Thor’s Day – Thor #348

Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

Series: Thor (Volume 1)
Issue: 348
Title:         “The Dark and the Light”
Story & Pencils: Walter Simonson
Inks:          Bob Wiacek
Colors: Christie Scheele
Lettering:         John Workman, Jr.
Editing:         Mark Gruenwald
Editor In Chief: Jim Shooter
Cover: Walter Simonson

We open mere moments after the end of last issue, with Malekith levitating the Casket of Ancient Winters into the air. He is preparing to blast a hole to the mortal world, specifically the Cotswolds of England, and then open the Casket, paving the way for his master, Surtur, to enter Midgard. Roger Willis, the mortal who accompanied Thor to Faerie, is starting to regain his sight after being blasted by Malekith. The Oil of Vision, the only thing that allowed Roger to see the Dark Elves, was wiped away by the spell, so all he can see if Melody (the disguised Lorelei) and the Casket floating in the air. Taking a chance that Malekith is directly below the Casket, Roger fires his pistol and wings the Dark Elf. Wormwood, one of Malekith’s minions, catches the falling Casket before it can shatter and freeze Svartalfheim. While the Dark Elves search for Roger, Thor, along with Algrim the Strong, is falling down a pit toward a pool of magma. Thor calls Mjolnir to him and the hammer rescues him in the nick of time.

Balder, meanwhile, is speaking with the Norns, weavers of the fates of all beings. They lament that he has lost the will to live due to his warrior’s prowess being at odds with his gentle nature. They hand him the only pure white strand on their loom, his own thread of life, and tell him to snap it if he truly wishes to die. Balder hesitates and the thread yanks him into the great tapestry woven from all of the life threads of all of the living beings in the universe. Balder is ensnared by his own life and he is able to see the results, both good and ill, of his actions or inactions. His decisions reverberate and affect all those around him. Not able to stand it anymore, Balder rips free of the tapestry, but this causes it to begin to unravel, dooming reality. Finally realizing that he cannot ignore his responsibilities, Balder seizes his thread, broken in his escape, in order to repair the damage. As soon as he grabs it, though, it becomes the reins of Silverhoof, his horse, and Balder is riding through the great dessert and back toward Asgard. He thinks that it was all a dream until he sees a ring made of pure white thread on his finger, reminding him of the lesson he learned. Balder then comes across Agnar of Vanaheim, who is recovering the sword he lent to Balder last issue. Balder swings Agnar up behind him and the pair ride to Asgard, with Agnar mentally changing his vow from one of revenge to one of homage.

 Back in Faerie, Thor and Roger are reunited and concoct a plan to deal with Malekith. The Dark Elf tracks Roger to the cave with the pit trap, and attributes the godly presence he senses to the death of Thor. He spots a figure and blasts it with a spell to make a mortal a slave, but it’s Thor in Roger’s jacket and hat.  Thor fills the room with continual lightning, preventing Malekith from fleeing into the shadows. Malekith transforms into a huge warrior and battles Thor, but the Thunder God is in no mood to mess around and quickly beats Malekith into unconsciousness.

In Asgard, the Warriors Three are assembling the Host of Asgard and Odin is preparing for the coming battle, but he is fearful that they will be vastly outnumbered. Still, he orders his armor readied.

Thor and Roger make their way to the main chamber, where Melody and the Casket are being guarded by only three guards. These are quickly dispatched and Melody is scooped up into Thor’s arms. Roger is not convinced all is as it seems, however, and throws his empty gun at Melody. It turns out that Wormwood was disguised an Melody and, since Roger couldn’t see anyone, he knew that something was up. Melody is found as the Dark Elves return in force. Thor blasts the ceiling, letting in daylight and driving the enemy back. Malekith, however, has regained consciousness and grabs Roger’s discarded weapon, throwing it at the Casket even though it causes him great pain since it is made of steel. The gun his the Casket, shattering it and releasing the elemental cold contained within. This freezes the sealed gateway before Surtur, which he shatters using the sword, Twilight. Surtur is free and in Midgard.


Where it comes from: This issue advances the Malekith/Surtur story to it’s climax, but that’s not what I want to talk about. What I think is much more interesting is the Balder subplot. In this issue we get probably the best summations of the Heathen mindset that I’ve seen. When Balder is trapped in the tapestry he sees the effects of his life choices. His line is: “For every action I take, I see the spreading consequences, the lives I have saved, the lives I have not. And to my left, where the white skein lies still, I see those people whom I have not touched, whose lives I might have changed but left alone. There, too, I see the consequences, the lives I have not saved, the lives I have! For I am bound within the great weave and everything that I do or do not do echoes throughout the fabric around me!” That, right there, is the mindset of a Heathen. We are the sum total of our lives, all of our decisions, actions, and even inactions are part of who we are, and send ripples out into the world to affect those around us. We are all 100% responsible for our actions and must, therefore, accept any consequences of our decisions. While others affect our lives as we affect theirs, no one else can take responsibilities for our lives. Heavy stuff, I know, but Simonson seems to get it.


