Today, we're going to take a look at another person to hold Mjolnir. This person is unusual because...he is a wielder who is mostly not part of Marvel's mainstream continuity. He comes from a dark future ruled by corporate fascism. A world that needed a hero. And he would find himself in that role. His name is Dargo Ktor, and he will find himself in an extraordinary adventure. And with that out of the way, let's take a look at Thor #384!
The cover is well-done, although it does spoil Dargo's Thor look. But it does sell the idea that this Thor tale is going to be something...a little different. The people standing around him with their fists in the air help give the idea that this Thor is an inspiring figure, someone who they can rally around. Which is rather true to the story. The whole "Beginning of a Whole New Era" thing isn't quite right to me, as Dargo isn't the new "official" Thor.
"Who Shall Be Worthy?"
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz
Inker: Brett Breeding
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: "Max" Scheele
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter
The story begins with two young people hiding in some rubble. The time: September, 2537. The place: Queens, New York. The people: Dargo Ktor and his galpal, Salla.
They're hiding from a "Corp Tracker", and it's been the fifth one the duo had to dodge this night. Salla is confused by this, as the "Corp" are rarely out in such force like this. Dargo reminds her that the "Corp" is cracking down on people who cut their curfew. Salla pulls Dargo to an old subway station entrance, reminding him the ceremony is about to start. A guard lets them in, but much to Salla's chagrin, the ceremony has already started.
The two of them put on their capes and winged headbands and join the rest of the crowd as the ceremony starts. Salla believes they have finally found someone who is worthy, but Dargo is more cynical. Everyone who has tried to prove themselves worthy has failed in the past, so why should this time be any different?
The man at the podium starts pontificating. Next to him stands an object under a tarp. Long ago, heroes walked the Earth and protected it, before the "corporation" took over. They were mighty. They were proud. They were powerful. And the one who towered over them all was The Mighty Thor, but like his fellow heroes...he is gone. Vanished, and nobody knows how or why. But it's believed that he shall return one day. And when he does, he will fight to help the people regain their freedom from the corporation. And he shall reclaim his weapon of choice...
Mighty Mjolnir, stuck to a piece of rubble like Excalibur in the stone. The leader calls for a volunteer to try and lift the hammer. One man volunteers, stating he is the strongest man in his "dorm-block". The other Thorites start praying...except for Dargo, who thinks it's all a waste of time. The man strains with all his might, but the hammer moves not an inch. Salla laments this. How long must they wait for someone worthy?
As she and Dargo head home, Dargo tries to get her to see that nothing is going to change. Even if someone is able to lift the hammer, it won't do a thing to help anyone. Besides, as far as Dargo is concerned, Thor is a fairy tale. There are no heroes coming to save the day. If the people want so badly to be free from the corporation, they'll have to fight for it themselves. Salla wishes Dargo had more faith, as it could move mountains...and all they want is a hammer, myth or not. The two part ways.
The next day, one of the corporation's heads is flipping out in rage. Turns out this "Thor cult" is causing employees to break curfew, which prevents them from getting sleep. This means they come to work tired, so they can't work at their best. As a result, the corporation is losing money. The chairman wants these cultists destroyed. In his desperation, he calls in a specialist. The specialist guarantees that he will get rid of this cult. He's so confident that he can get rid of the Thorites he forgoes the usual fee.
If you know your Thor mythos, it's pretty obvious who this guy is. At a factory complex, Salla and Dargo get word of another gathering tonight. Dargo is reluctant to go, as the corporation's trackers will be out in full force, as the Chairman wants the Thorites dead. He wants them dead! He wants their families dead! He wants their homes burned to the ground! Man, I love The Untouchables. Salla isn't worried, as she has her faith to protect her. Dargo decides to come along, in case Salla's faith doesn't do what she hopes it does. That night, a group of savage monsters arrive in the city...led by an old evil.
Yup, Loki is back, and it's not hard to figure out what he is after. Loki's horde finds the Thorites' meeting place and attack. The battle is more of a massacre, as the Thorites are only human, trying to fight off bigger, stronger Asgardian monsters. Dargo is able to get Salla to safety, but the young man needs a weapon. Out of desperation, he reaches for the only thing that he can get to: Mjolnir itself. Unlike the others who have tried, Dargo is worthy, and is bathed in light. He undergoes an incredible transformation.
Dargo Ktor, welcome to a noble group. Dargo is shocked, as he has essentially become Thor. He instinctively twirls the hammer over his head, creating a powerful tornado. The meterological event is able to send the monsters flying away. Dargo asks if everyone is alright. The surviving Thorites swarm him in joy! He has returned! Thor has returned! Dargo is shocked by this, and also enraged. He uses his newfound power to scatter the Thorites, angrily yelling that he's not going to fight their battle against the corporation for them, and flies off.
He heads back towards his apartment so he can think and figure things out. The young man notices that Mjolnir appears to be trying to pull him somewhere, like the hammer itself has somewhere it needs to be at. Dargo wonders if maybe the hammer is trying to escape its grip because it somehow knows he's not its rightful owner. But Dargo knows how to take care of that. He taps the hammer on the ground, and is changed back to normal. He goes to rest, his mind pondering this newfound development.
The next day, Dargo's workplace is awash with excited whispers, as the seeming return of Thor has created a resurgence of hope. Salla is especially overjoyed, as she thinks Thor will save the day. Dargo tries to get her "back to Earth" by saying that this Thor might not be the real thing. She says it doesn't matter. Thor is a symbol. He represents freedom and hope to the Thorites. Dargo remarks that Thor could get them all killed. Salla tells him death is better than corporate slavery, but Dargo is not too sure.
