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Thor #422

Sep 1990
Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz

Thor #422 cover

Story Name:

…Then What Are Gods? [The Black Galaxy Saga Part 4]


Synopsis

Thor #422 synopsis by Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4.5 stars

Aboard his spaceship New Wundagore, the High Evolutionary sends probes throughout the Black Galaxy, hoping to understand its creator’s purpose. His aide Count Tagar is concerned about the power that might be unleashed but the High E. is set on creating a new race of gods. A problem has arisen: the first of his new gods, Nobilus, is mentally unstable and must be secured with chains as he often fights against his keepers, the New Men. High E. returns to the lab where another new immortal, a female called Zon who is much more mentally stable than Nobilus, is raised from the Pool of Knowledge. And then word comes to the High E. that a ship is heading their way; he orders the Analyzer sent out to assess the risk….

The ship heading their way is an Avengers Quinjet modified by Tony Stark to run on the power of Mjolnir. Thor and Hercules are aboard and they receive a visit from their old friend the Recorder who has been modified into the Analyzer, who decides to escort Thor and Herc to see the High E….

Back on Earth, Jerry Sapristi stops by to talk to Susan Austin and meets her sexy new roommate Leena Moran. Susan wonders why Eric Masterson gave up custody of his son Kevin and then vanished from the face of the Earth. Jerry thinks he knows why….

The Quinjet is brought aboard the New Wundagore but no one notices that Stellaris has hitched a ride on the Earth ship and is now loose aboard the big one, her armor modified for stealth. The High E. invites his two visitors to dine with him and he introduces his two new immortals, Zon and Juvan, mankind having been evolved to worship only itself. Then the High E. learns that one of his probes has discovered the Red Celestial and transmitted its coordinates before the Celestial destroyed it. And then Stellaris frees Nobilus; while the New Men try to recapture it, the mad scientist reveals to Thor that Nobilus was created using cells stolen from Thor himself (in issue #409) but Thor tells him that he was bewitched by Loki at that time and his cells would have been infused with evil….

While everyone else is occupied, Tagar goes to the Pool of Knowledge and immerses himself. He rises greatly evolved and claiming to know the “final, terrifying answer”….

“The Secret of the Endless Circle!”
Writer: Tom DeFalco. Pencils: Gary Hartle. Inks: Mike DeCarlo. Colors: Nel Yomtov. Letters: Jim Novak.
Synopsis: The Warriors Three have discovered that Ymir, the Ice Demon, has returned and intends to destroy Asgard; they decide to return to Odin to inform him of this development….

Odin reveals to Heimdall the secret of the Endless Circle: it’s just another name for Ragnarök, the Twilight of the Gods, heralded by the destruction of the Rainbow Bridge (which happened in issue #351), Odin’s battle with Surtur (in issue #400), and Thor’s defeat of the Midgard Serpent (#381), ending with the destruction of Asgard. Since the first three have recently happened, it can only be stopped by the defeat of Ymir. Heimdall summons the warriors to battle and rides out. Odin reacts with a surprisingly demonic laugh….




 

Review / Commentaries


Thor #422 Review by (September 21, 2021)

Review: And here we are back in the Black Galaxy with Thor and Herc and science fictional things start popping: new gods, Thor wondering what this means for Asgard and its Endless Circle, the revelation that the High Evolutionary believes in Intelligent Design, the High Evolutionary not realizing that humanity worshiping itself is pretty much what Satan offered in the Garden of Eden, the discovery of a Celestial, the claim that the Greek and Norse gods did not want to be worshipped, the introduction of a hot new female character (Leena Moran) who is going to turn out to be [spoiler] the Enchantress, Tagar learning the answer to life, the universe, and everything, plus the greatest mystery of all: why does the High E.’s armor keep changing color? We’ll see.

Comments: First story: Part four of six. The creation of Zon resembles the painting The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. Leena Moran next appears in issue #430 but is there called Leena Morgan; oops. Ron Frenz and Tom DeFalco collaborated on the plot. Second story: Part six of nine parts. Oh, the Endless Circle is just another name for Ragnarök, which has taken place multiple times in these comics, most notably in issues #272-278 (before the issue in hand) and THOR Vol. 3 #80-85 (after).




> Thor comic book info and issue index

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Preview Pages




Ron Frenz
Romeo Tanghal
George Roussos
Ron Frenz (Cover Penciler)
Joe Sinnott (Cover Inker)
Unknown (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Mike Heisler.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Hercules
Hercules

(Heracles)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)
Warriors Three
Warriors Three

(Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg)

Plus: Stellaris, Susan Austin, Tagar (Count Tagar), Ymir (Frost Giant King).

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