Asgard under the Dark Gods: Aware that he was about to
transform into Jake Olson, the mighty Thor escaped his enemy Perrikus by
crawling into a drainage conduit and hiding. The Dark Gods (Perrikus, Adva,
Tokkots, Majeston Zelia, D’Chel) exult whereas the Asgardians (Odin, Balder,
Sif) are shocked and dismayed. Perrikus calls on the coward Thor to come out
and fight. Perrikus tries to pick up the damaged Mjolnir but cannot. Balder
tells him only one as courageous as Thor can lift it. Perrikus mocks the courage
of one who would flee. Majeston Zelia uses her Infinity Vision and does not see
Thor in all of Asgard; they question Odin who does not know where Thor is
either; D’Chel senses that Odin tells the truth. Meanwhile, Jake Olson crawls
through the foul sewers, looking for an exit. He is found by the minions of
Slototh and dragged off to be put to work in the pit where he must shovel
sewage which provides the Dark Gods with their power. Jake is shown to Slototh,
a creature of slime and refuse, lord of the sewers, who picks up Jake and hurls
him into the slop where he is beaten; they recognize him as from Midgard, the
“first” of many. Understanding that Earth is on the Dark Gods’ hit list, Jake
is compelled to find an escape. Volstagg, now a thin old man, is pushed in with
Jake; when the mighty one is beaten, Jake loses his temper and hits one of the
minion guards with his shovel, smashing him to pieces. Then Tokkots arrives,
recognizing Jake as the Odinson in disguise and carries him off. Volstagg hears
the word “Odinson” and stands amazed….
Tokkots delivers Jake Olson back to the throne room,
announcing he is Thor. Perrikus does not believe him, blasting Tokkots and
demanding that if Thor is disguised to show himself. He slaps Jake around,
blasting him with energy…until Jake lands on the broken Mjolnir. Then he
becomes Thor, grasping the reconstituted hammer, filling him with the power of
the son of Odin. Thor then swings Mjolnir over his head…and vanishes. And for a
second time, Thor appears to turn coward, shocking Odin, Balder, and Sif….
Thor arrives in a remote part of the galaxy to appeal to one
imprisoned there to join him…and the Destroyer, inhabited by Colonel Preston
Case, refuses….