DeFalco/Frenz Retrospective: Thor #432


 

Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz

Synopsis: Thor's fight to the finish with Loki. 

Comments: The last issue was penciled by Herb Trimpe, probably filling in while Ron worked on the back up story in Captain America #383. We pick up here with Kevin a hostage of Loki. 




Loki seems to be daring Thor to kill him. 



Code Blue is showing their Howling Commandoes influence through their battle cry. 





Loki finally goes too far. In trying to kill Kevin and Marcy, he ends up seriously wounding Susan.  This is Thor's "Joker moment" where people always wonder why Batman just doesn't kill the Joker and why he keeps taking him back to Arkham.





Thor finally does what Loki has been goading him to do and kills him. I'm going to hazard a guess and think that he's playing into Loki's hands. The flashbacks while Thor is killing Loki are from Journey into Mystery #100 and #113. Odin wakes up and has Thor exiled. Thor is getting off light since the Executioner said in Journey into Mystery #116 that Odin would execute any god who killed a mortal. 










Thor promises Stone that he'll face mortal justice if he survives Asgardian justice. That seems like double jeopardy to me. Thor is seemingly exiled to Mephisto's realm. Eric slams his cane against the wall like Don Blake did in Journey into Mystery #83 and discovers that he is the new Thor. I understand that Eric is angry in that Thor was only avenging someone Eric cared about. While his past heroics should mitigate his sentence, I don't think you get a mulligan for murdering a captive. 








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