Thor is battling Quicksand, caught up in a whirlwind of sand
and debris she is causing—and he is able to halt the storm with a single blow
of his hammer. Amora the Enchantress appears on the scene, seeking a new
champion who will serve her every whim and willingly sacrifice himself for her;
she hears the crowd mention Brute Benhurst (from last issue) and decides to
look him up….
In Asgard, Odin has had another fainting spell and the Grand
Vizier balks at telling him Thor has disobeyed the All-Father’s command to
return. Meanwhile, a green cocoon-like object has attached itself to the underside
of the floating city….
Amora appears to Benhurst in jail and offers him Executioner’s
magic axe; the baddie gladly swears to obey her….
At the construction site, Quicksand is unable to overcome Thor.
In a ship overhead, Mongoose and his employer’s armored agent (soon revealed as
Tagar) see their chance and use the Vivisector to accomplish their goal of
stealing tissue samples from the God of Thunder which knocks Thor for a loop
and induces another bout of severe nausea. Quicksand flees, her part of the
bargain with Mongoose fulfilled, just as Benhurst, the new Executioner, arrives
on the scene to attack Thor. Thor, sick, is also confused as Skurge the
Executioner is long dead so he balks at fighting back. Benhurst uses the axe’s
powers to freeze Thor in a block of ice. The spectators flee for safety (such
spectators as hadn’t fled when Quicksand showed up) and Eric Masterson can’t
find his son Kevin. Kevin has gone back to help Thor, which he does by whacking
Benhurst with his toy Mjolnir; the villain responds by smacking Kevin out of
the way. At this, Thor realizes that this is not Skurge, too noble to harm a
child, so he smashes his way out of the ice and puts the beatdown on this new
Executioner while lecturing him on true power. Thor thanks Kevin for his help,
Amora picks up the axe and vanishes—and an angry Odin summons Thor and snatches
him away to Asgard in a flash of Kirby Dots….
“The Wolves of Ravenswood!”
Writer: Tom DeFalco. Pencils: Gary Hartle. Inks: Mike Gustovich.
Colors: Mike Rockwitz. Letters: Mike Heisler.
Synopsis: A shepherd brings word that wolves have invaded
Asgard. Haakun the Hunter forms a posse to deal with them. Young Thor wants to
go but Haakun tells him he is too inexperienced to join them. Young Loki
suggests that he and Thor go out as a posse of their own and he gives Thor a
sword he has sabotaged. When they encounter a young shepherdess beset by
wolves, Thor attacks but the sword breaks. The girl tosses Thor her staff and
the young god puts up a mighty battle. When the staff breaks, Thor protects the
girl with his body—but Haakon and his men arrive in the nick of time to destroy
the wolves. The girl turns out to be young Sif and Loki is angry at another
failed scheme.