Synopsis
Thor, Firelord and a Rigellian Recorder robot are on a lifeless ice planet trying to stop Thanos and his allies (Mangog and an alien who pretended to be Odin's vizier Tarakis) from bringing about the end of all life in the universe. They're not doing too well. The Recorder is in pieces but still recording, Firelord is buried in ice and thoroughly beaten Thor is suspended by his own cloak. The bad guys have the Designate Tarene whose tears when drunk from the Chalice Of Ruins will give Thanos the power to end everything.
But Tarene refused to cry, even when they killed all her people or when she was at the mercy of Mangog. So Thanos tells Mangog to do what he will to her champion Thor. Mangog continues to pummel the limp body with relish.
In the land of Trolls Odin is being shown what is happening by Orikal. So far the action is following what Orikal prophecied in #22. The Troll Ulik berates Odin for not aiding his son in battle, but the Lord Of Asgard reminds him that he is greatly weakened because Tarakis poisoned him rather than giving him medicine to heal wounds inflicted by the Dark Gods. He orders Balder to tell the Dark Elf blacksmith Jagrfelm to bring whatever weapons he has made. The misshapen Elf arrives with a belt, gauntlets and a shield. Odin infuses them with Odin-Force and asks Orikal to show him where Firelord is.
On the ice planet they see the prediction continues to unfold. Tarene has finally wept for Thor and Thanos caught the tear in the Chalice. But now something happens that was not in the future vision - Firelord melts his way free from the ice. But a vision of Odin stops him from attacking the baddies and instead gets him to use his Power Cosmic to fly immediately to the Troll domain. Meanwhile Thanos drinks the tear from the Chalice and gains the power he sought.
Now we go beyond the previous vision as the Mad Titan unleashes the 1st wave of obliteration. But then Thor stirs and frees his cape from being impaled on an ice projection. Tarene and the Recorder watch as he walks towards Mangog and attacks him again. All previous assaults failed, but this time he shoves Mjolnir down the villain's throat and fires a blast of anti-force inside his body. Mangog is severely damaged and then Thor knocks him off an ice-cliff, and he explodes when he hits bottom.
Odin & co have seen this success but know that Thanos is even more formidable. Firelord arrives and Odin gives him the 3 weapons for Thor. Firelord heads straight back with them.
Recorder uses his long-range sensors to see the 1st wave destroy a plane Parsikon IV. Thor attacks the Titan but is easily held back in a painful energy field. Recorder gives him a minute chance of escaping, but crawls forward to help knowing that it'll make little difference. He is obliterated by the field and Thor swears to avenge him. Tarakis moves to kill him but Firelord arrives with the weapons and takes the time to disintegrate him with his fire-staff.
Another blast frees Thor and Firelord hands over the 3 weapons. Thor recognises the belt as the Belt Of Power which doubles his strength. And all 3 reinvigorate him with Odin-Force. He hurls Mjolnir at Thanos and calls him out. The Titan deigns to respond with an explosive blast. Firelord shields himself and Tarene. And Thor's new shield protects *him* but he's forced back. However when it's over he surges forward again. Thanos keeps blasting directly at him and the shield gradually disintegrates. But Thor keeps moving forward and reaches his foe just as the shield falls apart. Then it's hand (and Mjolnir) to hand close combat until Thor grabs the Stone Of Illumination hanging round the Titan's neck and crushes it.
And apparently the Stone wasn't only useful in revealing who the Designate was. It seems now that without it the power that Tarene's tear gave Thanos drains away. Now it's Thor with the Odin-Force (and the belt and gauntlet) against plain old Thanos. And the Thunder God's blows are unapposed until the villain lies beaten at his feet. The Designate now weeps for all those killed in this story. And we learn yet another fact about the Stone. Without it her tears burn Thanos like the fires of Hell, and burning he falls into the ground. And Odin & co witness all this via Orikal.
We get a little epilogue and prologue.
Back home in Svartalfheim Jagrfelm gloats over the box that Odin gave him power over last issue. He predicts it will be the downfall of the 9 Asgardian worlds, as it nearly was before.
In New York Crusher Creel (Absorbing Man) is at the hospital bedside of his severely ill love Mary MacPheran (Titania).
CharactersGood (or All)Plus: Jagrfelm, Orikal, Recorder from Rigel.