The Hammer Strikes

What pray tell is a warrior to do when his mission is done, when there are no wars to fight, no battles to win, no wrongs to set right? That is the question facing the Mighty Thor in issue #314 (subtitled as "Acts of Destruction") what to do when the world seems quiet.

Since his introduction in Marvel Comic's Journey into Mystery #83, the Thunder God as envisioned by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby has been above all else a God on the move.(1)Issue# 314 gives us a brief glimpse of Thor's contemplative side.The story (first of two in this issue) shows the main characters -Donald Blake/Thor, Moon Dragon and Drax the Destroyer- all contemplating what to do with themselves, when it seems there is no purpose, no pressing issue, or long term plan to focus on.

The goodly lame doctor's clinic has closed due to funding issues, Moon Dragon presumed Celestial Madonna has been passed over for another, and Drax he who was created to destroy the Death God Thanos has been robbed of his mission by the Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell (who along with Tony Stark and the Avengers butler Jarvis, makes a brief appearance.)

Drax attempts to destroy himself and in turn gives Moon Dragon and Thor something to do, that is you know save him (thats kind of what heroes are supposed to being doing after all.) I chose this issue to write about simply because it shows another side to the "super hero". Normally one expects action, from cover to cover in a comic book, but that would make the characters we read about, as flat as the pages they are printed on.

Comics and the fans who read them are not always looking for an escape from reality. There are times when we just need something to relate to. Who can't relate to being bored? Who would think even for a minute a God might be having a bad hair day (which with Thor's lovely flowing mane is nothing short of tragedy, right?) Those who write comics are men and women who have a gift for telling stories that draw the reader in. Sometimes writers get you with non-stop, pulse pounding action and at other times with commentary on our own "mere mortal" lives. So if you find yourself bored today, pick up a comic it's brain food (and it will give you something to do)!!

Marvel Comics "The Mighty Thor" #314 Volume #1, December 1981,cover price .50 cents with cover/art by Keith Pollard, written by Doug Moench. Second story "Tales of Asgard" art by Keith Pollard/Gene Day, written by Mark Gruenwald/Ralph Macchio. Current near mint pricing approximately 5.00 dollars. (2)
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1. Robert M. Overstreet, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (Timonium: Gemstone Publishing, 2012), 692. Current near mint listing per Overstreet is 40,000.00 dollars

2. Ibid, 941.