Next time we find out how Surtur was sealed away and how Odin lost his brothers.

Thor’s Day – Thor #347

Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

Series:                                  Thor (Volume 1)

Issue:                                    346

Title:                                     “Into the Realm of Faerie!”

Story & Art:                         Walter Simonson

Colors:                                  Christie Scheele

Lettering:                             John Workman, Jr.

Editing:                                 Mark Gruenwald

Editor In Chief:                    Jim Shooter

Cover:                                   Walter Simonson

We open with Roger Willis hiding in the foliage outside of a castle in the Cotswolds of England, where there is an entrance to the realms of Faerie. He is worried that they are making a rash choice, bringing the Casket of Ancient Winters there, and worries that Thor has not been himself since drinking the Golden Mead. It appears that his fears were justified as he is attacked by three armored Dark Elves and seemingly knocked unconscious. When one of them gets close enough, though, Roger elbows him, even though they cannot be seen by mortals, since he has “fought in darker places than this.” All of this serves to distract the Dark Elves so that they don’t notice the approach of Thor, who knocks them all out with a single blow from Mjolnir. This attack is a little too forceful, however, as it breaks the vials of The Oil of Vision, which will help them see their enemies. Thor pours what little remains over Roger’s eyes, since Asgardians can see some of the Dark Elves, even if it is dimly. Once the Oil takes hold, the castle they are outside of now is shown as truly being ruins.

In Asgard, Balder the Brace is fighting a giant Sand Devil to protect a woman, and he is armed only with a stick of wood. He makes good use of his weapon, though, as he shoves it between the beasts armored plates, hurting it and causing Balder to be thrown to the ground. Impressed by his bravery and skill, Agnar of Vanaheim, who has been following Balder in order to kill him, throws his sword into the fray. Balder uses this gift to strike the Sand Devil inside its mouth, the only vulnerable spot, causing it to flee. The woman thanks him for rescuing her and promises a reward. She and Balder disappear, leaving Agnar alone in the dessert.

Back in England, Thor and Roger have entered the castle, which is the outer gate to the realm of Faerie. They head down a staircase and end up in an underground river, where they are attacked by Water Elementals. Thor creates a water spout by swinging Mjolnir and the entire river is transported away, revealing the great gates. Roger asks that they call in some reinforcements, but Thor is driven by the danger that Melodi (really Lorelei in disguise) is in. An army of Dark Elves waits on the other side of the gates, but Thor smashes through the wall next to them, catching the assembled group by surprise. All of this is being watched by Malekith and his lieutenant, Wormwood, who are planning on using Thor’s attraction to Lorelei to finally defeat him.

Somewhere beyond the great dessert, Balder finds himself in the entrance to a large cavern along with the woman he saved. She reveals that she is one of the Norns, the three sisters that control each individual’s fate, be they mortal or immortal. She and her sisters have been waiting “…since the dawn of time to speak to Balder the Brave at this time and place.” We will have to keep waiting, though.

Thor is so focused on finding Melodi that he gets far ahead of Roger, separating them in the battle. Thor enters a chamber and sees Malekith  throw Melodi to the Water Elementals. Roger calls to him that it is just an illusion, and that Thor had transported that danger away, but Thor pays no heed and charges in. He is attacked from behind by Algrim the Strong, a Dark Elf wearing ebony armor so that he could blend into the shadows. Thor is knocked to the ground, Mjolnir flying from his grasp.

Back in Asgard, Odin has summoned The Warriors Three to him. He commands that they gather and order the fighting men of the realm, so that they might resist the coming storm.

Meanwhile, Algrim has picked up Thor, getting ready to pull a Bane on him, when Thor punches him. At this development, Malekith gives the signal to open the pit trap, sending both Thor and Algrim to their deaths. Without any more support, Roger is captured and brought before Malekith, where he is relieved of The

Casket. Malekith then proceeds to shoot an energy beam at Roger, with the intention of blinding him, so that he will never have to see lesser visions than the land of Faerie. Roger flails around, bending over, and the beam hits him in the top of the head, where he has a steel plate. The plan doesn’t work, however, as he is blinded anyway. Malekith then prepares to open the casket while Surtur stands ready at a sealed gateway.

Where it comes from: The idea of there being access to other realms in England is in no way new. As far back as the tales of King Arthur there were instances of knights traveling to “the other side” in various enchanted forests. Cotswolds, England is actually in the Western part of the country, between Buckingham and Gloucester, pretty close to the Welsh border. Picture The Shire from Tolkien’s work and you’ve got the visual.

