Featuring: Tales of Asgard
Release: November 3, 1963
Cover: January 1964
12 cents
Majestically written by: Stan Lee
Magnificently drawn by: Jack Kirby
Masterfully inked by: Vince Colletta
Magnanimously lettered by: Artie Simek
5 pages
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| Journey Into Mystery #112 | Reading order | Avengers #12 |
| Journey Into Mystery #112 | Journey Into Mystery | Journey Into Mystery #113 |
We see this story described as the start of a new biography in-depth. There won’t be that much depth. What’s meant is that we have had sequences of this series devoted to Heimdall and Balder respectively. It’s now Loki’s turn to take the spotlight for the next few issues.
This story is set when Thor is a young child, and the universe as well is young. Odin is solidifying his rule and Asgard is at war with Jotunheim. Jotunheim is a land of giants and Laufey is their king. Odin seeks to end Laufey’s rule.
We have before met Frost Giants, Storm Giants, Rime Giants, and Mountain Giants. The inhabitants of Jotunheim are here just referred to as giants. Later comic stories will suggest Laufey is actually a Frost Giant, but he looks nothing like Ymir.
Odin is wielding what appears to be the uru hammer he would later give to Thor.
The story is terse, as these Tales of Asgard stories often are. The story of an epic battle is told in 15 panels. Some details are omitted. Sometimes, this works out fine. We get 2 panels to let us know there was an epic clash. We understand what happened.
Where the storytelling slips is with the death of Laufey. A significant moment in the story, but we don’t see it. Odin tells us it happened and those boots appear to belong to Laufey. Not sure what happened there. Perhaps Stan decided late to edit in Laufey’s death to the story, so the art doesn’t show it. Perhaps Laufey’s death was purposely omitted because of the Comics Code.
Odin then finds a baby, Laufey’s child, Loki. Loki is a freak in Jotunheim because he is not a giant, and Laufey was ashamed of him. Odin adopts the child, declaring him his son and Thor’s half-brother. That’s not what the phrase “half-brother” usually means, but Odin is not one to be argued with.
Stan notes that there are many different legends of Loki’s birth.
This is basically the origin of Loki that made its way into the Thor (2011) film. There the enemies were clearly frost giants, and blue and icy looking.
Rating: ★★★☆☆, 53/100
Significance: ★★★★☆
I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 3. It is also available in Thor Epic Collection vol. 1: God of Thunder. Or on Kindle.
Characters:
- Odin
- Laufey
- Loki
Story notes:
- Odin uses Thor’s hammer.
- After killing Laufey, Odin finds his baby son Loki and adopts him.
- Odin declares Loki half-brother to Thor.
- Loki abandoned by Laufey for not being a giant.
| Previous | #293 | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Journey Into Mystery #112 | Reading order | Avengers #12 |
| Journey Into Mystery #112 | Journey Into Mystery | Journey Into Mystery #113 |
