Thursday, June 16, 2022

Death To The Son Of Loki!

 

In the pages of Mighty Thor, we've twice seen the fulfilling of prophecy regarding the appearance of Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent--the final foe to burst forth on the dreaded day of Ragnarok, and the creature who is fated to bring about the death of Thor and precede the final, monumental explosion which causes the end of Asgard and all who dwell within. In addition, Jormungand arrived on cue during Odin's plan to fulfill the prophecy's signs himself, so that the conditions of Ragnarok were met but in a way which did not bring about the devastating climax.

As a prelude to that particular story arc, we learn of a time in Thor's past when the Thunder God decided to try to cheat fate (or, in this case, the Norn Fates) by taking on the Serpent earlier than the prophecy foretold--yet Hymir, the giant who accommodates his request to bait a creature without having full knowledge of what Thor intended, doesn't share his passenger's desire for an early confrontation of the Serpent, and certainly not an early death.


And yet, Jormungand, the offspring of Loki (I can't even imagine the mechanics involved in that delivery), is not present when Ragnarok finally does occur. To understand why, we have to turn to artist/writer Walt Simonson's take on the final battle between the Serpent and the God of Thunder which took place in mid-1987--fittingly, near the end of Simonson's run on the title. But as we see, there appears to be another monstrous, tailed, snorting form involved in that story--that of Fin Fang Foom, who has received a good deal of exposure of late in the PPC and whom we've learned Jormungand used as a disguise during his meeting with an unknown warrior that he'd hoped would lead him to Thor. And Thor played along, to a point--but when misconceptions turned to shocking revelations, the die was cast.


Which brings us to the final, destined meeting between Thunder God and Serpent--its unscheduled, flying-in-the-face-of-prophecy nature serving to heighten the tension between both combatants while making this bout a page-turner in more ways than one.



At this point in time, Thor still suffers from a curse inflicted on him by Hela, the Goddess of Death, which rendered his body vulnerable to serious injury and forced him to adopt a suit of armor to protect himself, a suit which now literally holds him together. Whether or not it will be proof against this final clash with the Midgard Serpent remains to be seen--but whatever the result, you'll find no punches pulled here, and no excuses made for whatever the outcome may be.



Readers at the time may have felt a certain familiarity regarding Simonson's decision to render the issue with full-page art nearly throughout (the final page being the exception), coming on the heels as it does of artist John Byrne's similar treatment of an issue of Marvel Fanfare just a few months prior. Here, of course, the stakes are considerably higher--and if Thor indeed has no chance of prevailing against this final threat to his existence, you won't find any indication of it in the bludgeoning scenes that Simonson provides which promise a glorious struggle at the very least.



Another treat here is that Simonson's work is being inked by none other than Sal Buscema, who has done extensive work with Simonson on Thor as both penciller and inker but who here renders some of the finest finishing I've seen from the man. There seems to be some question as to whether Simonson handled full pencils on this issue, despite the story's credits indicating otherwise; apparently the first issue of Rough Stuff (a mag spun off from Back Issue) clarifies that Buscema's contribution was limited strictly to inks. (I made every effort to include the relevant text, but not having the issue of RS at hand made that impossible. If anyone knowledgeable on the subject can shed light on the matter, do chime in.)

However the credits balance out, one can't deny the outstanding results.




It's astonishing how a well-plotted, well-written story can achieve such momentum when limited to full-page scenes without the benefit of continuous panels that would help to set the pace and a feeling of anticipation in building toward the story's final page. Yet here we are, sitting riveted ringside as both parties gird themselves for a final strike which will decide the battle, and their fate. Jormungand appears confident that he will be the one left standi... er, slithering, knowing the role he plays in prophecy and the disadvantage Thor faces in his current state. And Thor? Well, there's no question which of them radiates the most glory, and the greater sense of purpose in facing the moment.





Though it's no small accomplishment dispatching the Midgard Serpent, perhaps it's a pyrrhic victory for the son of Odin given that he nevertheless appears to succumb to the hand that fate dealt him regardless of the absence of Ragnarok itself. But despite Jormungand's thoughts on Thor not surviving his strike, there are wheels turning here that he wasn't privy to in regard to Thor's condition and the hand that Hela dealt him--and we would see the true outcome in Thor's final and successful confrontation of Hela (after a short diversion in the Mephisto vs. the Avengers segment of the demon's limited series).


7 comments:

Big Murr said...

I swear I can feel a tremor thru the floor and my chair every time I read Thor letting loose with that Final Strike.

An epic battle like this is presented with Thor rocking the world but, after my heart settles down, my inner geek wonders how a palooka like the Absorbing Man (just to grab a name) would ever cause Thor to break a sweat.

Usually I judge recolouring of the old classics to be a positive contribution. This is the first time I've seen a recolouring of #380 and...it feels too much of a good thing. Digging out my original copy, the colouring surely does need freshening up, but this particular recolouring feels too nuanced and busy. Too visually distracting from the epic power pacing of the story.

Comicsfan said...

Aw, c'mon, Murray, I'd bet Mister Hyde or the Crypto-Man could take Jormungand with one hand tied behind their back! :D

Anonymous said...

Murray, I think a couple of my fillings just got knocked loose reading this!
Expect a copy of my next dental bill in the mail, C.F.
Suffice to say, I enjoyed revisiting it here a great deal.
Simonson nailed it. This story had all the stark grandeur and violence of the Norse myths themselves.
"I shall die first, and you will take nine steps back before dying yourself!"
Always with the number 9 in these deals, a sacred number. Jormungand believed himself (itself?) to be doomed by fate, and maybe he was, but figured to find a loophole in the prophecy, in which he could survive this encounter and live (at least until the final Ragnarok). So would Thor...sort of...
Crafty S.O.B. Who knew he had a sense of humor?
Wonderful review of one of my favorites, C.F.

M.P.

Comicsfan said...

M.P., as Jormungand is deceased, in order to expedite your reimbursement might I suggest forwarding that bill copy to one W. Simonson, c/o the offices of Marvel Comics, New York, NY. I expect they'll either return to sender or route it on, depending on whether or not they have a forwarding address--though either response will be dependent on just when they're able to stop rolling on the floor in laughter.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Murray (hey, it happens) - the re-colouring of #380 is too overdone.

Ok, comic book colouring wasn't great back in the day, but artists developed their styles with that in mind, and - especially the better ones like Simonson - worked accordingly.

Now, I'm not suggesting reprints should reproduce the original colour exactly - as Murray says, it could do with a refresh - but something a bit more in tune with the artwork would be welcome.

-sean

Anonymous said...

I remember picking this issue from the spinner rack at WaldenBooks when it came out. Not sure why I was at the mall, but very often as my parents shopped I would get permission to hang out by myself at either Walden or B Dalton's to look at the books. I read this issue maybe 3 or 4 times before I realized every page was a splash page. I was so engrossed with it.

I'm so glad Walt resumed penciling duties for this issue. Sal has talent and many successes under his belt, but his art lacks the grandeur that Simonson's style is able to achieve.

Thor is a hard comic to get right. It just needs the right mix of ordinary superhero stuff, mythology in the present day, and cosmic epics. Only Kirby and Simonson ever got it right.

Chris

Comicsfan said...

You'll get no argument from me on Simonson's stay on Thor, Chris. While I enjoyed his art, however, what I found myself appreciating most was what his writing brought to the table--and, specifically, to the Asgardians, who aside from the glimpses we saw in the Tales Of Asgard segments have never been portrayed so thoroughly or engagingly.