Issue(s): Thor #324
Cover Date: Oct 82
Title: "Graviton"
Credits:
Doug Moench - Writer
Alan Kupperberg - Penciler
Jim Mooney - Inker
Mark Gruenwald - Editor

Review/plot:
After an opening scene where the Wasp decides she might have feelings for Thor now that she knows he has a human identity...

Graviton returns to Earth.

He's still hung up on the girl he's loved since his first appearance, Judy Parks.

But she tells him, bravely and firmly, that she's just not interested (she's also nearly due to have a baby).

So instead he decides to take over Bloomingdales...

...and hold court over the women there to decide which one (or several) he'll take as his mate. Thor shows up to stop him.

Thor defeats Graviton by distracting him with Mjolnir and then jamming a hypodermic needle up his butt.

Then he creates a dimensional vortex with his hammer and banishes Graviton again.

'Tis a silly story.

There's also a Tales of Asgard back-up by the same creative team that takes place in current times. I guess they are kind of separating out the Asgardian stuff so that the main story is more readable for people who are interested in super-hero Thor and not God Thor, which is an interesting experiment. Odin seems to be dealing with the fallout of having once loved a goddess named Jolena even though he's now faithfully married to Frigga.

    

Loki and Tyr are planning a coup and they gather all of Asgards enemies (except Hela, who's made peace with Odin at this point).

The Graviton story was a bit disappointing. As for the back-up, i still can't say i love the idea of Odin's former love life being a concern, and i always thinks its weird when Surtur shows up as just a random minor Asgardian bad guy knowing how awesome he'll eventually be in Walt Simonson's run (seems it's just Surtur's "sons" that appear here) but at least the second story wasn't completely silly.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The MCP places this between Avengers #224-225. Last issue, Thor #323, was a fill-in taking place entirely in the past, and it's not included in my project.

References:

• The Wasp learned Thor's secret ID in Avengers #220.
  
• Graviton fought the Avengers in Avengers #158-159.
  
• He got banished to another dimension in Marvel Two-In-One annual #4.
  
• It was shown that Odin used to love Jolena in Thor #322.
  
• Odin and Hela formed a truce in Thor #314.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

At the end of 1982 a Thor Graphic Novel by Shooter/Sienkiewicz was announced. At the same time, both Alan Zelenetz and Walt Simonson were announced as writers for Thor, so it's possible Zelenetz was intended as a temporary placeholder all along.

Is Surtur himself in this or just the Sobs of Surtur seen in the scan?

The MCP list Surtur, but you're right, i only see the Sons of Surtur. I guess i'll remove him as a character.

The Sobs of Surtur should be a soap opera that runs on Asgardian television.