Thor
stands atop a New York building in a thunderstorm, agonizing over the dying
Jane Foster and, in a fit of anger and frustration, smashes the building’s
cornice. He sees the large chunks of rubble falling toward pedestrians below and
sends out Mjolnir which clears the stones out of the way before returning to
his hand. Upset, Thor heads back to the hospital, unaware that he is being
watched. Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, is plotting his revenge against the
Thunder God. Then a kid runs into him and Creel instinctively grabs him but a
menacing crowd causes him to apologize so as not to bring attention to
himself….
At
the hospital, Thor finds the Grand Vizier watching over the comatose Jane Foster;
the Vizier tells him that she has somehow lost the will to live. Reluctantly,
the Vizier tells Thor of Sif’s and Hercules’ quest to find the Runestaff of
Kamo-Tharnn…
…as
we see Sif and Herc on the planet Rus, walking through a desolate city,
approaching the palace of Kamo-Tharnn. Suddenly, Kamo-Tharnn unleashes his
ape-like subjects on them. The two heroes fight them off easily and K-T
transports them to his decaying palace to see he is a blind and decrepit old
man. Herc attacks him but K-T uses the Runestaff to strike Hercules deaf. Sif pleads with him on behalf of the dying
Jane Foster but K-T is cold to such sentiment. The power of the Runestaff cost
him his sight and cost his citizens their lives so it is for him alone.
Deciding they must take the staff by force, they fight the blind madman….
As
Thor stands in Jane’s hospital room, the Absorbing Man, disguised as a staff
member, creeps in behind him and touches Mjolnir. Imbued with the power of Uru,
Creel attacks Thor, smashing their way through the hospital’s corridors….
Pinned
down by the rays from the Runestaff, Hercules marshals his strength, stands up,
and clobbers Kamo-Tharnn. They take the staff and teleport back to the hospital
which they find in a shambles. As Thor and Crusher Creel are now out in the
street, continuing their battle, Sif takes the Staff and begins the Spell of
Revival….