Stepping into the mantle of superhero is not always an easy task. Especially if you're taking up the mantle of Thor. Thor didn't just fight supervillains, but got involved in the dramas that came with being part of a godly pantheon. So, naturally, when Eric Masterson found himself taking up the role of Thor, he was going to have some...growing pains. You'll see what I mean when we take a look at The Mighty Thor #443!
The cover is a Ron Frenz/Al Milgrom piece. It's a basic cover, just showing Masterson as the new Thor, promising that there's a new Thunder God in town. I do wish it didn't spoil his new look, but that's my only real complaint about it.
"Whosoever Holds the Hammer!"
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz
Inker: Al Milgrom
Colorist: Mike Rockwitz
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco
The story begins with the rock troll Ulik hanging out in the sewers.
You'd think being a troll, he'd hang out under a bridge. Or on the Internet.
Since he and Thor last threw down in Thor #431, the rock troll has been hiding out, stewing in his frustration. He is sick and tired of having his rear end handed to him by the God of Thunder. But he's been gathering his strength. He's got a devious plan to lure Thor out of...wherever he is now, and face him in one final brawl. Ulik will have his revenge!
Meanwhile, in a hospital, one Eric Masterson is thinking about recent events.
You see, Thor was banished after he killed Loki. It was a thing. Eric is at the hospital visiting Susan Austin, his assistant at the architectural firm Eric works at. She's in a coma after Loki blasted her in the previous issue. This was led Thor to finally end Loki's life. She hasn't regained consciousness. Eric's visit with her is short, with him blaming himself for the whole thing, and vowing to not let anyone else suffer this fate as long as he has Thor's power. After his visit, he's greeted by a couple of friends.
Meet Guido "Jerry" Sapristi and Leena Moran. Sapristi is Eric's boss and Nick Fury's cousin. I am not making that up. Leena is Susan Austin's roommate. Leena flirts with Eric a bit, as she gets why Susan gushed about him so much. Yeah, Susan had a bit of a crush on our new God of Thunder here. Jerry suggests that Eric go home. The two hear a loud crack of thunder, and Jerry notes that it sounds more like an enraged roar.
Outside the hospital, "Jock" Jackson and "Mad Dog" Rassitano of Code: Blue are playing watchdog. They're there because the police believe Susan Austin may still be in danger. They're not wrong on that.
Eric spots Ulik, and realizes why he's there. The rock troll plans to take the comatose woman hostage. Code: Blue engages Ulik, and they seemingly have the rock troll on the ropes thanks to a stasis field. Eric shows up and accidentally overloads the field when he charges Ulik. Oops.
Ulik notices that "Thor's" scent is different, and figures that well...it's not the real Thor. The rock troll lays a beating on our man Eric, and then heads to the subway. Maybe he wants to check out a Broadway show? I dunno. Eric understandably feels lousy about this. It makes sense, he's no warrior god. He has Thor's raw power, but lacks the Thunder God's experience and confidence. He's over his head and he knows it. And as if fate wants to make things worse...
Eric has inherited Thor's Avengers ID. Fearing that Earth's Mightiest will...ask him some questions that he's not comfortable answering. Eric tells them he's out to lunch, leaving Captain America confused. Code: Blue wants to discuss some things with him (likely connected to Thor killing Loki), but Eric flies off. Lt. Marcus Stone, the creator of Code: Blue, notices that "Thor" is acting and talking strange. He also has a beard. Not even a god can grow a beard in a day.
Unfortunately, Thor didn't leave Eric with an instruction manual on operating Mjolnir. As such, Eric's attempt at flight ends with him introducing his back to a chimney. Yeah, at this point, our man has had enough. He's the God of Thunder now, and he's got to get a handle on this. He manages to make his way home, where he notes that his costume's taken a beating from his brawl with Ulik. He takes the opportunity to redesign Thor's look. After all, if he's Thor now, he's going to do it his way. It's also the 90s, radically redesigning costumes was the norm.
Speaking of Ulik, where did he go? Well, beating up gods can work up quite the appetite, so the rock troll has hit a meat packing plant in the Lower East Side.
Mmmm...delicious meat...
...where was I? Oh yes! At that time, Eric's picked up his order from a tailor's. It's his new Thor suit. A nearby TV announces that Code: Blue has engaged Ulik. Looks like the new suit is going to get a test run sooner than Eric thought. Ulik has engaged the superhuman-spealizing taskforce, and they get soem backup in the form of Mjolnir to Ulik's mug.
It's here we get a full look at Eric's Thor costume.
I actually think it's a great redesign. It feels modern, but respectful of the classic Kirby look. The new look seems to have upped Eric's confidence a bit, as he taunts Ulik into charging at him. Eric then shows how he's different from Thor in another way: He sidesteps Ulik's charge, making him crash through a wall. Eric then dates the comic a bit by talking about how it's the 90s now and Ulik shouldn't expect any mercy and yeah yeah yeah...
Anyway, Eric further shows his smarts by using his cape to blind the rock troll, and then applies some fists to him. The fistic frenzy brings down Ulik, and Code: Blue can take it from here. Lt. Stone knew the original Thor, and he asks Eric what happened to the old Thor. Eric's answer?
So would I! And I will find out!
One last piece of business. It's been raining during the whole issue. As far as Eric is concerned, it's time for the sun to come out. He taps Mjolnir on the ground, and the rainclouds dissipate. The dawn of a new era. Eric and Code: Blue end the story with a handshake and an agreement to get some lunch.
I enjoyed this issue. It's neat seeing Eric trying to get his legs as the new Thor, as it were. It makes sense that he'd be in a bit over his head, especially since he wasn't left with any real idea of how to handle Thor's hammer. I also liked the concept of Code: Blue. I think this group should have been more of a regular presence in the Marvel New York City mythos like the Daily Bugle gets to be. It makes sense that such a kind of police squad would exist in a superhero universe. Superheroes can't be everywhere at once, so police have to adapt.
I also liked Ron Frenz's art in this issue. His artwork here is almost reminiscent of Steve Epting's style on the Avengers book in the 90s. I did like how he was able to clearly show the final fight between Eric and Ulik despite it raining cats and dogs in the story. It makes sense that for Eric, he'd move away from the Kirby-esque style he had been doing, as he is a different Thor. It helps give the comic a different tone.
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2011 trade paperback The Mighty Thor: Thunderstrike. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, and wear a mask! Join me next time, when we continue the Avengers' epic battle against Immortus...
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