Mjolnir,
trailing a rainbow, zooms through the Ten Realms announcing a new era of peace
under the rule of Thor the All-Father and ends up killing a giant monster
battling the Avengers in Manhattan. The hammer returns to Thor, standing on the
Rainbow Bridge with its new guardian Sif, and Thor discovers that Iron Man has
added the message, “Nice shot! Enjoy your retirement.” Sif reminds him that he
is king and must act as king so Thor reluctantly returns to his wooden throne. Volstagg
asks about the amount of ale at the feasts but Thor orders everyone out of the
throne room while he broods. Loki arrives to taunt Thor about having to give a
speech but Thor tells him to bow and then get out—but Loki notices Mjolnir
seems to be getting heavier for its bearer. Thor hurls the hammer and makes it
halt in midair inches from Loki’s face, due to Thor’s new powers….
On
the day of his inaugural speech to the people of Asgard, Thor mounts the balcony—and
then a wounded Galactus falls from the sky, crushing a multitude. Thor readies
to attack the newcomer but Galactus asks for help against “the Star Plague…the
great Black Winter” before passing out….
Yggdrasil
starts to die and Thor convenes a meeting of Heralds of Galactus to ask what
the Star Plague and Black Winter are. No one knows until the Silver Surfer (now
black) arrives to inform them that it is the end of all things. The Black
Winter was the end of the universe before theirs and only Galactus survived; he
has now seen it again and must face it but he needs to feed first and the
Surfer knows of five special planets that would empower Galactus beyond
imagination that he has hidden from his master. Silver Surfer volunteers to
guide Galactus on this mission and Thor chooses to go with them….
Later,
Thor puts on his battle gear and finds it heavier. He looks at Mjolnir and
erases the word “retirement” written by Tony Stark….
Thor
and his battalion accompany the Surfer to Galactus and the Herald explains the
plan; Galactus says no. He informs them that the Black Winter reveals the form
of one’s true death; he has looked at it twice: the first time he saw nothing;
the second more recent time…he saw Thor. And Galactus transforms Thor into the
Herald of Thunder, proposing they kill the Black Winter together and then sort
out their destinies….