The Son of Odin hath known the bitter taste of defeat in the past...but he hath never endured the ignominy of surrender! 
- —Thor
Appearing in "The Hammer and the Holocaust!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Asgard
- Stardust Studios (First appearance)
Items:
Synopsis for "The Hammer and the Holocaust!"
Continued from last issue....
Believing that he has lost his honor, Thor is confronted by Jane Foster who tries to get him to forget restoring his honor and that she loves him. Thor is embittered by being the subject to Jane's pity and leaves. Before Jane can do anything more, someone is struck by a car, sending her rushing to this stranger to give them medical aid.
While in California, preparations for a new Hercules feature film are under way at Stardust Studios. When some of the workers stop to comment on the set designs, they are scared back into their work by the studio owner, J.P. -- who is in reality Pluto, the Olympian God of Death and ruler of Hades. With his workers gone, he checks with one of his slaves in Hades to make sure all is well. Satisfied that nothing there demands his attention, Pluto begins preparing for the arrival of Hercules.
Elsewhere, Thor stops to ponder his lot and how to restore his honour, unaware that he is being watched by remorseful Odin who feels fully responsible for doing this to the Thunder God. Odin is then struck down from behind by Seidring who is attempting to take over Asgard. With Odin defeated he does just that, and when Balder enters the room to investigate, Seidring announces that he is the ruler of Asgard.
When Thor returns to Asgard, he finds Heimdall encased in a block of Ethereal force, and rushes into the city of Asgard to learn what has happened. There he finds his fellow Asgardians all have been incapacitated, including Balder. Suddenly, Thor is surrounded in a ring of fire erected by Seidring, who demands that Thor pledge an allegiance to him or suffer the same fate as his comrades. Thor refuses, and walks through the flame to battle Seidring.
While back on Earth, Pluto continues his plot against Hercules, joined by Hippolyta who is in on the charade, pretending to be an actress playing the role of herself. Pluto creates an Olympian Pact, a document that makes an eternal pact between those who sign it, the key to Pluto's plot against the Prince of Power.
Back on Asgard, Seidring and Thor battle, Seidring using his superior mystical powers against Thor who finds himself initially out matched and fighting on the defencive. Finding himself unable to defeat the Odinpower enhanced Seidring, Thor escapes to the chaimber of the Oversword. Braving all of Seidring's mystical attacks, Thor grabs the handle of the sword and threatens to bring about Ragnarok if Seidring refuses to surrender back his usurped power to Odin.
Not wishing to have his life ended, Seidring returns the power to Odin, who tells Seidring to leave and that his punishment will come later. Odin then scoops up the exhausted Thor, and carries him off, convinced that his son is still the most noble of all Asgard.
Appearing in "Tales of Asgard: The Meaning of Ragnarok!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Loki
- Loki-10118 (First appearance) (Vision or hallucination)
- Midgard Serpent (Jormungand-10118) (First appearance) (Vision or hallucination)
Other Characters:
- Heimdall-10118 (First appearance) (Vision or hallucination)
- Odin-10118 (First appearance) (Vision or hallucination)
- Thor-10118 (First appearance) (Vision or hallucination)
- Fandral-10118 (First appearance) (Vision or hallucination)
Races and Species:
- Asgardians
- Frost Giants
- Asgardian Dragons (Vision or hallucination)
Locations:
- Earth-616
- Asgard
- Earth-10118 (First appearance)
- Asgard (Vision or hallucination)
- City of Asgard (Vision or hallucination)
- Bifrost (Vision or hallucination)
- City of Asgard (Vision or hallucination)
Items:
- Mjolnir
- Gjallarhorn (Vision or hallucination)
Events:
- Ragnarök (Vision or hallucination)
Synopsis for "Tales of Asgard: The Meaning of Ragnarok!"
Continued from last issue...
Odin has summoned Thor and his crew back to Asgard to prepare for the coming of Ragnarok. In order for his people to properly understand what is to come, Odin has the prophet known as Volla reveal her prophesies of the coming cataclysm:
She speaks of a coming blizzard, and how the people of Asgard would become savage and battle one another, and how Loki amass an army of trolls and demons to attack Asgard. This battle would lead to the destruction of the Bifrost Bridge, and a massive battle in Asgard between an army led by Thor, and the opposing forces of Loki and his minions.
So fierce would be this battle that all of Asgard would crumble, and the end would be marked by the coming of the Midgard Serpent, rising from the depths to consume all that is left.
This story is continued next issue....