While the story is pretty straight forward in all aspects, one thing I have never understood was why the castle looks whole to mortals but is really a ruin. I would think that an intact castle would be far more interesting than a ruin, and I would think it would attract that much more attention.

Next time it all comes to a head as Thor and Roger try and prevent Malekith from opening The Casket of Ancient Winters!

The Longbox Project

I wanted to let you all know about something that I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy. It's a website called The Longbox Project and it is devoted to personal stories about comics. Not in a general sense, but specific memories/experiences about particular issues.

Max Delgado, the gentleman who runs the site, was kind enough to post my submission about my first ever comic. Now, while you might know about my connection to The Incredible Hulk #267, you don't know all the details.

There are a lot of stories like mine out there, and Max is always looking for more to post. So check it out, read the stories and you might just be touched enough by the muse to write up something yourself.

Thor’s Day – Thor #346

  Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

Series:                                  Thor (Volume 1)

Issue:                                    346

Title:                                     “The Wild Hunt!”

Story & Pencils:                Walter Simonson

Inks:                                      Terry Austin

Colors:                                  Christie Scheele

Lettering:                            John Workman, Jr.

Editing:                                Mark Gruenwald

Editor In Chief:                 Jim Shooter

Cover:                                   Walter Simonson

We open in New York City at night time.  Roger Willis, of Long Island, is walking down the street musing to himself that he preferred his time in Korea to the current situation, since he knew who the good guys and bad guys were.  He has changed trains and cabs so as to lose anyone following him, and is now on foot in Greenwich Village. A stranger asks him for a light, which he gives the guy, and then is attacked. Roger fights back, flinging the first guy into his oncoming cohorts and catches a cab out of the area.

We switch to Midtown where Thor is in the law offices of Strother and Martin. Mr. Strother is recapping his connection  to Eric Willis to Thor, explain that he carried out all of his instructions but is still worried.  Since Eric mentioned Malekith and the Casket of Ancient Winters, which are references to Norse Mythology, Strother contacted Thor. Thor takes a picture that Strother had of Eric and flies to the Police precinct where Eric was last seen.

On the West Side, Lorelei is in a singles bar taking all of the attention of the men. She casually mentions that she’s actually Thor’s girlfriend, which causes one of the men to break away and call his master.

Thor arrives at the precinct just as Roger walks through the Lower West Side.  Thor inquires about Eric and is told to take a seat while they bring him out. Thor takes one of the cookies offered to him and comments how it has an odd taste. The officers then tell him that it is the enchanted food of Faerie and he will never taste anything else, for his will is being taken over.  Thor pretends weakness until Malekith’s name is mentioned and his plans reveiled, when he summons the lightning and knocks them out.

Roger, meanwhile, is climbing a ladder to get to the underside of an abandoned portion of highway. What he finds is the Casket of Ancient Winters.  He puts it in a Macy’s bag to disguise it and walks off.  Just then Malekith, who had learned the Casket’s location last issue, arrives and finds it gone.  He pulls out an elaborate horn and calls in The Wild Hunt, but also alerts Thor that something is up.

Roger, now in a cab, is stuck in traffic on the Queensboro Bridge. He hears a howling, looks up and sees a huge amount of demon dogs flying down towards him.  Roger, the cabbie and all the other drivers get out of their cars and run. Roger manages to shoot one of the dogs before it gets to him, but is then attacked by the Master of the Hunt, who is wielding a spear and riding a demon horse.

Meanwhile, in the wasteland outside of Asgard, Balder comes across a young woman running from a Sand Devil. He grabs a nearby chunk of wood and attacks the creature. Agnar of Vanaheim, who has been trying to catch up with Balder, now sees him run headlong into danger with only a stick of wood as his weapon.

Back on Earth, Roger shoots the mount and kills it.  The Huntsman is angered by this and moves to attack him on foot, but he is hit with a bolt of lightning before he gets close enough.  The Huntsman changes shape back to Malekith as Thor arrives. The hounds now attack both Roger and Thor.

We now switch to the Smith, now revealed to be Surtur of Muspell, Lord of the Fire Demons, towering over his army with the sword, Twilight, in his hands, calling to “Sound the battlecry that all who live may hear it and despair!”

Back on the bridge, Thor and Roger are fighting a losing battle, until Thor attacks Malekith with an I-Beam. Noticing that the pack had not attacked en-mass, Thor realized that the steel of the bridge was keeping them at bay.  Since Cold Iron is the bane of all Faerie, the I-Beam hurts Malekith sufficiently that he and the pack flee, the hounds back to Faerie and Malekith to Lorelei’s apartment.

