Thor
is trapped within the Midgard Serpent, slowly asphyxiating from its deadly
breath. Then Beta Ray Bill arrives, having hacked the monster open, but as Bill
is helping Thor to his feet, the wound closes up again. The two heroes hit the
spot with their special weapons, tearing their way out, causing the serpent to
fade away. The sight of Thor’s escape has stunned the rest of Kurse’s dead
legion while giving encouragement to Thor’s allies. But Kurse himself,
enchanted to believe Thor was Malekith, is enraged that his enemy still lives. Thor
is reunited with Sif and as Fafnir the dragon tries to stomp him, Thor tosses
the monster to one side. The Godpack continues battling the enemy, with Riger
using his solid light projector to melt Zefra who has been frozen by the Ice
Dwarves. Thor comes to face Kurse and they grapple, Thor still trying to break
the spell confusing Kurse and Kurse insisting that he is fighting Malekith….
Jane Foster watches from what may not be a safe distance, having hidden her boy
Jimmy; she spies Lorelei running from the scene and follows out of curiosity.
Jane then sees Lorelei transform back into Malekith so she returns to the field
of battle to warn them. When she reaches the spot, she can only find Sif so she
explains the situation to her. As the battle rages, the Warriors Three are clobbering
Ice Dwarves and Beta Ray Bill slugs Fafnir so that the dragon topples a
building where Jane is standing. Seeing this, Thor picks up Kurse and hurls him
to knock the Ice Giant in the head and rushes to her rescue….
As
the army prepares to join the battle, the ground is torn up by the arrival of
Hela, Queen of the Dead, whom Kurse claimed to have killed. By Hela’s side is
Sif who explains that Jane had told her about Malekith, so she went to inform
Hela, who reveals that Malekith had tricked Kurse into thinking he had killed
her. Kurse orders the giant monsters to attack what he thinks is a phony Queen
but Hela raises a hand and all of the dead monsters halt in her presence. Hela
removes the disguise spell and Kurse beholds Thor in his rightful guise. This
causes him to crack up and run off in search of the real Malekith. She
instructs her monsters to hunt down the evil Dark Elf but Thor stays her hand,
asking her to return to Hel with her monsters. She agrees to never bother
Midgard again—but only if Thor comes with her to serve as her bond-warrior
until Ragnarök. The God of Thunder assents as it would mean Earth is safe from
her and her minions forever. His friends and allies are shocked but Thor tells
the High Evolutionary and the Godpack to abide by his decision and he exacts a
promise from them all not to try to rescue him, biding them all farewell. As he
and Hela vanish into the ground, a latecomer arrives, volunteering to do what
they can’t: Professor Hulk….