From the Mouths of the Marvels:

"The Revolutionary Army is crushed! It's the end of communist infiltration in our land!"

- - Soldier from the Democratic Army of San Diablo, thanks to Thor, page 13

Thor shows these commies what a real hammer can do!

Thor from Journey Into Mystery #84
September 1962 • 13 pages

Publication Date: July 3, 1962

Letters Page: No letters page was published in this issue

I: Feature Story: "The Mighty Thor vs. The Executioner"
Part 2: "The Power of Thor!"
Part 3: "Thor the Mighty Strikes Back!"

Pages: 13

Plot: Stan Lee
Script: Larry Lieber
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Dick Ayers
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: Jane Foster, The Executioner of San Diablo

Villain: The Executioner

Cameo Appearance: Democratic Army of San Diablo

Synopsis: After an origin recap, the story begins with Dr. Don Blake healing a sick child with the aid of his lovelorn nurse, Jane Foster. Blake pines away for her in silence, thinking she would never come to love a man who was lame, all the while his nurse is lamenting the fact that he won't make a move on her! And so, they have a romantic stalemate, unspoken of but constantly on their minds.

Professionally, Dr. Blake heeds the call for capable doctors to enjoin with a crew of physicians who are traveling to the war-torn republic of San Diablo, where a communist insurgency- led by the evil autocrat "The Executioner"- has threatened the local populace. On a ship of mercy, Blake and his nurse float southward to San Diablo, when a formation of communist jets flies on scene to destroy the oncoming ship, on orders of The Executioner! Blake sees them coming and stamps his cane to the deck of the ship, transforming himself into the Mighty Thor.

He flies up to the commie jet planes, ripping into them with his hammer and pulling them apart with the fierce, centrifugal force of his hammer's whirlwinds. After dispatching the enemy fighter planes, he drops himself into the ocean so he can pose as Dr. Blake, his alibi being that he fell overboard in all the excitement. He is hauled aboard with help from Jane Foster, who gazes dreamily into the distance hoping she can get another look at that "handsome Thor."

Meanwhile, the Executioner has received word that his planes were destroyed. True to his name, he sends the commander of the planes to face the firing squad for his incompetence. As Blake, Jane Foster and other doctors are curried to their destination at the field hospital, they are constantly harassed by commies. Thor wards them off, taking on several commie tanks with the trunk of a tree and ashing them to bits with his hammer. They capture Jane, however, and get him to retreat. Around the corner, he turns into Don Blake and allows himself to get caught. Then, he is taken in to the Executioner's office, where the dictator is busy trying to make time with the beautiful Ms. Foster, much to her disgust.

Blake is sent to the firing squad, but cleverly suckers the Executioner into returning his cane so he can turn back into Thor. In a flash of lightning, which obscures his transformation, he becomes Thor and fights off the surrounding army, as well as using his lightning to inflame a nearby volcano, which scatters and scares the rest of the Executioners forces. The Executioner is spotted fleeing his compound with cases full of money, and his once-loyal soldiers view this betrayal and take matters into their own hands by executing the Executioner! The Democratic Army of San Diablo merges into the area and rounds up the rest of the commies, returning the nation to sovereign and free rule, all thanks to Thor, who goes on to finish his duties as Don Blake, healing the sick and wounded of San Diablo.

--synopsis by Gormuu

Issues Reprinted
Thor and Tales of Asgard from
Journey Into Mystery #83-100

Click on cover image to learn more about each issue.

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