Journey into Mystery #103
The Enchantress and the Executioner!
Thor has returned from the future and is weakened from the journey.[1] He returns to the office of his mortal alter-ego of Donald Blake. Returning to human form, Don Blake then falls asleep at his desk. He is found by his nurse, Jane Foster, who wakes him up and gets him to sleep on the couch instead. As Don sleeps he dreams about how he defeated Zarrko the Tomorrow Man in the 23rd Century.
Meanwhile, in Asgard, Odin continues to think of a way of trying to stop his son from loving the mortal Jane Foster.[2] Loki suggests that they use an Asgardian woman to charm Thor. Odin then orders Loki to recruit the Enchantress for the job. Loki gladly follows orders and asks the Enchantress to use her charms on Don Blake in the hopes of breaking Thor’s love for Jane Foster. The Enchantress already knows that Loki had manipulated Odin into coming up with this plan but agrees to do it nonetheless.
The Enchantress then appears in the salon of one of New York’s most exclusive fashion designers and orders them to provide her an Earthen wardrobe immediately. With this disguise, she then goes to the office of Donald Blake. She orders Jane Foster out of the room so Doctor Blake can examine an “allergic reaction” she claims to be suffering from. However, when they are alone, the Enchantress tries to use her charm against Blake. Don instantly recognizes her as the Enchantress but can’t stop her from kissing him. This happens just as Jane comes in to tell Don he has another patient. Deeply upset by this scene, she storms out, slamming the door behind her. Don races after her, which surprises the Enchantress who has never had a man resist her before. Deciding that Jane Foster needs to die, the Enchantress returns to Asgard to recruit a brutal warrior known as the Executioner. Totally in love with the Enchantress, the Executioner accepts her orders without a second thought and makes his way across the Bifrost Bridge to Earth.
Back on Earth, Don Blake checks for Jane at her apartment but learns she hasn’t come home. Growing desperate, Blake turns into Thor so he can search for her more quickly. He then goes to a nearby police station to try and get them to help in the search. He is told about the Executioner who has started a rampage since arriving on Earth. Meanwhile, the Executioner has found Jane Foster. By spinning his ax in the air the Executioner transports Jane Foster to Limbo.
Thor arrives too late to stop the Executioner and in the ensuing battle, Thor is able to shrug off his foe’s elemental attacks and eventually disarms him. However, the Executioner warns the thunder god that if anything happens to him Jane will be trapped in Limbo forever. He then makes Thor an offer: He will bring back Jane if Thor surrenders Mjolnir to him. Thor agrees but not before the Executioner brings her back. When the Executioner complies, Thor hands over his hammer. It’s only then that the Executioner remembers that only the worthy can lift Thor’s hammer. Watching from Asgard, the Enchantress punishes the Executioner for betraying her by turning his arms into tree branches and his legs into stone. Luckily, this happens all before 60 seconds pass and Thor reverts back to Don Blake. He recovers his Mjolnir just as the Enchantress arrives. When she tries to turn Mjolnir into a snake but the spell does not work.
Thor then uses his hammer to create a powerful vortex to send both the Enchantress and the Executioner back to Asgard. Thor then ducks away to change back into Don Blake. When he checks on Jane she is still upset with him over kissing the Enchantress and tells him that she is waiting for Thor. Blake decides to wait with her, knowing that it’ll be a long time before his alter-ego shows up. This is witnessed by Odin who is furious that the couple are still in love and decides that it is now time to act on his own.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Loki, Enchantress, Executioner, Odin, Jane Foster
Continuity Notes
Thor was brought to the 23rd Century over the last two issues after being enslaved by Zarrko the Tomorrow Man. This future is actually an alternate reality that All-New Handbook of the Marvel Universe #12 designates as Reality-6297.
Odin has forbidden Thor from marrying Jane Foster back in Journey into Mystery #97.
Thor’s Mission to Mirmir!
Back in the days of the gods, Thor was sent on an odyssey to find Mirmir. His first stop is the domain of the dwarfs where he seeks an audience with King Sindri. The King has finished crafting a model of a ship called Skipladnir that will grow in size so it can sail Thor to his desired destination.
At the end of a long journey at sea, Thor arrives on a rocky island and continues his quest on foot. There he is attacked by the giant winged lizard named Skord. He stops the creature by jamming its mouth open with a massive boulder. In the forest, he is then confronted by the massive Gulin, the god of boars. Gullin tries matching his own hammer against Mjolnir, but it shatters on impact with the enchanted weapon. Defenseless, Gullin then flees from the battle, allowing Thor to press onward.
Finally, Thor reaches the domain of King Mirmir where he brings a decree from Odin. Thor then presents Mirmir with a branch taken from Yggdrasill, the tree of life. Mirmir then stirs the branch in an enchanted fountain that causes rain to fall on the Earth below. From it, two human-shaped trees of alder and ash grow from the ground. These then become the first humans, who will be known as Aske and Embla. With his mission complete, Thor returns to Skipladnir for the long voyage back home.
Recurring Characters
Thor, King Sindri, Gullin, King Mirmir, Aske, Embla
The Origin of Man in the Marvel Universe
This origin story of the human race is refuted by the actual facts about life in the Marvel Universe. In Thor Annual #10, it is stated that Gaea — the Earth mother — and her son Atum seeded the planet with life, leading to the evolution of early man. Later, as detailed in Eternals #1, Eternals (vol. 3) #1 and What If? #23, humanity was created by the Celestials after they genetically altered early anthropoids. Further, the seeds for this genetic manipulation were due to the so-called Celestial Zero dying on Earth billions of years ago, see Avengers (vol. 8) #5.
So how do you reconcile this story? Thor #294 states that the realm of Asgard goes through cycles of death and rebirth. In the most recent rebirth, happening around the time of the birth of Christ, Odin created legends about these origins into the mind of the newly reborn Asgardians. However, this also has been refuted by Tiwaz in Thor #355. Thor (vol. 2) #83 goes on to support the events of Thor #294, stating that the Asgardians go through cycles of death and rebirth where they relive their lives over and over again, only slightly different than the time before it. It’s entirely possible that at some point in the distant past a previous incarnation of Thor might have had a hand in creating Aske and Embla, who may or may not have been the first humans.
Still, the Marvel Chronology Project places this story as happening in Thor’s lifetime following the most recent rebirth cycle. If I were to speculate, I think that Thor was somehow manipulated into living this myth to reinforce the Asgardian’s belief in this creation myth.
