Thor #229: Review

Nov 1974

Gerry Conway, Rich Buckler

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Story Name:

"Where Darkness Dwells, Dwell I!"

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #229 Review by Peter Silvestro (June 6, 2023)

Review: A new tale gets off to a flying start but only because the splash page shows Thor soaring through the skies. After that we settle down to Hercules catching a crook and being caught in an explosion. A cop tells the heroes of people killing themselves to gain eternal life—and then walking out in a huff because the heroes take two seconds to think about it. Then Sif shows up and Hercules walks off in a huff because Thor spends two seconds greeting her. Then Herc learns his lesson and is beaten up by some monster things, who let him go to tell Thor the title of the story before leaving us to wait for the next issue. Okay issue, though Blumkenn’s and then Herc’s impatience doesn’t make sense. You’d think Hercules, of all people, would understand delight in welcoming one’s favorite lady.

Comments: Part one of two parts. First appearance of the Dweller in Darkness. First appearance of Detective Sergeant Ralph Blumkenn (occasionally Blumkinn) who makes five more appearances over the next ten issues then caps it off with a DOCTOR STRANGE issue. The letters page includes an advertisement for THE INCREDIBLE HULK #181, first full appearance of Wolverine.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #229 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Having returned to Earth, Thor is flying about, enjoying the freedom of the skies. Meanwhile, Hercules is wandering the streets, taking in the misery of the world when he hears a scream. Dashing upstairs in an apartment house, he finds a knife-wielding punk robbing an old man, then stabbing him. Herc chases the kid to a rooftop, past the victim who is muttering, “He said I’d never die” and captures the punk, bringing him back to the apartment in time to see the old man light the gas then strike a match, blowing himself up. Thor arrives at the scene of the blaze and summons rain to extinguish the flames. Police Detective Sergeant Ralph Blumkenn introduces himself to Thor and Herc and at lunch informs them that the old man was the fourth person to die while muttering about some sort of life following death, the first three being a science teacher who set herself on fire, a construction worker who touched off dynamite, and a hijacker who killed the pilots of a plane, causing it to crash. When the heroes seem skeptical, Blumkenn leaves and Thor and Herc decide to help. Thor calls to Odin for aid; the All-Father claims he can’t help but sends them one who can, as Sif appears. Thor is so occupied with the arrival of Sif that Herc grows mad and stalks off to solve the mystery himself….

A few blocks away, Herc realizes he is being followed but when he turns around to grab the baddie, he finds himself under attack by a sort of solid shadow man. The two battle until the shadow maneuvers Hercules back toward a manhole which opens and Herc is seized by weird creatures and dragged out of sight….

At the hospital, Sif shows Thor how well Krista is recovering from her injures, thanks to the surgical expertise of Dr. Don Blake. Suddenly, Hercules falls into the room, mutters, “Where darkness dwells, dwell I” and collapses. Thor vows vengeance….