PROLOGUE

Across the fabled Rainbow Bridge, seated at the very end of this rainbow, located in a space and time reserved for it alone, stands the proud city of Asgard. It is truly a wonder to behold. It is surrounded by huge, impenetrable walls, and guarded by perhaps Asgard’s finest warrior, the noble Heimdall. Heimdall stands eternally vigilant, his sword ever ready to strike any enemy of the eternal city.

Within the gates, the golden spires are visible, proclaiming the splendor of the home of the Norse gods. The buildings are golden, and the streets are likewise perpetually shining. Little wonder that the enemies of Asgard covet the eternal realm so much.

The ruling palace sits in the center of Asgard, with several roads leading towards it. Within the palace, Odin rules over his people. Odin, also called the law-giver, is known far and wide for his justice. Criminals receive punishment tempered with mercy, where appropriate. Galaxies away, the court of Odin is known to alien cultures.

Today, however, Odin is slumbering, taking in his occasional Odin Sleep, wherein he replenishes his energy—typically after a long campaign, or before a particularly draining campaign, where he knows that he will require his full faculties. Odin has been sleeping now for some time. While he slumbers, his chambers are absolutely forbidden, even among Odin’s closest friends.

Standing outside the royal chambers, in an anteroom adjacent to the throne room, Loki discusses matters of state with noble Balder, who Odin left in charge of Asgard while he sleeps.

“Knowest thou, Balder,” Loki asks, as he leans his arm against an outer wall, “what manner of ill troubles our lord Odin?” Loki looks at Balder with interest, hoping to get some precious information that he can use for his benefit. Loki and Balder are standing in between two large, vertical windows. From out of the windows, situated several stories above the ground, much of Asgard can be seen.

“What do you mean, Loki?” Balder asks, cautious to answer Loki’s questions. He knows all too well the craftiness of Odin’s other son.

“Simply this,” Loki replies, looking alternately out the window at the streets below and back and Balder. Balder looks on with interest, seeing the covetous way that Loki seems to survey the territory outside the palace. “Odin called for his Odin sleep in a rather sudden manner. Couldst something be amiss with my father?” Loki always chooses his words carefully, and the same is true on this occasion, reminding Balder that he is Odin’s son, as if to convince Balder that perhaps he is entitled to the information he seeks, by virtue of this fact.

“I know only that Odin spoke of troubling times ahead for Asgard,” Balder replies. “Any further details were not given to me.”

Loki eyes Balder, scanning for any hint of information being withheld. As the king of lies, Loki knows well the methods used in deception, but he knows too that Balder cannot lie. Lying, Loki realizes, is anathema to Balder’s very nature. Loki has always viewed that quality of Balder’s as a weakness, but it makes such…discussions that much easier from Loki’s perspective.

Suddenly, their discussion is halted by a brilliant flash of light that engulfs the anteroom, coming from Odin’s chambers! The light stuns both Balder and Loki, sending them to the ground. They recover quickly, and Balder rushes into the chambers, his sword in his hand. Loki follows closely behind Balder, waiting for him to make the first move, but careful to make it clear that he, too, is concerned about Odin’s well-being.

When they arrive in the royal chambers, they see Odin, sleeping on his large, ornate bed, as though nothing had happened. Stretched out of the floor in front of the bed, lying still, is the form of Nightmare!

Balder rushes to Odin’s side first, making sure that he is uninjured. Noting that he has not been harmed—or even awakened—by this intruder, Balder then makes his way to Nightmare, taking note of the fact that Loki has already walked over to Nightmare. Balder kneels down, taking in the sight of the villain.

A horrified expression is etched upon Nightmare’s face. His eyes, wide open, show that the last sight he beheld instilled a paralyzing fear on his entire being. His body is stiff, and he is unable to move. If he has any consciousness, he makes no indication of that fact.

“Is he dead?” Balder asks, kneeling down beside Loki, to more closely inspect the intruder.

“Nay,” Loki replies, his eyes scanning back to Balder and to Nightmare. “His body be stilled with shock, but he lives. Certainly, he offers no further danger to lord Odin.”

