The berserk Frost Giants, restored to their rightful size by Loki’s magic, storm his castle to discover the source of the powerful cold. Loki flees further into the castle and stumbles over the unconscious Thor; as a delaying tactic, the God of Mischief sends his brother’s body out to where the giants are and makes his way to his lab where he finds that the captive Iceman is increasing the cold to destroy Loki’s machines from within. The giants break though and Loki drives some off with fireballs but the others seize him and ready themselves to destroy him and gain the ice power for themselves….
Meanwhile, all over Asgard, the inhabitants are falling ill and fainting, Ularic, Heimdall, and King Balder himself. The ill Hogun, Fandral, and Sif make it to the home of Volstagg, to find that worthy and his entire family also succumbing to the mysterious malady; soon the only ones left awake are the orphaned boys Mick and Kevin….
Thor, recovering from his beating by Grendell (last issue), goes to the rescue of his brother, hoping to teach him a lesson about honor. He topples a wall onto the giants but they have been informed by Loki of Hela’s curse making the Thunder God weak and they attack. Thor uses one of Loki’s devices to fetch the indestructible armor he was forging in Pittsburgh; he dons it and calls down lighting to etch the Odin’s runes upon the hauberk, completing the armor. This armor is part of Thor’s body and responds as his flesh; he defeats the giants and drives them off but his heart still misgives him as to the test of his spirit….
The fleeing Frost Giants decide upon a plan of action: to release Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, upon Thor….