Gods At Odds!

Dissension In The Ranks

When resentments and disagreements boil over,

even allies can turn against each other in fierce battle that can bring the house down.

(And often does!)

FEATURING:

Thor and Moondragon

A little tiff develops between these two as they're returning to New York following an encounter in time with Kang the Conqueror, Immortus, Hawkeye, and the Two-Gun Kid:

Whoops. Looks like Thor doesn't consider it a mere tiff anymore.

Moondragon, as we know from many of her appearances, considers herself a "goddess of the mind," but nevertheless a goddess, and so feels that she's qualified to confront Thor on why he has chosen to battle in the company of mortals on a regular basis. The point of contention begins a sudden pivot in her character by writer Steve Englehart, as Moondragon's attitude until now, while forthright, hasn't crossed over into arrogance; and other than character development, there appears to be little reason for Moondragon to pursue this topic with Thor so bluntly. Had Englehart for some reason wished to have Moondragon take a less confrontational stand on the issue, he could have justified her questioning as being based on simple curiosity, since Moondragon has yet to involve herself with the people on the planet of her birth to the extent that Thor has.

But this discussion has been started, and Moondragon intends to see it through. She even slips in a snide comment on the subject for Thor to mull over when they're called away to deal with a crisis.

Their foe turns out to be Orka, formerly a creation of Dr. Dorcas and a combatant of the Sub-Mariner, but now enhanced by the Brand Corporation and unleashed against the Avengers. Thor and Moondragon engage Orka as one, though their dispute carries over into the fight.

Obviously, Moondragon has struck a nerve; unfortunately for Orka, that's going to result in Thor doing a lot of striking at him at a level of power that he might otherwise have kept in restraint.

Moondragon of course is basing her point on just this one foe, though Thor takes it a step further and applies her conclusion to his entire history with the Avengers--but to what end? There have been (and will be) several foes which have demanded that Thor take it up a notch and use a level of might beyond what the Avengers are used to seeing from him (e.g., Graviton, Ultron, Count Nefaria, Korvac), and the stakes have been such that he would have been foolish to withhold that might just to avoid outclassing his fellow Avengers. It's an odd train of thought that Englehart is pursuing here. For instance, Thor's trips back to Asgard would have shaken off any adjustments he might have made to his fighting style on Earth well before he returned to the Avengers again.

Nevertheless, Englehart intends to make this stick. And the result (for now) is one less Avenger.

But for what it's worth, Moondragon also withdraws her application for Avengers membership.

(To very little objection.)

Once Englehart leaves the book (which is immediately after this lineup change), this concern of Thor's is discarded and isn't revisited with Thor's subsequent appearances with the team. Thor would go on to meet with Moondragon again, once during another membership drive that she brazenly commandeers, and then on separate occasions--when she seeks to reconnect with her father (Drax the Destroyer), and, soon afterward, when she attempts to rule an alien world.  To my knowledge, Moondragon never revisits this subject with Thor--perhaps because Odin would eventually end up having a nice little chat with her about her perception of godhood.