path he recently took in #261-362. But this time, instead of nine days, the trip takes only nine minutes. (He's in a hurry.) Hela has invited her father, Loki, to witness her final victory over Thor (and, perhaps, to rub his nose in it a little bit). Loki is there in astral form and gloats as her scheme doesnot play out as planned. Whereas Thor would have sought her defeat, the Destroyer seeks her death, unmindful of what effect that would have on the balance of the Nine Worlds. Meanwhile, in Asgard, Balder prepares to defend the realm against the attack of the Frost Giants. Even Volstagg vows that he "shall desert neither his liege nor his land, no matter what the odds." when Balder suggests that he might protect the children, he responds, "I have lived too long to die a straw death in some foreign clime."

Incidentally, I was mistaken last issue when I indicated that water from the Well of Wryd revived all of the Asgardians. For some reason (writer's fiat, I suppose), in addition to Balder, only Volstagg and Hildy are revived. Balder leaves the children in the care of Kurse, but Volstagg is not too sure about trusting them to a sworn enemy of Asgard, leaving Balder to face the Frost Giants alone. At first he tries to bluff them, but the light powers he used to defeat them in his limited series has disappeared as mysteriously as they appeared, but Utgard-Loki calls that bluff. Kurse and even Hildy and Kevin and Mick join in the battle against the Frost Giants. Volstagg helps, too, albiet somewhat inadvertantly. Kurse fights so valiantly against the Frost Giants that even Volstagg begins to change his mind about him.

Back in Hel, Hela sends a bolt across the dimensions to destroy Thor's body so that his spirit will be severed from the Destroyer, but the Destroyer himself sends a bolt of force which encases Thor's body in a chamber of impenetrable crystal. The Executioner (whose spirit has been confined to Hel since he was killed in #362) tries to intercede, but the Destroyer knocks him aside. Hela tricks the Destroyer into destroying his own indestructible crystal surrounding Thor's body so that she may kill it, but that plan doesn't work and the Destroyer moves in for the kill. At the last moment, instead of killing Thor's body, she restores it, in the hope that Thor's mind might regain control of the Destroyer. Then the Destroer reveals that Thor's mind has been in control all along, the Destroyer's rampage merely a ploy.

Loki reveals that the Frost Giants are close to overwhelming Asgard, and Thor bargains with Hela to restore his ability to die and he will go in peace. For reasons of her own, she agrees. Thor then encases the Destroyer in another crystal and hleaves him there are a reminder to Hela of her defeat. Before leaving for the Golden Realm, Thor asks the Executioner to forgive him for striking him earlier as part of his ruse. Skurge asks whether or not Balder have yet had that drink to him and, when Thor admits they have not, says that if they do, that will be enough. After Thor departs, Hela admits to the Executioner that she now realizes having Thor's soul would never work out, because even Skurge's soul is too noble for Hel. she then releases him to Valhalla.

In Asgard, Thor makes quick work of the Frost Giants, killing them left and right. As he is about to kill Utgard-Loki, Balder intervenes and offers to let Utgard-Loki live if the giant will find a cure for the spell affecting the Asgardians. Utgard-Loki agress, and Volstagg gives Kurse a proper Asgardian name, "Valgoth," a mighty warrior of the dead. Days later, Utgard-Loki is as good as his word and has sent the antidote for Loki's spell. In his castle, Loki broods. Thjor pays him a visit and they exchange words, culminating in Thor breaking Loki's arm as a warning against what might happen in the future if Loki transgresses again.

"My heart is lighter than it hath been in many a long day!" proclaims Thor as he soars across the sky light a bright star gleaming in the sunlight. "Mayhap I should visit my stepbrother more often. Look out, you Giants and Trolls!! Beware, you the denizens of the depths and dwellers in te fortresses of Evil! Gird up thy loins, you Harbingers of Death and Destruction! Let those in direst need lift up their voices that I may hear them! the God of Thunder is loose, and woe to those who would harry the innocent and the weak! for they shall have a champion! So Be It!"

So say we all.

