Megan Loeb’s life has been made a living nightmare by
Nightmare himself, and her meeting with future wife Robyn at a party in Manhattan
has never taken place….
Loki has been transported to the House of Ideas by the
Children of Eternity, who introduce themselves as Now and Then. And they show
him the myriad books of stories in the House of Ideas. Loki is overwhelmed….
Back in Jotunheim, Lord Frosti, ruling in Loki’s stead,
shows himself an arrogant, cold-hearted ruler, not above threatening Drrf when
he questions the snowman’s judgment….
Seeing the stacks of stories about Thor, Spider-Man, and
Wolverine puzzles Loki—but Now and Then promise him his heart’s desire: more time,
more pages, more nows and more thens, a multitude of adventures. And they know
Loki wants freedom from his own success—and Loki also surmises there must be some
sort of trials. He soon finds himself at a chessboard facing Then, as both
players and pieces. The game runs, each taking turns killing and being killed,
until Loki calls Checkmate….
Megan arrives at her parents’ house looking for Robyn but
her greatest fear comes true: they’ve never heard of a Robyn….
Disinterested but curious, Loki signs the book guaranteeing
him a multitude of Lifetimes. And Loki is pulled away from Now and Then plotting
to rewrite Loki’s books with a hero’s stories…and a hero’s death. Loki arrives
in a fountain outside Stark Unlimited but the sky grows dark and he is
confronted by Nightmare who knows what Loki really fears—and tells him that all
this is his imagination as he is dead in Laufey’s stomach….