Thor #197
The Well at the Edge of the World!
Sent on a mission to collect water from the Twilight Well to stop an unknown threat, Thor and the Warriors Three must now battle Kartag, the guardian of the well. Thor insists on battling Kartag alone and the two begin fighting one-on-one. Seeing that Kartag might win over Thor, the Warriors Three attempt to join the fight but are subdued when Satrina — Kartag’s lover — uses her magic to create massive stone hands to restrain them.
As the trio break free from their bonds, Thor and Kartag’s battle send them falling over a ledge and down onto the grounds near the Twilight Well. However, the fall did little but briefly cause the combatants to pause. The two begin fighting anew. Ultimately, Thor shoves Kartag himself into the watres of the Twlight Well. While thrashing in the waters, Thor’s mind is flooded by images what has transpired since he began this quest. He learns that the threat to Asgard is Mangog and now Odin and his armies fight a losing battle against the monster. He also learns how Hildegarde and Sif had been sent to Blackworld to investigate that strange world.
Ultimately, Kartag wins the battle and emerges from the waters with Thor’s seemingly lifeless body. That’s when Kartag’s masters — three crones wearing hooded robes — emerge. They inform the Warriors Three that not only is Thor still alive, but he has past their test to prove he was worthy of the waters from the Twilight Well. This trio then give Thor and his allies water skins to collect from the Twilight Well. Satrina protests this and tries to blast Kartag’s masters, however they easily deflect the blast. They then reveal that they are the Norns, those who mortals call the Fates. Realizing the grave error she made, Satrina pleads for mercy and is relieved when it is granted. With their quest completed, Kartag agrees to accompany Thor and the Warriors Three back to Asgard to assist in the battle against Mangog.
While on Blackworld, Sif and Hildegarde are trying to make sense of this strange world they have found themselves on. Hildegarde was can’t understand how they came upon a village and knights when they were led to believe this world was uninhabited. They are then ambushed by a massive lizard like creature. While Hildegarde struggles with the creature, Sif is ordered to use the magical properties of her sword to slay the beast. With a single thought, Sif causes a mystical bolt to fire from her weapon, felling the beast. In the aftermath of the battle, Sif can hardly believe it when a steamer ship suddenly arrives. The captain of the vessel then rows out to collect the two women. Introducing himself as Silas Grant, he tells them that this world is in peril by the entity they all fear and he has come to enlist their help against this powerful foe.
Meanwhile, Thor and his allies have reached the end of the Bifrost only to discover that Asgard has been unmoored from the rainbow bridge and is nowhere in sight. Fearing the worst, Thor deduces that by pouring some of the Twilight Well’s water on Mjolnir he will be able to track down their homeland. This hunch proves correct and they are all teleported to the realm of Asgard, which floats in a realm beyond time and space. There they find the kingdom in ruins and the last of Asgard’s armies fighting a losing battle against Mangog. First Thor then Kartag try fighting Mangog one-on-one and both are easily fought off by the creature. It explains that while the alien race that were merged to create him were freed by Odin during their last battle, their hatred lived on allowing Mangog to continue to exist.[1]
Then, as a final jest, Mangog pulls out the unconscious body of Odin, having saved killing the All-Father until he could do it right before Thor’s eyes.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Mangog, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg), the Norns (Urd, Skuld, Verdandi), Odin, Sif, Hildegarde, Silas Grant, Kartag, Satrina
