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Thor (1998 series) #42

Dec 2001 on-sale: Sep 5, 2001

Dan Jurgens
writer
 |  Stuart Immonen
penciler

Thor (1998 series) #42 cover

Story Name:

Taking Charge: Part 2 of 3


Synopsis

Thor (1998 series) #42 synopsis by reviewer Peter Silvestro
Rating: 3.5 stars

Thor, having refused the Throne of Asgard, gets drunk in a tavern. His friends, Balder, Sif, and Volstagg, come looking for him and he reacts violently, assaulting Balder. Volstagg pleads with him that his daughter Jargsa is to be married that day and Odin himself was to perform the ceremony and now Volstagg wants Thor to step in. But Thor refuses and, believing Odin still lives, heads out to search for him….

EMTs Jake Olson and Christine Collins arrive at the scene of a building fire in New York, accompanied by their supervisor Mr. Ryan who wants to know why Jake is always disappearing. Word comes that one firefighter is unaccounted for so Jake dashes into the inferno to search for him.  Jake locates the man but a partial collapse of the ceiling traps him. He tries to transform into Thor but it no longer works since Odin separated Thor and Jake and now Jake appears to be doomed….

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Thor suddenly appears in the Troll kingdom, interrupting a gladiator contest, and demanding to speak to their king, Geirrodur. Ulik confronts the God of Thunder, ordering him to leave. Thor beats Ulik to a pulp in seconds, shocking the audience of trolls. Geirrodur asks Thor what he wants and grants his request to speak to Orikal, the aptly named oracle. Thor asks if Odin still lives; Orikal assures him that its comprehensive knowledge of all things and all places reveals no evidence that the All-Father still lives. Thor departs, missing Orikal’s warning that a mortal close to him is in danger. Geirrodur then asks the oracle whether it is true that Thor’s slowly gaining of the Odinforce heralds disaster. Orikal assents….

Back on Earth, Thor appears out of the flames, carrying Jake Olson and the missing firefighter. Christine (who is actually Amora the Enchantress) is startled as she knows Thor and Jake Oson are the same person (but not that Odin has separated them). Thor ignores Chris’ questions as he drops off the fireman and flies off with Jake. On a nearby rooftop, Thor informs Jake that, with Odin dead, their separation is permanent. Jake knows that Thor is concerned about the throne. Thor pleads his unfitness, otherwise, why was Odin always testing him? Jake suggests that Odin was preparing him and as he passed every test, he is certainly fit. Thor agrees but notes that he will not be back to Midgard for some time so Thor Girl will be Earth’s protector. Jake mentions he will miss Asgard so Thor invites him to a wedding….

On a distant planet, the exiled Dark Gods, Perrikus, Adva, and D’Chel have now been freed by the death of Odin but they are aware that Desak is on his way to them, so they await what may happen….

Thor and Jake arrive in Asgard, the former carrying the scepter which signals that he is ready to accept the role of monarch to which the crowd responds with cheers. And so Thor opens the wedding ceremony of Jargsa and Meft as his first official act….

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Characters
Good (or All)
BALDER  
Balder
(The Brave)
JAKEODUP  
Jake Olson
(Duplicate)
SIF  
THOR  
Thor
(Odinson)
Plus: Orikal.

Enemies
ENCHANTRESS  
ULIK  
Plus: Adva, Dark Gods, DChel (DChel the Deceptor), Geirrodur, Perrikus.

> Thor (1998 series) comic book info and issue index



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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Stuart Immonen
Scott Koblish
Dave Kemp
Tom Raney (Cover Penciler)
Scott Hanna (Cover Inker)
Dave Kemp (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Richard Starkings.
Editor: Tom Brevoort.



Review / Commentaries


reviewer
Thor (1998 series) #42 Review by (January 20, 2026)

Review: So, an entire issue devoted to Thor deciding whether to take a job promotion. Not the most scintillating of plots since we know Thor has to rule before the big promised Reigning event occurs. It’s not like other candidates are submitting their resumes; the only real competition would be Loki and he admitted last issue that no one would follow him (which he doesn’t seem to have thought of the other million times he has tried to seize the throne). So we just seem to be goofing around to kill time until Thor takes the job in the end. Meanwhile, we have a drunk Thor scene, a(nother) fight with Ulik, another message from Orikal, a fire rescue, and a heart to heart talk between Thor and Jake, who is till in the comic for dubious reasons. But we end with a wedding! Hurrah! Of two people we’ve never seen before! Hurrah…I guess!

Comments: Only appearance of Meft; Jargsa returns in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (2011) #647. Orikal was previously seen in issues #20-25. The Dark Gods appeared in most issues of this title from #7 to 12. Thor and Jake Olson were separated by Odin in issue #39. The Reigning is the event everyone has been fearing—since issue #35 with an actual definition in issue #37—when a corrupted Thor becoming absolute ruler of Earth, ushering in a period of degradation. Letters by Wes Abbott and Richard Starkings.






Thor

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