Thor – Page 2 – Some Assembly Required

Avengers #85 Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciller: John Buscema
Inker: Frank Giacoia
Letterer: Mike Stevens

Featured Issue: Avengers #85

Plot Summary

Having defeated Arkon and Enchantress, the Avengers seek to return to their home dimension. Wielding his magical uru hammer, Mjolnir, Thor calls upon the power of Odin to summon a portal which will transport the Avengers and their mansion home. Black Knight is the first to arrive home, or rather from his point of departure, Stonehenge. His mission accomplished, Black Knight returns to his manor while wondering if the rest of his teammates have made it home safely.

Back in New York Thor and Black Panther find themselves returned safe and sound as well. Noticing that Avengers Mansion has also returned, the pair enter the headquarters in search of their compatriots. Unfortunately and rather curiously the remaining Avengers are not where they should be. Just as they begin to wonder what may have happened to their comrades, Black Panther realizes that both men are late for an important engagement. Rush across New York they manage to arrive in the nick of time in order to pass out toys to under privileged children as part of the Toys for Tots program. Although they find it wonderful to be able to spread so much joy, Thor and Black Panther are troubled by the absence of their friends and cannot help but wonder what has happened to them.

On a street not unlike the one that Black Panther and Thor arrived on, the remaining Avengers arrive bu find themselves failing to materialize fully. At first it is thought to just be Vision, but on closer inspection all four Avengers suffer from the same affliction. Having orientated themselves to their new condition, the Avengers look around their new surroundings to find a scene of abject horror. As a man runs through Quicksilver, the team finds that the world around them is rapidly dying from extreme heat. They quickly identify that the sun is responsible, somehow being dramatically hotter and brighter than normal. The results are utterly devastating. People collapse in the streets while the asphalt smokes and melts around them. Even more shocking is that when Quicksilver finds a newspaper, the Avengers discover they are several days in the future. Not knowing what else to do, Scarlet Witch uses her hex powers. The unexpected chain reaction again sends the Avengers hurtling through time and space, returning them back in time to the day they left. Determined to figure out and prevent the cause of the fate they just witnessed, the Avengers return to Avengers Mansion to regroup.

Upon arriving at the mansion, all is not well. As Quicksilver enters through the front door, he is attacked by an automated defense system that the Avengers have no memory of installing. The team is given little time to think about the occurrence before they are confronted by Nighthawk, member of the Squadron Sinister. After a brief encounter with Vision, Nighthawk, who has no memory of the Avengers, acknowledges that he is severely outnumbered and quickly retreats through a hidden door. Looking to pursue Nighthawk, Goliath prepares to smash the secret door when he is forcefully stopped by Vision. Using his ability to pass through walls, Vision opens the door from the other side, revealing a hidden explosive device, set to detonate if anyone tried to force the door.

Rushing down the secret corridor, the Avengers are stunned to find an entire team of costumed supers waiting for them at the other end. After trading a series of barbs, the two super powered teams rush headlong at one another. In the middle of the battle, another member of the Squadron Sinister, Dr. Spectrum, attempts to make contact with the headquarters of the Squadron Supreme in Cosmopolis. Dr. Spectrum announces that the Brain-Child One rocket is one hour from lifting off on its solar orbit journey. This discontinuity, paired with the information about the rocket force Vision to only one conclusion, that the Avengers have arrived in yet another parallel dimension, one where the Squadron Sinister are not villains, but in fact the super heroes of the Squadron Supreme. Not only that, but that this Brain-Child One rocket is most likely responsible for the solar catastrophe they so recently witnessed. With this, the Avengers change their strategy and attempt to disable the Squadron Supreme so that they can talk and determine where the rocket launch is taking place in hopes of stopping it before it’s too late.

While the Squadron Supreme puts up a good fight, they are eventually beaten down by the superior might of the Avengers. Leaving all of the Squadron members except Nighthawk in the mansion, the Avengers depart on a mission to find the rocket launch site. When Nighthawk regains consciousness in the middle of their flight, the Avengers explain the situation to him. Unable to explain why, Nighthawk believes their story and directs the Avengers towards the launch site, hoping desperately that they will arrive in time to stop Armageddon.

