"The Call of Battle"

by Matthew Turnage

Asgard, home of the mighty Norse Gods! Standing guard at Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge that spans across the cosmos, Heimdall, most faithful of the Norse Gods, keeps his unending watch. As always, he holds the Gjallerhorn in his possession. It is his duty to sound the horn at the sign of invasion. As he scans the heavens with eyes that see all the Nine Worlds and ears that no sound escapes, he reflects that he will not have to sound the Gjallerhorn this day. Invasion is coming, to be sure. But it is coming not across the bridge, but from the Asgard Mountains, where the passage to Jotunheim lies.

It is at times such as this that faithful Heimdall wishes it were not his duty to forever mind the bridge, but rather to fight in battles such as these. Even now, he can hear the armies amassing at Vigrid. Soon, they will march to the Plain of Ida to meet the Frost Giants in battle before the Giants can reach the Golden City. And Heimdall will not be there. Instead, he will stand on the bridge, watching for an enemy that will not be coming.

In the Golden City, the Asgardians do more than hone their battle skills and seek out new adventures - they drink! Such heavy consumption of mead obviously requires quite a few number of establishments. So the Mighty Thor, God of Thunder, has been forced to visit several until finding the one where the three comrades he seeks are located.

Upon entering the fifth such establishment, Thor finds success. "Hogun! Fandral!" he shouts upon seeing two of the Warriors Three. "Why dost thou waste time, when all the warriors of the Golden Realm gather at the request of Odin himself?"

"Well met, Thor!" the smiling Fandral greets as he gives his friend a firm handshake. Hogun simply nods in acknowledgement and continues scowling, as ever.

"I think thou canst guess why we have been delayed..." Fandral begins to explain as he turns towards the back of the tavern.

Then the form of Volstagg the Voluminous emerges from the rear, carrying a barrel full of mead. "Well met, Thor!" Volstagg shouts upon seeing Odin's son. "Thou hast arrived just in time! As I was just telling Dashing Fandral and Grim Hogun what a sin it would be to enter battle on an empty stomach! Come, let us partake of this mead before we join our comrades at Vigrid!"

Thor cannot help but chuckle. "Nay, Voluminous One. There be not time for that. We must away with great haste." Thor's tone becomes deadly serious. "Our enemies shall be here soon. We dare not delay any further."

Volstagg deposits his barrel on the tavern floor, clearly disappointed. "Very well. But fear not, my malnourished friends! Valorous Volstagg shall protect thee from harm! Let us away!"

The four heroes soon arrive on the plain of Vigrid, where they behold the awe-inspiring sight of the amassed armies of Asgard, gathered around a platform constructed in the center of the plain.

"Verily, 'twould appear every Asgardian that doth live and breathe be here on the Plain," Thor observes.

"Aye, only a few women remain behind to watch the children," Fandral confirms. "And of course, Heimdall watches o'er Bifrost, as always."

"Mayhaps the Lion of Asgard should stay behind, to protect the women and our food," Volstagg offers. "Just in case."

"Truly thou art e'er selfless, Voluminous One," Fandral laughs, "but we shall need thy matchless prowess on the battlefield with us, methinks."

"Very well, good Fandral," Volstagg proclaims. "Ne'er let it be said that Valiant Volstagg shirked his duty!"

"Truly there are none so dedicated to the Golden Realm as thee," a voice from behind calls.

The four heroes turn to see the approaching Balder the Brave, with Agnar of Vanaheim. "Well met, Balder!" Thor greets. "And greetings to thee as well, young Agnar. Thou wilt join us in battle this day?"

"Of course," Agnar replies.

"Where is thy lover?" Balder asks his old friend.

"I know not," Thor answers. "Amora said she would meet me here...."

"And here am I, as promised," the Enchantress calls as she approaches the group. Then another figure approaches from behind, calling to her friends.

"Greetings, warriors!" the Lady Sif says as she joins the group.

"Well met, Sif," Thor says. Although the two have not been lovers for years, a spark still passes between them as they greet each other again. Amora, noticing this, attempts to break the moment by wrapping her arms around Thor and kissing him.

"I eagerly await battling our enemies at thy side," Amora says in a sultry voice.

"Amora," Sif begins in a disapproving tone, "now is not the time - "

"Hark, you heroes!" a voice booms across Vigrid. All of the assembled warriors turn to face the platform in the center of the Plain. There, the Grand Vizier announces, "Thy liege lord would speak with thee!"

Odin One-Eye, the Allfather, takes center stage on the platform and spreads his arms wide, drawing all eyes to him. "I thank thee for thy attentiveness," Odin begins. "The armies of the Frost Giants make ready to march on us, led by our old nemesis Utgard-Loki himself. These creatures would defile our very homes and make us our servants. Would you let them?"

