Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: June 2, 1964
Cover: August 1964
12 cents
Written and drawn by the prize-winning team of: Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby
Inked by: Vince Colletta
Lettering: Art Simek
5 pages
For several months now, Stan has used all kind of creative license in the credits, applying clever nicknames to everybody. Two months ago in Fantastic Four #28, Jack was referred to as “The King”. Now, we get the credits that will resonate through the decades and become basically the official nicknames of the famous duo: “Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby”.
This might be the first time they’ve ever shown up. Certainly that I’ve come across. Caveat that I’m reading these Marvel stories in reprints, so miss many house ads and letters pages, which are likely sources of the nicknames. This is definitely the first time we’ve seen both “The Man” and “King” within an issue’s credits.
This is the second story starring Balder, depicted here in what looks to be a Disney movie. Loki is jealous of the favoritism Odin shows to Balder, second only to his love for Thor. Loki decides to kill Balder. The only snag is the gift of invulnerability Odin had bestowed upon Balder last issue.
Loki seeks out the Norn Queen for help. This is the first time we have met the Norn Queen. We have twice before, in both ancient and modern times, met a Norn Hag. They may have some connection. In fact, a witch in this issue who serves the Norn Queen may be the Norn Hag we have already met. It is not clear.
The Norn Queen reveals that every living thing has pledged no harm to Balder, save the mistletoe.
Loki has a slave Troll make a dart out of mistletoe. We don’t get a good look at the Troll, but he doesn’t look at all like the Trolls we have seen before. Though there has already been some inconsistency in how Kirby draws the trolls. Or perhaps the inconsistency lies in what characters of Kirby’s that Lee’s scripts describe as Trolls.
Balder loses a duel because he has to avoid stepping on a caterpillar. This recalls the previous issue where he abandoned the army to help a baby bird that had fallen from its nest.
While the mistletoe dart might indeed have killed Balder, the Norn Queen cannot let it, for she too is pledged to protect the life of Balder.
The ancient tale of Baldr
This story is based closely on old legends of the death of Baldr, with the notable difference being that Balder does not die. In the old story, Loki did indeed slay Baldr with mistletoe, as recounted for example in the Edda. Loki had his mistletoe dart inserted into a game where the gods were throwing projectiles at Baldr, none of which could hit him. This part of the story is similar to the previous Balder story where Odin had sentenced him to the test of mortal death.
Top 10
My favorite comic book version of the Balder’s death by mistletoe is found in Top 10 by Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon. The series focuses on the police department of a city where every science fiction and fantasy story seems to be taking place at once. The police are called to investigate a murder at a Godz Bar in Top 10 #7, published in 2000 by the Distinguished Competition.
It turned out the gods had been playing a drunken game where everybody threw things at Baldur because it was known nothing could harm him, as his mother Freya had asked everything not to harm him. But she had forgotten to ask the mistletoe, and so Baldur was felled by mistletoe thrown from his brother Hod.
Closer investigation revealed Hod had been given the mistletoe by his uncle Lokk, god of evil, seemingly with intent to kill.
But then Baldur woke up and the cops came to understand that gods are cyclic beings who relive the same stories over and over. The death of Baldur had happened many times before and would happen many times again. Baldur’s parents are so happy he’s alive that they propose a game of throwing things. Lokk readies the mistletoe…
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 54/100
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:
- Loki
- Balder
- Norn Queen
- Norn Hag
Story notes:
- Norn Queen described as a mistress of magic.
- Norn Queen’s witch is stirring a witches brew. CMRO notes this witch is indeed the Norn Hag.
#222 story in reading order
Next: Daredevil #3
Previous: Journey Into Mystery #107
