Appearing in "Holy War!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- ⏴ Caryn Wise
- God (Invoked)
- ⏴ Father William Boylan
- Ted (Mentioned)[1]
- ⏴ Mayor Jane Byrne
- Thor cultists (None named)
- Anti-Thor protesters (None named)
- Frankie[2]
- Ed[3]
- Private investigator (Unnamed)
- ⏴ Nurse Stevens ⏵
- Jane Foster (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Locations:
- Earth
- Chicago, Illinois
- Richard J. Daley Civic Center
- Lake Michigan (Mentioned)
- Donald Blake's apartment
- Dr. Blake's office
- Chicago Police headquarters (Mentioned)
- Chicago, Illinois
- Asgard
Items:
- Mjolnir
- Sif's sword
Synopsis for "Holy War!"
At Chicago's Civic Center, the battle between Thor and the Crusader continues, televised by a local TV station. Sif, who is in Don Blake's apartment watching the TV to see the coverage of Thor receiving the key to the city, sees that Thor's face has been cut and rushes to aid him. Amongst the crowd is Father William Boylan, a priest who recognizes the Crusader as Arthur Blackwood, a divinity student whom he had expelled from Blackwood Seminary two days earlier for his violent behavior. Although not understanding how the mortal has been able to hurt him, Thor continues to fight until he is stabbed through the torso. Sif arrives just then and transports them both to the Rainbow Bridge and then into Asgard where Odin heals Thor's injuries and restores his strength.
When Thor asks how he could have been vanquished by a mortal like the Crusader, Odin reveals that it happened because Thor was fighting a battle of faith against a foe who did firmly believe in his cause while Thor had been torn by doubt because the fact that Thor cultists had recently began worshipping him had confounded him and made him hesitant to act.
Afterwards, Thor and Sif return to Don Blake's apartment. The flash of light generated by their arrival is noticed by the private investigator who is staking out the apartment, but it's gone so quickly that he assumes that his eyes were just acting up. Needing time to meditate alone on his father's words, Thor goes to the roof and thinks about recent events. He comes to the realization that he still has faith that his mission on Earth is just, and does not need either honor or worship to justify the good he does.
Thor then seeks out the Crusader, who has begun to alienate his supporters by assaulting Father William Boylan after the priest had denounced the hatred that the Crusader has been spewing as blasphemy. When Thor confronts the Crusader, they begin to battle again, but Thor easily defeats him, shattering his sword in the process. After discovering that he has lost his superhuman strength, the Crusader flees with his squire.
Thor then addresses the crowd, including his cultists, and suggests that they seek moral understanding and spiritual guidance from those who are wise enough to instruct the mortals of this age in the name of today's gods because he is not a god fit for worship.
Later that morning, after arriving at his office and greeting Nurse Stevens, Dr. Don Blake is confronted by two men who have been waiting for him, a private investigator and a police officer. They want Blake to accompany them to police headquarters so they can question him about the murder of Jane Foster!