Thor Annual #2
If Asgard Falls…
In fabled Asgard, Odin has decreed that it is time again for the Tournament of Titans. This recurring battle royale will prove who is the mightest warrior in the galaxy. The winner will be awarded with a suit of golden armor. Three torch bearers are sent to the top of the Mount of Eternity to light the brazer that will signal the starting of the games and drawing many from across the realms of Asgard to compete.
The signal is seen even in deep space where Loki and the Absorbing Man have been trapped in ice since their last defeat.[1] Although his body is frozen solid, Loki still wishes to disrupt the games and quickly comes up with a scheme.
Back in Asgard, Thor is listening to his father wax about his youth waiting patiently to be dismissed so he can join the festivities. Spotting the Warriors Three in the window trying to encourage Thor into coming out, Odin dismisses his son. Alone, the Allfather pours himself a drink to toast his chosen Thor, and to drown his sorrows over his failure with his half-son Loki. Out on the town, Thor and the Warriors Three are drawn to a fight in a nearby tavern. There a quartet calling themselves the Warriors of the Thousand Galaxies are starting trouble. While Thor clashes with their leader, Brok, Fandral crosses swords with Tyr, Hogun matches his mace with the club of Galp, while Volstagg wonders what kind of trouble he can face from the diminutive Drom. They are all evenly matched, and Brok and the others stop fighting deciding to test who is the superior group during the Tournament of Titans. This is a challenge that Thor and his allies accept.
Meanwhile, Loki has sent his astral projection to Earth where he takes possession of the Destroyer and frees it from the rubble in which it was buried under.[2] By this time, the contest has begun and Drom uses his magical powers to create the illusion of more warriors to make Thor and the Warriors Three waste their energy on non-existent enemies. Volstagg is given charge of the pennant for Thor’s team and while the others are distracted, the Warriors of the Thousand Galaxies ambush him. That’s when the Destroyer arrives outside of Asgard where he easily blasts his way past Heimdall. Back in the stadium, Thor and his friends have realized that their opponents cheated and try to fight back for the pendant.
When the Destroyer arrives, the rivals to Thor and the Warriors Three flee for their lives. Thor and his allies on the other hand fight back against the neigh indestructible Destroyer. During the fight, both Fandral and Hogun both notice that Balder is absent from the battle. As his people fight the Destroyer, Odin suspects that Loki is behind the return of the Destroyer. As it turns out, he dispatched Balder to go into deep space to confirm his suspicions. Balder returns and verifies that Loki is controlling the Destroyer. By this time, the Destroyer has gotten through Thor and the others and is lowering its visor to destroy Odin with its disintegration beam. Odin then casts a spell of forgetfulness, making Loki forget how to control the Destroyer armor, making it become inert at the last moment.
In the aftermath of the battle, Odin expresses his pride for all of his brave warriors who stood up to the Destroyer. As a reward he decrees that once a year at this time, the armor of all the warriors involved will turn into gold for a full day. Wearing their golden armor with pride, Thor and the others cheer, all except for Volstagg who just pulled himself out from under a pile or rubble he was trapped under during the battle.[3]
Recurring Characters
Thor, Destroyer, Loki, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), Odin, Heimdall, Balder, Absorbing Man
Continuity Notes
Loki and the Absorbing Man were banished into space from Asgard after the latter was defeated by Thor. See Journey into Mystery #120-123.
The Destroyer was buried under tons of rubble following the events of Journey into Mystery #118-119.
Except the golden armor thing never happens again. What the fuck, Odin?
