From the Mouths of the Marvels:

"This time, I'll tamper with non-living objects!"

- - the sometimes overly-clever Loki, page 8

FREE BONUS "MAN ON THE STREET" DIALOGUE:

Heads on the bottom, left to right:

#1: "I just hope Loki doesn't mess with my programs!"

#2: "Only the Commies can stand up to the menace of Loki!"

#3: "I ate 50 hot dogs in 45 minutes...with buns!!! I can take Loki!"

#4: "Loki spelled backwards is Ikol! Ikol!!!!"

Thor from Journey Into Mystery #88
January 1963 • 13 pages

Publication Date: November 1, 1962

Letters Page: No letters page was published in this issue

I: Feature Story: "The Vengeance of Loki!"

Pages: 13

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

Villain: Loki

Guest Appearance: Odin, Heimdall, Jane Foster

Marvel Milestones: Loki learns both Thor's secret identity and Thor/Don Blake's sixty-second rule

Synopsis: Loki, thirsting for revenge after his last defeat, uses an ancient ritual around burning leaves to get a glimpse into the activities of Thor. He sees him bound in chains as a prisoner of the Reds, and then he sees him change into Dr. Don Blake to rid himself of the chains. Once he sees Dr. Blake pick up the hammer Mjolnir and change back into Thor, his secret is now clear: Thor becomes an ordinary mortal when separated from his hammer! He uses this information to devise his next revenge plot, and scurries away from Asgard disguised as a snake.

On Earth, he enters the office of Dr. Don Blake disguised as an old man, and hypnotizes nurse Jane Foster. He gives her a mental command that she must obey at a later time, then enters Blake's office and reveals himself as Loki. The Thunder God is astonished that Loki has discovered his secret identity and turns into Thor with a stamping of Don Blake's cane. Loki challenges Thor to a fight later that day at Center Park, and Thor agrees.

He meets Loki at the time and place, and Loki goads Thor into hurling his hammer at him. Loki dodges it, and just then, Jane Foster enters the scene, right when Loki desired her to! Before Thor's hammer can return to him, Loki turns a nearby tree into a tiger that attacks Jane Foster. Thor must decide to either take back his hammer or spring into action to save Jane Foster from the tiger. He chooses to wrestle with the tiger, and the hammer hits the ground, waiting for him to pick it up. After Thor defeats the tiger, he goes to pick up his hammer, but finds that Loki has sealed it up tight with an impenetrable force field. After time has elapsed, Thor has turned into Dr. Don Blake, and without Thor around, Loki can spread his mischief all over the planet! He turns into a pigeon and flies away.

He has much impish fun on his rampage, turning people into "blank beings," altering streets and cars and buildings into ice cream and candy, and interfering with a Soviet nuclear bomb test. All over the world, people live in fear of Loki, and wonder why Thor is not doing something about it. As Dr. Don Blake, Thor concocts an idea he think will reunite him with his hammer. He spreads the word through the news media that he is going to defeat Loki by week's end. Loki hears this and is worried that Thor has reclaimed his hammer somehow. He returns to the park and sees his force field still there, but no hammer inside. He also sees Thor standing there with the hammer in his hand!

Loki removes the force field to see if the hammer is inside, and it is! But running from out of nowhere is Dr. Don Blake, who grabs the hammer and turns into Thor. The Thunder God explains that he was hiding behind a dummy, and tricked Loki into thinking he was the real Thor. Loki turns himself into a pigeon and flies away, but Thor uses a tennis net to haul the bird in. He drags Loki home to a consternated Odin, who wonders aloud what he will be able to do to protect the world from the dangerous Loki.

--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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