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Thor vol. 2 #1
Title: “In Search of the Gods”
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciller: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Klaus Janson
Colors: Gregory Wright
Editor: Tom Brevoort
In New York City, a man is holding ten children hostage inside the Balloon Bunch day care center. He says that if he doesn’t get an audience with Thor that there will be a lot of dead bodies. Thor descends from his flight and asks what is required of him. Thor meets with the policeman in charge. Thor says that the officer seems troubled. The cop says that he never talked to a guy who claimed to be a god before. Thor replies, “Claimed?” The officer says that it was just a slip of the tongue because the guy in the day care claims that he is a god from Asgard as well. Thor starts walking in. One of the cops tells Jake Olsen to get his ambulance ready just in case. Thor throws his hammer through the wall and sections the children off from their captor. The teacher herds the children out. Thor grabs the guy and says that a member of the Asgard would never hold children hostage. The man says that he is Heimdall. He says that Loki cast him from his post. The man says to take him to Asgard so he can prove his claim. Thor recalls that Odin has taken on some odd visages and decides to give the man a chance. Thor walks the man outside.
Outside the cop tells Thor that the man’s name is Hank Bradley and that he recently escaped from a mental hospital. Thor says that may be, but that the Asgardian gods have been missing and that it would be folly to dismiss him out of hand. Thor starts swinging his hammer to go to Asgard.
Down at the docks, soldiers are unloading a crate. One soldier warns the other that they are handling very dangerous cargo. Another asks if anyone knows what is inside it. Another says that it is top secret, and that even their commanding officer doesn’t know. They say that a ROTC brat like Preston Case is really bugged by that because he is insecure since nobody respects an officer that has never been in battle. Colonel Case gets out of his car and asks what is holding up this operation. Colonel Case walks up to the package and places his hand on it. One of his soldiers says that they were told not to touch it without Class A protection, but it is too late. The crate blows apart.
Back at the day care center Jake Olsen and his partner Demetrius are checking out the kids. Demetrius says that Jake might finally get to keep his date with Hannah. The cops come in and ask Jake and Demetrius if they heard about the trouble at the docks. Jake says no and that he isn’t going to unless it is World War III. Jake and Demetrius’ beepers start to go off. Jake calls in and is told to go to the docks.
In Hel, Volla
the prophetess comes to tell Hela that the one she has coveted
for so long is about to stand before them. Volla asks Hela what
she is thinking. Hela says that if the one she covets is really
coming then her realm will finally be complete.
Thor and “Heimdall” appear on the
Rainbow Bridge. Thor tells the man to avert his eyes because he
doesn’t want him to see him cry. Asgard is in ruins. The man
collapses and says that he never dreamed that Asgard was for
real. Thor realizes that the man is not Heimdall. The man says
that he thought he was and that he just wanted to be more than
the failure that he is. Thor freaks out. He throws his hammer
into Asgard and through some buildings. He says that he did not
wish to taken away from this realm to come back and find Asgard
in ruins. Thor says that he never thought he would be so alone.
Thor falls to his knees. He reaches down and finds an arrow. Thor
recalls a day when he was trying to impress Sif with a goose he
shot with an arrow, but Loki grabs the goose and runs. Thor says
that it is time for the human to go home. 
Thor apologizes
for upsetting the man with his display of anger. Thor says that
he knows a place where they will care for the man’s troubled
mind. Thor and Hank disappear from the Rainbow Bridge.
Inside the city of Asgard there is movement from one of the buildings that Thor destroyed with his hammer. The debris is blown off the ground. A pit opens and a voice from inside says, “Finally! After all this time… all these years… Odin the jailer is gone and I am free! Free!”
As Demetrius drives to the docks, Jake calls to cancel his date with Hannah. Jake says that at least he will be getting paid double for overtime. A report comes in that there is a robot attacking on the docks. Jake tells Hannah that he has to go. Back at Hannah’s house, Hannah’s daughter Amanda says that she ought to dump Jake. Hannah says that you can’t complain about a man saving lives.