Thor and Roger compare notes and Roger reveals that he is Eric’s son, even though he looks old enough to be Eric’s father, due to the enchantment of the Casket.  Thor takes Eric to Melody’s (who is Lorelei in disguise) apartment in his guise of Sigurd Jarlson.  Melody offers Sigurd a drink, which he accepts. This is the magical Golden Mead that she has been preparing to entrance Thor, and it works! Melody is shown to be nothing but an enchanted piece of wood, which tells Thor to bring the Casket to the Cotswolds of England in exchange for his beloved.  Thor swears to do so.

Where it comes from: This is an interesting take on The Wild Hunt, since the Hunt is traditionally led by Wotan (aka Odin).  It makes me wonder whether Odin gave that responsibility to the Dark Elves at some point or if he only was included as an honorary member from the beginning. Either way, it seems as if the Hunt disappeared once Malakith was banished, since they haven’t been running around under another Huntsman. It’s possible that the horn was kept in Svartalfheim but, if it was, I doubt that another Dark Elf would have used it.

Thor getting enchanted finally pays off the sub-plot that started way back in Issue 338, where Loki tells Lorelei that she will succeed where the Entrantress has failed.  I doubt that she would have wanted to succeed in this particular way, getting kidnapped, but it’s probably an ends justify the means kind of thing. It also leads us to some interesting stories ahead.

On to the big bad guy that was just revealed, Surtur (or Surtr in the original spelling). This is the oldest being in existence, according to the Norse Lore, and ruler of the Land of Fire, Muspell, one of the two original worlds. Surtur has been trapped in Muspell since ancient times and has a mad on for Odin and the Asgardians. Surtur is destined to light fire to the worlds during Ragnarok and bring about the end of all things. Not someone you want to mess with.

Next time Thor and Roger travel to England and confront Malekith!

Thor’s Day – Thor #345

Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

Series:                                Thor (Volume 1)

Issue:                                  345

Title:                                   “That was no lady!”

Art & Story:                       Walter Simonson

Colors:                                Christie Scheele

Lettering:                            John Workman, Jr.

Editing:                                Mark Gruenwald

Editor In Chief:                   Jim Shooter

Cover:                                 Walter Simonson

We open in the office of Dr. Willis as he calls his blonde secretary, Miss Ordway, into his office, where he promptly grabs her and ties her to a chair.  Once bound and gagged, Dr. Willis expounds on the nature of mortals and the tastiness of McBurgers, although he prefers the fries.  Dr. Willis ungags Miss Ordway, pinches her nose and force feeds her the McBurger.  We cut to two cops walking down the street in front of the office and talking about how a woman who pushed a man in front of a train for leering at her will get acquitted because of her great legs where they hear a scream.  The bust into the office and find Dr. Willis, alone, but the room shows signs of a struggle.  Miss Ordway’s clothes, identified by the janitor, tied to a chair and covered in dust.  The janitor says that he didn’t see her leave and Dr. Willis is arrested on suspicion of murder.

Later that day, in Central Park, Sigurd Jarlson (aka The Mighty Thor) and Melodi (aka Lorelei) are taking in the sights and a carriage ride.  Thor has no idea of who Melodi really is, but she knows Thor all too well, and is plotting on how to get him to drink her Golden Mead and fall under her spell.

At the police station, Willis is in a cell and one of the cops, an Officer Rosie Grier, talks to him and then calls someone.  It seems that she is in cahoots with Miss Ordway, whom she calls Sheila, and they had Willis under observation.  Grier is given new orders, which she doesn’t like, and then brings in cookies for the rest of the precinct.  Willis suspects Grier because of her aura and she confirms his suspicions.  It turns out that she, Ordway and now the rest of the cops are now soulless slaves to Willis’ deadliest enemy.  Her master, however, has decided to be merciful.  If Willis eats the “unmortal wafers” and becomes a slave, he will not be killed.  Otherwise, the Wild Hunt will be called down upon him.  She leaves Willis to make his decision.

Across town we look in on Mr. Strother, of the Law Offices of Strother and Martin, as he receives news of Dr. Willis’ arrest.  Strother is concerned that no one knows where Willis is being held and asks his secretary to get a courier to deliver a package to Long Island.  It turns out that Strother, an old friend of Willis, has instructions to carry out if Willis were ever to disappear.  He goes to his safe and takes out a package, hoping that he’s not too late.

In Asgard, Balder has reached the endless desert and has let Silverhoof, his horse, free to go home.  He makes his way down a cliff and into the sands, but not alone.

Back on Earth, Sigurd and Melodi arrive at Melodi’s apartment and she has turned it up to eleven.

