In Asgard of the far future, the three granddaughters of King Thor follow his advice to spend some time reading in the library. Ellisiv picks up a book and starts reading aloud…
In Svartalfheim, young Malekith is the last child left to old Lady Mazerot after his twelve older brothers have died in the wars, just like their father and his twelve older brothers before. So that he will not die in war, his mother sells him to the undertaker elves in exchange for a supply of food for her dogs. The boy becomes a corpse-burner on the battlefield where he disposes of the dead and not-quite-dead alike. Sometime later he is cast into a dungeon with a wizard who escapes with him and makes Malekith his apprentice. Later the wizard reveals his hopes and plans that Malekith will bring an end to war—for which the young mage kills him, reasoning that an end to war will mean a loss of his identity. The dying master strikes Malekith with a bolt that turns half his face black. Malekith returns to his mother and turns her vicious hounds against her….
As Ellisiv reaches the part about the War of the Realms, a thunderclap from Thor warns them to look elsewhere for diversion….
Story #2Blood and Ice
Writer:
Jason Aaron. Penciler/Inker:
Simon BisleySynopsis
A book of the adventures of young
Thor relates how the
God of Thunder, wielding his axe
Jarnbjorn leads the Viking forces against the
Frost Giants who have been massacring humans along the coasts. As Thor cuts a bloody swath through the enemy, we learn that all the human blood is being used in a magic spell to raise
Laufey to life using his skull. The forces of Thor are victorious and the skull is lost at sea until…who knows when….
Story #3Unworthy
Writer:
Jason Aaron. Penciler/Inker:
Esad RibicSynopsis
Atli is fed up with these tales and wants to go out adventuring on her own; the commotion knocks a large chained book onto the table before them. They break the chains and start reading, they learn of
Roxxon’s expedition to recover the skull of
Laufey. They see a woman wielding
Mjolnir, surrounded by other figures from past and present (and future?)…and they are interrupted by
King Thor, who takes the book away from them…a book titled, "
Unworthy" as we flash back to the moon, where Thor is desperately trying to lift his mighty hammer….