Thor #434: Review

Jul 1991

Tom DeFalco, Al Milgrom

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Story Name:

...If He Be Worthy!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #434 Review by Peter Silvestro (January 11, 2022)

Review: So, the audience gets a recap of Eric Thor’s origin while he is relating it to Captain America for the first time (Cap and recap?). So far so good. Then Thor bullies his way into Asgard, fails to defeat Heimdall so he takes Odin hostage. All well and good but Thor’s worthiness rubs off on Eric and he realizes he still has some way to go. And he will go that way over the next several issues. A typically exciting issue in the run.

Comments: Part one of two parts. Heimdall was put in charge of Asgard in issue #432. Asgard has been in the Negative Zone since issue #404. Ron Frenz and Tom DeFalco collaborated on the plot. Mike Rockwitz and Lazarelli shared coloring duties.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #434 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Thor arrives at Avengers Mansion, only to trigger one of the security systems, the one with giant metal tentacles. Captain America frees him and they go inside for a private conversation. Thor turns back into Eric Masterson and tells Cap his story: how he had been bonded to Thor for some time but now the real God of Thunder has been banished to some nameless limbo while his powers were given to Eric….

In Asgard (situated in the Negative Zone), Sif confronts Heimdall over his choosing to banish Thor and refusing to tell her where the God of Thunder has gone. They don’t know they are being observed by a one-eyed bat creature who is a spy for Annihilus, who now knows that both Odin and Thor are unavailable, paving the way for his destruction of Asgard….

Eric finishes up his story to Cap, changes back to Thor and takes off for Asgard and, to his surprise, he instantly finds himself on the Rainbow Bridge. The Warriors Three are guarding the bridge and they fight Thor, but he realizes they are pulling their punches, though he’s not sure why. He saves Volstagg from falling off the bridge and avoids any further fight by flying off to the city…

…where Balder has found Sif to have cut her hair and donned the attire of Sword Maiden; she is going on a sacred quest to find her beloved Thor. Noise indicates they are needed elsewhere and they race to the throne room where new Thor has fought off the Crimson Hawks to confront Heimdall. Thor tries to fight Heimdall but discovers he cannot beat the Odin Power so he heads to where Odin lies in his Odin-Sleep, intending to hold the All-Father hostage. Sif and Balder arrive to give him battle. Thor shatters the floor to upend the two and he holds Heimdall and the Hawks at bay by threatening to harm the helpless Odin. But hen he sees the inscription on the hammer and realizes he is not being worthy of Mjolnir and so surrenders. At this, Heimdall says he has proven himself worthy. But then, Annihilus triggers a beam that teleports Odin to his ship and he announces to all Asgard that they are to surrender to him or the All-Father will die….