Comic Browser: #126 - Whom the Gods Would Destroy! #127 - The Hammer and the Holocaust! #128 - The Power of Pluto! #129 - The Verdict of Zeus! #130 - Thunder In the Netherworld! #131 - They Strike From Space! #132 - Rigel: Where Gods May Fear to Tread! #133 - Behold... The Living Planet! #134 - The People-Breeders! #135 - The Maddening Menace of the Super-Beast! #136 - To Become An Immortal! #137 - The Thunder God and the Troll! #138 - From Asgard to Earth... The Flames of Battle! #139 - To Die Like A God! #140 - The Growing Man! #141 - The Wrath of Replicus #142 - The Scourge of the Super-Skrull! #143 - --And, Soon Shall Come: the Enchanters! #144 - This Battleground Earth! #145 - Abandoned On Earth! #146 - -- If the Thunder Be Gone! #147 - The Wrath of Odin! #148 - Let There Be... Chaos! #149 - When Falls a Hero! #150 - Even In Death... #151 - --To Rise Again! #152 - The Dilemma of Dr. Blake! #153 - --But Dr. Blake Can Die! #154 - ...To Wake the Mangog! #155 - Now Ends the Universe! #156 - The Hammer and the Holocaust! #157 - Behind Him...Ragnarok! #158 - The Way It Was! #159 - Who is the Real Don Blake? The Answer at Last! #160 - And Now... Galactus! #161 - Shall a God Prevail? #162 - Galactus is Born! #163 - Where Dwell the Demons! #164 - Lest Mankind Fall! #165 - Him! #166 - A God Berserk! #167 - This World Renounced! #168 - Galactus Found! #169 - The Awesome Answer! #170 - The Thunder God and the Thermal Man! #171 - The Wrath of the Wrecker! #172 - The Immortal and the Mind-Slave! #173 - Ulik Unleashed! #174 - The Carnage of the Crypto Man! #175 - The Fall of Asgard! #176 - Inferno! #177 - To End in Flames! #178 - Death Is a Stranger #179 - No More the Thunder God! #180 - When Gods Go Mad! #181 - One God Must Fall! #182 - The Prisoner-- the Power-- and-- Dr. Doom! #183 - Trapped in Doomsland #184 - The World Beyond! #185 - In the Grip of Infinity! #186 - Worlds at War! #187 - The World is Lost! #188 - The End of Infinity! #189 - The Icy Touch of Death! #190 - --And So, To Die! #191 - A Time of Evil! #192 - Conflagration! #193 - What Power Unleashed? #194 - This Fatal Fury! #195 - In the Shadow of Mangog! #196 - Within the Realm of Kartag! #197 - The Well at the Edge of the World! #198 - --And Odin Dies! #199 - If This Be Death..! #200 - Beware! If This Be... Ragnarok! #201 - Resurrection! #202 - --And None Dare Stand 'Gainst Ego-Prime! #203 - They Walk Like Gods! #204 - Exiled on Earth! #205 - A World Gone Mad! #206 - Rebirth! #207 - Firesword! #208 - The Fourth-Dimensional Man! #209 - Warriors in the Night! #210 - The Hammer and the Hellfire! #211 - The End of the Battle! #212 - Journey to the Golden Star! #213 - The Demon Brigade!! #214 - Into the Dark Nebula! #215 - The God in the Jewel #216 - Where Chaos Rules! #217 - All Swords Against Them! #218 - Where Pass the Black Stars, There Also Passes... Death! #219 - A Galaxy Consumed! #220 - Behold! The Land of Doom! #221 - Hercules Enraged! #222 - Before the Gates of Hell! #223 - Hellfire Across the World! #224 - No One Can Stop...The Destroyer! #225 - The Coming of the Firelord! #226 - The Battle Beyond! #227 - In Search of...Ego! #228 - Ego: Beginning and End! #229 - "Where Darkness Dwells, Dwell I!" #230 - The Sky Above...The Pits Below! #231 - A Spectre From the Past! #232 - Lo, The Raging Battle! #233 - Midgard Aflame! #234 - O, Bitter Victory! #235 - Who Lurks Beyond the Labyrinth! #236 - One Life to Give! #237 - Ulik Unchained #238 - Night of the Troll! #239 - Time Quake! #240 - When the Gods Make War! #241 - The Death-ship Sails the Stars! #242 - When the Servitor Commands! #243 - Turmoil in the Time Stream! #244 - This is the Way the World Ends! #245 - The Temple at the End of Time! #246 - The Fury of Firelord! #247 - The Flame and the Hammer! #248 - There Shall Come...Revolution! #249 - The