Thor #327: Review

Jan 1983

Doug Moench, Alan Kupperberg

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Story Name:

The Serpent of Midgard Conclusion: This Battleground Earth

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #327 Review by Peter Silvestro (June 16, 2020)

Review: A world-spanning catastrophe? These days it would be a Marvel event (not unlike WAR OF THE REALMS) but here it is handled by Thor and his supporting cast with no mention of any other heroes having to get out of bed, not even Reed Richards who you think would notice a world-spanning earthquake. The chief problem with the whole thing is that it looks silly. The chaotic battle scenes are okay if you can forget they are fighting inside a big computer room with a dozen humans watching in awe and not running for their lives. It’s the stupid Midgard Serpent: the whole megillah with Thor hooking the Serpent and yanking it off Earth looks silly. Back in the day, Jack Kirby could make authentic Norse myths looks cool but this…? It doesn’t help that the mighty fearsome Midgard Serpent looks like a sock puppet with buttons sewn on for eyes (and having it barf up the golden apples is just a goofy bonus). It’s really odd that this is contrasted with the setting in the “real world” of Marvel 616—and didn’t you think Odin had broken up with Jolena centuries ago? Nope, seems like it was just last week that the All-Father wed the All-Mother and told his ex he wouldn’t be taking her calls anymore. I’m sure if I put more thought into this I could come up with more dumb stuff but I’ve spent enough time on this already and it’s getting late.

Comments: Full-issue epic concludes the Tales of Asgard back-up stories of issues #324-326. Nurse Stevens, a Caucasian woman in issues #320 and following, is African American here; possible mix-up by the colorist with Brenda Barclay? Hamir the giant has the same name as Wong’s father in Dr. Strange’s comics; they don’t appear to be related.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #327 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

Dr. Donald Blake is in his office when he has a vision of Odin telling him to prepare for a visit by all the major gods of Asgard. He has time to clear out his office and change into Thor before the guests arrive in Don’s small apartment: Odin, Sif, Heimdall, Balder, the Warriors Three, and a few others not clearly seen. Thor goes out seeking larger accommodations….

In Asgard, Tyr and Loki have conquered the realm and Tyr orders the Midgard Serpent to wrap Earth in its coils and create a bridge for their invasion….

Tony Stark offers Thor an empty building complex complete with a staff of a dozen to see to the visitors’ needs. The gods teleport in and the staff dash out to get them food…from Pizza Hut. After the feast, they see a storm roll in across the Earth and learn from the news that catastrophes are taking place all over the world. The rebel forces led by Tyr arrive at the complex but Loki refuses to join Tyr as Loki had mistakenly started the campaign thinking that Odin was betraying his wife Frigga with Queen Jolena; he owns up to his error and chooses to stand with Odin against the rebels and a massive melee breaks out inside Stark’s complex. The battle goes back and forth and Thor realizes he must stop the Midgard Serpent; he travels to Asgard and picks up the giant Hamir the Fisherman in whose boat they sail out to where they can see the giant Serpent around Earth. Thor tosses out a fishing line with a whole ox for bait and the Midgard Serpent takes a bite at it and the God of Thunder is able to pull him away from Earth, and the planetary disasters begin to right themselves. Thor and his foe then fight to a standstill when the Serpent decides it would be easier to just vomit up the golden apples it had swallowed and go home. Thor then wraps the Serpent around Yggdrasil and leaves it to gnaw on the roots. Returning to the battle, Thor calls up a mighty wind which allows the gods to win, followed by Bifrost coming down. Loki is pronounced to have redeemed himself and Tyr is consigned to punishment while the gods feast on the newly returned golden apples and live happily ever after….

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