Thor and Sif have been defeated by Pluto and an army of Mutates in some apocalyptic future where humanity has been devastated by atomic war. As Pluto gloats over his victory, the two Asgardians revive from the previous attack and prepare to counterattack.

While on modern day Asgard, the troubled Balder tries to escape thoughts of Karnilla the Queen of the Norns. However the Norn Queen, aware of Balder's struggling emotions, appears before him, telling Balder to renounce his loyalty to Odin and to love her. Balder refuses, and seeks out Odin to learn the location of Thor, whom Balder thinks may be able to help. Balder finds Odin still puzzling over the origins of Galactus. Odin sympathizes with Balder's plight and sends him to Earth where he seeks out Thor and Sif in New York City, finding only the time warp where the Atomic Research Center is located.

While in the distant future, Thor strikes at Pluto and the Mutates with Sif at his side. While Thor is preoccupied fighting Pluto, Sif finds herself in trouble when she is overwhelmed by his Mutate armies. At that moment in the present, Balder approaches the barrier and is informed by the military that Thor had been pulled into the barrier. Balder then strikes the barrier as hard as he can, disrupting the time warp and sending not only Sif and Thor back to the present, but Pluto and his army of Mutates as well.

Pluto continues his attack, and Thor and Sif are aided in combat by the military and Balder. As their fight wages on, news of Pluto's activities reaches Mount Olympus, prompting Zeus to act on what is happening on Earth. As the battle rages on, the Military, Sif and Balder have a hard time fighting off the Mutates and their advanced weapons while Thor and Pluto battle it out. Pluto engulfs himself in hellish flame and attempts to burn Thor; however the Thunder God calls a storm that puts out the flames.

Just then, Zeus appears and addresses all the combatants, he banishes Pluto back to Hades and sends the Mutates back to their own time restoring much of the damage. As they recover from the battle, the wonder what exactly was in the Atomic Research Building that Pluto wanted to obtain, little knowing that a very familiar cocoon has burst open and a single golden hand rises from within.

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