On Long Island, the messenger has delivered the package to Roger, a gentleman in his late 50’s.  He reads the letter, from his father, about what needs to be done.  It appears that they have never been close, but Roger is believed to be “…the kind of man who will see what must be done … and do it.”  Roger takes out a semi-automatic pistol, puts it in his belt and heads for the Long Island Railroad to go into the city.

Back in his cell, Willis has discovered a misplaced French Fry and forms a plan.  He tosses the cookies out the window and tricks Grier into thinking that he’s now one of them.  This gets him close enough to stick the fry in her mouth and she combusts, leaving her clothes and, more importantly, her keys.  Willis takes a bus out to Long Island to see Roger.  He is hopeful that he has lost those after him, but as the bus pulls away a car starts and the chase begns.

In Melodi’s apartment she goes to prepare Sigurd a special drink.  He takes the opportunity to call Avengers’ Mansion to check his messages, and Jarvis tells him that a Mr. Strother called and left a message for Thor.  The message included a name that greatly upsets Sigurd and he rushes out.  In an alley he takes Mjolnir out his bag and slams it on a wall, changing into the guise of Thor once more.  Thor takes to the skies, wondering who could have broken Odin’s enchantments.

On Long Island, Willis is being chased by a number of men in two cars.  He goes into the back yards of the houses and they chase on foot.  Just as they are about to catch him a woman in a convertible pulls up.  He jumps in the car and they speed away.  She tells him to call her Angel and that “People in distress are her specialty.”

Back in Manhattan, Thor has arrived at Strother’s office.  As he flies down, he is musing to himself about the Casket of Ancient Winters and its banished keeper.  Thor doesn’t have time for explanations, for Strother has “…spoken the name of Malekith the Accursed!”

In Roslyn, on Long Island, Angel is driving Willis along, and the radio is playing music that seems to be having a hypnotic effect on him.  She stops the car and seduces Willis, promising him forbidden pleasures in exchange for his secrets.

We cut to the Smith, who holds aloft the sword Twilight.

 

Back on Earth, Angle exits the car, changing shape into Malekith!  He flies off and we see the desiccated husk that used to be Eric Willis.

Where it comes from: This is the true beginning of Simonson’s second big story arc.  Malekith is on his way to retrieve his stolen property.  The Smith that has been forging the sword since way back in Issue 337 has completed his work.  And Thor is aware that something is terribly wrong on Earth.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much to say about what is going on here without spoiling the issues coming up.  All I’ll say here is that Simonson is pulling in a lot of Norse Lore into this storyline, and he does it quite well.

Next time The Wild Hunt!

Thor’s Day – Thor #344

Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

Series:                           Thor (Volume 1)

Issue:                             344

Title:                              “Whatever Happened to Balder the Brave?”

Art & Story:                   Walter Simonson

Colors:                            Christie Scheele

Lettering:                        John Workman, Jr.

Editing:                           Mark Gruenwald

Editor In Chief:              Jim Shooter

Cover:                             Walter Simonson

We open at Nornkeep, Fortress of the Norn Queen, Karnilla.  A large wolf walks into the gates and the guards do nothing, since they recognize this wolf as Geri, one of Odin’s companions.  Geri has come to summon Balder, who apparently has accepted Karnilla’s invitation from issue 342, back to Asgard.  Baldur agrees to go back.

Meanwhile, Odin sits in silence on his thrown, looking at the injured Muninn.  Frigga, Odin’s wife, enters and lets him know that she’s been worried about him and she wants to help.  Odin hints at what he wants Balder to do, saying only that he may never forgive Odin.  Odin relates what happened since he returned from his visit to Earth, which included Heimdall showing him Muninn and Odin speaking with his raven for a long time.  He tells Frigga that “The danger is even greater than I feared.”  When Balder arrives, Odin tells him that he must deliver a message to Loki, the god responsible for Balder’s death (in Thor #274).  Odin convinces him that Balder is the only possible messenger, and Balder accepts.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Lorelei (disguised as Melodi) is giving Thor (disguised as Sigurd Jarlson) a backrub, where she pushes a little too hard in one spot and hurts him.  Apparently the backrub is so relaxing that Thor falls asleep!  This ticks Lorelei off but she leaves him a note about cooking him dinner on Saturday, and then goes back to her own apartment.

We join Balder as he rides, on his horse Silverhoof, out of Asgard and towards Loki’s castle.  He faces many dangers, such as the Living Landslide, Forbidden Forest and Deadly Desert, eventually making it to the Castle of Loki.  On the path up to the castle, he is attacked by what he believes are Trolls, but he recognizes them just before he is overwhelmed, but that remains a mystery for the reader.

The Smith has now completed forging the sword Twilight and he tempers it in lakes of brimstone.

