Thor has blinded himself to gain the wisdom of a god; he sees the compassion Odin had for his people, even Loki, especially in view of the endless cycle of death and rebirth that diminishes the deeds and sacrifices of gods and men. A further act is needed: in imitation of his father Odin, Thor hangs by his neck from Yggdrasil the World-Tree to gain the knowledge of the runes. He comes to understand all things and the purpose his father had in sending him: to bring an end to the cycle—and Thor refuses, as it means the final end of all things. Dying, Thor descends into the land of Hela, Goddess of Death—but he draws a rune and he is rescued by the spirit of Odin who carries him away…
…and Thor finds himself in the dark presence of Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, a race of powerful beings who are superior to even Odin. Thor confronts them, calling them giant children, and accuses them of feeding on the endless cycle. He then demonstrates his new power by teleporting back to Hildstalf, where he discovers that his magic goats have been slain and destroyed by Loki’s army. Having been reborn, Thor now has the Odin force and he transports himself to Valhalla, rebuilt by Loki in his own image. There the Thunder God encounters Mangog and easily destroys him. Loki appears and mocks his brother, but the wisdom gives Thor insight into the inner pain that has motivated all of Loki’s actions though his life. Stung by the truth, Loki summons trolls to kill Thor but Thor’s rune magic easily wipes them out, devastating the city at the same time. Thor pronounces Loki’s punishment and plucks the Trickster’s head from his body and carries it on his belt so that the villain may accompany him to the end of his journey. He explains that there must be an end to this cycle which renders all events meaningless; only a final death can save them—Ragnarok must come by Thor’s hand….