#26 Sept 2007

PRELUDE

or years, the rubble has been undisturbed. Years ago, this area was under the control of the villainous organization call AIM*. However, it has since been abandoned by that organization, much like many other such bases that they have occupied over the years. When it was abandoned, the secrets it held were likewise abandoned.

[*AIM is Advanced Idea Mechanics.]

Deep within the rubble is one of AIM’s most dangerous weapons. A light shines on the rubble. For a moment, nothing changes. Soon, however, the rubble starts to move, even as tan-colored fingers crawl across the rubble, pushing aside remnants of stone and mortar.

BOOM!

With a loud explosion of sound and fury, a large figure rises out of the rubble, throwing his arms back, brushing aside tens of thousands of tons of rubble with a wave of his hands. He stands, continuing to be bathed in the eerie, unearthly light that emanates from above his head.

As the figure steps out of the rubble, mortar and stone falling aside, he stands thirty stories in height. He is hairless, and his face betrays no sign of emotion. This large, tan-colored being has formulas emblazoned across his artificial body.

“Bulldozer,” a now-familiar voice rings out from above the light surrounding the figure. The large, powerful android looks up towards the light. “So you were named by your masters, including the one called MODOK.”

The large android looks up at the light, and the figure that is speaking to him. His eyes betray no sign of comprehension. He merely looks up, while listening to the figure.

“You were created to battle the one called Captain America**,” the figure continues. “However, once the battle went badly, and MODOK lost his control over you, you were thrown aside…apparently with the destruction of MODOK himself. However, while MODOK since returned, you remained here. You were abandoned by your creators, and effectively de-programmed. However, I am not giving you a new purpose…a new program. Come, Bulldozer. It is time for you to live again.”

[**Old-time fans may remember this super-powered android from Captain America #134.]

The eerie glow covers Bulldozer, who looks up at the light, as if still trying to ponder the meaning of all that has transpired this day. With a blinding flash of light, he—and the being that freed him from his prison of rubble, where he has been for the past several years—disappears from sight.

END OF PRELUDE

angog gestures at Thor, unleashing a barrage of cosmic energy that radiates across the distance between them. It strikes Thor in the chest with tremendous power, feeling much like a direct punch from the Hulk. Thor takes two involuntary steps back, even as he glares over at the powerhouse that towers over him.

“I grow weary of your constant interference, Thor!” Mangog comments, his voice booming with the sound of the millions of life forms contained within his singular form. “You have interfered with my revenge on Asgard, and on your father, far too often.” He sends out another blast of energy at Thor, but Thor raises his hammer, absorbing the power from the energy blast into Mjolnir! “Although I doubt my victory would have the same meaning without your presence here—and without the opportunity to destroy you once and for all!”

“Thou doth presume too much!” Thor responds, as he gestures his hammer towards the towering figure of Mangog, releasing the energy trapped within the hammer, and directing it back at its source. The energy strikes Mangog in his hideous face, shooting across his shoulders and along his upper chest, as it drives him staggering back across the field of battle.

As Mangog staggers back, his arm swings across, striking a large oak tree. Although he barely grazes the tree with his massive arm, it shatters from the blow, falling back away from his body. The tree is very tall, measuring fifty feet in height, and five feet around its circumference.

Even as Thor takes to the air, Mangog reaches down, grabbing the fallen tree. As Thor flies towards Mangog, the villain swings the tree around as if it was a baseball bat, striking Thor in the face with tremendous force. The force of the blow, which shatters the tree, is sufficient to send Thor flying back across the field, slamming his way through five additional trees, before he skids across the ground, creating a trench along the field in his wake.

Carrying the shattered tree in one of his large hands, Mangog walks with determination towards the trench where Thor landed mere seconds ago. Something that passes for a smile crosses his face, as he flashes his large, crooked teeth. His eyes narrow on his goal, as he holds the remnants of the tree in his oversized hands.

