The
mighty Thor fights his way through the gates of Olympus, clobbering all
soldiers who stand in his way, demanding an audience with Hercules. Zeus sees
him coming and Ares tries to persuade him that the Asgardians are all evil.
Hercules shows up and denies this, noting that Ares is a notorious liar.
Entering the city, Thor is challenged by a warrior named Krato, defending Herc’s
honor. Thor defeats him easily which angers Herc so that the takes on the
Thunder God and the two start bashing one another….
Flashback
time: Saying their goodbyes to the Rigellians after last issue’s adventure,
Thor learned that Tana Nile was going to remain with her people and Silas Grant
chose to stay with Tana. The Starjammer returned to Asgard where the heroes
were met by Hildegarde telling them about her sister, Krista. In the throne
room, Odin relates the story, scattered though it is over several issues
starting with #217, how Krista vanished and the mystic globe showed her a slave
in chains at the feet of Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, with Hercules by his
side. Enraged, Thor heads off to challenge the Greek Demigod, ignoring Sif’s
pleas that things might not be what they seem. Odin denies Balder’s request to
accompany Thor, as that would look like an army coming against Olympus….
So
back in the home of the Greek Gods, Thor and Hercules continue bashing each other
and damaging property, neither one stopping to ask for an explanation. Meanwhile,
we learn that Ares, allied with Pluto, is behind this brouhaha, igniting a war
between the Greek and Norse gods and then conquering Olympus once the gods have
destroyed each other. Eventually, Zeus calls a halt to the fight, asking Thor
to explain himself. Thor tells him of Krista; Zeus testifies that Herc has
hasn’t left Olympus in weeks, attending a particularly entertaining festival.
So the two combatants shake hands and agree to go after Pluto together….