Thor #209: Review

Mar 1973

Gerry Conway, John Buscema

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Story Name:

Warriors in the Night!

Review & Comments

Rating:

Thor #209 Review by Peter Silvestro (November 15, 2022)

Review: Thor versus an unstoppable enemy? One who turns out in the end to be not an enemy at all and Thor was really the bad guy all along? So we have I AM LEGEND with a Celtic/Norse edge (and no vampires, mutants, or Will Smith). Pretty cool as Thor encounters someone who can whip his butt in a fight, which doesn’t often happen and it serves him right for assuming a guy who tears his way up from the underground is a bad guy. And it’s a second consecutive issue wherein someone learns what he needs to know about the bad guy at the library, which warms my old librarian heart.

Comments: First appearance of Demon Druid, who returns in EXCALIBUR #20 and is later revealed to be Ultimus, a Kree warrior, with amnesia.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #209 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

On his search for Sif, Thor lands in a London neighborhood and strike his hammer to the ground to transform back into Don Blake. Unknown to him, the vibrations enter the ground, penetrating the depths until they reach a body inside and alien shell—and awaken it….

Don goes into a pub for a meal and is surprised to see the Grand Vizier sit down opposite him. The Vizier explains that he is disguised as a mortal to all eyes but his. The visitor wants to know why Thor is not at the gates of Asgard begging Odin’s forgiveness and Don explains that his search for Sif, now in its tenth day, takes precedence. Suddenly, the entire neighborhood shakes and a blue-skinned giant bursts from the ground. Don transforms into Thor and confronts the giant, who calls himself Demon Druid. But DD has a mission to complete so he blasts Thor, knocking him unconscious and goes on his way. Thor awakens to meet Lt. Prichard of Scotland Yard, who has men tracking the Demon Druid via a viewscreen. They watch as DD travels southwest, knocking down everything in his way with some sort of force field, and withstanding attacks by the army. Thor flies to the scene while Prichard talks to a scientist who tells him the rock of DD’s cocoon is over 3000 years old, sending him to the library….

Thor arrives and attacks the Demon Druid but discovers his blows have little effect on his foe while the other’s blasts can overpower the Thunder God. Thor throws all of his storm powers against DD but they have no effect. Finally, a single all-powerful blast from Mjolnir is able to hurt Demon Druid who returns the blast and they both fall unconscious. Prichard arrives and tells the reviving Thor not to attack DD any longer. DD rises and heads for Stonehenge, unimpeded and from the center of the monument, he blasts off into space. Prichard explains that the foe was an alien visitor worshipped as a god by the Druids and merely wanted to go home….

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