Thor vol. 2 #54Thor vol. 2 #54
Title: “To Reach Eternity”
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Penciller: Joe Bennett
Inker: Jack Jadson
Colors: Dave Kemp of Avalon Studios
Editor: Tom Brevoort
A man wakes up at 6:00 AM to the radio playing the Chucky Diamond show. The man gets out of bed and leaves his sleeping wife behind him. Chucky Diamond is talking about how he no longer feels special now that seeing Asgard hovering in the sky makes it hard for anyone to have an ego. The man opens his window and looks out at the golden shining city floating there.
Later that day, the man is driving a bus. A caller phones in to the Chucky Diamond show and says that Asgard being there is bugging him. He questions who asked the “phony gods” to fox their world. Chucky Diamond stops the caller and asks him what makes him think that they are phony gods. He reminds the caller that Thor saved his life not long ago and that he isn’t sure he doesn’t believe that they aren’t gods. The bus comes to a stop and a woman with short blond hair wearing a cross gets off. Chucky Diamond tells his caller that there are some people that believe in gods, some that don’t, and some that like him aren’t sure. He says that they only really see the inside of a church at Christmas or a funeral.
Inside the hospital, the woman takes out her key. She opens the door to find Sister Elsie straightening her files. Sister Elsie greets Sister Mary. Mary asks if there has been any developments since last night. Elsie tells her that “the Jennings boy took a serious downturn”. Mary says that she was hoping for a recovery. She asks how the boy’s mother is. Elsie says that the mother is upset and angry. She suggests Mary counsel her.
Sister Mary puts her hand on the mother’s shoulder. She says that Donny’s time is coming and asks to help. The mother turns angrily and says, “With one of those silly prayers? I’m sure it will work. God has been so good to me all my life.” She says that she lost her mother to breast cancer when she was nine and that her husband died in a car accident two months after Donny was born. She says that no god that loved his children could torture then the way she has been tortured. Mary tries to talk to the mother, but the mother cuts her off and says not to tell her that God is testing her or that He needs Donny in Heaven. She says not to tell her that this is God’s will. The mother shouts that there is no God. She says that the sister can pray all she wants, but that no one will answer them. She says that she has prayed all her life, but that all she has gotten is pain and death. Tears roll down Mary’s eyes as she stands behind the woman.
Another woman that was sitting on the bus that morning rushes into her office to answer the phone. She answers “World Vigilance Organization, Roxy speaking.” Mr. Salmon greets Ms. Perez and says that he thought her rent check was going to be on his desk this morning, but that he doesn’t see it. Roxy says that they need another week and that he knows that they are a non-profit organization. Salmon says that his organization is not and that if he doesn’t have her rent by Friday that he will evict her. Roxy says that they do good work there and that numerous countries jail and torture innocent people. She says that they bring them freedom. Salmon says that freedom has its price and that her rent check will cover her end of that price. T’Ambo walks in and asks Roxy if she is having money problems again. Roxy says that it seems she spends more time fundraising to keep the doors open than she does to actually help people. T’Ambo says that he will work for no salary next month and the month after that if needed. Roxy says that T’Ambo is just getting on his feet after three years of torture in Kalanya. T’Ambo says that his brother is still imprisoned there and that without money to pay the jailers that he will be dead. Roxy says that they need a miracle and that if she wasn’t an atheist that she would pray. T’Ambo asks what that means. Roxy says that she doesn’t believe in a god, but that if god gives her the money to stay open, get his brother, and everyone else free that she will believe like no one else.
Two punks get onto the man’s bus. He tells them that if they don’t pay that they can’t ride. One of the men pulls out a gun and points it at the driver. The driver says that he will drive them anywhere, but to be careful with the gun because they don’t want anyone to get hurt. The punk says that no one will get hurt as long as everyone gives them their money. An old man on the bus mumbles, “Disgraceful, disgusting punks.” The other punk takes his gun and points it at the old man’s head. The punk with his gun to the driver’s head is suddenly hit by a mace that comes smashing through the windshield. The punks trigger hand is completely severed by the mace. Balder smashes through another window and kicks the other punk in the back. Hogun asks if there are any injuries. Balder says that only to the arm of the punk Hogun’s mace hit. Hogun says that justice was appropriately served.
