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Thor #425: Review

Oct 1990
Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz

Story Name:

The Flame, The Frost and the Fury!

Review & Comments

Rating:
0 stars

Thor #425 Review by (October 26, 2021)

Review: Another epic climax, wrapping up the back-up stories of Surtur and Ymir’s assault on Asgard (and each other). The epic centerpiece is the re-merging of Thor and Eric Masterson, undoing the separation in issue #423 which was another unnecessary moment thrown in for artificial drama and an increased page count. But it was still cool and that’s the point of comics. Next issue everyone carries on while waiting for the next mini-epic and I’m really enjoying this Thor era.

Comments: Issue-length conclusion (part nine of nine) to the Tales of Asgard backup series running since issue #417, dubbed in hindsight “The Endless Circle Epic.” The High Evolutionary and his New Immortals return in issues #447-450. Surtur returns in issue #472 and Ymir, one issue later. The big question: where in Asgard does one find a sky cycle? Ron Frenz and Tom DeFalco collaborated on the plot; Dan Bulanadi and Al Milgrom shared the finished art duties; Michael Heisler and Chris Eliopoulos did the colors.






 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #425 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

The Black Galaxy is no more, comrades Thor, Hercules, and Eric Masterson are alive and well, though Thor and Eric have been split by the power of the Celestials. The traumatized High Evolutionary and the damaged Analyzer are taken back to the New Wundagore to be restored, Count Tagar promises Thor. The New Immortals, Nobilus, Zon, and Juvan, also depart though Nobilus and Thor share a moment. After the ship departs, a space warp lands Sif, Leir, and Caber before Thor, telling him he is needed in Asgard…

…which is under attack by the two battling monsters Surtur and Ymir. Heimdall oversees the realm’s defenses which are no avail against the menaces. Balder and Arko rescue a young mother from disaster but they can do little else. As the Grand Vizier broods over the outcome, Thor and company arrive and are filled in on the latest situation. The Vizier shows them the only weapon that can defeat Ymir and Surtur: the Twilight Sword which lies in the Sea of Eternal Night in the Dimension of Death. Thor is transported into the Dimension of Death where he immediately begins to age rapidly. Within sight of the Sword, he is attacked by a horde of winged demons….

Elsewhere, the big bruisers Hercules and Leir try to take on the giants directly but Caber must whisk them away to keep them from being killed on the spot….

Seeing Thor in danger, Eric overcomes his fear and demands that the Grand Vizier send him in to help Thor. He arrives in the nick of time in a sky cycle, firing upon the demons and driving them away. Then as he ages almost to his death, Thor transports them and the giant Sword back to Asgard, where the Sword is lit by the Eternal Flame, Odin loses his control over Surtur and the two giant villains team up to destroy the Sword. Ymir blasts Thor away from the Sword with a shower of ice; he is separated from Mjolnir and Eric must come out of hiding to help him. But Eric can’t lift Mjolnir. But touching Mjolnir and Thor’s hand simultaneously merges the man and the god once again, restoring Thor to his full power. Thor hurls the Twilight Sword at Ymir and Surtur and when they grasp it at the same time, Thor fires a mighty blast with Mjolnir that transports the Sword and the two monsters into the Sea of Eternal Night, where they are trapped in suspended animation. His plan having worked, Odin returns and the realm is safe again. The Watcher departs, having seen what he was intended to see. Arko returns home to find his wife Deilla has given birth to their son….


Preview Pages
Click sample interior pages to enlarge them:




Ron Frenz
George Roussos
Ron Frenz (Cover Penciler)
Joe Sinnott (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Layouts: Ron Fortier.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Balder
Balder

(Balder the Brave)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Juvan, Leir (Lord of Lightning), New Immortals, Nobilus, Surtur (Surtur the Fire Demon), Tagar (Count Tagar), Ymir (Frost Giant King), Zon.

> Thor: Book info and issue index

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