The Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn has failed to restore Jane
Foster to reality, confusing Thor and Sif. Kamo Tharnn passes out from
lingering pain and Keith Kincaid ministers to him using the medical kit aboard
the Quinjet. Meanwhile, they reason that if Sif’s form was contained in the
Runestaff when she gave her essence to Jane, perhaps Jane’s in there now. So,
Sif uses the power of her sword so she and Thor can enter the Runestaff, appearing
in an overly crowded “outer space” setting where they brave a sea of lava,
battle giant lobsters, and make it to the center of the staff, only to find it
empty….
Outside, Keith discovers that Kamo Tharnn has multiple
brainwaves registering on an EEG, suggesting hundreds of separate personalities
inside. Keith awakens Kamo Tharnn and asks for his story. Tharnn, in his lust
to possess all knowledge killed the owner of the Runestaff and took it,
realizing too late that no one could then explain how it worked. His
experimentation caused multiple assistants to be absorbed into the Runestaff and
presumably they are now within Tharnn’s brain. Keith tries to summon Sif and
Thor from within the staff but ends up just having to wait until they exit. Sif
then uses the Runestaff to release hundreds of beings from within Kamo Tharnn—and
one of them is Jane Foster. Her memory is a mess but she soon recognizes Keith.
Kamo Tharnn, likewise, is restored to sanity by the removal of the extra
personalities and vows to make the world again a center for knowledge. The
heroes return to the Quinjet and take off for Earth while Sif ponders how to
tell Thor she is going to leave for Asgard, with or without him….