Synopsis / Summary / Plot
With the backing of Mayor Luke Cage, Wasp has started Avengers Incorporated to investigate super-murders. Her associate goes by the name Vic Shade, an old alias of the Vision, but has the body of Janet Van Dyne's old (but now dead) foe Whirlwind. He can't remember who he really is but can use Whirlwind's speed power to simulate some of Vision's abilities. And we know (because the preamble tells us) that Jan's dead ex-husband Henry Pym is behind the Victor Shade mystery.
This issue begins with a scene which precedes the final scene of last issue. In the Great Hall of Valhalla dead Asgardian warriors carouse. An old man he calls Graybeard tells Skurge (the villainous Executioner who yet earned his place here by a gloriously heroic death) that it's time to turn the body of the great boar Saehrimnir roasting on its spit. Skurge downs his mead and sets off down the hall. But when he gets near the fire his great axe breaks free of the strap that ties it to his back. He makes great play of drawing everyone's attention to how it whirls in the air before it plunges into his chest to kill him. Everyone including the Valkyrie Brunnhilda is shocked that 1 of the dead of Valhalla can die again.
At the end of last issue Brunnhilda called Valkyrie Jane Foster to Valhalla to consider the problem.
Now Valkyrie (who Wasp and most other Earthlings don't know is Dr Jane Foster, quondam mortal love of Thor) has come to the Jarvis Lounge to consult the detectives. She's explained the situation to Jan who wonders why Val or All-Father Thor don't take the case. Val says that Thor is busy dealing with Frost Giants (and an editorial caption directs us to Immortal Thor #1), and Valkyries aren't detectives or avengers. They *look after* the dead warriors. Vic Shade joins them and comments "Like a doctor?" (does he know more than he's letting on?). Val is shocked because her death-vision shows her a large globe with robotic eyes floating behind his head, but she doesn't say anything about it. Jan accepts the case and Val says she can get them there ...
... So we see the trio entering the Great Hall to see a scene of unrestrained fighting. Val explains that any injuries incurred by the warriors, even fatal, will be cured by the next day. Which is what makes Skurge's actual death unusual. But she warns her companions to be careful because if *they* die they'll stay dead (except for the usual Marvel proviso). So Wasp shrinks and grows her wings as the Valkyrie uses her all-weapon Undrjarn to clear a path to Brunnhilde. Someone grabs Vic's shoulder but he makes his fist tough enough to break the Asgardian's nose, which impresses the fellow. And he gets the same flashback memory he had in #1 of a bearded man operating on him and saying that neither of them will remember this, but this time the man adds "I won't be allowed to (remember). But you're my last hope, son.". Confused Vic is almost hit by an axe but Wasp sting-blasts the female wielder.
Val reaches Brunnhilde who explains this battle is only incidentally caused by the murder. The Einherjar don't suspect each other of the crime because they know that they never fight in anger, only for the love of battle. But that's *why* they're fighting - to release their tension. Val asks her not to call her Jane Foster while humans are present, so B starts referring to her as New Valkyrie. And she reminds Val about the last human she brought here, this 1 to stay (see Valkyrie: Jane Foster #5) ...
... and Grim Reaper leaps forward with his scythe to attack Vic Shade, the being who seems to be the Vision (even with a diamond-shaped hole in his forehead where Vizh has his solar jewel), the 'machine' who 'stole' the mind of Eric Williams' brother Simon (now Wonder Man). Vic holds up a diamond-hard palm to stop him - which the scythe shockingly slices open. Wasp's sting is ineffective and the 2 Valkyries can't get through the brawling crowd. Val(JF) turns Undjarn into a ball and throws it to Vic who catches it and it uses his thoughts to turn into a super-nightstick for him to parry the scythe blade with. And then he starts to beat on the villain. But what stuns Jan is that Vic calls Eric Williams by name. How did he know that?
Brunnhilde reaches them and takes charge of GR. Vic hands the All-Weapon back to its owner. And Wasp starts interviewing witnesses (in mid-fight). She asks why Skurge went to turn the roasting meat when she understood that it was always perfectly-cooked anyway? No-one can think of a reason until a female warrior says she heard the old man called Graybeard tell him to do it. No-one knows where he's gone but he must be somewhere around because no-one can leave Valhalla unless the All-Father wishes it. And although there are some here who could enchant the axe and some could use it to strike a killing blow, everyone repeats that no-one here can strike in anger.
All the brawling has died down as Jan tells her companions that she thinks she's solved the mystery, but she needs to talk to Odin in private. Private seems to mean only accompanied by Vic and Val. It seems that she accuses Odin of killing Skurge, because he gets very angry. But Jan thinks his rage is false and she ploughs on to explain what she thinks happened. Even Odin couldn't kill Skurge in anger, but he could kill him in cold blood if it was part of a plan that the Executioner agreed to. She remembered that Harbardr (Graybeard) was 1 of Odin's many aliases. Skurge made sure it happened in plain sight of everyone but away from any who might get in the way. And Odin could surely have remotely swung the axe. All that was missing was a motive. And she reasons that Skurge needed to leave Valhalla and as its creator Odin would know of a way.
Odin gives in and explains why. When he was the All-Father he could and did allow people to leave whenever he wanted. But now he's dead (and Thor is now All-Father) he can't do it anymore. But he *did* build in a 'back door' which is death by *his* hand. Skurge earned his place in Valhalla by his death holding the bridge at Gjallerbru (Thor #362). But it was Thor who should have died that day, and if you take someone's death then you feel it when it eventually leaves you to go to its original target. Skurge had a dream of Thor facing death. Their fates are intertwined, and he and Odin believe that Skurge is the best chance to save Thor's life. So that's where he's gone.
Val asks why he didn't tell her or the other Valkyrior, and she swears to warn him. But Odin says that the very warning may seal his doom - such is often the way of fate. And now that the assembled company know what's going on the plan may fall apart.
Odin bids them go, but he gives Janet a 'gift'. Even from Valhalla he can see the workings of fate in the mortal world. He tells her that such an intertwining of threads is happening in *her* life. Vic Shade/Whirlwind is a dead man returned from the dead, and if Odin were to journey into that mystery he would ask if any returned alongside him.
This issue also has an epilogue which leads in to next issue. The villain gang Death-Throws read a headline that says 1 of their members Oddball has been killed by Scourge. They want to find out who did it but they're not detectives. But then they see another headline about last issue's case and recognise Wasp's companion as 1 of their reserve members, so they plan to take this case to *them*.