Thor’s
mind goes back to the epic days of old Asgard, times which will never be
again….
Thor
wrestles Volstagg while all those who witness the contest place bets on the
outcome. Sif, Balder, and Fandral stand by. Thor hoists Volstagg high over his
head but he slips on the wet floor, bringing Volstagg down upon him, pinning
him to the ground. Then the messenger Hermod dashes in, warning them all of the
coming of Mogul of the Mystic Mountain, before he collapses from his injuries.
Then Heimdall’s horn sounds and the warriors gather to see the mountain Zandu,
Mogul’s stronghold, levitating through the skies. It is preceded by the giant
last Jinni, the cyclops Ogur, and the metallic bull-man Mutaurus, as well as
the forty Demon-Riders. Odin is absent in his Odinsleep so Thor leads the
forces of Asgard to battle….
Withing
mystic Zandu, Mogul views his enemies as shown on a crystal screen by his
advisor Abu Dakir. Hogun and the city’s former ruler Alibar are prisoners shackled
to the wall as was Hermod who escaped with a warning for Asgard. Alibar relates
how, the first time Mogul was defeated by Thor and the Asgardians, Alibar was
made ruler of that land, and Mogul imprisoned in an enchanted rod. But Mogul’s
slinky sister Shezada seduced him and while he was distracted, she freed her
brother from the rod and he reclaimed his kingdom….
Mogul
leads his forces atop his sky-craft (which resembles a flying mattress) against
the Asgardians led by Thor. The Thunder God takes on the giant Jinni. Fandral
challenges the ogre Ogur and it charges him, braining itself on a low hanging
rock. Similarly, Volstagg flees the Mutaurus, tricking it into crashing into a
pair of massive boulders. Thor, held in the Jinni’s clutches, summons an
overcast sky, the darkness causing the Jinni to dissolve into smoke. The army
battles the Demon-Riders as Thor leaps atop Mogul’s sky-craft to confront the
villain. Sif and Balder race into the palace of Zandu to retrieve the enchanted
rod but Shezada destroys it; the witch overlooks a nearby lamp which Alibar
reveals is the lamp of Alaeddin. The heroes take it outside and ask Thor if he
is willing to sacrifice himself to defeat Mogul. Thor agrees, Alibar speaks the
incantation and the villain is drawn into the lamp; Thor is as well but manages
to miss the opening. Thor then seals the lamp. Alibar returns the mountain to its
foundations….
Thor
wonders if his new companions, the High Evolutionary’s Godpack and the wonders
of Wundagore can ever replace Asgard in his heart….
Characters:
Thor, Sif, Volstagg, Balder, Fandral, Heimdall, Mogul of the Mystic Mountain,
Loki, Hogun, High Evolutionary, Godpack, Blitziana