Odin sits brooding in the ruins of
Asgard when Malekith's assassins arrive; he fights but he is
overwhelmed by their numbers and falls....
Thor stands on the deck of his boat
accompanied by his hell-hound Thori when a critically wounded Loki
lands before him. Malekith's assassins arrive and Thor quickly
hammers his way through them and demands Loki take him to Malekith
(though Thori is suspicious of the wounded man's identity). Arriving
in Jotunheim, “Loki” reveals that he is really Malekith and Thor
is surrounded by an army of Frost Giants. The God of Thunder starts
fighting....
In New York, Spider-Man is swinging
through the night when his Spider-Sense alerts him to danger: he
joins the Lady Freyja fighting off Malekith's assassins and together
they defeats the killers. Sif, Hildegarde, and Jane Foster arrive at
this point and Freyja tells them all that the final battle of the War
of the Realms will be fought on Earth....
Heroes across the city (Doctor Strange,
Daredevil, Wolverine, Punisher) are suddenly aware that something is
about to happen and then the Black Bifrost disgorges the forces of
evil into the streets of Manhattan: Dark Elves, Frost Giants, Fire
Goblins, Trolls, Angels and more, wreaking havoc. Punisher and
Daredevil throw themselves into the fray and then Captain Marvel and
Iron Man arrive then Black Panther leading the Avengers:
Captain America, She-Hulk, Blade, Ghost Rider, and Thori (“the dog is new”
says Cap). Spidey and the Asgardian women join in; Cap tells Freyja
they can't find Thor, Freyja knows he is in the clutches of Malekith.
And with that, the Dark Elf Lord arrives with the new Lords of
Midgard: Enchantress, Dario Agger, Ulik, Laufey, and the Queen of
Heven. Cap smashes Malekith in the face with his shield and calls
“Avengers assemble!” Laufey snatches up Freyja preparing to
crush her when the real Loki appears, slicing off his father's hand
with a huge sword. Loki tells his mother that Thor is trapped in
Jotunheim and when she asks why she should trust Loki, he responds
“Because of this” and stands still as Laufey seizes him—and
eats him. And now the heroes are wondering, “Where is Thor?”
And Thor is in Jotunheim taking on an
endless mob of giants and shouting defiance at Malekith....