Thor and Hank arrive at the hospital. Jane Foster sees Thor coming down. She says that it is good to see Thor alive again even though she had already heard. Thor says that he heard that she was nursing at this hospital. Jane says that she is a doctor now. Jane says that she is surprised that Thor isn’t with the other Avengers at the docks. She says that some robot is attacking the waterfront. Thor flies off to help his fellow Avengers. Jane says that she hopes that he is careful. Hank says that Thor is a god, but Jane says that even gods can die.”
At the waterfront the Avengers have not yet confronted their opponent because they are still helping the bystanders evacuate the area. Thor arrives and as he does a giant explosion occurs and the Destroyer walks through the smoke. Thor reminds the Avengers that the Destroyer was designed by Odin to fight off Celestials. The Avengers advance.
Elsewhere on the waterfront Jake and Demetrius are saving people’s lives. Demetrius tells Jake that it is time to give up, but Jake tries one more time and manages to get a pulse restarted. Jake tells Demetrius to never give up. Jake shouts out to the Avengers to make the guy pay for this.
Captain America orders a full assault. Thor’s hammer and Iron Man’s full repulsors don’t even faze Destroyer. Thor and Iron Man charge into Destroyer and drive him into a building. Thor and Iron Man come flying out of the building. Destroyer shouts that they should never do that again or he will open the visor and melt the planet. Scarlet Witch catches Destroyer in a spell and orders him to talk. Destroyer says that his life force is animating the Destroyer armor. He says that he has never felt such incredible limitless power. He says that no general will ever order him around again. Hawkeye knocks Wanda out of the way as Destroyer lets loose with a blast at her. Captain America dives in with his shield and blocks Destroyer’s attempt to hit both Hawkeye and Wanda. Thor flies in and hits the Destroyer. He winds up and hits Destroyer full force with Mjolnir. Destroyer takes the blow and says that it was nothing. Destroyer starts smacking Thor around. Bystanders are still being cleared. Thor tries to hit back, but Destroyer unleashes a blast into Thor’s face. The Avengers advance. Iron Man flies in, but Destroyer punches him out and into a truck. The truck falls over and traps someone. Thor gets up. He flies to the top of the building and starts to summon a storm. Jake heads back and tries to lift the truck off the trapped person. The gas starts to leak out of the van. Jake manages to lift the truck just slightly enough for the woman to crawl out.
The Avengers and army remain under Wanda’s spell of protection as Thor’s wields the fury of his storm. Jake Olsen is blown over as he carries the woman towards safety.
Destroyer is completely unaffected by the storm. Thor says that he will cause the winds to blow harder and lightning to hit harder.
Fire hits the truck’s gasoline. The woman is blown from Jake’s arms. He tells her to run as he straggles behind.
Thor commands Destroyer to fall. Destroyer
says that a few buildings and cars blew away, but that he
isn’t moving. Destroyer blasts at Thor and hits the building
Thor is standing on. The building explodes. Destroyer advances on
Thor as Thor tries to get up. Destroyer says that he has been
taking orders for years. He says that the problem with the
military is that someone always outranks you. Destroyer says that
now nobody can tell him what to do. Destroyer pounds Thor
repeatedly. 
Destroyer holds
Thor’s limp body in his hand. He says that Thor put up a
good fight and made him prove that he could beat the best.
Destroyer tells Thor to say for to Valhalla for him when he gets
there. Destroyer opens his visor. The Avengers come forward and
find Thor dead lying on the ground.
Lightning Crashes rating: 7 out of 10
The story is fairly average. The issue sets up the series, but it’s nothing especially noteworthy as an issue. Thor is back, Asgard is in ruins, Jane Foster is a doctor, Destroyer is on the loose, and we meet Jake Olsen. Not much there. I’m not sure why Jurgens has Thor thinking that rain and lightning was really going to faze Destroyer in the least. Romita does a great job with the Thor/Destroyer fight. The art gets a 4 out of 5. I’m not a big fan of Janson’s inks. He tends to leave everything a little sketchier than I care for.