Thor #225
The Coming of Firelord!
While battling with the Destroyer, Thor is stripped of his enchanted hammer, Mjolnir. If he is without his weapon for sixty second he will change back to his mortal identity and easily killed by the nigh unstoppable construct. When the Destroyer lowers its visor to prepare a disintegration blast, Thor wills his weapon to come back. His will power and the enchantment that ensures Mjolnir will return to its owner prove more powerful than the Destroyer’s natural strength. Thor then attacks the Destroyer anew. The ensuing brawl sends them falling into the harbor waters and back out again.[1]
By this time, Hercules has arrived with the body of Professor Clement Holmes, whose soul powers the Destroyer. When Thor knocks down the Destroyer again, Holmes soul leaves the Destroyer and returns to his body. At first, Holmes doesn’t remember what happened and accuses Thor and Hercules for kidnapping. However, when his assistant — Otto — points his attention to the Destroyer armor, Clement suddenly recalls everything and is horrified by what he almost did while possessed by the Destroyer. Otto agrees to take Clement back home and look after him until he is well enough again. With the battle over, Thor recovers his helmet from the bottom of the waters before he and Hercules go back to the hospital to check on Krista.[2] Although all seems well, Thor can’t help but sense there still is danger.
At that moment, a flaming humanoid called Firelord arrives on the planet Earth from deep space. He then goes to the hospital where Thor and Hercules had gone to check on Krista. The commotion caused by his arrival draws out Hercules who begins battling Firelord int the hallways. Having returned to his mortal guise, Don Blake tries to get the two men to stop fighting in Krista’s room. Unfortunately, Don is shoved aside causing him to drop his walking stick out the window. Racing downstairs to retrieve the cane before it goes missing, Don Blake — who is currently suffering an identity crisis — wonders if he subconsciously threw his cane out the window so he could remake Don Blake indefinitely.[3]
Luckily, he finds his walking stick and as he changes back into Thor just as Hercules and Firelord come crashing out of the building and out onto the street. Thor orders Hercules to stand back while he deals with their foe. However, Firelord tells them that he had come seeking the thunder god on behalf of his master, Galactus. Having found Thor, Firelord then sends a signal out into space summoning Galactus to Earth. Watching this from Asgard is Odin, Sif, and Hildegard. Odin surprised to learn that Galactus has returned from his exile in the Negative Zone and hopes Thor will defeat him before he consumes the Earth.[4]
In deep space, Galactus receives Firelord’s summons and emerges from his ship. He has been aware from Earth from some time but must now return as he needs assistance against a threat to the entire universe.
Recurring Characters
Thor, Firelord, Hercules, Odin, Sif, Hildegarde, Krista, Destroyer
Continuity Notes
The narrative of this story states that Odin created the Destroyer to protect the Earth at the time of Ragnarok. This is not entirely accurate. Thor #300 reveals that the Destroyer was created to as a weapon against the Celestials if they should threaten life on Earth.
Krista was mortally wounded after she was kidnapped by Pluto, requiring her to undergo emergency surgery last issue. See Thor #221-224.
The time of this story, per Thor #159, it was revealed to Don Blake that he was a mortal identity created by Odin to teach Thor humility during a period of exile on Earth. Thor (vol. 3) #1 reveals that Blake — although a mystical construct — is a separate entity that shares its existence with Thor. Don Blake’s current identity crisis comes since Thor had refrained from changing back into Blake between Thor #209 to 224.
Multiple mentions are made as to how Galactus was previously defeated by Mister Fantastic who exiled him to the Negative Zone. See Fantastic Four #120-123.
Topical References
Galactus states that he was last on Earth two years ago. This should be considered a topical reference that denotes the passage of time between the publication of Fantastic Four #123 and Thor #225. Per the Sliding Timescale, it’s actually been about half a year or so has passed.
