Monday, January 18, 2021

Marvel Immersion Project: Thor #351-356

My Recent Reads

Thor #351
Originally Published January 10, 1985
Writer and Artist: Walter Simonson
  • Team Asgard/Avengers continues to battle Team Surtur in New York.  The good guys are losing until the 82nd Airborne shows up.
  • Among those joining in the fight:
    • The Einherjar, the spirits of those who have died in battle
    • Tyr, one of Thor's brothers and, at least in traditional Norse mythology, the God of War.  Tuesday is named for Tyr.  For those keeping score at home, that's four days of the week named for Norse gods:
      • Tuesday: Tyr's Day
      • Wednesday: Odin's Day
      • Thursday: Thor's Day
      • Friday: Frigg's Day
  • Surtur defeats Heimdall and shatters Bifrost, the rainbow bridge.
  • He defeats Thor, too.  Now Odin alone defends Asgard.

Thor #352
February 10, 1985
Walter Simonson
  • The battle continues on multiple fronts.
  • Among others, Hercules lends his strength to the cause.
  • Surtur defeats Odin and gets to the Eternal Flame to light his newly forged sword, Twilight.

Thor #353
March 10, 1985
Walter Simonson
  • Not so fast, Surtur!  Loki hid the real flame and replaced it with an illusion.  
  • In the broader battle of Asgard/Avengers vs. Fire Demons, the good guys finally win.
  • Featured: She-Hulk
  • Odin, Thor and Loki battle Surtur together.
  • Odin and Surtur fall into the chasm of Muspelheim which seals behind them.
  • Is the end of Odin???

Thor #354
April 10, 1985
Walter Simonson
  • Having sensed Odin's passing, Hela - based on Hel, the Norse goddess of death - comes to claim him.  Thor fights her off.
  • Thor leaves Asgard to confront his grief while wandering in the wilderness.  In spite, Hela kills his horse and Thor collapses in the snow.
  • Featured: Titanium Man.

Thor #355
May 10, 1985
Writer: Simonson
Artist: Sal Buscema
  • Thor is rescued by an enormous, powerful and clearly ancient man named Tiwaz.  Thor is convinced that his savior is Odin in disguise but Tiwaz convinces him otherwise.
  • This is probably my favorite Thor issue so far - less brawling, more thoughtful reflection on Thor's role in both Asgard and Midgard (Earth).
  • Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 is quoted: "To everything, there is a season..."
  • After Thor leaves, Tiwaz reveals that he is, in fact, the thunder god's great-grandfather.

Thor #356
June 1, 1985
Bob Harras/Jackson Guice
  • While out on a walk in Central Park, Hercules and Jarvis encounter a group of young boys.  Hercules regales them with a clearly fictional tale of a great battle between Thor and himself.
  • It's a light story - much needed after the heavy Surtur tale.
  • Hercules also tells of his mythological tasks, including the stories of...
    • Hydra
    • The Bull of Crete
    • Cerberus
    • Atlas

4 comments:

  1. I've always felt kind of bad for Hercules that Marvel was never able to make a series with him work. You'd think Hercules would be easy to do, but he never works as anything other than a side character.

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    1. I would love to see Marvel, or some publisher, do a serious comic book treatment of mythology in general - and not just Greek and Norse either. There's so much to explore: Egyptian, Chinese, Japanese, Celtic, African, Native American, Indian...

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  2. I never got into reading any of the DC or Marvel comics but boy I love all the movies. Like how Loki's trickster nature helped save the flame.

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    1. Loki is my favorite character in the MCU, definitely. I don't find him quite as compelling in the comic books. Or maybe I just haven't hit the right stories yet.

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