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Selector

Thor (1998 series) #43

Jan 2002 on-sale: Nov 7, 2001

Dan Jurgens
writer
 |  Joe Bennett
penciler

Thor (1998 series) #43 cover

Story Name:

Taking Charge: Part 3 of 3


Synopsis

Thor (1998 series) #43 synopsis by reviewer Peter Silvestro
Rating: 4.5 stars

Dale Krogstad of Settler’s Peak, Tennessee, is dying of cancer so for his final days, he has moved to New York City to see some excitement in the time he has left. He then walks in front of a taxi—and Thor Girl swoops down, crushing the front of the vehicle and catching the drive as he is thrown through his windshield. The driver rages against her for wrecking his cab but she ignores him. Dale can’t restrain his amazement and he and the heroine have a nice chat abut her choice of name. She advises him to get something to eat and takes off…only to be knocked out of the sky by the axe hurled by Skurge the Executioner. He demands that she summon Thor, his true target, and she refuses. They fight with Dale Krogstad caught between them. She is overconfident and when her enemy goes down, she drops her guard. Skurge rises and overpowers her, then raises his axe over her stunned form….

Thor sits on Odin’s throne. Loki comes to him, reminding him that Odin was his father too. Thor reveals that he feels the Odinforce growing in him each day, which appears to confirm Odin’s death. Loki suggests Hela is the only one who can confirm it. Then Thialfi enters bearing news that Thor Girl is in trouble….

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In Hel, Volla warns Hela about interfering with Thor, unwelcome advice to her mistress. But Hela knows Thor will only grow stronger so the time to strike is now….

Christine Collins did not show up for work so Jake Olson goes to her apartment. He finds her chained up, done by Skurge the Execution because she is in love with Jake. Freed, she assumes her real form: Amora the Enchantress, who confesses her love is for Thor but Jake will do….

Dale hurls his suitcase which causes Skurge to miss Thor Girl with his axe. As Tarene recovers, Dale attacks the villain again, jumping on his back and trying to put him in a headlock. Skurge throws Dale away and blasts Tarene, then raises his axe once more…only to have it caught by Thor. The Thunder God recognizes that his enemy is not the real Skurge, by means of “the Knowing.” Thor whisks them all to Hel and confronts Hela with her failed agent. A blast of Odin’s power reveals the false Skurge in his true form as a misshapen little monster, clutching the axe of the real Skurge. Thor notes that Dale has been cured of his cancer; Thor also confiscates Skurge’s axe to prevent a similar scheme being attempted. They return to the surface because Thor has a funeral to plan. Volla is relieved to have escaped a severe fate but Hela suggests they have just seen the beginning of their end….

On a remote planet, Desak the God-Slayer has caught up with the Dark Gods he intends to kill but at the last moment, Adva opens a gateway and she escapes with Perrikus and D’Chel. Desak intends to follow them but Artur Zarrko arrives and informs him that the greatest threat must first be removed: Thor of Asgard….

Characters: Jake Olson Dup, Thialfi, Thor, Thor Girl

Villains: Adva, Dark Gods, D’Chel, Desak, Enchantress, Executioner2, Hela, Loki, Perrikus, Volla, Zarrko


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Characters
Good (or All)
JAKEODUP  
Jake Olson
(Duplicate)
THOR  
Thor
(Odinson)
THORGIRL  
Thor Girl
(Tarene)
Plus: Thialfi.

Enemies
ENCHANTRESS  
HELA  
Hela
(Asgardian goddess of death)
LOKI  
Loki
(Loki Laufeyson)
ZARRKO  
Zarrko
(Artur Zarrko)
Plus: Adva, Dark Gods, DChel (DChel the Deceptor), Executioner (Demon from Hela), Perrikus, Volla the Prophetess (Volla).

> Thor (1998 series) comic book info and issue index



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Main/1st Story Full Credits

Joe Bennett
Jack Jadson
Dave Kemp
Tom Raney (Cover Penciler)
Unknown (Cover Inker)
Unknown (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Oscar Gongora.
Editor: Tom Brevoort.



Review / Commentaries


reviewer
Thor (1998 series) #43 Review by (February 4, 2026)

Review: A much better issue to close the trilogy with Thor and Thor Girl fighting a fake Executioner covering the majority of it. The offbeat and audacious part is the terminally ill hillbilly arriving in New York, a naïve outsider bantering with the rookie superhero Thor Girl, even trying to help her fight the villain. Yeah, Thor (or Hel) curing his cancer creates some major continuity issues, not to mention the questionable taste of creating an easy solution for a real-life tragedy that afflicts many. Plus, Desak and Zarrko unite to lead us into the next major story arc, part of “the Reigning,” which we have been warned about.

Comments: Only appearance of Dale Krogstad. First appearance of Thialfi. One odd bit: Thor seems to use the Odinforce to heal Dale of cancer yet many years later, he is unable to do the same for Jane Foster. Cover artists uncertain, according to GCD; penciller is possibly Tom Raney. Letters by Oscar Gongora and Richard Starkings.






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