DeFalco/Frenz Retrospective: Thor #450

Writer: Tom DeFalco
Penciler: Ron Frenz 

Synopsis: Eric and Code: Blue storm Asgard to rescue Odin and apprehend Ulik. 

Comments: Code Blue charges in with "Wah-Hoo", just like the Howling Commandoes. Are they hitting the trolls with real bullets, as opposed to rubber? 

I like all those wolves talking to Amora. 

Fandral, you old dog. 

Heimdall doesn't take kindly of being accused of treason by Eric. 

Uroc, the rock troll, behind Ulik, was first drawn by Mike Mignola, the creator of Hellboy, in Thor #408. He even seems to have stubby horns like Hellboy. 

I wonder if Rigger saying she fired some warning shots over the trolls' heads was written in by DeFalco? It would be almost an unintentional reference to Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandoes #2 where Dum Dum says in the dialogue that he scared a couple of Nazis off when the artwork seems to indicate that he shot them. Also, Tales of Suspense #66 where Hitler says the Red Skull "blasted every button" off an officer's jacket to contradict Kirby's intention that the Skull was executing the the officer. And Dragonball Z's infamous "I can see their parachutes!"

Stone's line that he came here because his doctor told him to quite eating donuts seems to be take-off from Roddy Piper's line in They Live, "I came here to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all out of bubblegum." Stone gets the best of Ulik, but Ulik freaks out when Stone starts reading him his Miranda Rights, indicating he plans to take him back to prison,  and decides to let himself fall into the abyss. 

"Odin" comes back and banishes Heimdall, but seems to be in cahoots with Karnilla. 

Fandral is once again compared to Robin Hood, foreshadowing that he will confirm that he was the historical Robin Hood in Thunderstrike #18.