Journey Into Mystery #112: Review

Jan 1965

Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

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Story Name:

The Mighty Thor Battles the Incredible Hulk!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Journey Into Mystery #112 Review by Arcturus (October 1, 2011)

Review: Brillaint concept! Stan and Jack must have asked a kid, “What do you want to see in a comic book?” And the kid replied, “I wanna see Thor and Hulk have a fight!” And Stan and Jack said, “We just did that, it was in Avengers 3.” And the kid yelled, “Do it again! For a whole issue! Right NOW!” And that’s what we got, boys and girls (any girls reading this site?), Marvel’s two strongest characters bashing one another silly for an entire issue. Premise: there really isn’t one, just a longer version of the previous fight. And that what early sixties comics books were about, boys and girls (seriously, are there any girls here?), guys in weird costumes doing cool things for sometimes stupid reasons!

Comments: 1. a) Recaps Thor’s first battle with the Hulk in an expanded version of the fight in AVENGERS #3. Don Blake does not appear. 2. Part one of the origin of Loki. For the first time we see Odin wielding the Uru hammer.

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Quotes

There is more to strength than size alone!!
~ THOR

You have floored the son of Odin! I cannot remember the last time such a feat has been accomplished!
~ THOR

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Journey Into Mystery #112 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

The mighty Thor comes upon a group of children arguing over who is stronger: Thor or the Hulk? Thor relates to them a previously untold incident when the Avengers were pursuing Hulk and the Sub-Mariner (at the end of Avengers #3). While his teammates were engaged with Prince Namor, Thor and Hulk were separated from them in a cave. The Thunder God prays to his father Odin that he may retain his power without his magic hammer for five minutes, in order to truly test his strength against his mighty foe. Hulk tries to seize and destroy Thors hammer while the latter uses his superior speed to try to recover it. Hulk throws an explosive mine at Thor, stunning him. But the Thunder God soon rallies, but is unable to overcome Ol Greenskins violent rage. They battle through a tunnel collapse back to where the other Avengers are fighting. Thors hammer power returns and Hulk gets away. Thor then declines to answer the kids question but leaves them with the thought that without virtue, strength is meaningless. The Hulk, however, is still angry at Thor and wants revenge.

Story #2

The Coming of Loki!

Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Jack Kirby. Inker: Vince Colletta. Colorist: ?.

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

By Arcturus Jackson

Odin leads the forces of Asgard into battle against the giants of Jotunheim in order to secure his right to reign. He faces the giant king Laufey on the field of combat. The two struggle but when Odin is nearly trapped by a geyser of flame, he hurls his magic hammer and shatters Laufey’s war club. Seeing their king discomfited, the giant forces pour onto the field to attack, so Odin calls the warriors of Asgard to his side and the battle is on. After much fighting Odin’s legions drive the giants into retreat with the Aesir in pursuit. Laufey dies under Odin’s hammer rather than surrender and the giants are vanquished. A bag is discovered to contain an infant—Loki, son of Laufey, shamed for his small stature. Though they sense evil in him, Odin vows to raise the child as his own, as befits a prince.

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