Issue(s): Thor #142
Cover Date: Jul 67
Title: "The scourge of the Super Skrull!"
Credits:
Stan Lee - Writer
Jack Kirby - Penciler
Vincent Colletta - Inker

Review/plot:
Thor uncharacteristically messes with a guy in a motorcycle.

    

Meanwhile, the Super-Skrull, stuck on a crappy sentry assignment as punishment for his failure to defeat the FF, receives a subliminal suggestion from Loki that it would be a good idea to go start a fight with Thor.

He heads to New York and starts causing ruckus, demonstrating how powerful and dangerous the Human Torch really is. Luckily for him, it is in fact Thor who heads out to react to the disturbance as opposed to one of the 15 or so other heroes who live in New York City. We've seen the heroes agree to stay out of each other's way ("This is his fight, and I'm not going to get involved unless he wants me to."). I wonder if they look out their windows and say "Oh, that guy's shouting for Thor. Thank God, I don't want to mess with someone with the powers of all four members of the FF".

And he is powerful but despite a good showing (and a little bit too much of 'You can't defeat me because you don't know which power I will use next!')...

    

... Thor wins, mainly via an awesome scene where he summons a thunderstorm to douse the Skrull's flame: 'You think you have multiple powers? I can control the damn weather, bitch. AND i can create an "anti-force" that throws you right back into space.'

As much as i love the Super-Skrull and wish he would be treated as more of a menace than he usually is, i didn't mind watching Thor keep the upper hand throughout this battle.

Meanwhile, Odin is worried about the Enchanters, and Sif doesn't let Balder get away with any of that male chauvinism crap. Good for her. She's a big improvement over Jane Foster.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References:

• The Super-Skrull first fought the FF in Fantastic Four #18 but this has to take place after his second encounter with them since he was buried in a volcano between the first and second fight.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: Marvel Spectacular #13

I've always liked Super Skrull and think he would give most heroes a good fight but, yeah, Thor has him outclassed.

The first HELLBOY movie has a scene with a Hellboy comic with a cover based on the cover of this issue. It's a joke cover done for the movie, not a real one. The text reads "Cry-- Kriegaffe! "The Scourge of the Super-Ape!""

Cool. I love Tarzan

Sif is a much better supporting character than Jane, but as a love interest she's kind of non-existent for most of the Lee/Kirby run. At least with Jane there was some drama, but Sif is just there, always talking about how bloody great Thor is. It gets boring after a while.