So long as the mystic Odinshield surrounds Balder thus - just so long shall Asgard stand! If it fades -- or Odin falls -- Balder dies the death from which there is no reprieve -- and Loki -- DAMNED LOKI -- shall win, after all! 
- —Odin
Appearing in "A Balance Is Struck!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Warriors Three
- Balder (Corpse, skeleton or other remains)
- Odin
- Hermod (First appearance)
- Lady Sif
- Sigyn (First appearance)
- Dwarves (First appearance)
Antagonists:
- Loki
- Midgard Serpent (Jormungand) (Vision or hallucination)
- Hela (Vision or hallucination)
- Fenris Wolf (Vision or hallucination)
- Surtur (Mentioned)
- Trolls
Other Characters:
- Frigga (Cameo)
- Sleipnir
- Red Norvell
- Harris Hobbs
- Joey Burnett
- Thokk (First appearance)
- Geri
- Freki
- Tyr
- Hoder
- Mimir (Mentioned)
- Ymir (Mentioned)
- Geirrodur (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Asgard
- City of Asgard
- Royal Palace of Asgard
- Rainbow Bridge (Mentioned)
- Well of Wisdom (Mentioned)
- City of Asgard
- Hel (Mentioned)
- Jotunheim
- Limbo (Mentioned)
- Earth (Mentioned)
Items:
- Fimbuldraugr
- Hridgandr
- Mjolnir
- Odinsword
- Axe of Ymir (Destroyed)
- Gungnir (First appearance)
- Belt of Strength
Events:
- Ragnarok (Mentioned)
Synopsis for "A Balance Is Struck!"
Loki delights in Balder's death. Odin sends Hermod to Hel to try and retrieve Balder, while Hobbs and crew continue filming. Red tries to hit on Sif, but she dismisses him. Loki then tells Red that he knows a way he can have Sif and the power of Thor, and they disappear. Elsewhere, Thor consults Mimir, then flies from Asgard. Loki and Red have gone to Jotunheim to stir up the Giants, but Thor is right behind. Loki summons up an axe and begins to battle Thor. Loki is besting Thor because he cast a spell that Thor would be weakened by half while in Jotunheim. Thor calls forth his Belt of Strength, augmented by the belt, Thor makes short work of the Trolls and Loki. While Thor was gone, Hermod has returned and tells Odin that if all things will weep for Balder, Hela will restore him. But all things do except for Thokk. Odin then gives up a portion of his own life force to put Balder in stasis, so he cannot totally die.
Notes
- This story is reprinted in the trade paperback Thor: Ragnarok.
See Also
Links and References
- The Grand Comics Database: Thor Vol 1 [1]