Uncommon story points: immortals of Asgard being forbidden to harm an "innocent" mortal, or to kill a fellow Asgardian. And when I say "uncommon," I mean I don't think it was ever brought up before or since this issue! From 1991, Thor #432, "At Death Do We Part!" Plot, pencils and words by Ron Frenz and Tom DeFalco; finishes by Al Milgrom.
Thor had been merged with the mortal Eric Masterson for a while here, but Loki has discovered the secret, and threatens Eric's son Kevin. That's when Thor tells Loki that's a no-no, against Big Daddy Odin's edict...but seriously, I don't think it was foreshadowed, or even mentioned, before this issue! Thor won't kill Loki after a heated battle, but will execute him after Loki murders an innocent woman while taking a shot at Eric's ex and son. (The Enchantress and Mephisto are involved as well, since I think this was all part of Loki's plan, or Mephisto's.)
I don't think Thor's immortality-eradication blast had ever been mentioned before either, and it also feels like an asspull. Of course, Odin then acts like Thor used Mjolnir to flatten a sack full of puppies, and has Heimdall pass the sentence of banishment for all eternity!...about two years, until #457. Eric becomes Thor, while Thor's soul apparently ends up in a sack in hell...that may have been a misdirect, and it might've been Loki in the sack, with Thor's consciousness merely submerged. Maybe? I don't know, I kinda fell off reading Thor here. Not because I didn't like the Eric Masterson Thor, that grew on me. But the way Frenz and DeFalco got there felt like a cheat!
Yeah, I don't remember that rule either, it was most definitely an asspull on that one. Still, they had a pretty damn good run on Thor. I bought issues here and there, but oddly enough it was the Eric Masterson version of Thor that hooked me on the series for awhile there until Thor came back.
ReplyDeleteKnowing Mephisto, it could've been anybody, but I always believed it was Thor, even in that one issue where Eric goes directly to Hell to retrieve Thor's soul and was tricked the whole time when the bag just vanishes as soon as he grabs it. I felt the same way Eric did; cheated. But damn, what a run though.
After that later writers, and DeFalco just did not know what to do with him, as Thunderstrike really flopped.
As a very long time Thor fan... yeah, I had pretty much given up on the book at this point.
ReplyDeleteFortunately it has gotten better. So very very much better.