DeFalco/Frenz Retrospective: Thor #412



Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz 

Synopsis: A new superhero team arrives to help Thor against the Juggernaut. 

Comments: I wonder why Nova is called "Kid Nova?" Isn't he the same Nova (Richard Rider) that had a series in the 1970s? Did he regress in age or did they call him that to differentiate him with other Nova (Frankie Raye)? 

I will say with their super strength and flight, Nova and Namorita are probably the most useful members of the team. 




Night Thrasher's gimmick (the flying skateboard) and characterization (seemingly angry black man who needed a white woman to calm him down) was not well received by Dwayne McDuffie, who wrote a satirical memo in response. Later in Damage Control vol.3  #2, Night Thrasher's dialogue and characterization, such as Firestar having to hold him back, is lifted directly from this issue. I thought Fabian Nicieza did a good job when he wrote New Warriors by deemphasizing the skateboard and playing up Night Thrasher's possible lethality with his metal staves. 













Marvel Boy's powers are kind of lame. His telekinesis doesn't seem to be able to lift much. I noticed that Marvel Girl for Jean Grey and Marvel Boy for Vance Astrovik never lasted, because Phoenix and Justice are much cooler names.   Speedball didn't get much to do but get knocked around by Juggernaut. Firestar's powers were able to harm Juggernaut, but she did end up saving Night Thrasher. Mainly, everyone pretty much kept Juggernaut busy until Thor could recover. 






Take a break from the fight to introduce Eric's ex-wife Marcy. She's in shadow, but she doesn't have a trench coat. 




With his powers not being effective against Juggernaut and feeling too weak for a protracted battle, Thor kicks the proverbial can down the road and send Juggernaut to the "next dimension", like they used to say in those early Dragonball Z dubs. 






I wish Tom and Ron could have done more New Warriors adventures. Tom featured them in the first issue of Fantastic Four he wrote, #356. The New Warriors all facing front to the audience in the last panel seems kind of weird to me. If it's an homage to an earlier comic, I couldn't find it. 






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