At the battle of Vannaheim, Beta Ray Bill slays Fenris in combat, then heals Thor of his wounds. Thor fills Bill in on the situation, and asks his alien counterpart to rule in Asgard while he undertakes a quest. Thor learns that the orphaned boy he had taken under his protection (in issue #81) has also died in battle, and he mourns. He takes leave of his people and sets out to seek the wisdom of Odin, which will be needed to guide their strength in the war….
At the remote stronghold of Hildstalf, Thor meditates on his childhood with Loki, his adventures on Earth with the Avengers, and the deaths of his parents. A ghostly child resembling the dead orphan boy appears to him accompanied by Odin’s long-lost ravens Hugin and Munin; the boy is the Odinpower in visible form, come to guide Thor into the wisdom needed to wield the power of a god, which he once had and lost for his misuse of it. The boy explains that Odin achieved godhood through ritual and sacrifice; Thor is transported to the root of the World-Tree Yggdrasil. There at the Well of Mimir, Odin sacrificed an eye to drink of its waters of wisdom; Thor plucks out both eyes and gains an understanding of the past and is aware of the endless cycle of death and rebirth that is Ragnarok. To complete his task however, Thor must sacrifice his very life….