And that wraps up the Walt Simonson Thor omnibus. After the story are 48 pages of art and a few text pieces (introductions to previous collections) written by Simonson himself. I often find myself wonder, if there were a fire and I was only able to rescue a few books from my shelf, which ones it would be. I think this omnibus would be among them. My part of this discussion is dedicated to the memory of Randy Jackson. I didn't do as thorough a job as he would have done, but I hope he is looking down from his seat in Valhalla, pleased that this discussion is complete. As for myself, I have quite yet decided what to move on to next, but I'm waffling between "Dan Jurgen's Thor" and "Walt Simonson's Ragnarok."

Replies

Jeff of Earth-J June 2, 2024 at 10:58am

THOR #380:

This is an issue-long battle between Thor and Jormungand told entirely in full-page panels. John Byrne used this technique for a Hulk story in Marvel Fanfare and Dan Jurgens did the same for Superman #75, but Walt Simonson did it first. Walt Simonson also frovides layouts this issue for Sal Buscema to finish. There is dialogue, but the captions are written in the style of a Norse myth... actually, I suspect that the captions are taken from the actual story of Thor's last battle with Jormungand during Ragnarok. (Can anyone confirm?) At the very end, Jormungand lies dead and Thor's armor falls to the ground, empty.
Jeff of Earth-J June 2, 2024 at 5:26pm

THOR #381:

SUMMARY: The Frost Giants on Midgard, led by Grundroth, make their way through New York State. They come upon a barrier of mystic flame which is a crossover element from the Mephisto limited series. Breaching the barrier, they find not only the empty armor of Thor, but also the inert forms of eight other Avengers. When Grundroth picks up Thor's "empty" armor, however, it is heavy and warm, as if Thor was still within, reduced to a state of jellied flash. Knowing that thor cannot die, they begin to beat the armor mercilessly. As the flames rise higher and the giants hide themselves from sight, the Avengers revive and depart. Loki appears withhis prize from the Andes: the Destroyer (which was thought destroyed in #300), who immediately begins killing the Frost Giants.

In Asgard, Kurse takes the vial of water from the Well of Wryd from Kevin and pours it into Balder's mouth, reviving him. Somehow, Volstagg staggers in, and the other Asgardians, including Hildy, begin to revive as well. Kurse carries Balder to Odin's High Seat of Hildskjalf when he peers into Jotenhein and sees Utgard-Loki rallying the remaining Frost Giants to attack Asgard. Back on Midgard, Grundroth is the only Frost Giant left alive. He picks up Thor's armor in thehope that it will sheild him from the Destroyer's deadly attack, but it does not. Then the Destroyer and Thor move the battle to the astral pane, where only one of them will survive. After a fierce battle, back in the real world the Destroyer begins to move. It takes Thor's cape, belt and helmet wings from Thor's armor and attaches them to itself, then it picks up Mjolnir and transports itself away.

COMMENTARY: One issue to go!
Jeff of Earth-J June 3, 2024 at 11:04am

THOR #382:

First, a note about that cover blurb. #382 is not, in fact, the 300th "anniversary" issue of Thor. For that to be true, the first issue would have had to have been published in the year 1687. It is, however, the 300th appearance of Thor in the series once titled Journey into Mystery, which was first published in 1952 (so it's closer to the 35th anniversary than the 300th). Marvel did, however, in this case, get the math right, if not the nomenclature.

Thor, in the Destroyer armor, makes his way to Hel, retracing the path he recently took in #261-362. But this time, instead of nine days, the trip takes only nine minutes. (He's in a hurry.) Hela has invited her father, Loki, to witness her final victory over Thor (and, perhaps, to rub his nose in it a little bit). Loki is there in astral form and gloats as her scheme doesnot play out as planned. Whereas Thor would have sought her defeat, the Destroyer seeks her death, unmindful of what effect that would have on the balance of the Nine Worlds. Meanwhile, in Asgard, Balder prepares to defend the realm against the attack of the Frost Giants. Even Volstagg vows that he "shall desert neither his liege nor his land, no matter what the odds." when Balder suggests that he might protect the children, he responds, "I have lived too long to die a straw death in some foreign clime."

