Thor (1998 series) #27

Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, having kidnapped Jane Foster to help his dying wife Titania, has come face-to-face with a police SWAT team. The cops hold their fire out of fear of hitting Jane so Creel easily crashes through them and down into the sewers….

A few blocks away, Christine Collins has revived the unconscious Jake Olson and brings him up to date on the crisis. He heads off to meet the police while Christine goes back to the hospital. He dashes into an alley and transforms into Thor. He encounters a police officer who tells him that his quarry headed into the sewer so Thor uses Mjolnir to blast a hole in the sidewalk and descend in pursuit, vowing that Jane will be rescued….

Creel arrives at the dilapidated building and shows Jane her patient. Jane knows that the cancer-ridden Titania should be in a hospital but Creel refuses to let her go, ordering Jane to help her or she will die too. Jane can only silently hope for rescue….

Thor stops by Avengers Mansion and has Iron Man build him a device to target a pager; Thor thanks him and departs, denying Shellhead any explanation and snubbing an offer to help. He begins to track Jane’s pager….

Jane hands Creel a list of simple supplies she will need to treat Titania and some money to pay for it. Creel bends a metal girder to shackle Jane to the bed by her ankle and departs. Thor and Creel meet outside and a violent battle ensues, shaking the building. As they talk, Thor learns Creel’s wife is in danger—and then they both realize that the building where Jane is tending to Titania is collapsing. Creel turns to steel to hold up the girders, Thor raises the flooring. But the building caves in. Creel blames Thor as they dig through the rubble to find Titania has enough strength left in her to hold up the ceiling, saving Jane. Jane and Thor finally convince Creel to let Thor take Titania to the hospital, Creel deciding to follow later….