Comic Browser: #126 - Whom the Gods Would Destroy! #127 - The Hammer and the Holocaust! #128 - The Power of Pluto! #129 - The Verdict of Zeus! #130 - Thunder In the Netherworld! #131 - They Strike From Space! #132 - Rigel: Where Gods May Fear to Tread! #133 - Behold... The Living Planet! #134 - The People-Breeders! #135 - The Maddening Menace of the Super-Beast! #136 - To Become An Immortal! #137 - The Thunder God and the Troll! #138 - From Asgard to Earth... The Flames of Battle! #139 - To Die Like A God! #140 - The Growing Man! #141 - The Wrath of Replicus #142 - The Scourge of the Super-Skrull! #143 - --And, Soon Shall Come: the Enchanters! #144 - This Battleground Earth! #145 - Abandoned On Earth! #146 - -- If the Thunder Be Gone! #147 - The Wrath of Odin! #148 - Let There Be... Chaos! #149 - When Falls a Hero! #150 - Even In Death... #151 - --To Rise Again! #152 - The Dilemma of Dr. Blake! #153 - --But Dr. Blake Can Die! #154 - ...To Wake the Mangog! #155 - Now Ends the Universe! #156 - The Hammer and the Holocaust! #157 - Behind Him...Ragnarok! #158 - The Way It Was! #159 - Who is the Real Don Blake? The Answer at Last! #160 - And Now... Galactus! #161 - Shall a God Prevail? #162 - Galactus is Born! #163 - Where Dwell the Demons! #164 - Lest Mankind Fall! #165 - Him! #166 - A God Berserk! #167 - This World Renounced! #168 - Galactus Found! #169 - The Awesome Answer! #170 - The Thunder God and the Thermal Man! #171 - The Wrath of the Wrecker! #172 - The Immortal and the Mind-Slave! #173 - Ulik Unleashed! #174 - The Carnage of the Crypto Man! #175 - The Fall of Asgard! #176 - Inferno! #177 - To End in Flames! #178 - Death Is a Stranger #179 - No More the Thunder God! #180 - When Gods Go Mad! #181 - One God Must Fall! #182 - The Prisoner-- the Power-- and-- Dr. Doom! #183 - Trapped in Doomsland #184 - The World Beyond! #185 - In the Grip of Infinity! #186 - Worlds at War! #187 - The World is Lost! #188 - The End of Infinity! #189 - The Icy Touch of Death! #190 - --And So, To Die! #191 - A Time of Evil! #192 - Conflagration! #193 - What Power Unleashed? #194 - This Fatal Fury! #195 - In the Shadow of Mangog! #196 - Within the Realm of Kartag! #197 - The Well at the Edge of the World! #198 - --And Odin Dies! #199 - If This Be Death..! #200 - Beware! If This Be... Ragnarok! #201 - Resurrection! #202 - --And None Dare Stand 'Gainst Ego-Prime! #203 - They Walk Like Gods! #204 - Exiled on Earth! #205 - A World Gone Mad! #206 - Rebirth! #207 - Firesword! #208 - The Fourth-Dimensional Man! #209 - Warriors in the Night! #210 - The Hammer and the Hellfire! #211 - The End of the Battle! #212 - Journey to the Golden Star! #213 - The Demon Brigade!! #214 - Into the Dark Nebula! #215 - The God in the Jewel #216 - Where Chaos Rules! #217 - All Swords Against Them! #218 - Where Pass the Black Stars, There Also Passes... Death! #219 - A Galaxy Consumed! #220 - Behold! The Land of Doom! #221 - Hercules Enraged! #222 - Before the Gates of Hell! #223 - Hellfire Across the World! #224 - No One Can Stop...The Destroyer! #225 - The Coming of the Firelord! #226 - The Battle Beyond! #227 - In Search of...Ego! #228 - Ego: Beginning and End! #229 - "Where Darkness Dwells, Dwell I!" #230 - The Sky Above...The Pits Below! #231 - A Spectre From the Past! #232 - Lo, The Raging Battle! #233 - Midgard Aflame! #234 - O, Bitter Victory! #235 - Who Lurks Beyond the Labyrinth! #236 - One Life to Give! #237 - Ulik Unchained #238 - Night of the Troll! #239 - Time Quake! #240 - When the Gods Make War! #241 - The Death-ship Sails the Stars! #242 - When the Servitor Commands! #243 - Turmoil in the Time Stream! #244 - This is the Way the World Ends! #245 - The Temple at the End of Time! #246 - The Fury of Firelord! #247 - The Flame and the Hammer! #248 - There Shall Come...Revolution! #249 - The Throne and the Fury! #250 - If Asgard Should Perish...! #251 - To Hela and Back #252 - A Dragon at the Gates! #253 - Chaos in the Kingdom of the Trolls #254 - The Answer at Last! #255 - Lo, The Quest Begins! #256 - Lurker in the Dark! #257 - Death, Thou Shalt Die! #258 - If the Stars Be Made of Stone! #259 - Escape into Oblivion! #260 - The Vicious and the Valiant #261 - The Wall Around the World! #262 - Even an Immortal Can Die! #263 - Holocaust and Homecoming! #264 - Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me! #265 - When Falls the God of Thunder...! #266 - ...So Falls the Realm Eternal! #267 - Once More, To Midgard! #268 - Death, Thy Name is Brother! #269 - A Walk on the Wild Side! #270 - Minute of Madness -- Dark Day of Doom! #271 - ...Like a Diamond in the Sky! #272 - The Day the Thunder Failed! #273 - Somewhere -- Over the Rainbow Bridge! #274 - The Eye -- and the Arrow! #275 - A Balance is Struck! #276 - Mine...This Hammer! #277 - Time of the Trolls! #278 - At Long Last--Ragnarok?! #279 - A Hammer in Hades! #280 - Crisis on Twin Earths! #281 - This Hammer Lost! #282 - Rites of Passage #283 - Suddenly--The Celestials! #284 - The City of the Space Gods! #285 - Deviants and Doormen! #286 - Mayhem under Manhattan! #287 - Assault on Olympia! #288 - Fury of the Forgotten Hero! #289 - Look Homeward, Asgardian! #290 - Ring Around the Red Bull! #291 - When Gods Have Joined Together! #292 - If an Eye Offend Thee...! #293 - The Twilight of SOME Gods! #294 - New Asgards for Old! #295 - The Price--and the Pride! #296 - From Valhalla--A Valkyrie! #297 - The Sword of Siegfried! #298 - Dragon's Blood! #299 - Passions and Potions #300 - Twilight of the Gods! #301 - For the Life of Asgard! #302 - The Shape of Things To Kill! #303 - The Miracle of Storms #304 - Reckless! #305 - Hark, the Herald Angel Lives! #306 - Fury of the Firelord! #307 - Wings In the Night! #308 - The Snow Giant #309 - Beware the Bombardiers! #310 - The Maelstrom to Mephisto #311 - Grief More Than a God May Bear #312 - The Judgment of Tyr #313 - Serpent From the Heavens #314 - Acts of Destruction #315 - The Thunder God and the Bi-Beast #316 - Of Beasts and Things... #317 - Chaos At Canaveral #318 - A Kingdom Lost #319 - The Zaniac Craves Blood! #320 - Blake's Menagerie #321 - Magick's Menace #322 - The Wrath and the Power! #323 - ...Comes a Dark Stranger! #324 - Gravitation #325 - A Deal With Darkoth #326 - The Scarab Strikes #327 - The Serpent of Midgard Conclusion: This Battleground Earth #328 - Violence In Video #329 - Stranded #330 - The Coming of the Crusader! #331 - Holy War #332 - Blood of a Goddess! #333 - Like a Bat Out of Heaven! #334 - Runequest #335 - Runequest's End! #336 - Of Gods and Men #337 - Doom! #338 - A Fool and His Hammer... #339 - Something Old, Something New... #340 - Though Hel Should Bar the Way! #341 - The Past Is a Bucket of Ashes #342 - The Last Viking! #343 - If I Should Die Before I Wake...! #344 - Whatever Happened To Balder the Brave? #345 - That Was No Lady #346 - The Wild Hunt! #347 - Into the Realm of Faerie! #348 - The Dark and the Light #349 - Debts of Honor! #350 - Ragnarok and Roll! #351 - Ragnarok and Roll, Too! #352 - Ragnarok and Ruin! #353 - Doom II #354 - Pickin' Up the Pieces #355 - The Icy Hearts (or My Dinners With Thor) #356 - The Power and the Pride #357 - A New Deal From An Old Deck, or, The Credit Card Soldiers #358 - When Dalliance Was In Flower, or, Take the Cash and Let the Credit Go #359 - The Grand Alliance! Or Life With Loki #360 - Into the Valley of Death! #361 - The Quick and the Dead! #362 - Like a Bat Out of Hel! #363 - This Kursed Earth…! #364 - Thor Croaks! #365 - Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, or, It’s Not Easy Being Green #366 - Sir! #367 - The Harvest of the Seasons #368 - The Eye of the Beholder #369 - For Whom the Belles Troll... #370 - Easy Money #371 - Peace On Earth #372 - Without Justice, There Is No Peace! #373 - The Gift of Death #374 - Fires of the Night #375 - Shadows of the Past #376 - Heroes Always Win--Don't They? #377 - This Hollowed Armor #378 - When Loki Stood Alone #379 - There Were Giants In Those Days (Or, A Discourse Between Heroes and Villains) #380 - Mjolnir's Song #381 - Ye Olde Shelle Game! #382 - Journey Into Mystery #383 - This Secret Love--! #384 - Who Shall Be Worthy? #385 - Be Thou God, Or Monster! #386 - When Warriors Clash #387 - Judgment Day #388 - Alone Against the Celestials #389 - When The Thunder Fails #390 - The Hero and the Hammer #391 - The Madness of Mongoose #392 - Quicksand Kills #393 - The Blaze of Battle! #394 - "...And How Shall Mortals Know Ye?" #395 - Enter the Earth Force! #396 - Into the Realm of Death #397 - When the Gods Make War #398 - The Prisoners of the Black Pyramid #399 - When Asgard Dies #400 - Lest the Heavens Perish! #401 - The Wager #402 - Even An Asgardian Can Die!! #403 - When the Executioner Calls!! #404 - Something Is Killing The Great Gods of Asgard #405 - Odin Must Die #406 - War With Wundagore! #407 - Menace of the Living Universe #408 - "The Fateful Decision!" #409 - Doom Is Only Sixty Seconds Away #410 - "Two Dooms to Destroy Me!" #411 - The Gentleman's Name Is Juggernaut! #412 - Introducing the New Warriors #413 - Within Me Dwells A Monster! #414 - Beyond Courage Must I Strive #415 - When Gods Wear Mortal Flesh! #416 - The Hero and the Horror #417 - Only Death Can Save Thee #418 - Fear Kills #419 - The Summons [The Black Galaxy Saga] #420 - If Death Be My Destiny! (The Black Galaxy Saga Part 2) #421 - ... And If Gods Are Men... [The Black Galaxy Saga] #422 - …Then What Are Gods? [The Black Galaxy Saga Part 4] #423 - The Day of Their Return [The Black Galaxy Saga] #424 - Let There Be Life [The Black Galaxy Saga] #425 - The Flame, The Frost and the Fury! #426 - Aftermath #427 - The Homecoming! or How Do You Spend the Night After You've Saved the Universe? #428 - If This Be Juggernaut! #429 - This World Is Mine! #430 - The God, the Ghost, and the Guilty! #431 - Requiem for the Wrecker! #432 - At Death Do We Part #433 - Whosoever Holds This Hammer #434 - ...If He Be Worthy! #435 - The Power of Thor #436 - Savage Reunion #437 - Clash With Quasar #438 - Yesterday Must Die! [The Thor War, Part 1 of 4] #439 - When Hammers Clash [The Thor War, Part 2 of 4] #440 - All The Rivers Run! [The Thor War, Part 3 of 4] #441 - My Brother's Burden [The Thor War, Part 4 of 4] #442 - The Day of His Return! #443 - The Mephisto Waltz #444 - How the Groonk Stole Christmas! #445 - The War and the Warrior #446 - Now Strikes the Starforce #447 - Strange Alliances #448 - Secret Agendas!! #449 - Riot On Riker's Island! #450 - When Gods Make War #451 - Beware the Bloodaxe #452 - With This Axe, I Thee Kill! #453 - When Mephisto Commands...! #454 - The Warriors Three Die At Dawn #455 - Odin Unleashed--! #456 - The Choice and the Challenge! #457 - Final Gauntlet! #458 - To The Victor...! #459 - What Price Victory? #460 - Fragments #461 - Friends and Lovers #462 - Payments #463 - Devotions #464 - Blessed Obedience #465 - Holy Sacrifice #466 - Odin's Tale #467 - Descent #468 - Distant Thunder [Blood and Thunder Part One] #469 - Absolute Power [Blood and Thunder Part Five] #470 - Ruins [Blood and Thunder Part Nine] #471 - Fathers and Sons [Blood and Thunder The End] #472 - If Twilight Falls #473 - New Gods For Old #474 - When Mountains Walked #475 - Survival of the Fiercest #476 - Whom The Destroyer Would Destroy... #477 - Three Who Ride The Thunder #478 - Come The Lightning! #479 - This Mortal Coil #480 - Blitzkrieg In the Balkans #481 - The Living Stone, I Presume? #482 - Long Day's Journey Into Mystery Chapter One #483 - Armor and the Man-God I Sing... #484 - The God In The War Machine #485 - Things Ain't What They Used To Be #486 - The Coming of Kurse! #487 - Hel On Earth #488 - To Hela and Back #489 - Hel and High Water #490 - Against the Dying of the Light! #491 - Worldengine Part One of Four: Nailed Up #492 - Worldengine Part Two of Four: Run Through #493 - Worldengine Part Three of Four: Run Down #494 - Worldengine Part Four: Finished Off #495 - In Mortal Guise #496 - Doin' the Zodiac Rag #497 - Thor Must Die #498 - Life Preservation #499 - Ludwig's Children #500 - Sunlight and Shadows #501 - Out of the Blue #502 - Putting on the Bear Shirt
As Thor flies to the hospital, he speculates on whether the return of Don Blake solves the mystery of the exiled Odinson viz that Thor is concealed within Blake and he has once again lost his memory. Eric thinks that a great idea as it means he can give up the superhero life as it has done nothing but wreck his personal life. At the hospital, he returns to his identity as Eric Masterson and enters. There he meets Jerry Sapristi and Leena Moran (whom we know to be the Enchantress in disguise) who are also there in response to the good news about Susan Austin. Then Donald Blake arrives and everything about him seems to confirm Eric’s guess that he is Thor Odinson; Amora concurs, rushing off before Blake recognizes her. As Eric watches Blake operate on Susan he is increasingly convinced that he can soon return Thor’s powers and try to salvage his life….
