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Thor #476: Review

Jul 1994
Roy Thomas, M. C. Wyman

Story Name:

Whom The Destroyer Would Destroy...

Review & Comments

Rating:
4 stars

Thor #476 Review by (November 8, 2023)

Review: So the tale starts out with the weird “Alt-Don Blake” subplot so Roy Thomas can retcon it again. The big deal will be issue #479 so we can ignore it until then and concentrate on the issue’s cool part, namely, the fight with the Destroyer. The Destroyer is more powerful than before and it comes with an actual personality this time (arrogant braggart) to make for one of the best Destroyer tales. The jagged chaotic look to the panels increases the excitement of the battle and note, though attention is not called to it, Mjolnir was broken on the final page.

Comments: Cover is a homage to THOR #118. Part one of two parts. Title is a play upon, “Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.” The Destroyer, animated by Lorelei, was last seen in issues #437-441. Lorelei was claimed by Hela in issue #402. Jane Foster was teacher to the New Men around issue #134. Don Blake refers to a comic book about a crippled newsboy who becomes a superhero; that’s Freddy Freeman a/k/a Captain Marvel Jr. (the Shazam! guy’s sidekick). Page 13 has a sneaky cameo by Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Thor is asked to autograph copies of Mythology by Edith Hamilton, the standard work on the subject. The letters page includes one by Michael P. Dooney, possibly the future TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES writer/artist. 






 

Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Thor #476 Synopsis by Peter Silvestro

In Wundagore, Thor tries to explain to Don Blake and Jane Foster how he and Blake were once the same person and how many years have passed since Blake was in the cave in Norway and how he and Jane were in love at one point but Jane is now older and long past that stage. Nearby, the High Evolutionary is trying to explain the same thing to the Godpack, who are satisfied with a simpler version. Jane summarizes her career in the comics for Blake’s benefit and then Blake snaps, lashing out at Thor and demanding his stolen life back. Then Jane realizes her son, Jimmy Kincaid, is missing; his scream draws them to the Godpack’s cave home where they find him playing with the superstrong Anak and having fun….

In Hel, Hela, Goddess of Death, watches as the Destroyer, being used as a prison for her enemy Lorelei, is forced to battle tentacled monsters that frequently regenerate so there is no end to her labors. Then Hela has another use for the Destroyer so she extracts Lorelei’s spirit and sends it back to the Domain of the Dead until she can think up another nasty punishment. She has another spirit in mind to inhabit the powerful armor….

Thor offers to take Jane, Jimmy, and Don Blake back to New York. Jane reveals that she is staying as the High Evolutionary has asked her to be teacher and nurse to the Ani-Mutants, as she had done once before with the New Men—and Jimmy loves the place. So, Thor flies Blake back to New York where he discovers his former office now houses a different business and that Thor spoke truly when he said many years had gone by. Thor offers his aid but the bitter Blake wants nothing to do with him or his father….

Thor broods about Blake until he is distracted by some girls wanting his autograph and an old lady who kisses him to thank him for saving her grandson from a fire. Suddenly, the Destroyer erupts from the ground and challenges Thor to battle in an articulate and noble voice. In its first attack, Destroyer damages Mjolnir so Thor hurls it away and takes on his foe with his bare hands. The armor is more powerful than Thor had ever seen before and it methodically beats him down while boasting of its power. Mjolnir returns and Destroyer catches it and hammers Thor into the ground, proclaiming itself the new master of Mjolnir….

Characters: Thor, Jane Foster, Jimmy Kincaid, Don Blake Construct, High Evolutionary, Godpack, Hela, Destroyer, Lorelei, Blitziana


Preview Pages
Click sample interior pages to enlarge them:




M. C. Wyman
Mike DeCarlo
Ovi Hondru
M. C. Wyman (Cover Penciler)
Mike DeCarlo (Cover Inker)
? (Cover Colorist)
Letterer: Phil Felix.

Characters

Listed in Alphabetical Order.

Hela
Hela

(Goddess of Death)
Thor
Thor

(Odinson)

Plus: Donald Blake Construct, Godpack (Godlings), Jimmy Kincaid.

> Thor: Book info and issue index

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