Thor #404 — Nick Peron

Sep 27

Sep 27 Thor #404

Something is Killing the Great Gods of Asgard!

Thor has been forcibly returned to Asgard after refusing Odin’s summons. Brought before his father, the thunder god tries to explain that he was busy defending mortals from an attack from Quicksand, but his excuses fall upon deaf ears. Odin has decreed that Thor remain in Asgard while he enters the Odinsleep to restore his waning power. However, Thor cannot bring himself to abandon the mortals of Midgard, whom he is sworn to protect. Angered by his son’s lack of obedience, Odin sends him away to contemplate his situation. The Grand Vizier worries that the Odinsleep could takes years to restore Odin and that the kingdom will be unprotected should Thor decide not to stay. This is particularly troublesome because Asgard continues to drift between time and space since the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge caused the domain to become unmoored from its cosmic axis.[1]

Elsewhere in the golden realm, a pair of warriors are drawn into a dark alley after hearing a scream of agony. There they find a warrior who has had his life force sucked from his body. As the two warriors try to figure out how this is possible they are ambushed from the shadows by a monstrous winged creature.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, the police are arresting Brute Bendhurst for the second time that day after he was briefly given the power of the Executioner by the Enchantress. Watching this are Jerry Sparisti, Eric Masterson and his son Kevin. The three just witnessed Thor suddenly vanish at the end of the battle and they wonder when they will ever see the thunder god again. Having known Thor for some time now, Jerry assures young Kevin that Thor always ends up coming back.

Back in Asgard, the Warriors Three have brought Thor out to a local tavern to celebrate his return. However, Thor is not in the mood to celebrate because he wishes to remain in Asgard. One of the female patrons questions why the thunder god is so he wastes his time on mortals whose lives are so fleeting. Thor tries to explain how the human’s mortality makes their limited time that much more important but this explanation falls on deaf ears as we the woman decides to leave him to brood alone. That’s when Thor sees that Balder is also not partaking in the merriment and decides to see what’s bothering his friend.

That’s when they hear a scream from outside as a soon-to-be wed goddess is attacked by the creature that has been stalking the darkened streets. Thor, Blader, and the Warriors Three head out as the creature claims two more victims. At the scene, Volstagg finds evidence that shows that the creature escaped down a tight alleyway, prompting Thor and Balder to follow after it while they send the Warriors Three to get the royal guards.

The two friends find a tunnel that leads them into the bowels of Asgard where they find a number of Asgardians have been strung up in strange cocoons. They are all dead except for the goddess Thor spoke with earlier. After freeing her, they are ambushed by her captor, Annihilus, the ruler of the Negative Zone. He explains that Asgard is about to drift into his dimension and that he has been absorbing their immortal energies in order to insure his own immortality.

Thor battles the creature however, the he becomes disorientated as Asgard finally crosses the threshold into the Negative Zone. This allows Annihilus time to blast the thunder god with his Cosmic Control Rod, burying Thor under tons of rubble. With only Balder standing in his way, Annihilus considers the battle already won and declares that in order for him to live, Odin must die.

Recurring Characters

Thor, Annihilus, Odin, Grand Vizier, Crimson Hawks, Warriors Three (Fandral, Hogun Volstagg), Eric Masterson, Jerry Sepristi, Kevin Masterson, Marcus Stone, Brute Bendhurst

Continuity Notes

The Bifrost was destroyed by Surtur in Thor #351. It will not be restored until issue #426.

Errors

Marcus Stone is depicted as Caucasian in this story even though he’s African-American.

Ulagg the Grand Enchanter

While drinking in a tavern, Thor and the Warriors Three get in trouble for hitting own the four wives whose husbands own the establishment. This leads to a massive bar brawl and while Thor, Fandral, and Hogun defend themselves, cowardly Volstagg retreats to the back room to indulge in the barrels of wine that are stored there.

Eventually, the royal guards arrive to break up the fight because Odin wants his son to embark on a mission of great importance. Thor agrees and, after recovering a besotted Volstagg from the back room, they return to the royal palace. There, Odin orders his son on a mission to seek out Ulagg the Grand Enchanter who lives in the Land of Always Night.

The four warriors head out and upon entering the Land of Always Night they are attacked by the very rocks on the ground. Thor scatters them with mighty Mjolnir. That’s when a beam of light comes down from the clouds and the booming voice of Ulagg demands to know what the intruders want from him. When Thor informs Ulagg that he has been summoned by Odin himself, the mystic refuses to go back to Asgard with them and when they refuse to leave he threatens them with death.