With Thor out of action, Annihilus turns his attention to
Balder, blasting him with the Cosmic Control Rod and leaving him for dead.
After the villain has departed, Thor crashes out of the rubble, collects Balder
and heads to the palace to save Odin…
…who is brooding about his son’s unfaithful acts when Sif
comes to plead for mercy for Thor. Odin tells her he will ponder her words—and then
Annihilus arrives….
In a hidden lab, Tagar examines the tissue samples taken
from Thor in issue #403 and declares them perfect; he asks Mongoose to get
more. Mongoose invades the home of Eric Masterson, knocks him unconscious and prepares
to carry him off, telling Eric’s son Kevin and his assistant Susan Austin to send
for Thor….
Annihilus easily smashes his way through Odin’s bodyguard,
the Crimson Hawks, and stands at the door to the throne room. Thor then arrives
to do battle with the villain, pitting Mjolnir against the Cosmic Control Rod.
At that moment, Kevin Masterson, in a fit of fear for his father’s safety, worries
how to contact Thor—and his toy version of Mjolnir sets the original to glowing
in Thor’s hand. But Thor can’t answer the call while Annihilus is loose. Then
Odin himself enters the field. Annihilus blasts him with an energy bolt—which Odin
absorbs and fires back, sending the alien interloper back where he came from.
The threat over, Thor asks leave to return to Midgard; Odin hesitates, then,
remembering Sif’s words, gives him leave with a feeling of pride in his heroic
son. Thor takes off and Odin collapses. Thor arrives on Earth via the portal to
the Negative Zone in the Baxter Building, surprising the Fantastic Four (Mr. Fantastic,
Invisible Woman, Human Torch, She-Thing, and Ben Grimm). No time to explain,
Thor heads to Eric’s apartment where Kevin and Susan fill him in on the
situation. And Susan mentions that Mongoose left only one word: “Wundagore….”
“This Lethal Land”
Writer: Tom DeFalco. Pencils: Tony DeZuniga. Inks: Tony DeZuniga.
Colors: Mike Rockwitz. Letters: Mike Heisler.
Synopsis: In the land of Always Night, Thor and the
Warriors Three are confronted by Ulagg the Grand Enchanter speaking from a shaft of
light. Thor repeats the summons from Odin and Ulagg again refuses. The earth
and the trees rise up to attack the heroes as Volstagg flees. The portly
warrior accidentally locates Ulagg and stumbles, squashing him flat. The
enchantments cease suddenly and Thor and his pals prepare to take Ulagg back to
Asgard….
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