The story opens in the middle of some action as Thor is pursuing a criminal fleeing in a souped-up racing getaway car. The Thunder God simply yanks the crook from the driver’s seat and smashes the rock he hides behind. When the baddie prepares a grenade, Loki, watching from Asgard, uses an enchanted element to slow Thor’s reflexes making him vulnerable to the explosive. But it has no effect on Thor who merely dissipates the shockwaves of the grenade then pins the criminal to the ground with a tree branch to wait for the police. Seeing he cannot cause Thor to lose his powers, a frustrated Loki casts about for a suitable agent on Earth to give powers to. He finds a suitable candidate in a brutal prisoner named Crusher Creel; slipping a drug into Creel’s drink gives him sudden strength and a determination to escape. Guards fire at Creel who shocks them by turning into the steel the bullets are made from. Creel then crashes through the prison wall to freedom….
In his New York office, Dr. Don Blake is patching up reporter Harris Hobbs, who hurt his arm while running for a train to investigate reports of an escaped convict with super powers. Don begs off of dinner with Jane Foster to change into Thor and head to the scene as well. In the mountain swamp area, Thor encounter Creel and deflects the convict’s ball and chain with his hammer—suddenly, Creel takes on the power of the Uru hammer, revealing himself to be an Absorbing Man. Fighting to a standstill, Thor creates a whirlwind which is matched by his foe. Harris Hobbs arrives on the scene and threatens to use dynamite to stop the villain—who sweeps the explosive from his hand and hurls it at Thor, who pulls Hobbs into his own whirlwind for his safety. The Thunder God pursues the fleeing villain who steals a car and wrecks a gas station, all the while dreaming of wealth and power, even becoming a Latin American dictator. Thor catches up to him and rips the car apart; they again battle but Creel is Thor’s equal in every way. Suddenly a mist envelops the combatants and Thor is transported to the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard, leaving a confused Absorbing Man to seek refuge and make some plans. In Asgard, Balder informs Thor that Loki has captured Jane Foster and is making a stand on his home grounds. The God of Thunder heads forth alone to face his enemy….