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Thor #424: Review

Oct 1990
Tom DeFalco, Joe Sinnott

Story Name:

Let There Be Life [The Black Galaxy Saga]


Synopsis

Thor #424 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

More Celestials arrive to witness the birth of a new Celestial. The High Evolutionary has his mind boggled by the implications, namely, that he, who thought he could accelerate the evolution of the human race, has all of his hopes shattered by the Celestials. He takes his shuttle out to witness what happens next….

The group down on the planet (Thor, Eric Masterson, Juvan, the Analyzer, plus Stellaris and Nobilus) are also stunned by the sight. When the container imprisoning Hercules is about to be added to the new Celestial, Thor, Nobilus, and Stellaris try to rescue him but are repelled harmlessly. The High Evolutionary arrives, with Zon; High E. points out that the planetoid they are standing on is the only non-living material in the Black Galaxy. High E. wishes to observe and attaches himself to the Analyzer to better comprehend what is going on, believing, as the most highly evolved human, he will be added to the mix. But the Red Celestial takes Eric Masterson instead, the High E. apparently being a dead end of his own, which shocks him terribly. Thor wants to fight to release Herc and Eric but the New Immortals fight him to prevent his interference with the process. While this is going on, Stellaris armors up and launches herself at the glowing sphere at the center of the new Celestial and there is a massive explosion and everything goes white. When the brightness subsides, it is discovered that all of the living material of the Black Galaxy is gone, having been absorbed into the new-born Blue Celestial. The Analyzer burns out and dies from information overload and the High E.’s brain shuts down from having been linked to the living machine. Thor swear vengeance against the Celestials but as the Blue Celestial joins all the others journeying out of the galaxy, one of the containers descends. Inside are Hercules and Eric, safe and sound….

The Watcher takes a backward glance at the planetoid which is the last remaining object in the Black Galaxy and heads off to the next crisis point in the universe: Asgard….

“The Great Deception!”
Writer: Tom DeFalco. Pencils: Gary Hartle. Inks: Dan Panosian. Colors: Nel Yomtov. Letters: Michael Heisler.
Synopsis: As the armies of Asgard fight the Ice Demon, Ymir, young warrior Arko is rescued by Balder and he rests with the Warriors Three as Heimdall plans the next charge….

Odin explains to the Grand Vizier his plan to prevent Ragnarök—and he slowly transforms into Surtur who has been imprisoned within Odin’s body (issue #400). The realm will never be safe until both Surtur and Ymir are vanquished and so Surtur grows to giant size and strides out to face Ymir in a battle to the finish….



 

Review / Commentaries

Rating:
5 stars

Thor #424 Review by (October 12, 2021)

Review: And things wrap up in a mind-boggling fashion with the Black Galaxy providing the body of the new Celestial and everything turns out right for the heroes, with no explanation of why the Celestials needed Hercules and Eric Masterson for the process but returned them unharmed. We wouldn’t understand the science involved anyway. And the smug High Evolutionary gets his brains burned out in the process of discovering that everything he knows is wrong. Knockout Kirby homage is a success.

Comments: First story: Part six of six. Despite appearing that she has been obliterated, Stellaris returns in issues #438-439. The new blue Celestial returns in issue #448-450. Ron Frenz and Tom DeFalco collaborated on the plot. Second story: Part eight of nine parts. One of the letters in the letter column is by Charles S. Novinskie, future executive for Topps Comics.




> Thor comic book info and issue index

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Preview Pages




Joe Sinnott
Joe Sinnott
George Roussos
Ron Frenz (Cover Penciler)
Joe Sinnott (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Layouts: Ron Frenz. Letterer: Mike Heisler.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Balder
Balder

(Balder the Brave)
Hercules
Hercules

(Heracles)
Surtur
Surtur

(Surtur the Fire Demon)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)
Warriors Three
Warriors Three

(Fandral, Hogun, Volstagg)

Plus: Juvan, New Immortals, Nobilus, Stellaris, Ymir (Frost Giant King), Zon.