“Perhaps not,” Balder responds, getting to his feet, as Loki does the same. “Still, I must wonder how he came to be here in the first place.” He then looks at Loki, a penetrating look on his face. “And why he came here.”

“I know not,” Loki lies, looking away from Balder as he does so. He gestures down to the unconscious villain. “He is Nightmare, a demon who enters through the dreams of his victims. His realm is a dimension known to all of us…that of slumber.”

“I see,” Balder remarks. “So, he thought to attack Odin while he slept?”

“Obviously,” Loki replies with a hint of sarcasm. “However, I will see to his departure.” With that, Loki gestures at Nightmare, energy coming from his fingertips. The energy completely surrounds Nightmare, who soon disappears from view, as Balder looks on. “I hath sent the villain back to his own domain, banished from the eternal realm.”

“I sought to obtain information from him first,” Balder objects.

“He couldst supply none,” Loki responds sharply. “Couldst thou not see that he was unable even to look at thee? He is no danger to the realm, and I wanted him removed from Asgard.”

“Very well, Loki,” Balder assents. “Now, let us leave Odin to sleep. I will be more vigilant in the future.”

“As will we all,” Loki replies, as the two starts to walk out of Odin’s chambers.

Loki’s thoughts, though, are of Nightmare’s failure. “The fool!” Loki thinks to himself. “He was no match even for a sleeping Odin. Still, that look of abject fear etched on his visage. What could have instilled the master of nightmares with such trembling fear?”

End of Prologue

Meanwhile, Thor flies through space, making his way back to Earth after defeating Kraktu, the renegade Watcher*. He is flying through the Argenian star system—a three-star system with 12 planets. As Thor flies through this area, where he has not been for a number of years, he notices a swath of devestation. Two former planets have been reduced to floating debris, ripped in half by some powerful force.

* (Which he did last issue - Jeff)

“What hath transpired here?” Thor asks, as he flies through space, his hammer tucked into his belt. “Those planets were not inhabited, but hath existed for eons untold. Could this be the work of Galactus?”

As Thor stops his flight, he looks around at the scene, searching for signs as to its cause. As he does so, he notices that a small spaceship approaches from one of the border worlds of this star system.

“A Rigelian ship,” Thor notes, recognizing the design of the ship and its markings. “’Tis unusual to see a ship from Rigel in this galaxy. Perhaps they can provide answers.”

“Ho, Rigelian vessel!” Thor calls out. The ship flashes its light, indicating its desire for Thor to follow. As Thor does so, the ship turns downward, making its way into the orbit of the system’s fifth planet. It continues downward, landing on that planet.

As Thor follows the Rigelian vessel, he takes notice of the planet. It is a large planet, roughly twice the size of the Earth, with correspondingly higher gravity. It is covered mostly with bodies of water, although there are ten small land masses—the largest of which is 2500 square feet.

The ship sets down on one of the smaller land masses, amounting to little more than a small island. Thor looks down at the water, noticing that it is teeming with all manner of strange aquatic lifeforms. Thor follows closely, landing behind the vessel, his feet touching the sandy shore a moment after the ship.

Within moments, the ship’s door swings outward, and two figures emerge from it. The first is a Rigelian soldier, and the second is a figure familiar to Thor—the Recorder!

“Greetings, Thor,” the soldier remarks, as he walks over to the thunder god.

“Ho, Rigelian warrior,” Thor replies. “And thee as well, Recorder.”

“Statement: It is good to see you again, Thor,” the Recorder returns, in his unemotional way.

“Thou art here to investigate the scene of destruction I witnessed?” Thor asks the warrior. “Verily, ‘tis strange seeing thee in this solar system.”

“Yes, Thor,” the Rigelian replies. “We have been sending out probes for colonization purposes. However, our last probe—sent to this area a short time ago—did not return. I came here to find the probe, or to determine what happened to it.”

“Question: How did you come to be here, Thor?” the Recorder asks, adjusting the instruments on his chest to insure that he is recording all the sights and sounds properly.

“A pressing matter concerning a renegade Watcher,” Thor answers. He then turns to the Rigelian: “How long ago did thou become aware of the destruction here?”