The chairman is losing it. Production is down, and there's the feeling of revolution in the air. The chairman is ranting about how a revolt will cost him lots of revenue. The specialist reassures the chairman that he's got everything under control. If a revolution does hit, he's got the resources to crush it completely.
Days pass, and talk of revolution increases. Tensions are mounting. The mysterious return of Thor has got the workers going wild. Dargo Ktor thinks it's all insane. He feels that the corporation cannot be defeated, even by Thor. He tries to convince his fellow workers not to march against the corporation, saying it's too dangerous. The other workers believe Thor will protect them. And if he doesn't? Then they'll die standing like men. Dargo can't bring himself to go with them. The march goes on. Salla wonders where Dargo is, but is told he's cowering under his bed. The marchers then get a visit from the corporation's security forces.
The marchers fight the corporation's security. Dargo Ktor can hear the sounds of fighting and screaming. The noise hits him hard, leaving him wondering why they didn't listen to him. He comes to the realization that he has to stop the slaughter. Mjolnir judged him worthy of using the power of Thor, and Dargo realized that he has to show his worth and put a stop the massacre.
Outside, between the Asgardian monsters and the corporation's security forces, the protestors are getting slaughtered. They need a hero, and they will get one.
Dargo flies into action and lays a royal Asgardian-style smackdown on the villains, easily destroying the corporation's security vehicles and wrecking the skulls of the monsters. However, Dargo is finding himself facing their boss: Tyrus the Terrible, King of the Rock Trolls.
His ambush causes Dargo to drop Mjolnir. Tyrus easily beats down Dargo, taunting him about lacking Thor's fighting experience and his not being the real Thor. Dargo manages to fight back, demanding to know where Thor is. Tyrus reveals that Thor is trapped somewhere far away, and cannot free himself without Mjolnir. Which is why Loki is after it, to ensure it can never be returned to him. Dargo goes for the hammer, Tyrus taunting him that mortals should never interfere in the affairs of gods. Dargo blasts Tyrus with Mjolnir, saying gods shouldn't interfere in mortal affairs, either.
Thanks to Mjolnir, Dargo is able to get back the advantage. His and Tyrus's brawl cause them to fall into the ground below. All seems silent, but Dargo frees himself from the rubble. Back in the corporation's headquarters, the Chairman is freaking out. The rioting workers have evidently managed to cause so much damage that he's now bankrupt. Wow. They work quick. The Chairman is ranting, blaming the specialist for not doing his job, and is threatening to sue. The specialist has had enough, and blows up the office.
Yeah, the specialist was obviously Loki. The general look of the man and the green-and-yellow clothing made it really clear. The rioting workers see the building explode, and think that one of them managed to kill the Chairman. They declare victory. Dargo looks at Mjolnir. He considers using its power to seize control, but decides against it, as this power is not meant for mortal men. Besides, there's someone who needs the hammer more than he does. He uses Mjolnir to open a portal to another dimension. Dargo tosses Mjolnir in the portal, telling it to return to its true master.
Dargo returns to his regular human form, hoping that Mjolnir and Thor gets reunited. Loki senses this and loses it. He gathers his remaining demon horde and vanishes. You'd think someone would have noticed him around. Anyway, Dargo and Salla reunite, and Salla notes something. With the corporation being destroyed, what will come of them and their people now? The story ends with the people looking at the remains of the corporation's building.
The people are feeling optimistic. They have a second chance. Maybe this time, they'll learn from their mistakes and prove themselves truly worthy.
This tale was rather enjoyable. It was a fun little one-shot story that dealt with a dark future that seems sadly rather plausible these days. Dargo Ktor is an interesting choice to wield Mjolnir, a cynical young man thoroughly crushed and believing there is no hope. Ultimately, he does manage to prove he is worthy by discovering his inner hero. I do think the change was rather quick, but considering this was a one-shot story with a standard comic length, I don't think it could be avoided. It does wrap up a bit neatly, as I doubt the megacorp that Dargo and the rebels were fighting was the only one out there. Still, that's not the point of the story. It's meant to be a tale of hope and the fight for freedom. And it's an enjoyable one.
Ron Frenz turns in some excellent art here. Normally, during his run on Thor, he used to ape Jack Kirby's art style, using Kirby-esque poses and all of that. We don't see that here, but considering this is not the original Thor, I think it's fin he's using a style more his own. Although personally, I'd love to see him draw the Jane Foster Thor in that Kirby-esque style he used during this run.
As I said before, this run on Thor, in my opinion, is criminally underrated. I highly recommend tracking it down. Did Dargo ever appear again? Well, yes. He would appear again in Thor Annual #16 (1991), which was part of the Korvac Quest crossover. He then appeared in Thor #440-441 (November-Late December 1991), which led up to the 1993 Thor Corps miniseries. However, he hasn't really been seen since then, I think. Dargo Ktor wasn't around very long, but he was an interesting Thor, and I hope he reappears in the future.
I also can't help but wonder if this story inspired the whole Marvel 2099 line in a way. That world was ruled by corporations, and it also had a Thor-worshipping cult...Maybe Dargo should have been the Thor of the 2099 universe.
Next time, we return to the DC Universe, as the Crisis on Infinite Earths rages on...
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