Throne and the Fury! #250 - If Asgard Should Perish...! #251 - To Hela and Back #252 - A Dragon at the Gates! #253 - Chaos in the Kingdom of the Trolls #254 - The Answer at Last! #255 - Lo, The Quest Begins! #256 - Lurker in the Dark! #257 - Death, Thou Shalt Die! #258 - If the Stars Be Made of Stone! #259 - Escape into Oblivion! #260 - The Vicious and the Valiant #261 - The Wall Around the World! #262 - Even an Immortal Can Die! #263 - Holocaust and Homecoming! #264 - Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me! #265 - When Falls the God of Thunder...! #266 - ...So Falls the Realm Eternal! #267 - Once More, To Midgard! #268 - Death, Thy Name is Brother! #269 - A Walk on the Wild Side! #270 - Minute of Madness -- Dark Day of Doom! #271 - ...Like a Diamond in the Sky! #272 - The Day the Thunder Failed! #273 - Somewhere -- Over the Rainbow Bridge! #274 - The Eye -- and the Arrow! #275 - A Balance is Struck! #276 - Mine...This Hammer! #277 - Time of the Trolls! #278 - At Long Last--Ragnarok?! #279 - A Hammer in Hades! #280 - Crisis on Twin Earths! #281 - This Hammer Lost! #282 - Rites of Passage #283 - Suddenly--The Celestials! #284 - The City of the Space Gods! #285 - Deviants and Doormen! #286 - Mayhem under Manhattan! #287 - Assault on Olympia! #288 - Fury of the Forgotten Hero! #289 - Look Homeward, Asgardian! #290 - Ring Around the Red Bull! #291 - When Gods Have Joined Together! #292 - If an Eye Offend Thee...! #293 - The Twilight of SOME Gods! #294 - New Asgards for Old! #295 - The Price--and the Pride! #296 - From Valhalla--A Valkyrie! #297 - The Sword of Siegfried! #298 - Dragon's Blood! #299 - Passions and Potions #300 - Twilight of the Gods! #301 - For the Life of Asgard! #302 - The Shape of Things To Kill! #303 - The Miracle of Storms #304 - Reckless! #305 - Hark, the Herald Angel Lives! #306 - Fury of the Firelord! #307 - Wings In the Night! #308 - The Snow Giant #309 - Beware the Bombardiers! #310 - The Maelstrom to Mephisto #311 - Grief More Than a God May Bear #312 - The Judgment of Tyr #313 - Serpent From the Heavens #314 - Acts of Destruction #315 - The Thunder God and the Bi-Beast #316 - Of Beasts and Things... #317 - Chaos At Canaveral #318 - A Kingdom Lost #319 - The Zaniac Craves Blood! #320 - Blake's Menagerie #321 - Magick's Menace #322 - The Wrath and the Power! #323 - ...Comes a Dark Stranger! #324 - Gravitation #325 - A Deal With Darkoth #326 - The Scarab Strikes #327 - The Serpent of Midgard Conclusion: This Battleground Earth #328 - Violence In Video #329 - Stranded #330 - The Coming of the Crusader! #331 - Holy War #332 - Blood of a Goddess! #333 - Like a Bat Out of Heaven! #334 - Runequest #335 - Runequest's End! #336 - Of Gods and Men #337 - Doom! #338 - A Fool and His Hammer... #339 - Something Old, Something New... #340 - Though Hel Should Bar the Way! #341 - The Past Is a Bucket of Ashes #342 - The Last Viking! #343 - If I Should Die Before I Wake...! #344 - Whatever Happened To Balder the Brave? #345 - That Was No Lady #346 - The Wild Hunt! #347 - Into the Realm of Faerie! #348 - The Dark and the Light #349 - Debts of Honor! #350 - Ragnarok and Roll! #351 - Ragnarok and Roll, Too! #352 - Ragnarok and Ruin! #353 - Doom II #354 - Pickin' Up the Pieces #355 - The Icy Hearts (or My Dinners With Thor) #356 - The Power and the Pride #357 - A New Deal From An Old Deck, or, The Credit Card Soldiers #358 - When Dalliance Was In Flower, or, Take the Cash and Let the Credit Go #359 - The Grand Alliance! Or Life With Loki #360 - Into the Valley of Death! #361 - The Quick and the Dead! #362 - Like a Bat Out of Hel! #363 - This Kursed Earth…! #364 - Thor Croaks! #365 - Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, or, It’s Not Easy Being Green #366 - Sir! #367 - The Harvest of the Seasons #368 - The Eye of the Beholder #369 - For Whom the Belles Troll... #370 - Easy Money #371 - Peace On Earth #372 - Without Justice, There Is No Peace! #373 - The Gift of Death #374 - Fires of the Night #375 - Shadows of the Past #376 - Heroes Always Win--Don't They? #377 - This Hollowed Armor #378 - When Loki Stood Alone #379 - There Were Giants In Those Days (Or, A Discourse Between Heroes and Villains) #380 - Mjolnir's Song #381 - Ye Olde Shelle Game! #382 - Journey Into Mystery #383 - This Secret Love--! #384 - Who Shall Be Worthy? #385 - Be Thou God, Or Monster! #386 - When Warriors Clash #387 - Judgment Day #388 - Alone Against the Celestials #389 - When The Thunder Fails #390 - The Hero and the Hammer #391 - The Madness of Mongoose #392 - Quicksand Kills #393 - The Blaze of Battle! #394 - "...And How Shall Mortals Know Ye?" #395 - Enter the Earth Force! #396 - Into the Realm of Death #397 - When the Gods Make War #398 - The Prisoners of the Black Pyramid #399 - When Asgard Dies #400 - Lest the Heavens Perish! #401 - The Wager #402 - Even An Asgardian Can Die!! #403 - When the Executioner Calls!! #404 - Something Is Killing The Great Gods of Asgard #405 - Odin Must Die #406 - War With Wundagore! #407 - Menace of the Living Universe #408 - "The Fateful Decision!" #409 - Doom Is Only Sixty Seconds Away #410 - "Two Dooms to Destroy Me!" #411 - The Gentleman's Name Is Juggernaut! #412 - Introducing the New Warriors #413 - Within Me Dwells A Monster! #414 - Beyond Courage Must I Strive #415 - When Gods Wear Mortal Flesh! #416 - The Hero and the Horror #417 - Only Death Can Save Thee #418 - Fear Kills #419 - The Summons [The Black Galaxy Saga] #420 - If Death Be My Destiny! (The Black Galaxy Saga Part 2) #421 - ... And If Gods Are Men... [The Black Galaxy Saga] #422 - …Then What Are Gods? [The Black Galaxy Saga Part 4] #423 - The Day of Their Return [The Black Galaxy Saga] #424 - Let There Be Life [The Black Galaxy Saga] #425 - The Flame, The Frost and the Fury! #426 - Aftermath #427 - The Homecoming! or How Do You Spend the Night After You've Saved the Universe? #428 - If This Be Juggernaut! #429 - This World Is Mine! #430 - The God, the Ghost, and the Guilty! #431 - Requiem for the Wrecker! #432 - At Death Do We Part #433 - Whosoever Holds This Hammer #434 - ...If He Be Worthy! #435 - The Power of Thor #436 - Savage Reunion #437 - Clash With Quasar #438 - Yesterday Must Die! [The Thor War, Part 1 of 4] #439 - When Hammers Clash [The Thor War, Part 2 of 4] #440 - All The Rivers Run! [The Thor War, Part 3 of 4] #441 - My Brother's Burden [The Thor War, Part 4 of 4] #442 - The Day of His Return! #443 - The Mephisto Waltz #444 - How the Groonk Stole Christmas! #445 - The War and the Warrior #446 - Now Strikes the Starforce #447 - Strange Alliances #448 - Secret Agendas!! #449 - Riot On Riker's Island! #450 - When Gods Make War #451 - Beware the Bloodaxe #452 - With This Axe, I Thee Kill! #453 - When Mephisto Commands...! #454 - The Warriors Three Die At Dawn #455 - Odin Unleashed--! #456 - The Choice and the Challenge! #457 - Final Gauntlet! #458 - To The Victor...! #459 - What Price Victory? #460 - Fragments #461 - Friends and Lovers #462 - Payments #463 - Devotions #464 - Blessed Obedience #465 - Holy Sacrifice #466 - Odin's Tale #467 - Descent #468 - Distant Thunder [Blood and Thunder Part One] #469 - Absolute Power [Blood and Thunder Part Five] #470 - Ruins [Blood and Thunder Part Nine] #471 - Fathers and Sons [Blood and Thunder The End] #472 - If Twilight Falls #473 - New Gods For Old #474 - When Mountains Walked #475 - Survival of the Fiercest #476 - Whom The Destroyer Would Destroy... #477 - Three Who Ride The Thunder #478 - Come The Lightning! #479 - This Mortal Coil #480 - Blitzkrieg In the Balkans #481 - The Living Stone, I Presume? #482 - Long Day's Journey Into Mystery