Back at Loki’s castle, Balder is brought in, hands tied behind his back, and confronts the God of Evil with the accusation that he is harboring Demons of Fire.  Loki tells Balder that Odin’s rules don’t apply in his castle, and the demons aren’t his.  They belong to Malekith, The Dark Elf.  Apparently, Malekith and Balder are there to compete for Loki’s aid in the coming battle.  Malekith taunts Balder and the Bright One breaks his bonds and escapes.  The demons pursue him, and Balder begs Loki not to make him fight, as he has sworn to never do battle again.  Finally, cornered and desperate, Balder reaches for a dropped sword.

On Earth, Sigurd is back n the construction site, helping clean up in the wake of Fafnir.  Jerry, the foreman, is suspicious of Sigurd’s SHIELD connections and how he jumps around the site with little effort.  He finally pieces it together and realizes that Sigurd is actually Spider-Man.

Balder, now holding a sword, begs the demons not to make him fight, but they are intent on killing him.  They throw their spears and one gets a glancing blow.  This is Balder’s breaking point.  He leaps into battle and Kills. Them. All.  When he makes it back to Malekith and Loki, Balder stabs at Malekith and the Dark Elf vanishes, leaving only his robes behind.  With all that done, Balder delivers Odin’s scroll to Loki, who tosses it aside.  He tells Balder that he has already accepted Malekith’s offer, and he waited until k now to say anything because “…it was so delightful to watch a pacifist slay <Malekith’s> thousands that I simply couldn’t bring myself to mention it before this.”  This, along with Loki’s continued taunting, so enrages Balder that he cuts of Loki’s head!

In Nornkeep, Karnilla and Hagg are wondering about Balder’s fate when an alarm sounds.  Apparently, Karnilla keeps a watch for anyone leaving Loki’s castle.  This time it is Balder, with a look on his face that makes both of them realize that something bad has happened.  Balder is riding Silverhoof out into the expanses beyond Nornheim, to lose himself in the trackless desert.

Meanwhile, in the Castle of Loki:

Where it comes from: As those that have seen Thor: The Dark World will recognize Malekith, although he is dressed slightly more flamboyantly in the comics.  This is the first time we see him, although we heard his voice in issue 341, answering the call of the Smith.  Malekith, while a member of the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim, is an invention of Simonson.  This will not be the last time we see him, as he will figure prominently in the storyline we are currently involved in.

I must point out what I think is a coloring error, and that would be on Frigga’s hair.  In this issue her hair is colored black, but in subsequent appearances it is white, as is Odin’s.  I don’t know what color her hair was prior to this, as I have only read some of the pre-Simonson Thor (and now Tom Harris is yelling at me), but I want to chalk this up to a simple error.

Balder’s pacifist vow, which is broken this issue, is a direct result of his visit to Hel, which I discussed back on issue 340. He is still haunted by having sent so many warriors to Hel, and even though his opponents are demons he is treating fighting as an alcoholic would drinking, one is too many.  He falls completely off the wagon in this issue, though, and punishes himself for it by riding out into the endless desert in order to kill himself through exposure.  We will be seeing more of Balder’s fate in the issues to come.

Next time the action returns to Earth where some mystical dealings are afoot, and fast food is the ultimate weapon.

Thor’s Day – Thor #343

Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

  Series:                                 Thor (Volume 1)

Issue:                                  343

Title:                                    “If I Should Die Before I Wake…”

Art & Story:                        Walter Simonson

Colors:                                 Christie Scheele

Lettering:                            John Workman, Jr.

Editing:                                Mark Gruenwald

Editor In Chief:                   Jim Shooter

Cover:                                 Walter Simonson

In the South Bronx Fafnir the dragon is wreaking havoc, demanding that Thor come and face him.  The Eyewitness News chopper, carrying reporter Greg Glenn, follows Fafnir and broadcasts his rampage to the city.  Glenn gives voice to the question on everyone’s mind, “Where is the Mighty Thor?”  Among those wondering is Lorelei, who is lounging in her Central Park Penthouse watching the televised reports.

Thor is in Antarctic, where we left him last time, with Eilif the Lost.  Thor tells Eilif that only Odin and the Valkyries can grant access to Valhalla, but he will take Eilif’s fate into his hands.  Thor tells him to put his armor back on and follow him.  They climb one of the peaks surrounding the valley and wait for a sign.  After half an hour Thor’s Chariot and Cloudrider, the winged horse of the hero Valkyrie, whose real name is Brunnhilde, appear so that they can ride into battle together.

In Nornheim, Karnilla broods over Balder and how he sees only death around him.  She (rightly) blames this on Loki and swears to make him pay.  Haag, her servant/counselor, chides Karnilla for mooning over “a ruined warrior” and teases her about inviting Odin to dinner.  Karnilla throws her out and thinks how she wanted Balder when he was pure and unspoiled, and whether it would be worth the effort to try and bring him back to that state.

