Thor #214: Review

Aug 1973

Gerry Conway, Sal Buscema

::: click cover to ENLARGE it :::

Story Name:

Into the Dark Nebula!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #214 Review by Peter Silvestro (January 3, 2023)

Review: Cool issue features a lot of swashbuckling action aboard the Starjammer while bringing back a cool villain. There is no reason why he should have ice powers with one hand and fire with the other, he just does—and this is a comic book so why are you fussing? The Silver Age had all the audacity to come up with all sorts of neat stuff and provide a pseudo-scientific explanation for it that was sometimes total hogwash. If you don’t balk at getting spider-powers by being bitten by a radioactive spider, you lose the right to complain about anything else in the comics. So there. Meanwhile, we get a glimpse of larger things at stake and the arrival of a giant red crystal to conquer the universe. On the whole, pretty cool and about to get crazier.

Comments: Part one of three parts. Mercurio, the Fourth-Dimensional Man, was introduced in issue #208; he boasts that his right hand has freezing powers and his left fire though on his first appearance in this issue, it’s the other way around. Heimdall is suddenly with Thor and the gang despite not having appeared in previous issues. Silas Grant is in the background among the heroes but he is never mentioned in the issue. First appearance of Xorr, the God-Jewel. The editors claim that there is an explanation for the sounds of battle being heard in space but they decide not to bore us with it. Cover inking attributed to Frank Giacoia and Mike Esposito. Letters page includes one by future Marvel editor Ralph Macchio.

From Our Blog:

Gwen Stacy, beauty queen of Standard High School, was Peter Parker's (alias Spider-Man) first great love.

Gwen Stacy: Classic Beauty

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #214 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Departing Golden Star, the Asgardian ship Starjammer heads for the Dark Nebula to rescue Sif and Karnilla. Thor is in command, accompanied by Odin, Heimdall, Hogun, Fandral, Hildegarde, Tana Nile, and Silas Grant. On their journey, Hildegarde brings Tana Nile (and the reader) up to date on the events of issues #207 to the present. As they journey, they are detected on the scanners of the miners of Orion Base who mistake them for their enemies, the Raiders. To protect the Jewel, Foreman Kagg sends Quellor and Rothgar out to intercept their presumed foe. They don protective armor and jet out in space sleds and attack the Starjammer. The Asgardian heroes easily destroy the sleds and capture the miners. After some explanations, Thor and company return to the base with the miners to talk to Kagg about assisting one another in their quests. The miners ask their help but first Thor asks about Sif; they know the men of the Altairian mines employ slaves so Kagg goes to check with them. Suddenly they are attacked by the raiders: Gramosian warriors led by Mercurio, the Fourth-Dimensional Man, whom the Asgardians had encountered on Earth. Mercurio, who had invaded Earth to take its electromagnetic field to save his planet has learned there are alternatives and they intend to take what they think is being guarded by Thor and company. There is a huge battle, running for several pages. The miners witness this and decide to save the Jewel even if it means abandoning their new allies—who would join with their enemies if they knew what the miners were doing….

As Thor and Mercurio duel, the latter explains why he is not dead. The killing blow transported Mercurio into space where he was sucked into a space whirlpool and encountered a huge red jewel which teleported him back to his home planet. Mercurio realized that the Jewel had the power to revive his dying planet and so here they are. The asteroid they stand on breaks apart and the Xorr, the God-Jewel rises into the sky. Thor sees embedded in the crimson crystal Sif and Karnilla. The Jewel warns Thor not to attack as that would only lead to their destruction—one day earlier than the Jewel has already ordained….