I say "big fat cheat," but it's kind of the opposite.

Last year we checked out one of my favorite classic Thor issues, which featured Walt Simonson art years before he took over the book again. Today we've got another of his early ones: from 1977, Thor #263, "Holocaust and Homecoming!" Written by Len Wein, breakdowns by Walt Simonson, inks by Tony DeZuniga. Cover by John Buscema and Joe Sinnott, but it promises help that's a big fat cheat!

Odin is dead, his lifeforce drained and monsterized by the alien "Soul-Survivors." You can see a bit of what would be Surtur's redesign there, I think. Things look pretty bad: not only are Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three no match for Odin's stolen power, but with the All-Father dead, the enchantments powering Mjolnir are no more: it no longer returns to Thor's hand.

A surprising hero rises to save the day, though: Volstagg, the Voluminous! Who has developed zap-power, somehow: Odin slipped his power to him the previous issue. That's the cheat I mentioned: there is no way that shadow on the cover is Volstagg's, it's far too svelte! Most light can't escape the surface of Volstagg...The Soul-Survivors are defeated, I guess: they seem to just drift out of the story. Odin is revived and drifts off into the Odin-sleep, as Thor and company return him to Asgard...to find Loki upon the throne, with the Enchantress and Executioner beside him! Or in front. Whatever.