"NAY!!" the crowd shouts in unison.

"Art thou ready to ride to battle, to defend our very homes and the lives of those we love?"

"AYE!!"

"Then let us not waste any more time! To war!"

"FOR ODIN!! FOR ASGARD!!!!"

Meanwhile, across the Sea of Marmora, in the castle of Loki, the trickster watches the events on the Plain of Vigrid with great interest.

"Dost thou feel the pains of jealousy at the sight of Sif, Amora?" Loki laughs. "Thou hopes that this battle will bring thee e'en closer to thy cherished Thor, but thou didst not reckon on Thor's lifelong flame. Surely thou must know that if I reveal thy secret to Thor whilst on Asgard, he shall turn to his once betrothed? I can imagine the turmoil thou must be enduring now. Thy only escape is if the Frost Giants crush the armies of Odin and o'errun Asgard."

Loki reflects upon that last thought. "Which would probably satisfy Loki just as well as the game we are playing, Amora. Would that I could help the Giants, but our last joint effort left a sour taste in my mouth...."

(the sordid details are in Thor #s 377-378 - Magnanimous Matt)

"Eh? Who goes there?" Loki shouts, suddenly sensing another presence in his castle. Then, from the shadows, a large hooded figure appears.

"I have come to make you an offer Loki, here in your castle where Heimdall's eyes cannot pry," the figure states.

Loki regards the figure. "And who art thou, that thou could make an offer of interest to Loki?"

"Surely you realize that the Frost Giants could never have obtained the Cask of Ancient Winters on their own, or organized themselves for such a bold attack," the hooded figure says.

"Of course not," Loki responds. "Art thou saying that it was thee who orchestrated this?"

"As part of a larger plan," the figure confirms. "A plan that you might profit from, if you will aid me in the next step."

"Thou hast piqued Loki's curiosity," Loki concedes, "but I do not make deals with mysterious partners.

The figure pulls back his hood. Loki chuckles.

"Ah! Then this is no plot against Odin, but Thor!" Loki laughs.

"Actually, I consider all Asgardians my enemy," the figure states, "but Thor is my primary target."

"Very well, we have a deal," Loki says. "Tell me of thy plan."

The armies of Asgard march from the Plain of Vigrid to the Plain of Ida, on their way to the passage to Jotunheim. Once the armies move into position, they array themselves so that no force may get past them to the Golden City beyond.

Odin scans the horizon, patiently waiting for their enemies to arrive. Then he sees movement across the horizon.

"Our foes approach," Odin calls out. "Prepare for battle!"

Then, the skies turn gray. A bone-numbing gust of wind begins to blow across the plain and snow begins to fall from the heavens. "They have opened the Cask," Thor observes as the temperature drops with astonishing speed, and the very ground begins to freeze solid.

"Tis no matter," grim Hogun speaks. "We have withstood the fury of the Cask before, on Midgard. 'Twill be no different here, in our homeland."

"Look!" Amora says. "The approaching Frost Giants begin to swell in size as ne'er before. This bitter cold increases their already impressive power!"

"No matter!" Thor declares. "Thor hath been slaying Giants since he was but a lad, and today shall be no different. More powerfuly these Giants may be, but by my father's beard, they'll not lose their fear of Mjolnir!"

Harokin, leader of the heroes of Valhalla, calls out to Odin. "My lord, the enemy approaches! Shall we wait here while they advance our territory?"

"Nay, good Harokin," the ruler of the gods cries back, "they will pay for tempting the wrath of Odin the Almighty! Heroes of Asgard, attack! Leave not one of these Giants alive!"

Then, as one the assembled cry out, "FOR ODIN! FOR ASGAAARD!!!!" The Aesir and the Einherjar charge forward toward their enemies, their swords and shields at the ready.

The Frost Giants see the swarms of Agardians riding for them, and hear the cries of war. Some of the Giants begin to panick. "Stand your ground, you cowards!" Utgard-Loki, ruler of the Frost Giants cries out. "Do you not feel the chill of the Ancient Winters? Can you not feel the power in your bones? Can you not see how we have grown larger and more powerful than ever before? We can slay these Asgardians with ease! Let us crush our eternal foes!"

Utgard-Loki's words bolster the courage of the Giants, who allow themselves to relish in the ever increasing cold. With a roar, the Giants charge forward, and the two forces find themselves engaged in combat on the Plain of Ida.

The massive Frost Giants, even larger than ever, wade into their opponents. They smash the ground with their clubs and their feet, attempting to bludgeon their smaller opponents. The Asgardians, however, move with far greater speed than the lumbering giants and easily evade their blows.

