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Thor #203

Sep 1972
Gerry Conway, John Buscema

Story Name:

They Walk Like Gods!


Synopsis

Thor #203 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4 stars

Thor has been buried alive under the rocks of the city street by Ego-Prime. He is separated from his hammer Mjolnir and neither Sif nor Balder can pick it up to take to him. Ego-Prime boasts of having bested Fandral, Hogun, and Hildegarde, turned human bystanders into monsters, and he is well on his way to cleansing Earth of its population. Thor was the only threat and now he has been defeated. Suddenly, Thor, separated from his hammer for sixty seconds, transforms back into Dr. Donald Blake and the energy burst has shattered the rocks trapping him. Don picks up his cane and turns back into Thor, attacking the foe once more….

Meanwhile, Heimdall and Kamorr, having located Jason Kimball, take him back to the yacht where he meets the first two members of the group, Chinese pearl diver Chi Lo and Israeli soldier Carter Dyam. Heimdall explains that three have been brought together by order of Odin….

In Asgard, Karnilla the Norn Queen bursts into the throne room and demands Odin tell her what he has done with Balder. The Grand Vizier follows her, apologizing but fearful that Odin is playing “the Game.” Odin, touched by Karnilla’s tears, agrees to show her what he is doing. He opens a portal to watch Thor, Balder, and Sif taking on Ego-Prime with Thor barely holding his own in the battle. While the giant is crushing Thor in his hand, Balder stabs Ego-Prime in the back weakening him….

In a couple of asides, we see Silas Grant protecting Tana Nile from the marauding monsters despite her being responsible for the destruction of his home Blackworld at the hands of Ego-Prime. And Volstagg is guarding the little girl he rescued in an alley when there is an ominous silence. Heimdall has arrived with his three charges, Jason Kimball, Carter Dyam, and Chi Lo. Impatient, Ego-Prime marshals all of his power and unleashes a massive energy blast upon them but with a shock, Ego-Prime is drained of all of his energy and slowly fades into nothingness. The three youngsters stand revealed in a new divine glory, transformed by the villain’s power. Odin reveals himself and explains that this was the goal of his elaborate plan: creating a new race of young gods. The three ascend a path of light into the heavens and are seen no more. But Thor throws a fit, resentful of Odin’s threatening the end of Earth and his use of the heroes as pawns in a big game, asking whether Odin was certain his pawns would survive or if he even cared. And Odin grows angry….


 

Review / Commentaries


Thor #203 Review by (September 6, 2022)

Review: And the story concludes with a massive flash of light as we learn that Odin was manipulating things so that new young gods would be born (don’t tell Gorr). It’s a bit of a surprise as it concerns a guy we only met last issue, teaming him with two more characters who only appeared in this issue and then they go off into the heavens. Thor rightly makes a fuss about going through all that danger for someone else’s origin story. Imagine how angry he would be if he knew these new gods would not appear again for seven years real time and barely at all after that!

Comments: Part two of two parts. First appearance of Carter Dyam and Chi Lo. Jason Kimball, Carter Dyam, and Chi Lo return in issue #291 (in 1979) as the Young Gods.



> Thor comic book info and issue index

Elektra

Excelsioring your collection:
Kotobukiya Marvel Universe: Thor The Bronze Age ARTFX Statue, Multicolor
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Preview Pages




John Buscema
Vince Colletta
?
John Buscema (Cover Penciler)
John Buscema (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: John Costanza.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Balder
Balder

(Balder the Brave)
Hildegarde
Hildegarde

(Hildegarde)
Hogun
Hogun

(Hogun the Grim)
Karnilla
Karnilla

(Norn Queen)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Ego-Prime, Silas Grant, Tana Nile.