Thor #353: Review

Mar 1985

Walt Simonson, Walt Simonson

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Story Name:

Doom II

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #353 Review by Peter Silvestro (November 26, 2013)

Review: Simply one of the greatest story arcs in Thor history. ‘Nuff said.

Comments: Part five of five parts. Hercules and She-Hulk appear for the first time in this episode. Sif, Tyr, the Executioner, and Harokin are absent from this issue, along with Reed Richards. Odin will return in issue #398; he will die fighting Surtur again in THOR (1998) #40. The issue is dedicated to Stan, Jack, Vinnie, Artie, and Sam. i.e. writer Lee, penciler Kirby, inker Colletta, letterers Simek and Rosen for Silver Age Thor.

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Quotes

In truth, were I told conflicting stories by my father and a floating eyeball, I know which I should believe.
~ TIWAZ

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #353 Synopsis by Julio Molina-Muscara

With Thor lying unconscious and Odin frozen in a block of ice, no one is there to stop Surtur from kindling his sword Twilight in fires of the Eternal Flame—but nothing happens. Loki appears and reveals that the Flame is merely an illusion he conjured up; the God of Mischief doesn’t mind if the villain destroys Asgard but not the entire universe. The two battle violently until Surtur is able to shoot his enemy out of the sky with a fiery blast. He then spies the real Flame….

In England, pursued by the Dark Elves, Roger Willis and the Human Torch escape from the cavern. As Roger finishes reconstructing the Casket of Ancient Winters, the deadly cold is drawn back inside…

…freeing Odin from his icy prison in Asgard. Joined by a revived Thor and Loki, he faces his enemy once more. The battle is apocalyptic, then Surtur calls down the flames of Hell—but Thor conjures up a rainstorm….

On the mountain pass, the children of Asgard trick the menacing troll into crashing through the bridge into the ravine below….

The warriors of Asgard battle the demon forces in the Sahara Desert. It looks close—until Balder arrives, accompanied by the Norn Queen and her army. Beta Ray Bill leads the strongest of the Avengers (Hercules, Vision, She-Hulk) in toppling the dimensional gateway over onto the demons, forcing them back to their own world….

Sensing his forces have been defeated, Surtur is distracted long enough for Thor to hurl Mjolnir, knocking the sword out of Surtur’s hand. The Demon Lord, separated from the source of his power, shrinks to Aesir size. Odin engages with him in hand-to-hand combat and the two plunge off the cliff’s edge into the abyss. "Father!" cry Thor and Loki….

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