Odin leads the Aesir to a new Asgard where they begin preparations to fight the Serpent, even if it means destroying Earth. Thor balks at this plan and rebels against the All-Father and is imprisoned in the dungeons. The vicious Hel-Wolf is also locked away to be released when the time is right. Embittered warrior Galinn attempts to murder Loki but he is overpowered by Volstagg who is pledged to protect Thor’s young brother—though he dislikes him greatly. The voluminous warrior sets Loki to an important task: cleaning out the stables of the Thunder God’s pet goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder. As the boy labors at his shovel, Volstagg recounts how Thor came to have these vicious goats…. When Thor and Loki were young, the former envied the elves and their horses; Loki, ever on the lookout for mischief, persuaded his brother that goats would make more impressive steeds. So Thor, after several attempts to tame the goats the traditional way had failed (painfully), had the dwarves create the Breed-Thrall, a magic bridle, which allowed the hero to tame the beasts and ride them back to Asgard. Later, Loki asks his pet magpie (containing the spirit of the old Loki) for advice; the bird suggests he seek wisdom from the Nornish women at the base of the World Tree. The boy plunges down into the pit at the end of a cord, and returns muttering insanely—but now he has a plan and a path (we will discover what he learned in issue #625). For counsel on whether he should take this route, he sneaks into the dungeon and consults Thor, keeping the details in the dark. The Thunder God advises him to do what he knows is right even if it costs him everything. So Loki goes about enlisting allies….
Loki approaches the captive Hel-Wolf and has the monster promise on his soul to serve Loki before unlocking the cage. Once out, the Hel-Wolf reveals he has no soul and attacks the boy—who dives out of a window and drops on the creature’s back, pulling the Breed-Thrall into his mouth. Once the monster’s helpless rage is quieted, Loki extracts its promise to serve him for life, before announcing they are about to visit Hel….