Looking down, Mangog sees Thor rise from the trench. He bends down, slamming the remnants of the tree into Thor’s chest, shattering the remnants of the tree vertically, as splinters shatter in all directions. Both of them involuntarily close their eyes, as splinters of wood fly upwards in all directions, bouncing off their faces and upper bodies.

Thor uses the distraction to his advantage, leaping into the air. He jumps forward, striking Mangog squarely in the jaw with a thunderous uppercut. So intense is the sound of the blow that it cracks like thunder, causing the other assembled warriors to shuffle back from the shaking of the ground and the booming sound from the blow!

“If thou hath done thy worst,” Thor exclaims, as he swings around behind Mangog’s head, slamming his hammer across the back of his foe’s head with another powerful blow, that resounds with a loud CLAP!  “Thou art likely to be sourly disappointed with result.”

Mangog rises up, sending blasts of energy from his fingertips, even as Thor flies across the sky, narrowly avoiding the energy discharged from his blasts. “That will not be a problem,” Mangog returns. “When your charred body lies on the ground at my feet, there will be no disappointment…only revenge on your hated father for aeons of delay for my ultimate victory. Asgard will fall when you fall. Of that, you may be certain!”

INTERLUDE

eep within the Dark Forest of Asgard, nestled atop a mountain that juts out over the Rheingold River, sits Loki’s own castle. While his fellow Asgardians are battling the villainous Mangog for the fate of Asgard, Loki’s thoughts are held elsewhere. He is content to let others—lesser gods—battle such battles. His interests are tantamount, and if the battle with Mangog produces some key casualties—particularly among his enemies (and who does Loki not consider an enemy?)—then, all the better.

As Loki walks down the darkened hallway in his castle, a sinister smile crosses his face, even as his thoughts drift back to his latest schemings, and the victory he believes he has achieved yet again…in his ultimate goal.

“How easy it was to convince dear Hela to give me what I sought,” Loki muses, as he makes his way down the hall, to a room at the end of the hall. “All she did require was the proper encouragement, aye, and the hope that she too would benefit from my plans.”

“While Hela’s power should ne’er be underestimated,” Loki remarks, turning down into another corridor, “so, too, is she easy to manipulate. Her great desire—of gaining more souls for her loathsome realm—often surpasses her judgment. No matter. In this small matter, and at this point in time, our interests are the same. She can help me, and that in turn will help her.” Loki nods, thinking of his schemes and their ultimate fruition. “Aye, and when Loki’s goals are met, there will be many more souls added to her domain. This will increase her power, ‘tis true…but this is of no matter to Loki. When I doth sit on the throne of Asgard, ‘twill be no matter to me the power she commands in her own realm…at least not for the moment.”

As Loki reaches his destination, he puts his hand on the door handle, which appears to be two bones wrapped around a small skull. Loki’s fingers reach around the skull, pulling back on the bones, as the door opens with a creak. As he enters the room, he is greeted by the sight of Skurge, the Executioner, and Lorelei.

“Loki!” the Executioner exclaims, looking over at Loki. “How did we come here?”

“Skurge,” Loki returns, “Surely thou cannot complain about once more being in the land of the living?” Loki walks over, placing his hand on the Executioner’s shoulder, even as Skurge looks over at Loki suspiciously. “But, if thou doth look for a reason, look no further. I hath brought thee back.”

“Loki,” Lorelei comments, looking over to Loki skeptically. “Never have I known thee to do anything for other than thy own devices. I know not why thou did bring us back, but I am certain that it was not for our benefit.”

“Thy words betray thee, dear Lorelei,” Loki responds harshly. “The mere fact that thou doth live again illustrates that something has been done to benefit thee.” Loki walks away from them for a moment, then turns to look back at them again. “But, no matter. Hath thou not both been well treated since thy return? Is there anything that I can get for either of thou, to perhaps make thy transition back into the world of the living more enjoyable?”