Avengers

Black Knight
Black Panther
Goliath
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
Thor
Vision

Villains

Nighthawk
Squadron Supreme

Plot Summary

Racing through the air of an alien world, Black Knight urges his winged horse, Aragorn, onward ever faster. With palpable urgency the pair make their way to a roiling cauldron in the ground known as the Well at the Center of Time. Black Knight is determined to hurl his enchanted sword, the Ebony Blade, into the Well and rid himself of its vile influence once and for all. But when the moment comes, he cannot bring himself to part with the malevolent weapon. No sooner does he abandon his attempt than he is attacked by a swarm of warriors native to this world. Black Knight makes a valiant stand but is eventually struck down by the leader of his attackers, Arkon the Magnificent.

As Black Knight plummets towards the ground, a vision of his fate intrudes upon the mind of the sleeping Scarlet Witch. Though safe in Avengers Mansion, she is startled awake by the dream. When her fellow Avengers rush in to see what is wrong, Scarlet Witch insists that something is wrong with Black Knight and the Avengers vow to look into the matter. Taking the obvious first step, Quicksilver and Black Panther place a call to Dane Whitman’s English manor, only to be told by his butler that Whitman is not home and that his current whereabouts are unknown. Believing that Arkon is involved with the disappearance of Black Knight, based on Scarlet Witch’s vision, the Avengers rush to summon Thor and his magical hammer, Mjolnir. With this, the heroes hope to open a portal into Arkon’s dimension and rescue their friend.

Back in Arkon’s throne room, Black Knight is brought before the warlord who, believing Black Knight a spy, demands to know the details of his mission. Black Knight insists that he is on a personal quest and refuses to speak of it further, only serving to further enrage his host. Enchantress offers to unlock the secret of his mission and kisses the Black Knight deeply. Now under her spell, Black Knight begins to tell the tale of how he came to Arkon’s dimension. After having stopped a pair of jewel thieves in an overzealous manner, Black Knight is forced to confront the fact that the Ebony Blade’s maligned influence over him is growing. Seeking guidance from his ancestor, Sir Percy, the hero is sent to Stonehenge on a quest to destroy the Ebony Blade and rid himself of its poison. Upon arriving Black Knight is greeted by a mysterious ancient figure who sends him to Arkon’s dimension in order to find the Well at the Center of Time. From there, Arkon knows the rest of the story. Arkon is unconvinced and decides that he must take the attack to the Avengers.

Just as Thor and Black Panther approach Avengers Mansion they are confronted by a wall of magical energy engulfing the mansion, causing it to vanish before their eyes. As the energy clears, Thor clearly sees the face of Enchantress and is warned to stay on Earth if he knows what is best for him. Meanwhile, within Avengers Mansion, the rest of the team find themselves roughly transported to Arkon’s world. This time, Arkon’s guards are waiting for them and although the Avengers spring into action, they are quickly subdued by the guards. Scarlet Witch is the last to fall, after being overpowered by Enchantress’ magic. Encased in Perma-Blast, the Avengers are brought before Arkon, Enchantress and a bewitched Black Knight. After Scarlet Witch once again spurns Arkon’s advances, the entire team is sent to the tower.

Luckily for the Avengers, Thor and Black Panther refused to heed Enchantress’ warning and arrive in the alternate dimension. While Thor engages with the guards, Black Panther secretly makes his way to the tower where the Avengers are being held. When he finds his teammates, they are in a magically induced dejected state. Only Black Panther’s regal commands manage to break through to Vision. Once Vision is free, his fellow Avengers find courage in his actions and soon free themselves as well. The Avengers join Thor in his assault on Arkon and his minions, though they are fighting an uphill battle. The tide finally turns when Scarlet Witch attempts to use her hex magic on Arkon, forcing Enchantress to concentrate even harder on Arkon and lose her grip on Black Knight. Freed from the spell, Black Knight confronts Arkon and in the resulting skirmish, the Ebony Blade disappears into the Well at the Center of Time. With Enchantress’ spell broken, Arkon ceases his fight with the Avengers, admits his error and is then forced to confront the resulting damage to his world as the Avengers return to their home.

Tag: Thor

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Featured Issue: Avengers #85

Plot Summary

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The Sword And The Soceress

Featured Issue: Avengers #84

Plot Summary

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