Featuring: Thor
Release: December 2, 1963
Cover: February 1964
12 cents
Written by: Stan Lee
Drawn by: Jack Kirby
Inked by: G. Bell
Lettered by: S. Rosen
13 pages
We are one week late reading this comic because it begins a two-part battle against Tomorrow Man. How this comic fits in with Thor’s appearances in Avengers is pretty complicated, and we’ll be addressing that in a later post.
I’ll remind readers that the Avengers really do have some urgent business to get back to. Both Hulk and Namor remain at large. It should also be noted that Giant-Man recently fractured his ankle, but seems better now.
Jack Kirby is back and here to stay. Perhaps he’ll be able to turn around what up to this point has been one of the worst comics. Perhaps not, as he was there for the earliest issues of Thor and they were still of low quality. But Stan Lee was also farming out the writing to a variety of people. Now, for the first time, Stan and Jack will be the team on this book, just like on Fantastic Four and Sgt. Fury. They’ve also reached the point in their working relationship where their “coplotting” of the stories likely involves Stan less and less. Kirby will be taking greater control of the storytelling going forward. We’ll see how it goes.
Now that Lee is scripting, there is a detectable difference in Thor’s speech patterns. Under other writers, he had slowly evolved from talking like he was Don to talking like he was Thor. Now, there’s a certain haughty regality to the language. Words like “naught”.
Thor is randomly destroying public property because he’s angry at his dad. The Avengers show up.
Iron Man seems to easily be able to throw money around to cover the damage Thor is causing. Nobody questions this. Perhaps he’s a very well-paid bodyguard?
Thor claims his life is empty without the one he loves… I mean, he sees her every day. They often have dinner. He just can’t marry her. It could be worse, buddy.
Odin sits upon his throne, with Loki by his side advising him. Loki advises that…
Wait, what? I am actually very confused as to what Loki is doing there. Maybe I missed something. Please bear with me while we review Loki’s entire history in an attempt to decipher why he sits in the throne room advising Odin.
- Journey Into Mystery #85. Loki had spent ages imprisoned in a tree for past crimes. Technically speaking, he served his sentence and was released. He causes mischief on Earth, so Thor sends him back to Asgard.
- Journey Into Mystery #88. We learn Loki’s punishment for his recent crimes is to be forced to remain in Asgard. He sneaks away anyway, and causes mischief on Earth. Thor brings him back to Asgard. Odin notes he knows not what to do with Loki.
- Journey Into Mystery #91. Loki remains confined to Asgard. There seemed to be no new punishment for his latest escapades. He uses “remote magic” to cause mischief on Earth.
- Journey Into Mystery #92. Loki has now been fastened to a rock with 10 chains, where Odin has commanded he must remain until the end of time. The end of time. However, Loki breaks free. So it seems he was only chained there a few weeks. Odin promises to find a better prison.
- Journey Into Mystery #94. Loki is shackled to a cliff with ultra-powerful uru manacles by Odin and his council of gods. He uses his magic to break free and travels to Earth to cause mischief. Loki is returned to the same prison he just escaped from.
- Journey Into Mystery #96. Loki is still chained on the cliff.
- Avengers #1. Loki has been exiled by Odin to the Isle of Silence. He uses remote magic to cause mischief on Earth and the Avengers form. Thor brings him to Earth, and announces his intention to return Loki to the Isle of Silence.
- Journey Into Mystery #97. Loki is a prisoner in Asgard, but seems to be in the palace, rather than the Isle of Silence. He uses remote magic to cause mischief on Earth.
- Now. Loki sits by Odin’t side in the throne room and seems to be a chief advisor.
- In three issues… Odin travels to Earth and has Loki rule Asgard in his stead.
Somebody please explain.
Anyways, at the suggestion of this trusted advisor Loki, Odin decides to punish Thor for his thought crimes by reducing his powers and banishing him from Asgard. Thor now has half his strength and no control over the weather.
Even at half-strength, Thor is apparently still strong enough to lift his magic hammer.
A big thing Kirby will be doing is expanding the cast and environs of Asgard. First, we meet the Norn Hag. Loki commands her to show him the Well of Centuries.
We’ve reached the point in many series where the heroes have fought enough villains that they can recycle some, and so not have to come up with a new one every month. Two-part stories are becoming more common, which also helps with that.
For his part, Thor has always had one recurring villain. Loki has been in more issues than he hasn’t, often as the behind-the-scenes villain like he is in this issue. Zarrko will be only Thor’s second repeat foe.
Odin is shocked and offended that his son whose powers he just reduced could not even defeat one indestructible robot from the future. The issue ends with Thor surrendering to Zarrko and agreeing to travel to the 23rd century to serve him.
No game-changing improvements in quality from the creative team to report yet.
I will note one reading order decision I am making here. Same one I made last issue for the Mr. Hyde story. I’m shuffling things around to read the two-part story together, but not breaking up issues. So we’re reading the first part of the Zarrko story in Journey Into Mystery #101, then the “Tales of Asgard” backup from Journey Into Mystery #101, then the second part of the Zarrko story from Journey Into Mystery #102, then that issue’s “Tales of Asgard” backup. CMRO does it differently.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 50/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 2.
It is also available in Thor Epic Collection vol. 1: God of Thunder. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Thor
- Giant-Man/Hank Pym
- Wasp/Jan van Dyne
- Iron Man
- Loki
- Odin
- Heimdall
- Norn hag
- Zarrko/Tomorrow Man
- Zarrko’s mining robot
Story notes:
- Wasp wearing simplified headgear which debuted in Tales to Astonish #50. Giant-Man wearing “light stripes” look which debuted in Tales to Astonish #49, not the “thick suspenders” look which debuted in Tales to Astonish #52.
- Loki creates a thought projection of Thor’s current doings. Odin has seemed quite capable of doing that by himself in the past.
- Thor’s punishment for brooding: Half-strength, lost of control over weather, banished from Asgard.
- Odin notes the last issue took place one month ago.
- Recap of events from last issue.
- Heimdall at his station.
- Heimdall can strike with all the cosmic force of the universe in the blade of his sword.
- Thor’s hammer glows with the untapped power of the Nether Worlds.
- Norn Hag refers to Loki as her lord and follows his commands.
- Loki restores Zarrko’s memory.
- Zarrko recounts events of issue 86.
- Zarrko from 23rd century.
- Zarrko makes use of scientific materials at Municipal Science Center.
- Zarrko travels back to 20th century with altered indestructible mining robot.
- Mining robot can melt guns; causes destruction; city evacuated.
- With reduced strength, Thor cannot defeat robot. He surrenders to Zarrko and agrees to do his bidding.
#157 story in reading order
Next: Journey Into Mystery #101, Story C
Previous: Tales of Suspense #51, Story C
