Departing
Golden Star, the Asgardian ship Starjammer heads for the Dark Nebula to rescue
Sif and Karnilla. Thor is in command, accompanied by Odin, Heimdall, Hogun,
Fandral, Hildegarde, Tana Nile, and Silas Grant. On their journey, Hildegarde
brings Tana Nile (and the reader) up to date on the events of issues #207 to
the present. As they journey, they are detected on the scanners of the miners
of Orion Base who mistake them for their enemies, the Raiders. To protect the
Jewel, Foreman Kagg sends Quellor and Rothgar out to intercept their presumed
foe. They don protective armor and jet out in space sleds and attack the
Starjammer. The Asgardian heroes easily destroy the sleds and capture the
miners. After some explanations, Thor and company return to the base with the
miners to talk to Kagg about assisting one another in their quests. The miners
ask their help but first Thor asks about Sif; they know the men of the
Altairian mines employ slaves so Kagg goes to check with them. Suddenly they
are attacked by the raiders: Gramosian warriors led by Mercurio, the
Fourth-Dimensional Man, whom the Asgardians had encountered on Earth. Mercurio,
who had invaded Earth to take its electromagnetic field to save his planet has
learned there are alternatives and they intend to take what they think is being
guarded by Thor and company. There is a huge battle, running for several pages.
The miners witness this and decide to save the Jewel even if it means
abandoning their new allies—who would join with their enemies if they knew what
the miners were doing….
As
Thor and Mercurio duel, the latter explains why he is not dead. The killing
blow transported Mercurio into space where he was sucked into a space whirlpool
and encountered a huge red jewel which teleported him back to his home planet.
Mercurio realized that the Jewel had the power to revive his dying planet and
so here they are. The asteroid they stand on breaks apart and the Xorr, the
God-Jewel rises into the sky. Thor sees embedded in the crimson crystal Sif and
Karnilla. The Jewel warns Thor not to attack as that would only lead to their
destruction—one day earlier than the Jewel has already ordained….