Thor (1966 series) #468

In Asgard at night Balder finds Odin brooding alone, unable to sleep for concern over his long-absent son Thor. The Thunder God had been moody and quarrelsome after his release from banishment within the mind of Eric Masterson (#432-457). That following the transfer of some of his power to Beta Ray Bill, and before that the long period where he believed himself to be mortal Donald Blake, had made him feel "reduced to bits and pieces". Odin had sent him away to cruise the stars to find peace and gather himself together. But he didn't expect it to take so long "alone and without purpose".

But we see Thor with his Valkyrie companion who has given his life direction. She has taught him to throw off the unjust yoke of Asgard and has convinced him to destroy it. But now she points out that Midgard and other realms have ever been ungrateful for his services. The whole universe deserves to burn leaving them 2 alone together.

Sif and Beta Ray Bill are watching Thor standing on a desolate planetoid, and see no-one with him. They believe him in the grip of Warrior Madness for which the punishment is eternal banishment from Asgard. Last issue Sif persuaded Zeus of Olympus to delay 3 days before informing the All-Father of the problem, so they must find a way of curing Thor before then. So in between she has sought out Bill in Asgard and used the Norn Stones to bring them to where Thor is.

Sif persuades BRB to hang back and let her try to talk the Thunder God down. For after all they are betrothed and *she* still loves *him*. But when she confronts him he spurns her, especially when she claims to be his true love. He turns to Valkyrie and professes his love for *her*. But Sif protests that there's no-one else there. When her love insists that Val is real Sif has to conclude that she's a figment of his imagination. But Thor won't hear such 'lies' and strikes her down and prepares to kill her.

But Beta Ray Bill interrupts to save her. Thor reminds Bill how he defeated him recently (#461) but Bill stands fast. He appeals to the man he thinks of as his brother and holds out the hand of friendship. But Thor whacks him with his hammer and keeps beating him until BRB fights back. Sif watches on with tears in her eyes as her love brutally bashes her friend. Then it's her turn to intervene with her sword. However the Thunder God smites a spire of upthrust rock and the large fragments batter the Asgardian woman.

Thor now has both 'deceitful' foes at his mercy. He strikes the ground with Mjolnir causing fissures and quakes, and threatens to do the same to Asgard. He strikes Bill 1 more time with the hammer and picks the fallen Sif up by the hair. However Bill throws his own hammer Stormbreaker to hit Thor on the back of the head. While the Thunder God is stunned he urges Sif to use the Norn Stones to escape and seek more allies, or if necessary tell Odin about the Warrior Madness. She reluctantly does so.

Then Thor hits Bill with lightning, and then with a hammer blow whose force shatters the planetoid beneath them. But BRB still clings to life. Thor says no-one can save him now ... at which point Silver Surfer shows up to stop him.