Thor vol. 2 #15Thor vol. 2 #15
Title: “At Last… Disclosure!”
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciller: Lee Weeks
Inker: Klaus Janson
Colors: Gregory Wright
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Odin looks out over Asgard. He feels at
peace as Asgard is finally restored to its rightful glory after
the war with the Dark Gods. Tarakis, Odin’s grand vizier,
greets Odin. Tarakis says that though he hates to interrupt his
quiet revelry he has troubling news. He says that he was looking
into the Flame of Truth to make sure that all the Asgardian
artifacts were back in Asgard, but he has found one that remains
on Midgard. Odin says that Thor himself made sure, but Tarakis
says that this item actually belongs on Midgard. Odin looks into
the Flame of Truth and sees Thor’s hammer left stuck in a
wall with Thor nowhere to be seen. Odin knows that Thor would
never leave his hammer voluntarily. He sends for the Warriors
Three. The Warriors Three come immediately and kneel before Odin.
Volstagg asks
for Odin’s orders, and says that he will see that his two
comrades will get it done right away. Odin shows them the hammer
of Thor stuck in the wall. He says that they will be his eyes and
ears, and that they should give all possible help to Thor. Odin
transports them to Midgard. After he sends them off Odin slumps
onto his throne. He says that he is still weakened from his
imprisonment by the Dark Gods. Tarakis says that Odin suffered
greatly. He gives Odin a potion that will help his strength
return soon. Odin drinks the potion and says that Tarakis is a
good and faithful friend.
On Earth, Jake Olsen sits up in his hospital bed. He says that while he is Thor he is trapped in his mortal body without his hammer. Jake thinks that he can’t even leave the room not only because he is too weak, but because the police want to imprison him. Jake says that he is concerned with what the Enchanters, Magnir, Forsung, and Brona, are doing. Thor says that with the talismans they wear they are capable of great evil. Thor says that when Mjolnir started behaving strangely that he should have realized right away. He thinks how he remembers their first battle. Brona and Magnir lifted the ground they were standing on right into the air. Thor hit Magnir, but he transformed into a being of pure energy and gripped Mjolnir and then threw Thor and his hammer like a plaything. Thor says that when he did attack again, Magnir was able to stop his mightiest blows. Thor says that worse than that Magnir was able to lift Mjolnir and then reversed its power causing it to burn with the power of a million suns, and then he tossed it aside. Thor says that he should have known that the Enchanters could have caused the troubles with his hammer. Jake thinks back to when Odin fought Forsung, and eventually Odin overcame Forsung killing him. Odin then destroyed Forsung’s talisman, and banished Magnir and Brona to the Lost Limbo of Infinity Unending. Jake tries banging his fist against the ground, but he is not transformed. Jake wonders what he can do.
Back at the wall, two guys are trying to pull Mjolnir from the wall. A news crew arrives to cover a “Excalibur does Manhattan” story.
