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Thor #234

Apr 1975
Gerry Conway, John Buscema

Thor #234 cover

Story Name:

O, Bitter Victory!


Synopsis

Thor #234 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3 stars

Thor leads a band of three commandos to Loki’s camp across the river and the Thunder God is too impatient for his comrades. Thor takes down a couple of sentries, nonfatally as these are ordinary Asgardians under Loki’s spell, and enters a tent to be confronted by Loki who traps Thor and his companions in a huge diamond. Back in the American camp, General Sam Sawyer hears Loki’s laugh and knows Thor has failed in his scheme to capture Loki and the only option left may be the nuclear one….

In a communal home for migrant workers in California, Orrin (Odin under a spell of forgetfulness) chats with his young friend Judith, who thinks the news about a war in Washington DC is a hoax, when a drunk driver comes careening toward them. Acting by instinct, Orrin literally slaps the car out of the way, surprising and confusing both of them….

Sif and Hercules arrive on the desolate planet Rus, home of Kamo-Tharnn; they head through the empty city toward the palace of Kamo-Tharnn, hoping to obtain the Runestaff which would save the dying Jane Foster….

At Avengers Mansion, Firelord is trying to burn a hole in the force field and growing angrier; Iron Man must calm him down to propose working as a team. Firelord’s flames and Iron Man’s repulsor rays together tear a hole in the field long enough for Firelord to escape before it closes up, having depleted Shellhead’s power, trapping him inside with Krista….

In Washington, General Sam Sawyer receives authorization from the President to use a nuclear bomb against Loki’s army and, as he debates the weighty decision, Firelord arrives. Sizing up the situation, the herald zooms into the enemy camp, knocking Loki’s troops aside and engaging with the God of Evil himself. With Loki distracted, Thor is able to explode the giant diamond, freeing himself and his companions. Thor challenges Loki to single, unadorned combat. So with Firelord as referee, Thor lays down Mjolnir, giving him sixty seconds in which to defeat Dormammu-powered Loki before he reverts to his Don Blake form. The two slug each other as the narrator counts down the seconds and Thor is victorious with two seconds to spare. Loki’s spell over his army fades and the soldiers cheer for Thor, who sheds a tear for his fallen brother…



 

Review / Commentaries


Thor #234 Review by (August 2, 2023)

Review: More unimaginative military scenes, climaxing with Thor fighting a supposedly Dormammu-powered Loki who is the usual one-dimensional baddie he was for the first several decades of his comics career before they made him a snarky anti-hero which was a great decision on someone’s part. Herc and Sif walk around an empty city, a guy made of fire gets to show off, and we try not to think of how or why the President and the Army could conceivably launch a nuclear weapon on the outskirts of the nation’s capital with no signs of an evacuation. In fact, that last bit is so scary, I’m going to have to lie down for a while, glad in my knowledge that I didn’t vote for Gerald R. Ford, who was President at this time. Which is a joke as no-one voted for Ford (check Wikipedia).

Comments: Part three of five parts. Starting with the issue, the story is divided into chapters. First appearance of Odin’s human companion Judith, who will appear occasionally until Odin leaves Earth in issue #242. According to GCD, the cover was revised by John Romita.



> Thor comic book info and issue index

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Main/1st Story Full Credits

John Buscema
Joe Sinnott
Petra Goldberg
Gil Kane (Cover Penciler)
Dick Giordano (Cover Inker)
Unknown (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: John Costanza.

Characters

All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.

Hercules
Hercules

(Heracles)
Iron Man
Iron Man

(Anthony Stark)
Loki
Loki

(Loki Laufeyson)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)
Plus: General Sam Sawyer, Krista.

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