Thor #337

“Doom!”

0.60 USD/0.75 CAN @ December 1983

Writer: Walter Simonson
Penciler: Walter Simonson
Inker: Walter Simonson
Colorist: George Roussos
Letterer: John Workman
Editors: Mark Gruenwald
Editor in Chief: James Shooter

Synopsis: The story opens up with an ancient galaxy exploding, and a molten ingot of star stuff is left behind, but not left alone. And then the sound of thunder reverberated throughout a billion worlds. Back on Earth, Dr. Donald Blake is at a park contemplating that he would rather forsake his heritage of being the Asgardian God of Thunder for a day in order to be an ordinary mortal man. A Frisbee hits him from behind, and he handed back the Frisbee to the young man. Then a couple of middle aged men grabbed his cane and ushered him into an awaiting car. Inside was Nick Fury asking him for help, or rather his alter ego, Thor’s help. And the car converted to hover mode and they flew to the SHIELD Helicarrier above Manhattan. Inside the screening room, agent Sitwell showed Colonel Fury and Thor a spaceship heading towards Earth at faster than light speed. The ship passed a star and flared it to life and then sucked it in, with Sitwell theorizing the ship was refueling. They sent a probe but it went dead. Fury asked for Thor’s help regarding this matter, and Thor’s answer did not take too long. He was headed to space to intercept the Earth-bound spaceship.

Meanwhile, in the halls of Asgard, an empty soul that is the Lady Sif approached a gluttonous Balder the Brave who has just returned from Hel. He looked double his weight. Apparently depressed, he has decided to just eat food and drink until he cannot anymore. He told Sif that Balder the Brave is no more. He has returned not fit to be a man or a god. Seeing that Balder is of no help, she turned to her brother, Heimdall the Watcher so that he may point her to where there is glorious battle. Alas, Heimdall told her he cannot, and that perhaps only Odin himself can be the only to help her.

In the other side of the galaxy, Thor approached the alien spaceship that was fast approaching Earth. Its automatic armament of batteries let loose fire upon him, and he did battle with the ship. He disarmed the extensive outer batteries shelling him. He ripped through and outer wall and breached the inside of the alien ship. As he walked through, he came across a chamber housing some alien. And an arm and hand crashed through the housing grabbing his face.

In another desolate corner of Asgard, high atop Loki’s castle, he witnessed from afar a Troll hunt. The Troll hid to escape his hunters, and was approached by a beautiful woman telling the Troll that she will help hide him to prevent capture. As the Asgardians arrived, Lorelei held the Troll telling the Asgardian hunters that strength is not enough to win, as she has proven. Indeed agreed Loki as he approached her, and wanted to talk to her back at his abode. The Asgardians warned Lorelei the danger of Loki, who threatened the Asgardians that they will feel Odin himself’s wrath if he found out about this illegal hunt. He sent them away.

Back in the alien ship, the alien hand threw Thor on the far side of the ship. The creature emerged an introduced himself as Beta Ray Bill. He deduced that Thor is a demon who came to destroy his people. The two did battle. The battle-armored Beta Ray Bill was holding his own against Thor as the two traded blows. But the ship has sustained multiple damages, and it calculated Earth as a planet where it can enact repairs and headed that way. As the battle progressed, Thor lost the handle of Mjolnir. As Thor punched Bill he asked him to yield, but Bill would not. And then Thor reverted back to human, Donald Blake as he was not in contact with Mjolnir for an extended period of time. And Beta Ray Bill knocked out the human being. Just then the alien ship crash landed on Earth. Beta Ray Bill ordered the alien ship, whose name is Skuttlebut, to throw a protective stasis shield around him to protect him from the crashlanding. The unconscious Donald Blake who is in his vicinity was also thrown a protective stasis shield as well. Looking for the weapon, Mjolnir, Beta Ray Bill could not find it as it reverted back to a cane, which he picked up and stamped against one of the bulkheads. And instantly he was transformed to Beta Ray Thor. He is worthy to hold Mjolnir. Meanwhile SHIELD agents led by Nick Fury led a furious assault against the alien ship. Beta Ray Thor joined the battle outside wielding Mjolnir. And as the battle ensued, Beta Ray Thor was summoning thunder and lightning while whirling Mjolnir, Odin suddenly appeared summoning Thor. Mistaking Bata Ray Thor for his son, he summoned him instantly back into Asgard, and Beta Ray Thor vanished from the battle with no trace. As Nick Fury and his agents looked on, one of his agents saw the figure of a man. Donald Blake who stood atop the alien ship and yelled out to his father not to forsake him.

Comments: I am sure sales figures must have been faltering tremendously by Thor #336. Upon the release of Thor #337, I am sure fans were very excited with Walter Simonson’s debut on this series. As readers came to know, his work on Thor is brilliant and critically acclaimed. He immediately hit his stride in his first issue. He immediately introduced a new character that will stand the test of time, and re-established the heart of series, a being worthy and full of honor in order to hold Mjolnir. He went against expected norms and the new hero looks more like an antagonistic beast than hero. Yet, he wielded Mjolnir, which only a few in the Marvel Universe can claim to hold.

In the beginning of the issue, at the park, Donald Blake laments that he wishes he can forsake being Thor and be a normal human. By the end of the issue, he is human, and Beta Ray Bill is Thor. Now he got what he wanted, and he is shocked and upset. If that isn't a subtle "American whining about work," that we all do from time to time, then I don't know what is. When the job is gone, then all of a sudden, we're not whining anymore. Thor didn't know how good he had it until he lost it.