“A recent development, Thor,” the Rigelian responds, looking around at the planet on which they find themselves. “Our scans were correct. This world is teaming with life, unlike the worlds that were destroyed.”

“The worlds destroyed…were not living worlds?” Thor inquires.

“They were largely unsuitable for life,” the Rigelian explains. “However, given the nature of different lifeforms, we sought to determine if there was any form of life on those worlds.”

“I had pondered,” Thor returns, “the possibility of Galactus causing this destruction. The world-devourer is well known for his murderous ways.”

“That is true, Thor,” the Rigelian replies. “However, we also know that this world—where we currently speak—would be far better suited for a being who sucks the very lifeblood from a world. This world, teaming with life, would be the target Galactus would seek, not the lifeless worlds we came across.”

“True,” Thor agrees. “I scanned this solar system with Mjolnir, and there were no traces of Galactus’ energy signature. ‘Twould seem that art right.”

“Question: If Galactus is not the one who destroyed those worlds,” the Recorder utters the question running through the minds of Thor and the Rigelian, “then who did?”

INTERLUDE

In another part of the universe, the figure who calls herself Infinity levitates freely between two large planets, pondering a disturbance in the very cosmos, but unable to determine its source. However, the disturbance causes her great distress, as she is able to detect only raw animus, and little else.

The female cosmic entity’s thoughts are interrupted, however, by a booming, yet sinister voice that seems to fill the entire cosmos around her, filling her entire being with a sense of dread.

“Thief!” the voice challenges. Instantly, the woman calling herself Infinity looks up, just in time to see a huge, thin black hand coming her way. The hand is not a hand at all, but appears more of a shadow, but one with substance. Before she can react, the hand grabs her, holding her in its grasp.

“NO!” she manages, shivering with dread. “It cannot be!”

“You are well to be fearful, woman!” the voice attached to the shadowy black hand calls out. “You have been carrying on a charade for far too long. That time is over.”

“But how…?” the woman called Infinity asks, struggling against the greater power that holds her fast in its unbreakable grasp. “I thought you dead!”

“Dead?!” the booming voice asks, mockingly. “You—of all people—should know well that such is not possible! I cannot die, particularly not from some minor cosmic entity, such as yourself, stealing a portion of my power and claiming to be more than you actually are.”

“I cannot believe…!” the woman called Infinity attempts to respond, but is cut off by the seering pain of the crushing sensation she is experiencing at the hands of this far greater power.

“The ‘flip side’ of Eternity indeed!” the powerful voice mockingly replies. “Your time of deception has ended! Now, you will be returned to what you were before…a minor cosmic entity, hardly worthy of notice!”

With that, a blinding flash of energy cascades through the area of the cosmos, blinding the woman calling herself Infinity. Within moments, the woman calling herself Infinity goes limb in the large shadowy hand, falling forward into the enclosed fingers, unconscious.

The hand then opens, letting the woman called Infinity fall from its grasp, landing ungraciously on the cold, hard surface below, stripped of the extra powers she had been keeping, and returned to her former status as minor cosmic entity.

INTERLUDE II

In his private palace, miles away from the city limits of Asgard, nestled amid the mountains in a remote area, Loki stands alone, looking out a window. The view from this window shows a fjord below. There is a chill in the air around the palace, and snow covers the ground around the fjord, scaling up the mountains that surround it.

“Although Nightmare failed in his attempts to increase the intensity of the Odin-sleep, still am I not daunted,” Loki silently considers. “However, I must needs wonder at the look in his eyes…that of abject fear. ‘Twas not Odin that instilled such fear in Nightmare’s eyes, for he still slumbered, unaware that anyone had entered his room.”

“Lord Loki!” a small troll calls out, carrying a tray with food and a large flask of ail. “Thy dinner is ready.”

Loki responds with a brutal back-hand to the troll’s face, sending him flying backwards, skidding across the floor. As he does so, he drops the tray, scattering the food and drink across the floor as well.

“Away, fool!” Loki chastens his troll servant. “Canst thou not see that I plan things beyond thy comprehension?!”

