Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: February 4, 1964
Cover: April 1964
12 cents
Masterfully written by: Stan Lee
Magnificently illustrated by: Jack Kirby
Majestically inked by: Chic Stone
Meritoriously lettered by: Art Simek
5 pages
This is how it all begins. Quite literally.
The story of Thor’s early days continues. He is now an adult and wields the magic hammer. We see now the story of the dawn of humanity on Earth, and Thor’s role in the tale.
The tale begins in the mountains of Asgard, where the dwarfs dwell. We are told the dwarfs forge all the weapons of Asgard. However, not quite all. We learned in the main story of this issue that Odin himself forged Thor’s hammer. That fact is affirmed in this very story.
Sindri is the king of dwarfs and has built the magical ship, Skipbladnir. It’s a tiny ship that magically grows to full-size when needed. Skipbladnir will transport Thor to Mirmir.
Many years back, I saw George R.R. Martin speak at a comic convention. He complained of the depictions of dragons in fantasy literature which featured four limbs and a separate set of wings, noting every actual flying creature on Earth has had the wings as part of their arms, or as a substitute for their arms. He would have approved of Kirby’s drawing of Skord. We earlier came across a letter of his to Lee and Kirby in the pages of Fantastic Four, so there’s a decent chance he was reading this comic as a lad.
The boar god Gullin also has a hammer. “Mine is far bigger,” he says. Thor proves that size isn’t everything.
In the early days, Odin had planted two trees on Midgard, an alder and an ash tree. We learn for the first time that Midgard is how the Asgardians refer to Earth. Up until now, they’d always called it Earth.
Thor brought King Mirmir a branch of Yggdrasil, the tree of life. In Mirmir’s palace is a mystic fountain which feeds all the world’s oceans. Mirmir places the branch in the fountain and stirs the waters. Magic drops trickle onto Odin’s trees, transforming them.
They become a man and a woman, Aske and Embla. They are made in the image of the gods of Asgard. They are the first humans.
And, yes, all that fit in 17 panels.
Rating: ★★★½, 62/100
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
- Sindri
- Skord
- Gullin
- King Mirmir
- Aske
- Embla
Story notes:
- Thor now wields hammer.
- Dwarfs dwell in Asgard mountains and forge Asgard’s weapons.
- Sindri, King of Dwarfs, forges magical ship, Skipbladnir.
- Dangerous dark sea surrounds Mirmir; Mirmir may only be entered on foot.
- Skord, a flying dragon.
- Gullin, mightiest of the boar gods.
- Odin forged Thor’s hammer; we first learned this in this issue’s A story.
- Thor shatters Gullin’s hammer.
- Mirmir is the name of both the realm and its king.
#177 story in reading order
Next: Tales of Suspense #53
Previous: Journey Into Mystery #103
