A
lengthy prologue shows the origin and history of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir.
Thor
approaches Sif, new Guardian of the Rainbow Bridge, asking her if she can see
Mjolnir across the realms. But she cannot. She tries to persuade him to stay on
the throne of Asgard and let someone else undertake the quest to recover the
stolen hammer. Thor tells her of the Book of Kings and the tale that describes
the great storm, caused by Mjolnir being wielded by the God of Hammers, who
will kill the “Golden King of Asgard.” He tells her to mind her own business
and departs to find his Father….
The
Gauntlet is a massive mechanical hand floating in space, turned into a station
where gladiator battles take place. Odin had been dumped there by Angela (issue
#17) and is locked in combat with a giant; Thor appears suddenly in the arena, stopping
the giant’s sword from falling on Odin. He enlists the Old Man in his quest
after finishing off the persistent opponent….
Odin
takes Thor to the Dwarves of Nidavellir, knowing they can track any of their
creations and they find the Dwarves slaughtered, their forge destroyed…by
someone wielding Mjolnir….