The initial cover page has the title smashed. Something is amiss and something new is taking place. That is one of the most iconic cover pages in the history of Marvel. For long time Thor fans and new ones, this is a great jumping on point. Reading this book, you can tell that all involved, primarily Walter Simonson, resurrected this series and at the same time elevated it into excellence. And I am looking forward into my second journey into the legendary Walter Simonson run on the Thor series.

Interesting. I wikipedia'd it, and the Amazon reviews have positive reviews mostly about the Christopher Priest collection.

An alien beast with horse-like features, with the simplest of names yet noble enough to raise Mjolnir. Simonson started off his run with a bang. It's interesting that this initial storyline with Surtur is an adaption and expansion of a story that Simonson had in mind for years prior to this. His love and knowledge of Norse mythology definitely helped and honed these stories into classics.  Also, while the fight between Bill and Thor was intense, I love the final splash page of Blake standing atop Scuttlebutt, screaming into the rain and wind for Odin.

Yeah String. That final page captured his helplessness. Even word balloons were done phenomenally by Walter Simonson on his first issue here.

Was Lark really the penciller of these issues?  Your credits above say it was Alex Maleev.  I thought Lark didn't start pencilling DD until Ed Brubaker's run.

Daredevil #168

"Elektra"

Artist and Writer: Frank Miller
Inker: Klaus Janson
Colorist: Dr. Martin
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Denny O'Neill
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Synopsis: Daredevil is searching for a criminal and found an informant, Turk, disguised as a blind penny-handler in the street. Turk sicked the dog on Daredevil, which he disposed off easily. Then he posted Turk against a lampost and asked for information about the whereabouts of Wallenquist regarding a murder. Unknown to him, there is another homeless man pretending to be one and was sneaking up behind Daredevil to throw an explosive to silence Turk. Daredevil's radar sensed him and he took Turk and avoided the explosion. The man then ran away from Daredevil. and Daredevil caught up to him in an alley and was about to beat him for information. Unknown to him, there is a costumed woman above them who was also seeking the same information as Daredevil. She threw her weapon at him and knocked him down and heading to unconsciousness. Before he blanked out, he heard the woman take the man as she was also looking for Wallenquist to collect a bounty on him. Daredevil recognized her voice and said her name before he blanked out... Elektra.

The story then goes to a flashback sequence where Matt was 19 years old and was in pre-law at the University of Columbia. He and new roommate Foggy Nelson were in the stairs area of a building as the school's Dean was giving an tour to a new student, the Greek Ambassador's daughter, Elektra Natchios. The following day, Matt had a friend distract Elektra's bodyguard so he can have a private moment with her to give her a rose and invite her to a ball game. She declined because he was blind, but then he pulled one of those Daredevil stunts and impressed her, thus securing a date later that night. Then it goes on to further memories of his year with her at that school. On Elektra's birthday, he avoided Foggy to go to her, and he tested his "powers" and abilities. He used the scarf he was going to give her as a present and tied it to hide his face and he scaled the building to go to the roof and head to her building. Then when he reached her building, there was a hostage situation. He disarmed and took care of the men in the hallways, but a gunfire went off. So he was taking a risk and counting on Elektra's skill. He broke through her door and told her, "Hit 'em low Olive Oil!" And she did while he threw his can at one of the men who went off balance and fell off the windown down to the ground below. The cops outside thought the kidnappers were filling off the victims and readied to shoot. Unfortunately, Elektra's dad stood up, and the cops mistaking him for a kidnapper shot and killed him. Elektra did not cry on her father's private funeral, as Matt said those people do not cry. And then later on she saw Matt, and told her she is leaving for Europe as this world belonged to Matt, and she has nothing to feel for this world. And so their relationship ended.

Back to the present, Matt regained consciousness, and realized he will have to bring in Elektra.

Elektra's hostage spoke with Wallenquist and arranged for a meet. Daredevil on the other side of town got a hold of one of Wallenquist's men, and found out where he will be. At the dock later that night, Wallenquest and his men approached Elektra's hostage and sicked his men at her. Elektra held her own and took down all of Wallenquist's men. He offered her a job in his organization, but she refused. And that's when he ordered another man hidden in the shadows to shoot her with a tranquilizer dart. Elektra is now captured and they were going to throw her in the ocean with cement tied to her. A seaplane was approaching them, and then did not slow down and crashed to them at the boardwalk. Out came Daredevil, and he took down the remaining men. But one of them held a gun to Elektra's head threatening to kill her. Daredevil turned around to walk away to allay the man's fear, and then betting on Elektra's reflexes and memory, threw his billy club at the man while at the same time yelling to Elektra, "Hit 'em low Olive Oil!" She complied and the man got hit. He untied her, and Elektra couldn't believe Daredevil was Matt Murddoch. They kissed and he left with an unconscious Wallenquist over his shoulder, as Elektra put her face in her hands and started crying for the first time in a very long time.

Comments: Ah some Frank Miller pre 1986 goodness. I think his work in Daredevil doesn't get as much recognition as his Dark Knight Returns series. But this Daredevil work is definitely solid, and I would say even at par with his later work. As both writer and illustrator, he can bring his vision of what he wanted to present to the reader. And we get to enjoy his work with no detriment. It seems to me each panel was utilized to move the story forward. There is so much lean meat on this story and no unnecessary fat that just took up space. I am glad I revisited Frank Miller's Daredevil work and look forward to reading more and sharing them here as well.