DeFalco/Frenz Retrospective: Thor #426


 

Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz

Synopsis: Celebrations in Asgard and the introduction of Code Blue. 

Comments: The pose of Thor on the cover with the surrounding vignettes seems inspired by Thor #154, which was kind of a "breather" issue as well. 


The opening page seems to be taken from the opening page of Thor #167. 







Odin decides to take his Odin Sleep and appoints Heimdall as the ruler of Asgard. Heimdall restores the Rainbow Bridge. 




Hercules says he's going back to Olympus, but he will rejoin the Avengers soon, so I guess that editorial team wanted him or maybe Tom and Ron couldn't think of a way to naturally continue his story in Thor. 



Sif facing off against Leir is taken from her facing off against Loki in Thor #153. 




Marcus Stone, who was on the verge of retirement in Thor #414, has assembled a team of police officers to deal with superhuman menaces. Code Blue usually dealt with menaces that Thor dealt with and didn't make many appearances in other comics. I remember they appeared in Captain America and Deadly Foes of Spider-Man, but those were scripted by Tom DeFalco's friends Mark Gruenwald and Danny Fingeroth.  I'm sure a writer nowadays has come with the same idea. Their introduction here reminds me of the introduction of the X-Men in their first issue. 




The Wreckers pointing his crowbar is taken from his first appearance in Thor #148. 



The Pool of Peace first appeared in Thor #140. It looks like almost the same panel copied and pasted. 










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