The Thunder God and the Thug!
by
Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby & Dick Ayers
Thor returns from his latest adventure to the office of doctor Don Blake. A couple of waiting patients notice Thor flying by. Instead of entering his office where Thor's secret identity of Don Blake is likely to be exposed, the thunder god enters a floor above his office. This floor houses a mannequin shop, which happens to be empty. Thor dresses one of the mannequin dummies up like himself and tosses the plastic figure out the window. This tricks the patients into thinking Thor has flown off, while the real thunder god can change back into the persona of Don Blake.
As the day lingers on, Don Blake and his nurse Jane Foster daydream about each other. Don wishes he could marry her, but doesn't think he has a chance with his lame leg. Jane wishes he would show some kind of affection her way, but believes he's too stuffy to be romantic. She proceeds to have daydreams about being a domestic with Thor; polishing his hammer, ironing out his red cape and cutting his long-blonde hair.
Commotion from outside suddenly breaks Don and Jane's reverie. Mob leader Thug Thatcher is being transported from the local courthouse to a prison. He has been convicted of selling substandard steel to construction companies. As the armored truck turns onto the street just below the building Blake's medical practice is in, another vehicle rams right into it. Thatcher's men start a gunfight with the police in the armored truck. With the police's attention diverted by the gunfire, the gangsters are able to rescue their boss. Just as they are about to tack off, Thug Thatcher gets clipped in the shoulder.
With their boss injured, two of Thug Thatcher's men notice Don Blake's office listed on the mailboxes inside the building they are next to. They proceed to kidnap Don Blake and Jane Foster, taking the doctor with them and leaving the nurse tied up as a hostage if Don refuses to cooperate. Once at Thug Thatcher's hideout, Blake is introduced to the boss and his girlfriend Ruby.
Doctor Blake sucessfully operates on Thug, removing the bullet lodged in his shoulder. One of his men take Blake's cane as he works on Thug. Thug orders his men to take out the doctor, much to Ruby's reproach. Without his cane in hand to turn into Thor, Blake uses a mental link he has with Odin as the men draw their guns. Odin responds by sending down a bolt of lightning to strike the gangster holding Don's cane. The doctor grabs the fallen stick and after a blinding flash of light, Thor appears.
The gangsters look on in amazement at Thor's presence. They can't figure out what happened to the doctor, so Thor explains that he was passing by and rescued him. Thor attacks the entire gang as they move to shoot him. He blows a tablecloth around the whole group and leaves them tied up to a tree. Thug Thatcher and Ruby flee the scene.
Ruby and Thug flee back to Don Blake's office as Thor continues to battle the gangsters. He downs a whole row of trees with his hammer to block their escape route. As Thor waits for the police to arrive, Ruby and Thatcher hold Jane hostage in order to attract Thor's attention. Thatcher orders Thor to drop his hammer when he arrives or he will shoot the girl. Thor complies and then uses a magic vocal trick to make it sound like the place is surrounded by police. This distracts Thatcher long enough for Thor to pick up his hammer.
Thor uses his hammer to knock the gun out of Thatcher's hand. Before he can retrieve it, Thor creates a magic updraft with his hammer that floats Jane Foster safely out of an office window. Thor follows her out of the building as Thatcher starts shooting at him. As a crowd watches on, Thor places Jane safely on a rooftop and goes back to deal with the mob boss.
Thug and Ruby are spotted fleeing from Blake's building. He lures Thor over to a nearby construction site where a tower frame stands. As he ascends the building frame in an elevator car, Ruby pleas with him to return and face his consequences. Thug refuses and starts firing his gun down at Ruby, who is saved as Thor puts himself between her and the bullets.The forming crowd watch as Thor confronts Thug Thatcher. From the ground he shoots a bolts of lightning at the elevator car. Thug tails it across a steel beam that Thor shoots more lightning at, causing some of the substandard steel to melt. On the steel girder, Thug spots a bucket of hot rivets. He threatens to throw them down at the crowd, when the steel beam under his feet starts to buckle and give way.
In freefall, Thug Thatcher is saved by Thor. Thor returns the gangster to the police, who wait beside a frantic Ruby. As the cops take him away, Thor makes a prayer to Odin who grants him his wish. Ruby suddenly forgets all memories of Thug Thatcher as Thor flies off.
