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Quote1 I'm in love -- even as you are! Do you hear??? Thor is in love!! Quote2
Thor

Appearing in "When the Grey Gargoyle Strikes!"

Featured Characters:

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Items:

  • Mjolnir
  • T.V. 3-D-type projector
  • Portable flamethrowers

Vehicles:

  • Transatlantic jet
  • Taxi
  • Motorcycle

Synopsis for "When the Grey Gargoyle Strikes!"

Lamenting over the fact that Odin still will not allow him to marry Jane Foster because she is a mortal, and how she thinks that Donald Blake "betrayed" Thor (in the previous issue) to the Cobra and Mr. Hyde, Blake changes into Thor and confronts Foster, pretending to be looking for his alter ego because he had heard of his "betraying" him. Foster, in a panic, tells Thor not to seek revenge on Blake, as he was likely frightened and that she still loved him. Thor, "convinced" not to seek "revenge" on Blake, leaves Foster to bask in the joy of knowing that Jane Foster loves his alter ego.

Meanwhile, a transcontinental plane from France lands at JFK airport and a lone man exits the plane. When an airport official boards the craft to check on the other passengers, he finds that they have all been turned to stone.

This man is revealed to be Paul Duval, a young chemist from Paris who one day, while being rushed to complete a chemical solution, spilled its contents on his hand. Duval soon found that his hand had turned to stone, and consequently, anything he touched would also turn to stone, including himself (although unlike his future victims, when he turned to stone he was not immobilized). Duval soon began a crime spree, turning jewelers and bank guards into stone and stealing what he wanted. Growing bored with his wealth, Duval learned about Thor's recent battle against the Cobra and Mr. Hyde. He decided to steal Thor's immortality, figuring the power must come from Thor's hammer, and traveled to America to do so.

The flashback ends when the Duval's cab arrives in the center of New York City. Duval turns the driver into stone and waits for Thor to take the bait. Thor eventually overhears a radio report about the rash of reports of people being turned into stone. Investigating the most recent report of the cab driver, Thor uses his Avengers priority to have the stone cabbie taken to Donald Blake's office. As Don Blake, Thor examines the the stone cabbie and determines that within the hour he will turn back to normal. He vows to Jane Foster that he will learn why these people are suddenly turning to stone.

Meanwhile, Duval has donned a costume and turned his body into stone, calling himself the Grey Gargoyle. He goes to Dr. Blake's office in the hope that Thor will appear. He attacks Blake and attempts to turn him into stone; however, Donald manages to escape to the roof of his office and change into Thor.

The two titans battle in the streets, where the Grey Gargoyle causes a nearby gas pump of Marvel Oil to explode, knocking Thor's hammer out of his grasp. He fails to lift Thor's hammer and turns its owner into stone when the thunder god attempts to grab it back. The police soon arrive with a flame thrower and chase the Gargoyle away. While the police are busy, the stone statue of Thor falls over and his hammer strikes the ground, causing him to change back to Donald Blake.

Blake dares not change into Thor until the Gargoyle's stone spell wears off. He thinks that it would last for twenty-four hours, and decides to defeat the Grey Gargoyle in his mortal guise. Using his connections with the Avengers, Blake obtains a projector camera from Stark Industries that allows him to project a 3-D image of Thor. Mounting the camera to a motorcycle, Blake travels around the city, projecting an image of Thor in an attempt to flush out the Grey Gargoyle.

The Gargoyle takes the bait, but soon figures out what Blake is attempting to do and chases after him. Blake then tricks the Grey Gargoyle into driving off a pier and into the Hudson River, where the current of a passing boat drags him out to sea, and he sinks to the bottom.

The next day, changing into Thor, the thunder god stops by Blake's office. He learns that the stone cab driver changed back to normal and Blake is being hailed as a hero, the story of the Gargoyle's defeat making the front page of the paper. Satisfied, Thor flies off into the sky.

Appearing in "Tales of Asgard: Balder Must Die"

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Antagonists:

Other Characters:

  • Haag (First appearance) (Unnamed)
  • Thor (Mentioned)

Races and Species:

Locations:

Items:

  • Mistletoe dart and blowgun

Synopsis for "Tales of Asgard: Balder Must Die"

Jealous of Balder being in favor of Odin next to Thor, Loki decides that he will kill Balder. Knowing that Odin gifted Balder with invincibility, Loki surmises that Balder must have some sort of weakness. He seeks out the Norn Queen in his attempt to find Balder's weakness.

At first the Norn Queen refuses to aid Loki, but eventually gives into Loki's demands and tells him that the only item in all of Asgard that did not pledge to protect Balder was mistletoe. With this knowledge in hand, Loki travels out and obtains a small amount of mistletoe and has one of his slave trolls fashion it into a dart and construct a blow gun.

The next day Loki spies Balder jousting in the combat practice fields and waits for the right moment to strike. Balder trips in an attempt to avoid stepping on a caterpillar and Loki uses it as an opportunity to fire the dart at him. Just as he is about to fire the dart, the blow gun bursts into flames in his hands. The Norn Queen contacts Loki via her crystal ball and informs him that although mistletoe did not pledge to protect Balder, she did, and thus thwarts his attempt to kill Balder. Loki pledges revenge, but the Norn Queen has her aide prepare witches's brew against any such attempt.

Balder, meanwhile regains his feet, little knowing how close he was to losing his life.

Notes

  • The time of the the Grey Gargoyle's "stone spell" changes constantly throughout the Thor story, ranging from a minute, an hour, and a day.
  • credits for Story 1:
    • Written by: Stan Lee, who needs the money
    • Drawn by: Jack Kirby, who enjoys the practice
    • Inked by: Chic Stone, who loves the publicity
    • Lettered by: Art Simek, whoever he is!
  • credits for Story 2:
    • Written and drawn by the prize-winning team of: Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby
    • Inked by: Vince Colletta
    • Lettering: Art Simek
  • references: Journey Into Mystery #105, Journey Into Mystery #106, and Avengers #7

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