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Thor #139

To Die Like a God!

Featuring: Thor
Release: February 2, 1967
Cover: April 1967
12 cents
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Inked with the prowess of Vince Colletta
Lettered with the pen-points of Sam Rosen
16 pages

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Thor #138, Story B	Reading order	Thor #139, Story B
Thor #138, Story B	Thor	Thor #139, Story B

Mighty are the warriors of Asgard! Though hopelessly outnumbered… though faced with alien weapons… they did not succumb! Never hath Orikal seen the like!

“To Die Like a God!” I find that a compelling title and cover image.

At the end of last issue, Thor’s hammer was stolen, which means he will change back to Don Blake in 60 seconds. Thor then gave a long and melancholy speech, which must have taken most of that 60 seconds. As this issue opens with him still being Thor, this must be only a couple seconds later.

Thor #137

The Thunder God and the Troll

Featuring: Thor
Release: December 1, 1966
Cover: February 1967
12 cents
In all the unmeasurable universe, surely there be none, save Stan Lee and Jack Kirby who couldst create such wonderment!
And, ne’er again shall we see the like of
Vince Colletta, inker, and
Sam Rosen, letterer
16 pages

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Amazing Spider-Man #43	Reading order	Thor #137, Story B
Thor #136, Story B	Thor	Thor #137, Story B

The invasion is begun! Asgard must fall!

Last issue ended with Thor and Sif meeting. We pick up here with them hanging out. It’s not impossible he went to Earth between that meeting and now, but there’s no evidence he did. And I will need him with the Avengers on Earth soon. A new 3-part arc begins here. Thor will briefly travel to Earth in this story, but be busy. In the next arc, he travels to Earth and seems like he might have a bit of time on his hands.

This is to explain why we’ve gotten a bit far ahead in our Thor reading. We’re about to reach February 1967 for Thor, when we’re still in March 1966 for Hulk. Thor’s just been too busy for an Avengers meeting…. and Peter Parker already has his motorcycle for that meeting… and Matt Murdock was captured by the Owl when Spider-Man fought the Rhino… before Senator Byrd shut down Stark’s factories…

As last issue, Thor describes Sif as the raven-haired sister of Heimdall he knew as a child. But again, when we met Sif in her youth in Journey Into Mystery #102, she was described as the sister of Balder, and appeared to be blonde. Unless they are implying Heimdall and Balder are also brothers, this seems to be a contradiction. Or maybe there are two different women named Sif, sisters to Heimdall and Balder respectively.

Thor #136

To Become an Immortal!

Featuring: Thor
Release: November 3, 1966
Cover: January 1967
12 cents
A proud phantasmagoria of pageantry, presented by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Delineated by Vince Colletta
Lettered by Artie Simek
16 pages

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Thor #135, Story B	Reading order	Thor #136, Story B
Thor #135, Story B	Thor	Thor #136, Story B

I did but provide the time– the setting– But, only in the heart can be found the final enchanted ingredient– men call love!

Let’s reflect on the relationship between Jane, Don, and Thor. To understand this love triangle, we first need to understand the relationship between Don and Thor. And we don’t.

We reflected on the nature of their relationship back in issue 129. It seems Don is Thor and Thor is Don. They have two bodies, but one mind, one set of thoughts, and one heart, one set of feelings.

There is plenty of evidence to contradict that interpretation, but that is how they are usually written. Don is Thor and Thor is Don. Don is mortal and Thor is immortal. Thor is ancient, older than humanity, and had a life long before Don. And Don presumably had a life before Thor, before he found that cane in the mountain. Though we have learned very little about that life, only that he had studied medicine and become a world-renowned surgeon and robotics expert. We’ve seen no glimpses of his past life, nor met any relatives. But presumably he has these things. But now he is Thor. Mind, heart, soul.

In fact, Thor and Don seem closer than Hulk and Banner. Who definitely seem to to be two distinct characters with opinions about the other, who share only some thoughts and feelings.

So where does Jane fit in?

Journey Into Mystery #123

While a Universe Trembles!

Featuring: Thor
Release: October 5, 1965
Cover: December 1965
12 cents
Fantasy to dazzle thy senses, written by: Stan Lee
Drama to quicken thy pulse, illustrated by: Jack Kirby
Beauty to nourish thine eyes, embellished by: Vince Colletta
Balloons to compound thy confusion, lettered by: Artie Simek
16 pages

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Journey Into Mystery #122, Story B	Reading order	Journey Into Mystery #123, Story B
Journey Into Mystery #122, Story B	Journey Into Mystery	Journey Into Mystery #123, Story B

…It’s like being in the center of the universe! Like being part of– eternity!

Notice the credits use “thy” and “thine” everywhere, words Thor is today famous for using, but that Stan is only slowly starting to pepper into his speech. On this very page, he refers to Hobbs as “you” and not “thee”.

Where did we leave off? Harris Hobbs kidnapped Jane to get a picture proving Thor was Donald Blake. Thor seems to have forgiven Hobbs and agreed to take him to visit Asgard. Meanwhile, Loki and the Absorbing Man have declared war on Asgard. When we left off, the Absorbing Man was confronting Odin with his own power.

Journey Into Mystery #92

The Day Loki Stole Thor’s Magic Hammer

Featuring: Thor
Release: March 5, 1963
Cover: May 1963
12 cents
Plot: Stan Lee
Script: R. Berns
Art: Joe Sinnott
13 pages

I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 1.

The somewhat awkward title of this story underscores they haven’t yet decided that Thor’s magic hammer should have a name.

I look forward to the first battle with Loki where he doesn’t steal Thor’s magic hammer.

Now, the title also sounds pretty ominous. For we know that if Loki were to steal Thor’s magic hammer, the thunder god would be helpless within 60 seconds. Indeed, that is what happened in both of Thor’s previous encounters with Loki, both of which involved Loki stealing his magic hammer.

Journey Into Mystery #85

Trapped by Loki, the God of Mischief!/The Vengeance of Loki!/
Release: August 2, 1962
Cover: October 1962
12 cents
Writers: Stan Lee and Larry Lieber
Penciler: Jack Kirby
Inker: Dick Ayers
13 pages

I read this story in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor vol. 1. The credits above come from the collection. I see no credits within the comic itself.

This is a pretty exciting story for me. I like the character of Thor, but what excites me most is the mythological world surrounding him. The first 2 issues told of a man in Thor’s body battling aliens and Commies. Now we finally get to Asgard.

“Beyond our segment of time and space, there exists Asgard, the citadel of the Norse gods, which is connected to earth by a rainbow bridge called the Bifrost!”