“The Trial of Beta Ray Bill!”Writer: Tom DeFalco. Pencils: Patrick Olliffe. Inks: Patrick Olliffe. Colors: Mike Rockwitz. Letters: Michael Heisler.Synopsis: In their search for the missing Thor, Sif and Balder arrive on another world courtesy of the Norn Stones. They are taken for demons by the inhabitants, whom Sif recognizes as the Korbinites, the race of Beta Ray Bill having settled a new homeworld. As the people flee in panic, an accident drops a huge weight on some Korbinites but Beta Ray Bill arrives just in time. Bill and Sif are happy to see each other but the Korbinites see it as their champion consorting with their enemies and demands that he kill them to protect his people. He disperses them with a storm whipped up by his hammer. This is reported to the Imperial Leader who calls a meeting of the council….
Bill is brought before the Council to defend his actions. He is accused of having neglected his duty to the people several times in order to adventure on Earth and other places, even lending aid to their enemy Ego the Living Planet. And Bill cannot deny these actions. Sif advises Bill to abandon the Korbinites and join them in their quest for Thor but he declines. Sentence is handed down that Bill is stripped of his duties as the people’s champion and he must relinquish his hammer Stormbreaker. He resumes his mortal form and hands over the staff which the hammer has become. Others strike the staff on the ground in hopes of gaining the power to become the new champion but it fails and soon everyone is lining up to try the staff. Bill confesses to Sif that he has long wanted to lay aside his burden and rest, serving his people in a less heroic fashion….
“A Hero…No More!”Writer: Tom DeFalco. Plot: DeFalco and Frenz. Pencils: Ron Frenz. Inks: Al Milgrom. Colors: Mike Rockwitz. Letters: Michael Heisler.Synopsis: Eric Masterson sits in his ruined apartment brooding over what he considers his being unsuitable for the job of Thor and his failure to live up to the demands of being a superhero. So having procrastinated long enough, he goes to the office of Dr. Donald Blake for an appointment. Eric tells Don that he (Don) is Thor but the doc is skeptical. As proof, Eric gives Blake the cane and tells him to strike it on the floor. Blake does so and transforms—into Mephisto. The villain thanks Eric for falling for his stratagem and handing him Mjolnir; he then takes off for his own realm. Eric stands ashamed and vows not to fail the real Thor….
Review: Wow! Three stories in one issue! And two of them are all about how Eric Masterson hates being Thor with the one in the middle being about how Beta Ray Bill doesn’t want to be Thor either! The issue is pretty good but that constant theme just makes it depressing; I wonder if Tom DeFalco was considering retirement or something. The revelation that the people Bill protects resent and distrust him is a bit of an eye-opener as we do not often see Bill among his own people. We have heard this a few times from Eric Masterson but it’s weighing more heavily here, leading to the twist with Don Blake being Mephisto, giving a lot more promise to the next issue.
Comments: First story: Ron Frenz and Tom DeFalco collaborated on the plot. Second story: Beta Ray Bill sought to help Ego the Living Planet in THOR ANNUAL #16. Bill regains his immortal powers in issue #461. Third story: Part one of two parts. Eric’s musings about giving up being Thor on the first page are the words Dargo Ktor saw in Eric’s future last issue. The letters page includes one by Michael J. Barr who may be the future writer of the indie comic ANGEL’S BLOOD but I can’t prove it. Ron Frenz and Patrick Olliffe each penciled half of the cover.
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All stories. Listed in alphabetical order.