The troll looks down, away from Loki’s fierce gaze, even as he crawls across the floor, picking up the tray that fell from his hands, and the food and drink that was sitting on the tray.

“Fool!” Loki lashes out, anger bursting from his lungs. “Thou hast dropped my food and drink! Clean up thy mess and return with my meal immediately! Loki commands it!”

“Aye, Lord Loki,” the troll sheepishly replies, as he cleans up the drink with a towel, still not looking at Loki.

Loki, however, has turned away from the sight, returning once again to his thoughts. “Perhaps Nightmare’s powers did have an affect on Odin, though not the one I had hoped for,” Loki thinks, looking once more out the window. “If so, I must work to turn it to my advantage.”

Loki turns, walking across the floor, even as the troll returns with another tray, filled with food and another large drink. The troll tenses when he sees Loki walking towards him.

“Return to the kitchen, troll!” Loki commands. “I must now depart, to visit my dear daughter. When I return, I shall expect food prepared. Although there are many redeeming aspects of my daughter’s realm, good dining is not among them.

The troll watches Loki walk out of the heavy oak door, pleasantly surprised that Loki is leaving without another outrage.

Next Issue: Things heat up, as we learn more about Loki’s schemes, we have a major guest-star return, and we learn more about just what’s going on! You don’t want to miss the next cosmos-shattering issue!

The Hammer Strikes!

Welcome, everyone, to Thor #8. This issue, the mystery of Asgard really heats up, with the continuance of some cosmic characters to appear in these pages. I’m sure this will elicit some interesting comments. For now, though, let me print a letter, with my response, from previous issues…

I’m not a literary genius, and my skills are mediocre at BEST so take this as an initail thoughts and opinions while I’m reading, and NOT a credible review of any kind...

Hmmm I’ve read Thor 1-5 & 7. Can’t find 6. Hope I don’t say anything stupid. You know, like ask why something hasn’t been explained, when it HAS in 6 and I just don’t know...

So, about Thor:

Sweet! I’ve been keeping an eye on this because a friend of mine was going to write it before he vanished from online for about a year. ANYWAY, Jeff’s doing sweet! The way he killed of Jake Olson (In a prior issue) was kind of lazy BUT it’s something I’d do, so I can’t criticize it. And he apologized for it anyway. As a matter of fact I DID kill Jake Olson in an equally lazy manner at another site..

So, about issue 7 itself...

Old school. That’s what Jeff said he was doing and that’s what he’s done. I can’t wait to see some of the villains he’s going to throw at Thor. Speaking of...

Nightmare?!? Hmmm... Interesting I wonder were this is going...

Odin Sleep. Love that plotline. Using it myself. I wonder if it’s going to cause tension between Thor and Balder or if Thor wouldn't care.

So,

1) Any chance Leir the god of lightning will pop up?

2) How about Mrog or Terrax?

3) Are you going to do anything with Joroale from Adnan Khan’s run? He alluded to Joroale or something having to do with Joroale popping up in the future...

That’s all for now. I’m out.

Al Ritter

First of all, thanks for your kind comments. I’m enjoying Thor and his supporting cast. Regarding the Jake Olsen matter, I should clarify this. I didn't actually kill off Jake Olsen. I left that open. If someone wants to come along and say that he wasn't killed, just seriously injured, that's fine as long as he doesn't come within 10,000 miles of Thor. I despise the character, though, and he had to be taken out of Thor, pronto.

Yes, I enjoy the old school take on Thor. My favorite Thor period was Lee/Kirby, so expect to see some of that in my writing.

Hmm. I like Leir, but I don't have any immediate plans for him. I have written stories involving the character in the past, however.

Morg...from Silver Surfer? I wouldn't put it past me, but I don't have him planned for anything coming up. I do, however, have much more powerful characters showing up shortly. As for Terrax, I wrote a mini-series where Terrax was one of the main antagonists. It's over at MV1, and features Thor and the Fantastic Four. It's called Fantastic Adventures. No plans for him here. If you like cosmic stories, though, you might be happy with what is to come.

No plans for Joroale in my run.

Thanks for the review. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Jeff