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Thor #129

Jun 1966
Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

Thor #129 cover

Story Name:

The Verdict of Zeus!

Synopsis

Thor #129 synopsis by Arcturus Jackson
Rating: 5 stars
Image from Thor #129

Thor arrives suddenly on the streets of Manhattan, causing a commotion among the crowd; he is rescued by a friendly cab driver who drops him off at Jane Foster’s apartment building. Naturally, Thor neglects to pay the fare….

On glorious Olympus, a celebration of the gods is interrupted by the arrival of Pluto. The sinister deity reveals that he has been released from his imprisonment as ruler of the Netherworld because he has found someone to take his place—Hercules! The Prince of Power, meanwhile, is hurrying to the throne of Zeus to plead his case that he was tricked by Pluto. On the way he fights a Yellow-Crested Titan but on arrival he is halted by a thunderbolt: Zeus knows. His father reveals that there is only one way to escape his fate: find someone willing to risk the Netherword to save him….

Thor knocks at Jane’s apartment and the door is opened by her new roommate, Tana Nile. The exotic woman has a strange aura about her which causes Thor to fall to his knees instinctively. Once Tana is gone, Thor comes to the point of his visit: he offers to shed his godhood and live as an ordinary mortal for love of Jane. He intends to return to Asgard immediately to inform his father Odin of this decision. The spying Tana sees Thor as a threat to her plans and determines he must never return to Earth….

Thor arrives on the Rainbow Bridge to be met by Balder who was just heading out to find him on Odin’s orders. Brought into the presence of the All-Father, Thor is reminded that this is the Day of the Three Worlds. On this day, the God of Thunder must wait in Limbo until the Winds of the World summon him to do battle for another….

Back in Olympus, Hercules desperately seeks someone willing to fight on his behalf: Ares, God of War, refuses, and Hermes is rushing away too fast to hear Herc’s pleas. Realizing his moment has arrived, Herc approaches Pluto, who summons his legions to surround the hapless hero and escort him to his new throne in the Netherworld. At his moment in Limbo, Thor hears the call: he is to fight to rescue Hercules! The Thunder God arrives in Olympus where he sees Herc being dragged down below; he then steps forward to silence the gloating Pluto with a challenge….


Story #2

The Hordes of Harokin! (Tales of Asgard series)

Writer: Stan Lee. Penciler: Jack Kirby. Inker: Vince Colletta

Synopsis

By Marvelite Indexer
Rating: 5 stars
Having been revealed as the traitor whose villainous actions will bring the fury of Ragnarok down on Asgard, Loki is carried away on orders of Odin. The trickster is placed in the Well of Eternal Sleep where the mystic vapors will keep him in suspended animation until such time as Odin may choose to release him. Though Thor intercedes for his brother, Odin will hear no more. Summoning the Warriors Three, the All-Father commands Thor to lead them on a mission to Muspelheim to fetch the enchanted weapon known as the Warlock’s Eye in anticipation of Ragnarok. But already in that distant land, the Eye has fallen into the hands of the barbarian conqueror Harokin where he uses its powerful stun ray to strike down the defenders of the fortified city and occupies it. And the mighty quartet from Asgard soon arrives at the scene….

 

Review / Commentaries

Thor #129 Review by (June 22, 2013)
Review 2: I don’t often review the Tales of Asgard back-up feature, but this one bears mentioning: it has more of a sci-fi flavor than the usual series. Loki is put into suspended animation (already an SF term) by being placed in a very technologically drawn chamber which fills with gas. Then the “enchanted” Warlock’s Eye is revealed to be a helmet with a beam that operates with the push of a button, not unlike Cyclops’ visor. This is a very early anticipation of the first Thor film’s implications that the “gods” are merely advanced beings using a technology which, in accordance with Clarke’s Law, is indistinguishable from magic to humans.

Review 1: The Thor-Hercules epic continues! Herc learns just what a bad idea signing his life away was while Thor needs an ancient prophecy to tell him to go to Herc’s aid! And Jane Foster finds the creepiest roommate in New York! But we stand up and cheer at the end as Thor steps forward to be a hero! More Lee-Kirby fun from one of the best Marvel series of the Silver Age! It’s a headlong adrenaline rush that doesn’t stop to ask why Hercules and Pluto go by their Roman names while Zeus, Ares, and Hermes use the Greek. Highlight: a gag reused from issue #124 with the quirky reactions of the populace to the sudden arrival of Thor but now it has a cynical twist: most of the crowd is miffed that Thor won’t perform some tricks for them. Meanwhile a woman wonders if he’s on his way to a costume party! Today’s Fun Fact: Zeus is a redhead!

Comments: First appearance of Tana Nile. First appearance of Marvel’s version of Ares, Greek God of War. Final appearance of Loki in the “Tales of Asgard” back-up feature. First appearance of Harokin who will show up periodically over the next few decades.


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Jack Kirby
Vince Colletta
Unknown
Jack Kirby (Cover Penciler)
Vince Colletta (Cover Inker)
Stan Goldberg (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Art Simek.

Characters

Listed in alphabetical order. All stories.

Ares
Ares
Balder
Balder
(Balder the Brave)
Hercules
Hercules
(Heracles)
Jane Foster
Jane Foster
Odin
Odin
Thor
Thor
(Odinson)
Warriors Three
Warriors Three
(Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg)
Zeus
Zeus
Loki
Loki
(Loki Laufeyson)
Pluto
Pluto
(Hades)
Plus: Tana Nile, Harokin.

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