Thor enters a
cave on the perilous coast of Norway and demands to see his mother Gaia. A
tunnel opens and he descends into Earth until he finds her, a giant hag-like
creature who sits in a pool and whose face is covered with tendrils of
vegetation. He relates how he fought Toranos a/k/a Utgard-Thor and once faced
Utgard-Loki and the former revealed that it was Gaia who had released him to
wreak havoc and Thor demands to know why. She wants to know who he thinks he is
to make such a demand, noting that she has many children. She calls on the vegetation
to entangle and immobilize Thor. Gaia then tells the story of creation….
The Demiurge brought
forth the Earth and the ancient gods went to war; Gaia was there and pleaded
with the Demiurge to allow her to bring forth new life so he implanted a seed
within her and gave birth to Atum, God of the Sun, who destroyed many of the
ancient gods but also brought forth the Demogorge, God of the Darkness. Thor
claims to have fought Atum; Gaia informs him that he has only fought Demogorge
and has never faced Atum—and should not. Surviving Elder Gods found realms for
themselves and their allies. Utgard-Loki asked Gaia for a realm of his own and
she granted it but he gave her the key to unlock it should she ever decide to.
And now she has, making war upon the Human Race for arrogantly destroying
creation. Thor does not accept her reasons and burst out of the vones confining
him. Thor insists that mankind must be allowed a chance to repent and he hits
her with Mjolnir. She reveals that she did grant them mercy—in the form of
Thor. And now it is up to him to attempt a more precise judgment for Mankind’s
time grows short….
So Thor heads
to the headquarters of Roxxon, demanding an audience with CEO Dario “Minotaur”
Agger and heading for his private elevator, filling the lobby with lightning….