Appearing in "...Like a Bat Out of Heaven!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Jane Foster (Only in recap)
- Dr. Keith Kincaid (Only in recap)
- Dr. Lynde (Mentioned)
- Storm (Referenced)
- Lt. Timpano (Main story and recap)[1]
- Nurse Stevens (Mentioned)
- Loretta Parmeter (First appearance)[2]
- Hela (Mentioned)
- Kamo Tharnn (Mentioned)
Races and Species:
Realities:
Locations:
- Earth
- Illinois
- Chicago
- Don Blake's apartment
- Dr. Blake's office (adjoining his apartment)
- A police station
- Chicago Opera House
- Chicago
- New York
- New York City
- Sanctum Sanctorum
- Chamber of Shadows
- Sanctum Sanctorum
- New York City
- Illinois
- Kamo Tharnn's planet (Unnamed) (Appears as an image in the Orb of Agamotto)
Items:
- Mjolnir
- Cloak of Levitation
- Eye of Agamotto
- Orb of Agamotto
- Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn (Appears only in recap and as an image in the Orb of Agamotto)
Synopsis for "...Like a Bat Out of Heaven!"
In Don Blake's apartment, Dracula has drunk the blood of the goddess Sif and bids her to awaken. As Sif does so, Dracula realizes that her blood makes him feel more powerful than ever before in his long existence. Although he senses that her will is as strong as his own, Dracula finds that Sif accepts his compulsion that he is her beloved prince easily and is surprised to discover that she is now suffering from total amnesia which will make it easier for him to recreate her in his own image. The two then leave Blake's apartment.
In New York City, Thor has arrived at the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange who agrees to help him find the Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn. With Thor's permission, Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to probe the god's consciousness and in so doing he learns about Thor's human alter ego, Dr. Donald Blake, who has been accused of murdering Jane Foster by her fiancé, Dr. Keith Kincaid; that Thor knows that Sif used the Runestaff to save Jane's life by transferring her divine energy into Jane's body; that Jane later transformed back into Sif after entering Asgard; that nobody knows where Jane's body and spirit currently are; and that Thor hopes to use the Runestaff to recover Jane Foster and clear Blake's name. Strange then uses the Orb of Agamotto to scan Sif's mind in order to obtain the Runestaff's aura, then uses that aura to trace the Runestaff's current location to an alien world far out in space. However, Strange also detects an aura of malevolence surrounding Sif and deduces that she has been touched by a vampire of such power that it could only be Dracula who has her in his thrall. Once Strange tells this to Thor, the god quickly leaves to return to Chicago.
After Thor arrives back in Chicago, he changes to Don Blake and confirms that Sif is missing. Blake then has the temp cancel that day's appointments. Elsewhere, in another apartment, Dracula revels in how Sif's blood has enhanced his vitality and is surprised to see that she already has fangs. He then presents Sif with a black dress for her to wear while he courts her that night.
That evening, Thor arrives at a police station to speak with Lieutenant Timpano and while there he finds a lead about an apartment house where Dracula's minions might be based. That night, Thor finds one of those minions and intimidates him into revealing that Dracula has taken his bride to the Grand Opera. As Thor flies off, the minion returns to his fellows, confesses that he has betrayed their dark lord and kills himself. The others make preparations to help Dracula.
At the Chicago Opera House, Dracula and Sif are enjoying a performance of Wagner's Tannhauser when Thor enters, calls out Dracula and loudly declares that he has come to for his goddess. As the opera-goers flee, Dracula transforms into a giant bat and attacks, with the opera house sustaining significant damage when a thrown Mjolnir misses Dracula and tears open a large hole in the ceiling/roof. Once Dracula flies out through that hole, he lands on a nearby rooftop and resumes his human form so that he can summon a storm and command it to attack Thor, but Thor reacts by calling upon his own power and commanding the storm to strike the vampire. However, their respective abilities to control the storm prevent it from striking either of them. When Thor then leaps upon Dacula to pummel him, Dracula turns into mist to escape but when he reforms he discovers that much of his strength has been drained, leading him to wonder if the power of Sif's blood is weakening. Dracula then sends a large number of rats against Thor who deals with them swiftly and then hurls Mjolnir at him again. Dracula turns into mist again but by doing so he falls into Thor's trap because the concentration required means that he must yield control over the storm, enabling Thor to command lightning to strike the mist that was Dracula. The lightning strike forces Dracula to solidify again and leaves him in a weakened state. Just as Thor is about to use Mjolnir to end his undead existence forever, the vampire suddenly disappears.
Using a projected thought image, Doctor Strange contacts Thor and reveals that a Chicago Dracula cult has mystically transported their master to New York and that, since Sif's blood has been rejected by the ichor in his veins, Dracula is now weak enough that Strange can monitor him. Strange promises to complete the task that Thor began and tells him that he is free to seek the Runestaff. Once Strange's image disappears, Thor is approached by Sif who has regained her memory and been restored to health as her blood rejected Dracula's poisons. After they joyfully reunite, Thor tells Sif that Doctor Strange had located the Runestaff which is back on Kamo Tharnn's planet far out in space. Although she knows that Kamo Tharnn is a mad and powerful being, Sif declares that she is prepared to accompany Thor there whenever he is ready.
Solicit Synopsis
Notes
- Although the ending of this issue's story implies that the Runequest will begin immediately, Thor actually takes part in an adventure involving the Avengers and the Fantastic Four before he and Sif begin their quest in Thor #334.
Trivia
- In this issue, Doctor Strange discovers Thor's secret identity as Dr. Donald Blake. When Strange offers to cast a spell of self-forgetfulness upon himself, Thor tells him not to do it because, as a comrade-in-arms, he trusts Strange.