Incidentally, I was mistaken last issue when I indicated that water from the Well of Wryd revived all of the Asgardians. For some reason (writer's fiat, I suppose), in addition to Balder, only Volstagg and Hildy are revived. Balder leaves the children in the care of Kurse, but Volstagg is not too sure about trusting them to a sworn enemy of Asgard, leaving Balder to face the Frost Giants alone. At first he tries to bluff them, but the light powers he used to defeat them in his limited series has disappeared as mysteriously as they appeared, but Utgard-Loki calls that bluff. Kurse and even Hildy and Kevin and Mick join in the battle against the Frost Giants. Volstagg helps, too, albiet somewhat inadvertantly. Kurse fights so valiantly against the Frost Giants that even Volstagg begins to change his mind about him.

Back in Hel, Hela sends a bolt across the dimensions to destroy Thor's body so that his spirit will be severed from the Destroyer, but the Destroyer himself sends a bolt of force which encases Thor's body in a chamber of impenetrable crystal. The Executioner (whose spirit has been confined to Hel since he was killed in #362) tries to intercede, but the Destroyer knocks him aside. Hela tricks the Destroyer into destroying his own indestructible crystal surrounding Thor's body so that she may kill it, but that plan doesn't work and the Destroyer moves in for the kill. At the last moment, instead of killing Thor's body, she restores it, in the hope that Thor's mind might regain control of the Destroyer. Then the Destroer reveals that Thor's mind has been in control all along, the Destroyer's rampage merely a ploy.

Loki reveals that the Frost Giants are close to overwhelming Asgard, and Thor bargains with Hela to restore his ability to die and he will go in peace. For reasons of her own, she agrees. Thor then encases the Destroyer in another crystal and hleaves him there are a reminder to Hela of her defeat. Before leaving for the Golden Realm, Thor asks the Executioner to forgive him for striking him earlier as part of his ruse. Skurge asks whether or not Balder have yet had that drink to him and, when Thor admits they have not, says that if they do, that will be enough. After Thor departs, Hela admits to the Executioner that she now realizes having Thor's soul would never work out, because even Skurge's soul is too noble for Hel. she then releases him to Valhalla.

In Asgard, Thor makes quick work of the Frost Giants, killing them left and right. As he is about to kill Utgard-Loki, Balder intervenes and offers to let Utgard-Loki live if the giant will find a cure for the spell affecting the Asgardians. Utgard-Loki agress, and Volstagg gives Kurse a proper Asgardian name, "Valgoth," a mighty warrior of the dead. Days later, Utgard-Loki is as good as his word and has sent the antidote for Loki's spell. In his castle, Loki broods. Thjor pays him a visit and they exchange words, culminating in Thor breaking Loki's arm as a warning against what might happen in the future if Loki transgresses again.

"My heart is lighter than it hath been in many a long day!" proclaims Thor as he soars across the sky light a bright star gleaming in the sunlight. "Mayhap I should visit my stepbrother more often. Look out, you Giants and Trolls!! Beware, you the denizens of the depths and dwellers in te fortresses of Evil! Gird up thy loins, you Harbingers of Death and Destruction! Let those in direst need lift up their voices that I may hear them! the God of Thunder is loose, and woe to those who would harry the innocent and the weak! for they shall have a champion! So Be It!"

So say we all.

And that wraps up the Walt Simonson Thor omnibus. After the story are 48 pages of art and a few text pieces (introductions to previous collections) written by Simonson himself. I often find myself wonder, if there were a fire and I was only able to rescue a few books from my shelf, which ones it would be. I think this omnibus would be among them. My part of this discussion is dedicated to the memory of Randy Jackson. I didn't do as thorough a job as he would have done, but I hope he is looking down from his seat in Valhalla, pleased that this discussion is complete. As for myself, I have quite yet decided what to move on to next, but I'm waffling between "Dan Jurgen's Thor" and "Walt Simonson's Ragnarok."

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