Notes
This is the second time I've posted this. I tried to use the Blogger app on my tablet and it seems to have eaten the original post.
New powers of Thor. He can magically throw his voice, create updrafts of wind to make people float. He can mentally contact Odin who will grant his wishes, including making lightning strikes and making people lose some of their memories.
Review & Ranking
This is the worst Thor story I've reviewed so far. The best part is the characterizations of Ruby & Thug Thatcher, whose relationship feels more developed than a lot of the Marvel protagonists so far. It loses some of that with the memory loss ending. It would be better if they kept Ruby around as a supporting character in the series and explore her a bit more, but she and Thug don't make a return for many. many, many years in the future.
I rank this story in between Incredible Hulk #5b (the one with General Fang) and above Tales to Astonish #39 (the one with the Scarlet Beetle) It's about as middling as a Thor story can get, with a bonus of being just a wee bit sexist.
Next Time: The Fantastic Four read the mail!
Doctor Blake sucessfully operates on Thug, removing the bullet lodged in his shoulder. One of his men take Blake's cane as he works on Thug. Thug orders his men to take out the doctor, much to Ruby's reproach. Without his cane in hand to turn into Thor, Blake uses a mental link he has with Odin as the men draw their guns. Odin responds by sending down a bolt of lightning to strike the gangster holding Don's cane. The doctor grabs the fallen stick and after a blinding flash of light, Thor appears.
The gangsters look on in amazement at Thor's presence. They can't figure out what happened to the doctor, so Thor explains that he was passing by and rescued him. Thor attacks the entire gang as they move to shoot him. He blows a tablecloth around the whole group and leaves them tied up to a tree. Thug Thatcher and Ruby flee the scene.
Ruby and Thug flee back to Don Blake's office as Thor continues to battle the gangsters. He downs a whole row of trees with his hammer to block their escape route. As Thor waits for the police to arrive, Ruby and Thatcher hold Jane hostage in order to attract Thor's attention. Thatcher orders Thor to drop his hammer when he arrives or he will shoot the girl. Thor complies and then uses a magic vocal trick to make it sound like the place is surrounded by police. This distracts Thatcher long enough for Thor to pick up his hammer.
Thor uses his hammer to knock the gun out of Thatcher's hand. Before he can retrieve it, Thor creates a magic updraft with his hammer that floats Jane Foster safely out of an office window. Thor follows her out of the building as Thatcher starts shooting at him. As a crowd watches on, Thor places Jane safely on a rooftop and goes back to deal with the mob boss.
Thug and Ruby are spotted fleeing from Blake's building. He lures Thor over to a nearby construction site where a tower frame stands. As he ascends the building frame in an elevator car, Ruby pleas with him to return and face his consequences. Thug refuses and starts firing his gun down at Ruby, who is saved as Thor puts himself between her and the bullets.The forming crowd watch as Thor confronts Thug Thatcher. From the ground he shoots a bolts of lightning at the elevator car. Thug tails it across a steel beam that Thor shoots more lightning at, causing some of the substandard steel to melt. On the steel girder, Thug spots a bucket of hot rivets. He threatens to throw them down at the crowd, when the steel beam under his feet starts to buckle and give way.
In freefall, Thug Thatcher is saved by Thor. Thor returns the gangster to the police, who wait beside a frantic Ruby. As the cops take him away, Thor makes a prayer to Odin who grants him his wish. Ruby suddenly forgets all memories of Thug Thatcher as Thor flies off.
Notes
This is the second time I've posted this. I tried to use the Blogger app on my tablet and it seems to have eaten the original post.
New powers of Thor. He can magically throw his voice, create updrafts of wind to make people float. He can mentally contact Odin who will grant his wishes, including making lightning strikes and making people lose some of their memories.
Review & Ranking
This is the worst Thor story I've reviewed so far. The best part is the characterizations of Ruby & Thug Thatcher, whose relationship feels more developed than a lot of the Marvel protagonists so far. It loses some of that with the memory loss ending. It would be better if they kept Ruby around as a supporting character in the series and explore her a bit more, but she and Thug don't make a return for many. many, many years in the future.
I rank this story in between Incredible Hulk #5b (the one with General Fang) and above Tales to Astonish #39 (the one with the Scarlet Beetle) It's about as middling as a Thor story can get, with a bonus of being just a wee bit sexist.
Next Time: The Fantastic Four read the mail!
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