—HerculesWhen food may be had -- Take it!
Appearing in "Lo, the Raging Battle!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- ⏴ Firelord ⏵ (Main story and flashback)
- Doctor at Midtown Hospital (Unnamed) (First appearance)
- Odin (Mentioned)
- Kamo Tharnn (Mentioned)
- ⏴ Edwin Jarvis ⏵
- NYPD
- ⏴ Iron Man (Tony Stark) ⏵
- ⏴ Tom Fagan (Appears on screen)
- Bunker (First appearance as himself) (Appears on screen)
- Dormammu (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
- Xandarians
- Frost Giants (Only in flashback)
- Asgardians
- Humans
- Human/Olympian Hybrids
Locations:
- United States of America
- Washington
- Pacific Northwest
- New York
- Vermont
- Washington
- Asgard
Items:
- Loki's Portal Cube (Main story and flashback)
- Mjolnir
- Iron Man Armor Model 3
- Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn (Mentioned)
- Sif's Sword
Synopsis for "Lo, the Raging Battle!"
On Earth, in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, Firelord discovers a mysterious cube. When he enters, he is transported to a strange, twisted dimension where he is confronted by an ominous being half-hidden by shadow.
In New York City, Thor arrives at Midtown Hospital carrying certain rare medicines which he presents to a doctor in the hope that he could use them to heal Jane Foster. The doctor tries but, hours later, tells Thor that the experimental chemicals had no effect. Something has gone out of Jane Foster's soul and there's nothing they can do to save her.
In Asgard, Hildegarde, the Grand Vizier and Sif discuss the fact that, since Odin cannot be found, Jane Foster will die. When Hildegarde reminds her of the Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn, Sif agrees that the runestaff holds the power of life and death, but states that she might need an ally in order to acquire it. Sif then vanishes from Asgard, going to recruit that ally.
On Earth, in Avengers Mansion, Hercules and Krista are talking about the situation when Sif appears and tells Hercules that she's about to go on a dangerous quest that might save Jane Foster but will need a strong man beside her. Hercules immediately agrees and Sif transports them both away.
After spending the night brooding on a rooftop, Thor is nearly hit by a firebolt. Seeing that it is Firelord who has attacked him, Thor retaliates and then, welcoming the opportunity to release the anger he has been feeling about Jane's imminent death, he and Firelord begin to fight. After a brief battle, Firelord causes an abandoned building to fall on Thor. Fearing that he might have truly harmed the Asgardian, Firelord is relieved when Thor bursts out of the rubble and tells Thor that he doesn't want to fight because he has something important to tell him. Thor agrees to listen to him and they prepare to go to Avengers Mansion, but are delayed by Detective Sgt. Blumkenn who needs an explanation for the damage they've caused in a public street.
At Avengers Mansion, Iron Man receives a two-way audio-visual communication from Rutland, Vermont, and he assumes that it will be Tom Fagan making a progress report about Loki, who, blinded and crazed, has been staying with Tom since last October. However, Tom is actually calling for another reason and shows Iron Man a kid named Bunker who is dressed like Loki. Tom had discovered him in Loki's room that morning, in a near-hysterical state and only remembering that he had fallen asleep during last year's Hallowe'en party. Tom needs help because the local police want to hold him for attempted kidnapping, and he's also worried about whatever Loki has been up to while Bunker was being used to deceive them into thinking they knew where Loki was for so long.
Seconds after the video-call ends, Thor arrives with Firelord who then explains his recent encounter in the mountains of northwest Washington with the mysterious figure who turned out to be Loki. After raving about being power and calling Firelord a pawn of that power, the maddened Loki revealed that, when the power of Dormammu had passed through him months earlier, he had absorbed the spirit of Dormammu's mystic being. Declaring that he was now ready to strike, Loki had sent Firelord back to that mountain in Washington and the alien had decided to seek out Thor and warn him, as Loki had apparently wanted him to do. Although it's obvious that Loki intends to attack, Thor is torn about whether he should stay with the Avengers and fight or to leave and return to Jane Foster's side.
Notes
- The fact that the kid named Bunker doesn't remember anything since he fell asleep during "last year's Hallowe'en party" indicates that the blinded and crazed Loki who was left in Tom Fagan's care at the end of Avengers #119 was actually Bunker. This mean that, behind the scenes of that issue, Bunker had secretly been abducted by Loki and enchanted to serve as his unwitting stand-in.
- Loki mentions to Firelord that he gained his current enhanced level of power when Dormammu passed through him. A footnote mentions that this happened in Avengers #118.
- This issue features a letters page, The Hammer Strikes. Letters are published from Ann Nichols, Kent Roberts, Dean Mullaney, John Hrynyszyn.
- Letters page features Lilith, Dracula's Daughter Marvel Value Stamp (Series A, Vol 1 85).
