Issue(s): Thor annual #12
Cover Date: 1984
Title: "The blood of dawn!"
Credits:
Alan Zelenetz - Writer
Bob Budiansky - Penciler
Michael Gustovich - Inker
Mark Gruenwald - Editor

Review/plot:
It turns out Odin has another son. His name is Vidar, and he's a giant. Odin has hidden him away in preparation for an event foretold by the Norns, but he shows up in Asgard looking for help after some other giants kill his wife, Solveig.

Even though Thor attacks Vidar as soon as he first shows up...

...Odin sends Thor along because his "cooler mind in this matter will temper your rage". Also included in the quest is the blind-but-can-see-visions Hoder.

Vidar isn't too happy with Thor and Hoder's lack of urgency, but he does begin to see things differently after he kills the wife of one of the other giants and realizes he's spilled innocent blood. So Thor is able to talk him out of killing the other giants. Which really shows you how far the Marvel Thor is from being a berserker viking god.

In myth, Vidar is the son of Odin and the giantess, Grid. It seems a little late to be introducing a half-brother of Thor in the comics, though.

A back-up feature written by Peter Gillis and drawn by Rich Howell and Sam De La Rosa shows how a group of winged Inhumans separated from the main group and formed the floating island of the Bird People.

Eventually the feather-winged Inhumans turn on the conciliatory bat-winged Inhuman named Cheiros, but years later after they realize the error of their ways, they give artificial bat wings to the human baby that becomes Red Raven, as a way of honoring Cheiros' martyrdom.

I don't love this revised Bird People origin. I concede that the Bird People were silly. And i get the idea of trying to find an explanation for them that ties them in to a more accepted fantastical branch of humanity. But the idea that the Inhumans produced a homogenous sub-species isn't really supported by anything we've seen of them, and i'm not sure this revelation adds anything to the Inhumans except make me wonder if there could be other sub-species that have broken off. Like maybe some of the Yeti groups that we've seen, since there was an Inhuman Yeti. Or the two centuar guys; maybe all the centaurs of myth were really Inhumans. But we're now way off from what the Inhumans were supposed to be about.

I guess the explanation as to why Red Raven had red bat wings instead of feathered wings like the other Bird People is helpful, though.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 2 - first Vidar

Chronological Placement Considerations: Odin has two eyes in this story.

The MCP places it between Thor #340-341, but at that point Odin was still missing an eye. This is a pretty context free story. I actually first thought it might be a Tales of Asgard, like several other Thor annuals. And it really could be. But i'm placing this in the modern era; however, i'm pushing it way back before Thor #274 when Odin sacrifices his eye. It's also worth mentioning that none of the usual Asgardians are shown in this story, even during a big feast scene.

I'm not making any assumptions about the woman on the throne next to Odin. It's probably Frigga but she's not named, and doesn't talk (and doesn't ask where this other son of Odin came from!).

References:

• In the Bird People back-up, it's said that the fate of the Aerie was shown in Uncanny X-Men #44 and Sub-Mariner #26.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Despite Peter B. Gillis's back-up story here revealing Red Raven as an Inhuman, it's a shame this revelation occurred because the more perfect alternative would have been to reveal Davan Shakari had secretly operated as Red Raven during the Golden Age;)