Issue(s): Fantastic Four #73
Cover Date: Apr 68
Title: "The flames of battle--"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Jack Kirby - Penciler
Joe Sinnott - Inker

Review/plot:
The FF, still believing that Doom is in Daredevil's body, are gearing up for a major battle. The Human Torch, acting as a scout, encounters DD first, and DD manages to take him out. Spider-Man happens to be in the area and swings by, offering to help Daredevil.

He starts by going off to recruit Thor, who he recently saw. Thor has just recovered from his near death experience after fighting the Wrecker and wants nothing to do with Spider-Man, but Spidey calls him a coward. I like this picture of a semi de-powered Thor swinging along Spidey's web.

Daredevil heads off to fight Mr. Fantastic and the Thing, since he 'can't wait for Spider-Man any longer'. Meanwhile the Human Torch wakes up and thinks Thor and Spider-Man are Doom's robots. They all have a big 'ol fight, and despite Thor not having his powers, he still has his strength (again, whatever that means) and seems to be more than a match for the Thing.

Finally the Invisible Girl shows up to stop the madness, having seen the real Dr. Doom on television addressing his ministers (stopping them from going to war). Thor immediately disappears to go looking for the Wrecker.

I love how this issue is sort of a nexus for ongoing plots in Daredevil and Thor.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 329,536. Single issue closest to filing date = 385,250.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 2

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Daredevil #38. Takes place during Thor #150. Spider-Man's appearance is context free. I have him here on his way back to the hospital after recovering from amnesia in Amazing Spider-Man #58 (the MCP instead place him here during Amazing Spider-Man #59).

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel's Greatest Comics #55

I was 10 when this came out and it was the first comic I bought. So much action on the cover and I was sold & hooked.

Super strength is just about the only notable power Thor has, other then the ability to wield his hammer, which he does just fine here. When I read this issue I saw no difference in his fighting ability.

The theme of identity in this issue meshes well with the amnesia storyline that had just finished up in Spider-Man's own book.

I thought this one was a blast and Stan and Jack were having a ball with it.

In the adjacent Thor run, it establishes that the Asgardians have a super-strength that exceeds the limitations of the physical human bodies in which they appear. So even Loki has a super-strength with which to combat Thor hand-to-hand. In this comic and the battle with the Wrecker, Thor has that physical strength but gets weary using it and sustaining minor injuries (bruises referenced in caption but not shown). So he can still lift heavy and hit hard, but not for as long as he normally seems to go.

Mjolnir is no longer enchanted, so Thor can't summon thunder & lightning or fly and it won't return to him when he throws it. On the plus side, he can't revert to a lame doctor when it gets away from him either.