From the Mouths of the Marvels:

"Have you taken leave of your sense?!?! The God of Thunder marrying a mortal?!?! It is impossible! Petition refused!"

- - Odin, taking the long way to tell Thor "No!", page 3

Prime Kirby action shot!

Thor and Tales of Asgard
from Journey Into Mystery #97
October 1963 • 18 pages

Publication Date: August 1, 1963

Letters Page: No letters page was published in this issue

I: Feature Story: "The Mighty Thor Battles...The Lava Man”"

Pages: 13

Script: Stan Lee
Pencils: Jack Kirby
Inks: Don Heck
Letters: Artie Simek

First Appearance: Lava Man, Dr. Bruce "Basil" Andrews

Villain: Lava Man, Loki

Guest Appearance: Jane Foster, Dr. Bruce "Basil" Andrews

Cameo Appearance: Odin

Synopsis: Thor rescues the pilot of a jet-fighter that is spinning out of control. As he aids the man in getting medical assistance, he is overcome by the press of people and journalists snapping his picture. He flies away, concerned that too much publicity will enable someone to stumble onto his secret identity. While he walks back to his office in the form of Dr. Don Blake, he is so focused on his thoughts of Jane Foster that he doesn't notice the paper boys declaring a news extra about the threat of the Lava Man!

In his office, he decides to finally get up the gumption to ask Jane to be his girlfriend, but at the last second shies away from it. She notices his ambivalence to engaging in romance, and walks out on him in a womanly rage. Dr. Blake decides enough is enough and changes into Thor to gain audience with Odin. He asks Odin if he can marry Jane Foster, and Odin says in no uncertain terms "No way!" As Thor pines about his unrequited love, Loki is busy watching as the Lava Man terrorizes the planet. Loki had set him free weeks before in one of his pranks, and now he sits back and watches in glee.

The next day, Jane Foster informs Dr. Blake that she is leaving him and accepting a position with Dr. Basil Andrews, because she cannot be around a man who can't decide if he wants her in or out of his life. That same day, the Lava Man finally enters New York City, and proves resistant to anything the National Guard can throw at him. Thor enters the fray and tries to smash him with his hammer, but the Lava Man escapes by melting a hole beneath his feet. From under ground, the Lava Man causes geysers to erupt, tossing Thor up into the air. Thor flushes the Lava Man out from under ground by hurling his hammer at him through the underground tunnels. Above ground, the molten man launches a ball of white-hot lava at him, which wraps him up in a tight bond of magma. As it hardens, Thor tries to reason with the Lava Man, to convince him that his race of Lava People can live in harmony with mankind. The Lava Man spurns this advice, saying it is time for his strong race to replace the humans.

Thor uses his incredible strength to break the bonds of the hardening lava, then uses his hammer to create a tornadic wind that carries the Lava Man high up into the sky, and then deposits him into a volcano. Thor follows in flight and covers the volcano with rock, sealing him inside forever. Meanwhile, Thor taunts Loki, telling him he is stronger and able to defeat anything the prankster can throw at him.

Thor races back to Earth to change into Dr. Don Blake, but when he goes back to his office, he meets Jane with Dr. Bruce Andrews (Dr. Bruce "Basil" Andrews, I presume?) He takes her away and says it shouldn't be too hard to find another nurse. Jane admits she wants to be with a man- not a mouse, like Dr. Blake.

--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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