On a cold morning one week before Thor’s current conflict, a Viking longship unexpectedly appears at a Brooklyn dock. Onboard is Heimdall and a travelling companion, the diminutive Kamorr, who were sent here on a mysterious errand by Odin himself. The two disembark and cast a spell to disguise their ship as a yacht, change their Asgardian armor into modern-day clothing, and erase the memories of the dockworkers who had seen them arrive. An immeasurable distance away, in the present, the Norns review this scene in their mystical well. The three Norns then turn their gaze once more on Thor, who is battling to defend Odin from Pluto. Presently, Thor is unconscious at Pluto’s feet, but Pluto’s raised axe has been disintegrated by the Norns.
Thor finally regains consciousness, but is still very weak. As Thor rises to his feet, Pluto attacks him with his bare hands. Instead of fighting back, Thor focuses all of his attention on Mjolnir, which lies out of reach. Using all of his concentration, Thor is able to telepathically call Mjolnir to his grasp, which he uses to knock back the unsuspecting Pluto! Thor, however, is still weak, and needs a moment to regain his strength. In that moment, Pluto surveys the battlefield and sees the Warriors Three wreaking havoc on his forces. Both in an effort to remove them from the battle and to use as leverage against Thor, Pluto uses his dark powers to suspend the Warriors Three in a timeless bubble. Pluto threatens to hold them hostage until Thor surrenders.
Meanwhile, Karnilla arrives outside the chamber where the Vizier is watching over Odin. Karnilla knows that if Odin dies, then so will all Asgardians. The Vizier is surprised that she is concerned at all, since she can just protect herself with magic. It is not herself she is worried about, Karnilla reveals, but Balder. As he two look over Odin’s seemingly lifeless body, Hela unexpectedly appears. Hela admits that she cannot defeat Pluto in this battle, and so rather than let Pluto claim Odin’s soul, she returns Odin to life. Back on the battlefield, when Thor refuses to surrender to Pluto, the Warriors Three vanish. Holding nothing back, Thor attacks Pluto and finally gains the upper hand. Suddenly, Odin appears and casts Pluto out of Asgard. Pluto, of course, vows that he will eventually return and triumph. Later, in Odin’s throne room, Thor grieves for Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. Odin reveals that they were not destroyed by Pluto, but rather transported to Earth by Odin himself, to rescue them from Pluto’s threat. Grateful, Thor requests Odin’s permission to seek his companions on Earth, which Odin grants. Much to Karnilla’s dismay, Balder joins him.
On Blackworld, the monstrous Ego Prime is getting closer to Sif and her companions, while the ever-advancing year there is rapidly catching up to present day Earth. As Ego Prime rampages, Tana Nile relates the story of how this came to be: since Earth was off limits to the Rigellian Colonizers, the Grand Commissioner sent Tana Nile to Ego, where she blasted off a piece of the living planet’s surface; then, Tana Nile deposited the piece of Ego on a primitive planet, where it grew to become Ego Prime. Hildegarde posits that Ego Prime read Tana Nile’s mind and created a new Earth because Tana Nile still secretly wished that she could colonize the real Earth. Just then, Blackworld reaches the Nuclear Age. Sif realizes that, just like on Earth, the inhabitants are not ready for the dangers of nuclear power. Before she can finish her thoughts, there is a massive nuclear explosion that bathes Blackworld in a blinding light. At the same moment on Earth, Thor and Balder have just joined the Warriors Three on the streets of New York. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a brilliant light appears in the middle of the street. Out of the light, Sif and her companions materialize, running for their lives from the massive Ego Prime!