...In The Cause Of Death!

The universe is in deadly danger! The shadowy hand of the being known as Infinity extends its grip across the stars to engulf world after world, causing them to disappear into its Stygian darkness where their inhabitants are drained of their collective will and exist from that point to serve the one who holds them helpless. Made aware of the dire threat from the halls of Asgard, omnipotent Odin has travelled to the World Beyond to probe the secret of Infinity, but now battles for his immortal life--even as his son, Thor, having no recourse but to part with his mystic hammer in order to save his comrades, is forced to transform once more to his mortal form of Dr. Donald Blake and watch in horror as the servant of Infinity named the Guardian approaches to slay him!

"What to do?"--the question each of these men must ask themselves as they both face a moment of crisis. Blake dares not retreat from where he stands, since his hammer will descend to that very spot once it returns from its task, and changing back to Thor is his only chance to survive... but will it arrive too late? As for Odin, aware of his son's danger, he dares not turn his attention from battling a deadly foe who appears to be more than his equal, even for the moments it would take to save the Thunder God.

It seems that Odin has made his choice--and with the Guardian within arms' (and arms') reach of Blake, not a moment too soon!



Blake or Thor, it's all the same to the arrogantly confident Guardian--and with the power of Infinity sustaining him, he literally cannot rest until Thor is slain. But though Thor might enjoy a tenacious battle as much as the next Asgardian, the larger threat still looms, which compels him to be creative in bringing his perpetual battle with the Guardian to a timely end.

His challenge to Infinity made, Thor hurtles to his father's side, where, again, the Silent One awaits--the individual who, according to Odin, is the key to the mystery behind Infinity, and whose actions thus far have well suited his status as an enigma. Odin has been insistent that the Silent One remain inviolate until if and when he deigns to speak; yet Thor, by this time, has become displeased with Odin constantly tying his hands in his attempts to curtail the threat of Infinity, which finally results in an outburst that in turn will lead to a surprising development.

Meanwhile, the approach of Infinity has produced grave effects on both Earth and Asgard, as both face end-of-the-world scenarios fitting their respective environments. In the case of planet Earth, the population experiences widespread flooding and earthquakes--while in Asgard, the mammoth Odin-sword slowly but steadily unsheathes itself from its scabbard, signalling the approach of Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods. The situation has become critical in both locales--which makes Thor's mission all the more urgent.

But Thor is about to face a setback in that respect--perhaps a fatal one, as the Silent One's fealty to a new player in this drama is revealed in the form of an enemy of Asgard, and of life itself.

We don't yet know what part Hela plays in all of this beyond sending the Silent One to Odin's side as an apparent informer--though given that she's conducting some sort of "master plan" here is cause enough for alarm. Obviously, she feels that Thor has become a threat to that plan and prepares to act accordingly, and there is none to defy her. Or is there?

The Silent One's final act is surprising, to say the least, and a nice twist on the character by writer Stan Lee, who had everything he needed from this character's grim and ghoulish appearance by artist John Buscema to have the reader originally assuming there was likely nothing redeeming to be found in him. In a way, Odin turned out to be correct in his belief that the Silent One was the key to unraveling the mystery behind the World Beyond, though woefully ignorant of his ties to the Goddess of Death and his true purpose.

With Thor's recovery, he swiftly heads to rejoin Odin in his confrontation of and struggle against Infinity. But Thor's delay, due to the Silent One's intervention on Hela's behalf, has cost both himself and, in turn, his father dearly--the latter having finally learned the shocking truth as to his enemy's identity.

Game and set, as Odin becomes a powerful thrall in the service of Infinity.

NEXT:

This story continues in a previous post, which kicks off with a bang:

Jeez, could things get worse?