Issue(s): Thor #209
Cover Date: Mar 73
Title: "Warriors in the night!"
Credits:
Gerry Conway - Writer
John Buscema - Penciler
Vincent Colletta - Inker

Review/plot:
This is a pretty simple story that Thor is only incidental to. It's very much like a Silver Age Strange Tales fantasy-type story. Thor is in England searching unsuccessfully for Sif, and he accidentally wakes up an ancient being when he lands and transforms into Blake.

Thor tries and fails several times to fight the giant creature...

...but it eventually makes its way to Stonehenge, where it beams itself into space.

It's speculated that the creature was an alien that the ancient druids used to worship, and one day this guy got left behind, so he's now returning to his people. Which means that Stonehenge is really a launching pad to the stars.

This character will return in Excalibur and then a number of Avengers titles and eventually get the name Ultimus.

Brief appearance by the Asgardian Vizier, who wants to know why Thor isn't at the gates of Asgard, begging for Odin's forgiveness over the incident that got him banished.

Thor has been doing a lot more energy blasts out of Mjolnir, lately (it's also how he melted the iron girder last issue).

I'd prefer to see him using his storm powers and, if it's necessary to shoot things out of his hammer, let it be lightning. But i know Thor is really supposed to have all sorts of additional godly powers.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Ultimus

Chronological Placement Considerations: We are at that point again where an outrageous amount of Thor comics take place between two issues of the Avengers, or, in this case, during Avengers #109. Specifically it's everything from Thor #209-228, presumably during the same period where Hawkeye is hanging out with Imus Champion. Thor is looking for Sif and then eventually gets wrapped up in some big cosmic adventures.

References:

• Thor was banished from Asgard in Thor #205.
  
• His response to the Vizier is that he's looking for Sif, who disappeared in Thor #207.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A