Loki turns to Executioner, who looks back, as if trying to determine what Loki is up to. “Skurge,” Loki comments, nodding to his old comrade. “I well remember thy colossal appetite. I shall have one of my servants prepare an appropriate meal. Now that thou hath returned to the living, surely thy appetite did join thee on this side of eternity?”

Despite his misgivings, the rumblings in Executioner’s stomach tell a story that echoes Loki’s own words, and well does he remember, too, that Loki’s servants can prepare some of the finest meals that he has ever tasted. “Aye, Loki,” Executioner responds. “Perhaps our discussion could better be served if not on an empty stomach.”

“Excellent,” Loki responds, smiling with satisfaction. He then turns to Lorelei, who is stretching her legs, as she sits upon a desk against the wall of the room. “And thou, Lorelei,” Loki continues, “I recall as well thy fondness for a certain mead, which is made only by the rock trolls at the edge of the Uru Mountains.”

“Thy memory impresses me, Loki,” Lorelei comments. “I will dine with thee…and the handsome Skurge. Whatever else may come of this, at least we are out of Hela’s realm. And, in truth, I am eager to feel the taste of wine and food on my lips.”

“And so thou shall,” Loki responds. “Meet me in the main dining room in one hour then.” Loki walks over to Lorelei, looking at her, and then back at Skurge, noting that his eyes have seldom left Lorelei’s ample bosom. “In the meantime, I will leave thee both to enjoy one another’s company.”

END OF INTERLUDE

angog stands over Thor, who is even now rising to his feet within the trench, where he had been knocked mere moments earlier. Mangog leans forward, sending out a charge or cosmic energy at Thor. Thor, however, leaps out of the way, taking to the air, as the energy blast strikes the position Thor occupied a split-second earlier!

As Thor rises into the air, he flies up and around the villainous figure of Mangog. As he flies across the distance separating them, he directs Mjolnir towards his foe, unleashing a blast of Asgardian energy at Mangog, striking him in the face and along his upper chest, as the energy seems to take on a life of its own, radiating with fire!

For the first time in eons, Mangog staggers back from the power of the blast. Thor smiles silently, but continues to unleash energy at Mangog, keeping him off-balance. While Mangog flails his hands around his face, as if trying to get the flames and energy out of his eyes. Thor sees an opening, and flies forward, his arm cocked back as he enters the opening through Mangog’s outstretched arms, taking full advantage of his temporarily blinded state.

BOOM!

The hammer strikes Mangog’s face with tremendous force, jerking his hideous head back violently, as he strikes with an under-handed arc!

BOOM!

Thor connects again, with a back-handed motion, as the hammer strikes the side of Mangog’s face, jerking it to the side with punishing force! Mangog is caught totally off-guard by Thor’s unrelenting attack.

BOOM!

Thor slams Mjolnir forward with a side-armed motion, striking Mangog in the other side of the face, as the hammer swings forward. Mangog staggers back, reeling from the force of the powerful blow!

BOOM!

Thor then slams his hammer forward, pounding it directly into the space between the villain’s eyes, as Mangog staggers backward from the intense power behind Thor’s blow. He staggers backward, reeling from Thor’s intense assault. Thor, flying forward, strikes his foe once again with his hammer at the same spot—directly between the eyes!

BOOM!

Mangog staggers back, as Thor hovers in front of him. He staggers back and falls to the ground with a deafening THUD! When Mangog falls, the ground shakes and reverberates from the impact of his fall to the surface, creating a massive crater in his wake!

“Impossible!” Mangog remarks, as he balances himself on his arm, working to get to his feet. “No one has ever knocked me off my feet!”

“Thou art responsible for the deaths of many brave Asgardian warriors,” Thor responds, as he leans back, directing a stream of energy at his foe, which strikes his face, “who were only protecting their homes and their families from thy wrath. Invaders such as thee must be repelled. Thor ever stands at the ready to do battle with thee…and others like thee…for Asgard!”

