Random Happenstance

Let's see: we blogged #287 in 2019, #290 in 2011, #291 in 2014, and #289 today! Yeah, that makes sense. From 1979, Thor #289, "Look Homeward, Asgardian!" Written and edited by Roy Thomas, pencils by Keith Pollard, inks by Chic Stone.

This feels like the middle of the Eternals storyline, but it would go on, on-and-off, to Thor #300, a book I would need some kind of grant, stipend, large cash prize to even consider blogging. Lot going on in that one, probably too much. Still, here Thor has confronted the Celestial "One-Above-All," who like most Celestials doesn't seem to deign to talk to him, but shows him an image of Odin seemingly bending the knee to Arishem. Thor calls it treachery, but wants to know if Odin has sold out somehow. Instead, Thor and Hero, the Forgotten One, are teleported back to Olympia and the Eternals. (Sersi appears, to utter the epithet "by all the sailors I ever turned into swine!") Zuras, head Eternal, is furious at the reveal of the Forgotten One; calling him traitor. Thor rises to defend him, as manipulated by the Celestials; and it looks like it's going to come to blows before Makkari reveals Sprite's involvement, from Eternals #13...two years earlier? Thor also makes a comment about not tolerating tyrants, and Zuras realizes he's not mad at him...Thena and Ikaris present opposing views to Zuras, who decides to pair 'Hero' and Sprite together, to sort of account for each other.

The Eternals were gathering in numbers, to form the Uni-Mind and face the Celestials. Thor doesn't think even that has a chance, and asks for time to find another option: he's given a day, the time it would take for the other Eternals to arrive. Meanwhile, Odin stops by Mount Olympus, and briefly scuffles with some Titans before facing Zeus. Hercules doesn't want anything to do with Odin, since he knew Thor had been exiled from Asgard for standing up to the Celestials; but Odin proposes an alliance "...to smash any and all who would strive to save Midgard from death and destruction!" Was the All-Father turning heel? Back in Asgard, Balder was still in a deathlike state, as part of a "false Ragnarok" Odin had engineered to stave off the real thing; so there was maybe more evidence against him there. (Herc's mustache appears to have been left off that last panel there!) 

Thor arrives on the Bifrost, but is turned away at the gates of Asgard: even Sif tries to hold him off, since Odin had said he couldn't re-enter Asgard until he returned. Thor is a little steamed at that; like the gathered gods were being condescending. Crying, Sif activates the Destroyer, putting her spirit in it, which gives Thor pause. He's beaten and thrown off the Rainbow Bridge, hurtling towards earth, as Arishem glances upward, judging... 

Gods forbid I ever read this thing in order; with a little luck we'll probably see another chapter sometime in the next five or eight years. Still, a pretty massive cast this issue, and there would be even more characters later, then the plot really goes off the rails around #296 or so with the Ring of Nibelung stuff.