Issue(s): Thor #255
Cover Date: Jan 77
Title: "Lo, the quest begins!"
Credits:
Len Wein - Writer
Tony DeZuniga - Penciler
Tony DeZuniga - Inker

Review/plot:
Odin is still missing, so Thor again consults the fire elemental called Mimir...

...who gives the Asgardians enough information to go on a quest. Sif and the Warriors Three go with Thor...

...while Balder and Karnilla mind the fort at home.

The Asgardians head off in a big space sailing boat called the Starjammer (the similarity to the name of the space pirates from X-Men is not a coincidence. Both names are based on a type of sailing ship called a windjammer). This isn't the first time the Asgardians have used this boat.

This quest will last several issues, and this period of time, with the Asgardians floating around on a giant sailing ship in space, is perhaps best remembered for an out-of-continuity appearance. Or is it? One day i should work in where all the Hostess ads fit into the Marvel timeline.

Of course, this definitely in-continuity appearance is pretty good too. Because of all the asteroids in all the galaxies in all the universe, who should the Asgardians run into first? Why, it's the Stone Men of Saturn.

You have to admire their bravado here. If you recall, the last time we saw the Stone Men, they were fleeing in terror from Thor. So here they are, having been stranded on an asteroid for all these years, and they boldly walk up and make like Thor's just going to hand over his ship? Step aside? Are you kidding me?

Anyway, the Asgardians rout the Stone Men.

It's nice to see Sif get in on the action. Remember that she's sharing a body with Jane Foster now, but luckily Jane seems completely suppressed. It's 100% capable, confident Sif.

Even when the Stone Men get creative and start using components from their ship...

...the Asgardians (ok, mainly Thor) are able to hold their own, and in the end the asteroid is destroyed. It's not clear if the Stone Men survive.

Actually, the Stone Men aren't from Saturn. I thought maybe it was this issue where we learn their real names (Kronans), but it's not.

This was fun!

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: In Nova #4, Thor had just finished telling the Avengers that he's leaving for a quest to find his father when all the Corrupter business starts. That means that Thor's appearance in Nova takes place somewhere around page #7 of this issue (there's really no good break in the story for that to occur, but that's the only place that it could). Thor and company are on this quest for about a year in publication time, during which Thor shouldn't really be appearing in other books. But for Avengers appearances we have an out, because it's around this time that Collector is pulling Thor out of the timestream whenever the Avengers were in grave danger. Still, i'm pulling this issue back in publication time so it can be concurrent with Nova #4, and i'll adjust all the other stories that are part of this quest (right now i only have one other issue) accordingly as well. I'm not sure if i should be listing Korg, the Stone Man that becomes Warbound with the Hulk, in this issue. He was definitely in the Stone Men's first appearance, and this is the same group of Stone Men, so it's a question of when he wound up on Sakaar.

References:

• Thor starts this issue by sort of fake-apologizing for failing his quest to retrieve the Ruby Eye gem and then revealing that he sacrificed the gem to save the troll empire from the monster Trogg in Thor #253 (which was the last issue with new content; issue #254 was a fill-in reprint of Thor #159). It's like, "Sorry i'm such a noble guy, everyone!". Mimir reveals that this is what he expected Thor to do all along.
  
• The Stone Men of Saturn were previously seen in Thor's first appearance, Journey Into Mystery #83.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

I love that panel above with Volstagg. "Fall, base villain, before the mighty thighs of the Lion of Asgard!"

Volstagg really needs to take on the Blob one of these days ...