The Day Of The Destroyer! Thor is spared from a death dealing bolt of mystic energy fired by the Destroyer when he suddenly becomes briefly immaterial, allowing the God of Thunder to escape his attacker. Thor is completely unaware that this has been done by his step-brother Loki, who although imprisoned in a cell in Asgard, has entered into a mystical trance to save Thor from destruction in order to prevent the discovery of his cheating in the "Trial of the Gods." Reviving from his coma when being checked upon by his guards, Loki seeks additional help and channels his mystical powers to try and contact the kingdom of the Norns.
Back on Earth meanwhile, Thor continues his escape from the Destroyer, which relentlessly continues its attempts to destroy Thor. Thor gains an advantage when he doubles back to the room where the body of the man who's soul inhabits the Destroyer and takes hold of it. The Destroyer is about to use it's disintegration ray but hesitates, knowing that if he was to destroy his human body he would be trapped in the Destroyer armour forever.
Back in Asgard, Loki manages to communicate with Karnilla the Norn Queen whom he asks to aid him in rousing Odin from the Odinsleep. Karnilla is convinced and she uses her mystical powers to rise Odin from his rest, and the All-Father instantly knows that Thor is in trouble and contacts him to tell him that he will return the Destroyer's soul back to his body. Caught in a stalemate, the Destroyer complies and his soul is returned to his body. However, the man knowing full well that Thor cannot harm a human being makes another attempt to possess the Destroyer armour. However, Thor causes the temple to collapse and carries his would-be killer to safety. With the temple destroyed, Thor presumes that he Destroyer armour is lost to anyone who might exploit it's destructive power.
With the threat of the Destroyer ended, Odin correctly suspects Loki's treachery and punishes him to work under Ularic, the royal Warlock until further notice. Although Loki complies with this command, he vows to get revenge and begins thinking of new schemes to get revenge against Thor.
While back on Earth, Thor lets the explorer who nearly killed him go free, and tries to use his hammer to fly back to America but finds that his hammer has been damaged in the battle. Needing to access a forge to fix his damaged weapon, Thor uses one of the Norn Stones that he had collected to levitate himself back to the States. While back on Asgard, Loki is working under Ularic, where he quietly feels nothing but indignation for being treated as a mere wizards apprentice and continues to plot his revenge!
Gather, Warriors! A 5-page 'Tales of Asgard' adventure.
The mission of missions is about to begin. With an army of handpicked warriors, Thor prepares to sail into the unknown, to learn what dread power has caused a crack in Odin's enchanted 'Oversword of Asgard.' For, if the crack should grow any larger, the entire universe ay be destroyed!
NOTE: The last panel shows Odin revealing this warning etched onto the walls of the imperial palace: "RAGNAROK IS COMING..."
The 1st appearance of the Warriors Three (Fandral the Dashing, Hogun the Grim and Volstagg the Voluminous).
Story by Stan Lee
Art by Jack Kirby
Inks by Vince Colletta
Colors by Stan Goldberg
Lettering by Artie Simek