"Do not seek to flee, you heroes," Harokin calls out to the other warriors of Valhalla. "These giants are ours for the taking!" Harokin then spurs his steed onward, and swings his blade with such speed and power that all the eyes can detect are but the briefest flash of light. Harokin's steel finds its mark, and severs the hamstring of one of the Giants.

"AAAAARRRGHHH!" the Giant screams as he falls to the ground, howling in pain.

The Einherjar waste no more time in swarming upon the fallen Giant. Within seconds, their foe is decapitated.

Thor upon seeing the actions of Harokin's warriors, calls out across the din of battle to his fellow Asgardians. "Behold! See the victory of the Einherjar! Brave warriors they may be, but still were they born of Midgard! Can Asgard's sons and daughters do any less?"

The Asgardians shout another war cry and surge forward again, with renewed enthusiasm, taking the Giants by surprise.

"Come, Balder," Thor says to his oldest friend, "let us lead these forces to victory!"

"Aye, Thor," Balder answers, "lead on!"

The two heroes charge ahead of the others, into the heart of the Giants' forces. They abandon their steeds, and Balder, god of light, begins to glow with a blinding brilliance.

"Bright Balder begins to glow!" a Giant cries out. "His light and heat are counteracting the effects of the Cask!"

"Stand your ground!" Utgard-Loki cries in fury to his forces. "Balder is not strong enough to overcome the glorious cold of the Cask! Crush that insect!"

The Giants attempt to attack Balder in their conventional manner but find themselves unable to draw close, due to Balder's heat. The Giants instead try another tactic. They begin beating the ground with their clubs, shaking the very earth in an attempt to cause Balder to lose his footing.

"Back, foul ones!" Thor cries as he swoops through the snow filled air. "Thou may not attack the friend of Thor with impunity! Thor shall teach thee once again to fear the power of Mjolnir!"

Landing next to Balder, Thor hurls Mjolnir with such power that the air begins to sizzle despite the power of the Cask of Ancient Winters. Mjolnir finds its mark, impacting with a thunderous crack between the eyes of one of the Giants. The Giant topples to the ground dead even as Mjolnir returns to Thor's hand.

Meanwhile, the commander of Asgard's forces surveys the battle through the blinding snow. "These Giants appear to be cowards at heart," Odin observes. "The key to victory lies with crushing their leader, Utgard-Loki, and closing the Cask of Ancient Winters yet again."

Odin rides forward into the battle, calling out, "Utgard-Loki! Hast thou the spine to face Odin himself!"

Utgard-Loki, turning from his struggle with other Asgardians, roars with laughter. "Odin One-Eye! Prepare to greet Hela, little one!"

"We shall see who Hela embraces this day!" Odin answers as he begins to use the Odin-power to swell in size, becoming as large as Utgard-Loki himself. "Have at thee!" the Allfather cries as he swings his blade at Utgard-Loki.

Faithful Heimdall continues his vigil at Bifrost. Although the warrior in him cries to be with his fellows, he knows his duty. And so he waits, and watches.

Then Heimdall cocks his head. He scans the bridge with eyes that can see to all the Nine Worlds, and listens with ears that can hear the sneeze of a gnat. He sees nothing and hears nothing, but he cannot escape the feeling that something is approaching. Instinctively, his hand goes to the Gjallerhorn, preparing to blow it as soon as he discerns the nature of the threat.

Then, Heimdall is seized by some unseen force. The Gjallerhorn is snatched from him and tossed away from his grasp. Heimdall feels as though dozens of foes press upon him, although he sees and hears no one. Heimdall tries to fight back against his unseen enemies, but to know avail. Heimdall is quickly over powered and battered into unconciousness.

But before all thought flees to the mind of Heimdall, he realizes that the attack of the Frost Giants was just a diversion. The true assault against Asgard is coming across Bifrost. And the bridge's guardian failed in his sworn duties.

Next Issue: The war against the Frost Giants rages on! But when the heroes return home to Asgard, they are greeted by a sight they never expected to see!

The Hammer Strikes!

Well, no mail folks. I would like to thank Ralph Angelo for his review of Thor #530 on MV1Talk (which I forgot to save). I'll take this opportunity to direct you to a few more Thor sightings around MV1. Thor is currently appearing in the Fantastic Adventures mini by Jeff Melton here at Cosmic Adventures. He also teams up with Iron Man and Captain America in Marvel Triple Action #50 by Mark Bousquet, Ralph Angelo, and yours truly, and in MTA #s 51-54, by me again. Check out Triple Action at the Avengers branch. See you next issue!

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