Issue(s): Thor #128
Cover Date: May 66
Title: "The power of Pluto!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Jack Kirby - Penciler
Vincent Colletta - Inker

Review/plot: Thor recovers from his half-powered fight against Hercules and his struggle against Seidring while Odin banishes Seidring to a (planet? dimension?) where he will rule over rock trolls for all eternity.

Not a good idea, in my opinion, to put your defeated enemy in charge of an army of trolls.

Meanwhile, Hercules, duped into thinking he's starring in a Hollywood movie...

...dumbly signs a contract agreeing to take Pluto's place as lord of the underworld.

Meanwhile, Thor has finally recovered from his injuries, and proves it by defeating Volstagg in a mock-battle. This is Volstagg's first appearance (outside of the Tales of Asgard back-ups), and he's got the size and bluster right, but he's not quite the Volstagg we all know and love yet.

Thor heads to Midgard for his rematch with Hercules, but when he finds out what a chump Herc is, he makes a snide comment and leaves.

The artwork seems very sketchy. Some scenes have the elaborate backgrounds and detail that one expects from Kirby but most are blank, and the linework in the foreground is also very light. It's miles away from the artwork appearing in FF at the same time, which either indicates the importance of a good inker or shows the level of effort being put into the FF versus Thor (or it could be the quality of the reprint).

The Tales of Asgard picks up in the aftermath of the Ragnarok depicted last issue, and illustrates the cyclical nature to Norse myth.

It also illustrates the awesomeness of Surtur.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - features a nondescript first appearance of Volstagg

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Spectacular #1

The background problem is due to Vince Colletta. he had a really bad tendency to erase things he didn't feel like inking.

Thor's sickbed is shaped like a Viking boat complete with a carved dragon head on the bow. that's pretty awesome.

The backup tale for this issue, which features some really astonishing artwork, depicts a vision of Ragnarok, after which a "young, new race of gods ... joyously takes domain." Maybe the germ of something there.

The funny thing is, Volstagg was fully-formed as the character know when he first appeared in issue 119's back-up. I wonder if perhaps Jack Kirby didn't intent the jousting figure here to be Volstagg, but Stan Lee added the name in dialogue.

I've always found it interesting that Marvel's version of Hippolyta is a villain while DC's version is for the most part heroic. Although at times, she shares Odin's propensity for being manipulative.

How to be a demigod 101
For gods sake! Always read the contract!