Despite the pain surging through his face—pain that Mangog cannot recall from any previous attack—he gets to his feet, even as the Asgardian warriors look on in awe at the battle taking place before their eyes. There is smoke smoldering from various places along Mangog’s face, as he makes his way forward, brushing off the scars of battle.

“As much as you love Asgard,” Mangog responds sharply, gesturing forward, as energy shoots out from his fingertips, striking Thor in the mid-section, and sending him flying back through the air, “so do I hate it and everything it represents!”

“Thy hatred is well-known to me!” Thor responds, shaking off the attack, and moving forward again, as Mangog stands before him. “But it will never result in the destruction of Asgard…not while there is still strength in my limbs!”

“My hatred has sustained me for more years than many galaxies could claim,” Mangog responds, directly another barrage of energy at Thor. However, this time, Thor intercepts it with his hammer. “And it will continue to guide me here, until your civilization is laid to waste beneath my feet!”

Before Thor can respond, however, a crimson beam streaks out across the field, narrowly missing him, as he swerves out of the way at the last second. It strikes Mangog in the face, pushing him back with the power of the blast! Thor is surprised by the intrusion. As he turns to see the origin of the beam, he finds that it belongs to none other than…

“The Destroyer!” Thor exclaims, clearly surprised by the Destroyer’s sudden appearance.

The Destroyer, however, makes no response. He lifts his visor once again, and another powerful beam—strong enough to disintegrate a planet—strikes Mangog, pushing him back to the ground.

“I was not prepared for this,” Mangog silently considers, as he deflects another blast with a blast of his energy. “I have already been weakened by my battle with Thor. I cannot remain here, and risk defeat.”

Even as Thor flies forward, he is stopped in his tracks by a blinding flash of light! As his eyes recover, he sees that Mangog is…

“Gone!” Thor exclaims. “He hath fled our battle, upon the appearance of the Destroyer.”

Seeing that its objective has been met, the Destroyer stops in its tracks, long enough for the wraith-like figure of Hogun the Grim to emerge, and re-enter his own waiting body.

“Thy timing was enough to stop Mangog,” Thor remarks, nodding at Hogun, who is unsteady on his feet, being assisted by Fandral. “Now, let us return to Asgard. There is much that must be done.”

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THE END... FOR NOW...

NEXT ISSUE: The being calling forth the villains is finally revealed, as are his sinister plans! And how do they effect Thor? Find out in Thor #27!

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THE HAMMER STRIKES!

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Mangog is probably Thor’s most powerful foe, although he has certainly been disrespected by other writers. Most notably among them is Dan Jurgens, who had him as a servant to Thanos. I read this nonsense, waiting for the punchline (i.e.: that this wasn’t really Mangog), but it never came. But then, Thanos is a character who some writers believe can take on Odin, so that says something for the way that Odin has been treated in recent years.

Mangog is at the same time one of the most hideous creatures ever to appear in Thor, and (as mentioned earlier) also one of the most powerful. While he is temporarily defeated in this issue, there is always a chance for his return. And, he is the type of foe that could do wide-spread damage—not just in Asgard, but also wherever he goes.

Anyway, on to the responses I’ve received from previous issues…

I highly enjoyed this action - packed story (#23) and the rest of the Cosmic Vacuum arc. I can't think of a writer who writes such dynamic action scenes with a character on the power level of Thor other then you. I can't wait till the next story.

Mick Edwards

I really appreciate that, and I appreciate all of the support you’ve shown for this series. I enjoy writing fight scenes, and action. I’m glad it works for you. And his comments on #24…

You've done it again. :-D You've started another epic that has me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it plays out. I have a feeling this will top the now classic Cosmic Vacuum!

Mick Edwards

I’m glad you like what I’m doing on Thor. With the Mangog storyline drawing to a close, get ready to head into space next issue, to find out what’s been going on with the being gathering up all of those old villains.

Jeff