Jake stands and says that as weak as he feels that he will not shirk his responsibility. Hannah walks in the room and says that Jake shouldn’t be out of bed. Jake says that he is already feeling much better. Hannah says that there is a policeman outside the door, and that she had to beg him to let her in. Jake says that he didn’t do anything wrong. Hannah says that the police have videotaped evidence of Jake stealing drugs from the hospital, and that they say that he has been dealing. Jake swears that he would never do such a thing. Detective O’Neil enters the room, and says that he hopes he is prepared to do so in court. He says that he would love to add perjury to the charges. Jake offers to take a lie detector, but O’Neil says that he has been building a case against him for so long that there is no doubt. Jake says that he is leaving, but O’Neil slams him against the wall and says that he isn’t going anywhere. Jake says, “None may touch me thus!” Hannah says that O’Neil is Jake’s friend, and that it has to be a set up. O’Neil says that every bit of evidence leads back to Jake’s ambulance, the routes he ran, and the hours that he had access to the hospital. Hannah says that is circumstantial and that lots of people have that schedule. Hannah asks if O’Neil has checked out Demetrius. O’Neil tells Jake to confess and he will see the DA goes easy on him. Jake says again that he didn’t do it. O’Neil says that he wants the man Jake was working for, but that before Jake turns him down again he wants him to see what he is up against. O’Neil opens the door and calls for the detective to come in. Demetrius walks in with a suit on. O’Neil says that they couldn’t get anything until Demetrius was assigned to his ambulance. Demetrius says that they have audio, prints, even video of Jake stealing from the hospital. Demetrius tells Jake to give them what they want. Hannah slaps Demetrius and says that he was his best friend. Demetrius grabs Hannah and says that he is her friend. He says that he wants her to see that the man she is devoted to for the scum that he is. Demetrius says that he is a pusher, and that he used her. He says that Jake only paid attention to her so he could get her keys and had them duped for himself. Hannah looks at Jake and runs out of the room. Demetrius grabs Jake and says that he ought to rip his spine out for what Jake did to her. Jake says that he is innocent, but Demetrius says that they have proof. Jake thinks to himself what if his accusers are right. Jane Foster bursts into the room. She says that Jake is her patient, and that they had no authorization to interrogate him. She says that he had a heart attack, and that once he is healthy that they can have him. She tells them to get out. O’Neil tells Jake to get a good lawyer because he is going to need one. Jane asks Jake if he is all right. Jake says, “Nah. Nowhere near it”. Jane asks if it is his heart, but Jake responds that it is his soul. He says that for all he knows that their accusations might be true. Jane says that it wasn’t him really though. Jake says that he is trapped in this body unable to change. Jake says that he has to change too because Thor’s presence is required. Jake says that he has no right to ask, but that he needs her help. Jane says that she will do anything he needs.
Back at the hammer, the media has set up a
little sigh with a “whoever pulls this hammer from the
wall” type message. People are mobbed around the hammer all
trying to pull it out. Suddenly the Warriors Three appear next to
the hammer. Hogun says that he never expected to see this
madness. He says that they swarm like starving vultures around
Thor’s hammer. Volstagg says that he is stunned. Fandrall
asks if Volstagg is offended as well, but Volstagg says that he
meant the sight of the vending cart. He says that he doesn’t
know what ‘cheese curd’ is, but that he is looking
forward to sampling it. Fandrall says that Hogun doesn’t
think they should try to free it. Hogun agrees and says that he
knows that it is impossible, but that he thought that they would
verify that it was really Mjolnir. As soon as Hogun puts his hand
on the handle a green light starts to radiate. Enrakt introduces
himself and says that he is these Asgardians’ dooms. 
In Asgard, Odin awakes in his bed to find Magnir and Brona standing by his bed. He asks how they dare invade his sanctum. Brona says that they dare all because this is the day of revenge. A green light bursts through the windows of Odin’s bedroom.
In the hospital, O’Neil asks the guard if Dr. Foster is still inside the room. The guard says that she and Dr. Kincaid just left. O’Neil says that he never authorized Kincaid to enter the room. O’Neil goes into the room and finds Jake gone. O’Neil says that Foster helped Olson escape and to have an APB put out on both of them. He says to hit the streets because they couldn’t have gotten far. O’Neil walks out the doors and spots Jane and Jake running down the street. Jake says that she shouldn’t get any more involved in this than she already is. Jane says that she might as well keep going. O’Neil shouts for them to stop and fires a shot at them as they run.
Lightning Crashes rating: 7 out of 10
A good story and the mystery of Thor’s hammer’s strange actions is finally revealed. It’s a well thought out and planned story. The biggest swerve in the issue is that the big hero that Thor was keeping alive because of the fight with the Destroyer that killed him was in fact a drug dealer. Not only was Marnot’s deal not really based upon honor because of causing a mortal’s death, but apparently Marnot didn’t even bother to find out if Jake Olson was scum or not. I’m not sure who drew the Enchanters’ first appearance, but I don’t think anyone but Jack Kirby could have designed those outfits. The art in the book is good, but Jansen’s inks dominate Lee Weeks’ pencils. A decent read- both writing and pencils get a 3.5.