Chapter One #483 - Armor and the Man-God I Sing... #484 - The God In The War Machine #485 - Things Ain't What They Used To Be #486 - The Coming of Kurse! #487 - Hel On Earth #488 - To Hela and Back #489 - Hel and High Water #490 - Against the Dying of the Light! #491 - Worldengine Part One of Four: Nailed Up #492 - Worldengine Part Two of Four: Run Through #493 - Worldengine Part Three of Four: Run Down #494 - Worldengine Part Four: Finished Off #495 - In Mortal Guise #496 - Doin' the Zodiac Rag #497 - Thor Must Die #498 - Life Preservation #499 - Ludwig's Children #500 - Sunlight and Shadows #501 - Out of the Blue #502 - Putting on the Bear Shirt
The mighty Thor fights his way through the gates of Olympus, clobbering all soldiers who stand in his way, demanding an audience with Hercules. Zeus sees him coming and Ares tries to persuade him that the Asgardians are all evil. Hercules shows up and denies this, noting that Ares is a notorious liar. Entering the city, Thor is challenged by a warrior named Krato, defending Herc’s honor. Thor defeats him easily which angers Herc so that the takes on the Thunder God and the two start bashing one another….
Flashback time: Saying their goodbyes to the Rigellians after last issue’s adventure, Thor learned that Tana Nile was going to remain with her people and Silas Grant chose to stay with Tana. The Starjammer returned to Asgard where the heroes were met by Hildegarde telling them about her sister, Krista. In the throne room, Odin relates the story, scattered though it is over several issues starting with #217, how Krista vanished and the mystic globe showed her a slave in chains at the feet of Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, with Hercules by his side. Enraged, Thor heads off to challenge the Greek Demigod, ignoring Sif’s pleas that things might not be what they seem. Odin denies Balder’s request to accompany Thor, as that would look like an army coming against Olympus….
So back in the home of the Greek Gods, Thor and Hercules continue bashing each other and damaging property, neither one stopping to ask for an explanation. Meanwhile, we learn that Ares, allied with Pluto, is behind this brouhaha, igniting a war between the Greek and Norse gods and then conquering Olympus once the gods have destroyed each other. Eventually, Zeus calls a halt to the fight, asking Thor to explain himself. Thor tells him of Krista; Zeus testifies that Herc has hasn’t left Olympus in weeks, attending a particularly entertaining festival. So the two combatants shake hands and agree to go after Pluto together….
Review: A fun issue, nothing deep just a pretext for an issue-long battle between two of comics’ heavy hitters. Yes, they come off as a couple of boneheads but that what we love about Hercules and we see that even the noble Thor can descend to his level.
And we bid a not-so-fond farewell to Silas Grant, who was introduced in issues #197-199. Well and good. But he has been in nearly every issue since then and contributed exactly nothing to any of them. He’s just in the background, with even the artist not remembering if he is around or not. Tana Nile has had the same problem but she had quite a bit to do years earlier and would be a significant character years later but Silas Grant did nothing. Usually I consider killing off a minor character as “cheap drama” but sometimes that’s better than no drama at all. At least he sticks by Tana and departs when she does; that’s a small mercy at least.
Comments: Part one of three parts. Final appearance of Silas Grant. Tana Nile is not seen again until STARMASTERS #1 in 1996, followed by many other science fiction titles. Hercules’ friend Krato may be the same person as Kratos in the following issue; then again, maybe not.
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