Previously, as Blood and Thunder thunders on, Thanos encased Thor in a 'time-stasis block.' The next step seems pretty straight-forward: take Thor to Odin, but it doesn't go that well. The Silver Surfer, Warlock and the Infinity Watch, and Dr. Strange arrive on the rainbow bridge Bifrost; but seeing them with Thanos, Odin jumps to the conclusion that they plan on using Thor as a hostage...for some reason, presumably to fill forty pages and justify a die-cut cover.
The forces of Asgard, including Balder and the Warriors Three, attack; and over the course of battle Dr. Strange, Moondragon, and Gamora are knocked out. (Moondragon and Strange in particular, since normally they probably could've stopped the fight cold.) Thanos pulls Maxam (a mysterious addition to the Watch) out of the fighting to take over monitoring Thor's prison; and he and the Surfer face off against Odin. The Surfer goes down early, but Thanos goes several rounds before Sif and Beta Ray Bill break it up. (Early on, Sif had been concerned that taking Thor to Odin might mean her beloved's death: Thor had the "warrior's madness," and may have had to be put down.)
Odin wonders how his son could've come to such a lowly state, and Warlock, Strange, and the Surfer put it squarely on Odin. Over the years, Odin altered and manipulated Thor's mind many times; but the good news is he might not have true warrior's madness and may be savable. Odin tries it, fails, and proclaims "Thor must die!" within three pages...
As happens time to time in superhero comics, some of the heroes are taken out way too easily this month, in order to keep the issue from being over in three panels; while others (Cough! Thanos!) are maybe a bit over-powered. (Although, Thanos may have had an ace in the hole here that wasn't mentioned...) All-seeing, all-knowing, all-father Odin...screws up like your average mortal, a couple of times as well.
Also, since I mentioned them last time: in the book's regular plotline, Lord Abyss and his somewhat-oblivious girl Lady Maya, plot against Warlock, with a cool-looking bottle of wine. Uh-huh...well, Abyss seems pretty impressed with it, anyway, but I don't know how that played out.
From Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25, "Raid on Asgard" Written by Jim Starlin, pencils by Angel Medina, inks by Bill Anderson. (Per GCD, the issue itself credits Bob Almond, the regular inker.)
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