Donny’s mother walks into Sister Mary’s office and apologizes to Mary about what she said. Mary says that she doesn’t need to apologize. Mary says that she sees so much death here that she wonders why God allows such things to happen. The mother says, “Donny is… Donny’s gone, Sister. He left us an hour ago.” The mother cries as Mary holds her. A priest rushes to the door and says that something amazing is happening and that it is everything that they have been praying for. Sif and Neffethesk walk the halls of the hospital. The priest says that they are from the floating city and that they have potions and elixirs. He says that they have remedies for almost every patient and disease they have been treating.
T’Ambo asks Roxy if she had any luck.
Roxy says that everyone she called is tapped out and that they
won’t be getting any donations today. T’Ambo says that
someone is at the door. Roxy puts her head on the desk when a
voice asks, “Art thou the administrators of this
business?” 
Roxy looks up to
see Thor standing there with a number of people around him. Thor
says that he has rescued the people from refugee camps in Kalanya
and that they need shelter. Thor says that one of them knew of a
Roxanne Perez who could help them. T’Ambo’s brother,
M’Latta, shouts out to T’Ambo. T’Ambo and
M’Latta hug. Roxy asks if he is Thor. Thor says that he is
and that her work is to be commended. Roxy says that she
can’t believe that General D’Andaa let him walk in
there and take his prisoners. Thor says that it is his policy to
recognize any sovereign, but that D’Andaa was a tyrant and a
thug. He says that he wasn’t a ruler, but a subjugator. Roxy
says, “You… overthrew his government?” Thor says
that he did it as he would have to any common street thug, but
that D’Andaa caused more misery than a thousand criminals.
Roxy asks if Thor gets to decide that. Thor says, “Evil
cannot be protected by office, title, or uniform. Justice must
ever be served.” Roxy says that she appreciates what Thor
did, but that she isn’t sure she like the “big brother
treatment”. As Thor walks out he says that he would stop a
murderer on the street and asks why he wouldn’t do the same
to a despot that has brutalized thousands. He says that borders
can’t silence the cries of salvation that need salvation.
Thor spins his hammer and flies upward. Roxy asks if he is really
a god that needs believers. Thor says that he doesn’t ask
for any. He says that his justice is given to all equally.
Neffethesk is curing another of eighteen terminal patients. Mary says that this is a miracle. The priest says that miracles are “the province of our one true God” and that this is a significant achievement. Mary says that if they had just come earlier that Donny Jennings would still be alive. The priest says that was God’s determination. He says that they are only to believe and accept. Mary says that it is “hard to believe in a God that watches the lives of the young and innocent slip away… while others come to restore them.” The father says that they are not gods. He says that they are pretenders. He tells Mary to take the rest of the afternoon off and consider her priorities.
Another bus driver says, “Close call, Malik. You okay?” Malik says that he guesses he was just lucky. The other man says that he was lucky enough to have others act on his behalf. Malik says that there is nothing like staring down a gun to make one realize what is important in life. The other man says that if that doesn’t make him find religion that nothing will. Malik looks down at the trash. A newspaper is there with the headline, “CHURCH OF ASGARD GAINS POPULARITY IN THE CITY”
Malik, Roxy Perez, and Mary all walk from where they were to the Church of Asgard.
Lightning Crashes rating: 7 out of 10
A very good story revealing the lives of those touched by Thor. Thor has gotten a lot of flak for bringing Asgard to Earth, but there are also people who view it as a good thing. I’m a little annoyed at the delay in the actual telling of the plot, but the issue itself is still enjoyable. Likewise, Bennett’s art while still enjoyable, isn’t very exciting. Both art and story get 3.5 out of 5.