Back in Antarctica, Thor and Eilif prepare to ride, but Eilif complains that his old age has made him worthless in a fight.  Thor doesn’t like this and asks if he seeks “A cheap seat in the halls of Valhalla”.  Eilif is shamed into rising to the challenge and Thor blesses him with renewed vigor.  The mount and are prepared to leave when they see a stranger watching them.  Eilif does all the talking (as we and Thor know that this is Odin in his guise as The Wanderer) and gets his spear blessed.

Elsewhere, the smith is reaching the end of the sword’s forging and he is ready to name it.  “… and the name is – Twilight!”

In the South Bronx, Fafnir is tearing through the city, and the National Guard, when Thor and Eilif show up, giving the dragon a hammer to the head.  Using Cloudrider and the chariot, Thor and Eilif evade or block Fafnir’s blows.

We switch back to Asgard, where Heimdall stands on Bifrost and sees a darkness coming closer.  Out of the darkness comes Muninn, returned to his normal size, injured and carrying a feather in his beak.  Heimdall turns back the chasing darkness and dreads that this means some evil is awake.  And Odin is not in Asgard to help.

Back at the battle, we have the first appearance of Chuck Cherkle, giving us a play by play for On The Spot News.  Thor and Eilif are holding their own, but not making any headway, even when Thor hits Fafnir with a blow whose force is “…felt as far away as Pennsylvania!”  Eilif diflects the dragon fire, but is knocked off of Cloudrider by Fafnir’s tail. He falls to the ground with a tremendous “CRASSHH!”  Distracted, Thor is knocked out of his chariot and knocked away by the self-same tail.  Eilif emerges from the rubble, looking pretty bad off, but driven b y his duty to Thor.  He climbs, slowly, up above the dragon, spear in hand.  He dives off, using his weight to drive the spear into Fafnir’s hide, hurting him and getting swatted away for his trouble.  Thor seizes the opportunity and uses Mjolnir to drive the spear into Fafnir’s heart, killing him instantly. 

Eilif, however, is also dead and Thor is greatly upset by it.  Thor builds a pyre out of the rubble from the battle and lays Eilif on top of it, with Fafnir at his feet, like the dogs buried/burned with Vikings of old.  He then calls the storm and uses lightning to start the fire “and the pyre erupts in glory!”  The All-Father is then glimpsed with Eilif on Cloudrider being guided to Valhalla by the Valkyries.

Thor returns to him apartment as Sigurd Jarlson and has a visitor.  Lorelei, disguised as Melodi, has stopped by to thank Sigurd for saving her life by giving him a back rub.

Where it comes from: This is pretty much a straight up fight issue, with a few sub-plots advanced.  What I’m going to focus on here, though, is the worldview of the Norse when it comes to death.  There are basically three places that the dead go.  The most well-known is Valhalla, where the heroes of battle, such as Eilif, are taken to fight all day and feast all night.  This is a place of warriors and it is meant to gather an army to fight on the side of the Aesir during Ragnarok.  Another destination is Niffleheim, the primordial realm of ice.  This is where the dishonored dead; the murderers, oath-breakers and outlaws; go to have Nidhogg, who we’ve seen before, devour them.  The last place would be Hel, or Helheim, which is where everyone else goes.  I discussed Valhalla and Hel last time, so I won’t get into it again.

I would like to define some terms, though, for the non-Heathens out there.  In the Norse world-view, a “murderer” is someone who kills another human and does not take credit for it.  If you refuse this responsibility, there is no way retribution, be it wergild or some other punishment, could be rightfully leveled by the family of the deceased.  An oath-breaker is obviously someone who has gone back on their word, but when that is what holds the fabric of society together, it is a tremendous crime.  Lastly, when I refer to an “outlaw”, I don’t mean a Robin Hood type.  I mean Utgard, or outsider.  Someone who, for whatever reason, has been cast out or the tribe and is no longer considered a person.  What I mean by that is they can be killed without any retribution being taken on the killer or killer’s family.  They are called, and treated like, a wolf.

Next time we find out whatever happened to Balder the Brave.

Thor’s Day – Thor #342

Today we’ll be looking back at a classic comic from my collection.

Series:                               Thor (Volume 1)

Issue:                                 342

Title:                                  “The Last Viking”

Pencils & Story:                Walter Simonson

Inks:                                   Terry Austin

Colors:                               Christie Scheele

Lettering:                           John Workman, Jr.

