I think I've read several issues of this series from the dollar bins, but maybe none in order. Still, we'll see if this one does anything for us: from 2024,
Immortal Thor #14, "The Wheel" Written by Al Ewing, art by Janeth Bazaldúa Nava. Cover by Alex Ross.
This issue opens with a flashback to the mythical origin of Zeus: his mother, Rhea, had gone to the earth-mother Gaea for help. Namely, how to keep the Titan Cronus, from eating her son Zeus? Gaea substitutes a magic rock, for Rhea to feed to Cronus in Zeus's stead, then gets kind of creepy and grabby: she considers if Zeus could be useful, in the future, was he the one...? She decides no, but maybe he could be a final test for that chosen one.
Millenia later, Thor and Hercules find the resurrected Zeus, in a dark dimension of endless night. He had been killed by Nyx, who seemed to have a lot of power there, but she, like the rest of them, was seemingly trapped in that dimension by a rune of Loki's. (Actually, although he may have used it, I don't think it was Loki's rune.) Loki was currently appearing as a younger man, and shows up with Athena, who seems to have gone a bit dark and spacey, filled with "the wisdom beyond wisdom." They give Thor some clues about his current test, before Zeus returns, now partnered up with Nyx, and intent on killing Loki--and incidentally, Thor, Herc, and even Athena--then getting out to start a new race of gods. Still, his vaunted thunderbolts can't even reach Thor: he was currently the All-Father, and could turn the bolts away. Herc notices, that seemed to dismay Loki...
Zeus gets angrier and angrier, as Thor feigns boredom batting away the bolts. But, Hercules realizes, the test was to "take it like a god!" Thor takes on Zeus, hand to hand, and catches about a million volts, but stays in there. Herc turns his attention to Nyx, forgiving her, in an attempt to free them both from an endless cycle of vengeance. He also points out, a realm of eternal night, maybe actually was a good home for her? Nyx realizes, yeah, she could do something there, for herself (and probably without Zeus...) and sends one of her calmer-seeming kids, Hypnos, to go with Hercules back to the "old world." But Zeus and Thor's fight continues: Loki says, his trial wasn't over.
Despite Zeus hitting him with everything, Thor is unhurt: in fact, he's taking in Zeus's power, leaving him smaller and weak, and finally collapsing. Thor now had the power of Odin
and Zeus...as well as the mark of the wheel. To be continued!
I would have to read more of this series in one sitting to be sure, but I wonder if Ewing wasn't trying to see, if the old cycles like Ragnarok couldn't be broken. Can you learn from them, if you have to keep reliving them?
3 comments:
He probably was asking exactly that, and you’d think the gods would want to break that vicious cycle at some point right? I mean human history repeats itself because certain lessons aren’t learned & certain toxic patterns of behavior aren’t learned from, so the whole thing keeps going until common sense prevails. At least that’s the idea anyways. Unfortunately mankind is stubborn, so it tends to take a long time for most of us to get it through our thick skulls. No doubt the same applies to the Gods as well, because what are they if not us with supernatural upgrades?
I take it you didn’t buy too much of this particular series? Did you like it overall? Have you had a chance to read the new Mortal Thor series by any chance? I stared to read the first issue but got bored with it about half way through it, but maybe you’ll like it more.
Yeah, a bit disappointing considering how good Al Ewing’s 2000 AD stuff is. I guess he’s saving his best work for them, but it seems like most of the good 2000 AD writers and artists give subpar work for American publishers. Oh well, at least they’re getting good rates for it and more than half will come back to 2000 AD from time to time when they have space.
Hey, is the Yaka thread locked or something? I’ve tried posting like a half dozen times and nothing.
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