Editing:                               Mark Gruenwald

Editor In Chief:                  Jim Shooter

Cover:                                Walter Simonson

In Asgard we see the glittering halls of Valhalla, where the honored dead are taken by the Valkyries.  As is his habit, Odin is in attendance, toasting the heroes, but he is apprehensive as he feels a great confrontation is approaching.  The woman Saga brings him his refilled cup and she comments on Odin being distracted.  He explains that he feels that the only remaining empty seat in the hall is about to be filled, but he doesn’t know precisely what that will lead to.

In Manhattan, Thor is still on the destroyed construction site in his Sigurd Jarlson guise.  He muses with Jerry, the foreman, about Thor being back in New York when he had moved to Chicago.  They are interrupted by a worker who tells Sigurd that the lady he rescued is asking to see him.  She is on a gurney, ready to be placed in the ambulance.  They have a brief moment where she promises to repay him for her rescue.  Sigurd leaves after the ambulance leaves and changes into Thor, ready to investigate the voice that he has now heard calling for him three times.

Returning to the smith, we see him standing before a vast assemblage of beings and he calls for silence.  Using the sword, which nears completion, he banishes the darkness that is hiding Hugin and Munin.  He strikes at them, saying “Let this, then, be the first blow against the power of Asgard!”  Yet again, “Doom!” rings out.

On Earth, Thor has travelled all the way to Antarctica, where he finds a hidden valley, heated by volcanic vents, where there is an old Viking village among green fields.  He investigates and, while there are no people in sight, there is a fresh, but cool, pot of soup.  He continues on and finds a Viking grave yard, where all of the stone ships are pointing to a cave entrance.  Thor enters and is immediately caught in a spear trap when a door slams shut behind him.

In the woods of Nornheim, Balder has set up camp for the night when a stranger asks for hospitality.  This stranger turns out to be Karnilla and she provides him with provisions as well as an offer to seek her out should he ever need a friend.

Back in Antarctica, Thor avoids a series of traps and eventually meets an armored warrior.  The foe throws his spear at Thor and misses.  Thor takes him down with a single blow of Mjolnir and removes his helmet, and is shocked by what he finds.

Elsewhere, Fafnir realizes his mistake of fleeing before Thor, since he wasn’t really being hurt.  The dragon bursts from his hiding place below the river and demands that Thor be brought to him.  Across town Lorelei is brewing a love potion that, once Thor has drunk it, “…will insure that he’ll never think of anyone else again.”

Thor has revealed an old man, Eilif the Lost, in the armor.  After Thor carries Eilif out of the caves, we get the story of how he happened to be there.  Eilif’s ancestors we part of King Harald Hardraada’s army, which invaded England in 1066.  After their defeat, they fled in long ships, which were scattered by a storm.  One ship managed to make it as far South as Antarctica, sailing into a fiord that ended in a cave, which led to the valley that Thor first arrived in.  The ship was wrecked on a submerged rock and the survivors settled in the valley, building the village and turning the cave system into a training ground for warriors.  Eilif was the last chieftain of the tribe and, now that he is old and alone, he wished to call on Thor and die in battle.  He put Thor through the traps to enrage him so that he wouldn’t look too close at his opponent.  Thor claims Eilif’s life as his own and refuses to let him into Valhalla by treachery.

  

Where it comes from: I find it rather obvious from this issue that Mr. Simonson was (and possibly still is) unaware of Ásatrú, or Norse Paganism, which has been around in the United States since the 1970’s.  By placing Eilif in the role of “The Last Viking”, and by stating that Thor hasn’t heard this call in many years, it is implied that there are no worshipers of the Norse Gods in the Marvel Universe.  I find that pretty hard to believe, since Thor and Hercules are obviously real in that universe, that there wouldn’t be any Pagan groups worshiping those Gods.  Heck, Superman inspired a religion in DC, and he isn’t even a God.

King Harald was the king of Norway for 20 years (1046 to 1066).  He invaded England in 1066 in an attempt to take the throne from King Harold Godwinson in September of 1066, but was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.  After this victory, Harold Godwinson had to force march South to meet the forces of William of Normandy.  Many attribute Harald Hardraada’s invasion with ensuring that the Norman invasion of England was a success.  Harald did bring women and children along with his army, so Eilif’s ancestors could have made a life in that valley for 900+ years.  The family tree, however, would have resembled a trunk and the amount of recessive genetic problems that would have resulted from so much inbreeding probably account for a single old man being the only survivor.

I should point out that Valhalla is not the end-all, be-all of the Norse afterlife.  Many Heathens, then and now, would not have died in battle and, therefore, not have had the opportunity to go to join the Einherjar.  Most of the dead would simply journey to Hel and join their ancestors, where death continues pretty much how life did.  In fact, the fighting all day and feasting all night aspect of Valhalla would seem to some, myself included, to be much less desirable than being reunited with their family and watching over their decendants.

Next time the final fate of Eilif and Fafnir.