Issue(s): Thor annual #17
Cover Date: 1992
Title: "The hammer, the cross-- and the eye" / "Looking for trouble!"
Credits:
Roy Thomas / John Lewandowski - Writer
Geof Isherwood / Kevin Kobasic - Penciler
Fred Fredericks / Bud LaRosa - Inker
Pat Garrahy - Assistant Editor
Ralph Macchio - Editor

Review/plot:
Captain America went looking for the missing Vision, and now Thor is sent to look for the missing Captain America. He also winds up going into the factory that sent Cap back in time, but Thor winds up in a different time period, fighting Prester John, who was leading a group of Franks against Norman vikings.

Nice chair!

This Prester John appearance seems to be chronologically before any of his other appearances, and he's much more of a bad guy in this story. He was approached by Kang and agreed to team-up with him to conquer the world, and has only become Kang's enemy because Kang betrayed him. But in any event, Thor stops Prester John.

Meanwhile, Nebula convinces Dr. Druid that they need to work together to stop Kang.

Panel #1, with the gratuitous quotes from the Maltese Falcon, is an example of why i often can't stand Roy Thomas.

I did think it was interesting that Dr. Druid already seems to know that Nebula is from an alternate future. That's not the origin of the "regular" Nebula.

Among the standard back-up features there is also a bizarre story about the wife of Ulik the troll going around to the Warriors Three and the Vizier trying to get them to find her husband, who turns out to just be trying to get some alone time.

Quality Rating: C-

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This is part two of Citizen Kang. Part three is in Fantastic Four annual #25. For continuity purposes i'm not counting the Ulik humor story, so the characters appearing in that back-up aren't listed.

References:

• Captain America went looking for the Vision in Captain America annual #11.
  
• Avengers Spotlight #37 is again referenced during the Dr. Druid/Nebula interaction.

Crossover: Citizen Kang

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

That's the same chair/toilet Prester John was sitting on in his first appearance.

I missed it at first, but in that final panel, Kurse (or somebody in a helmet matching Kurse's but in the wrong color) is behind Hogun. (I know fnord's not just tracking that story, just thought I'd point it out.)

God fucking damn it, Roy Thomas.
I don't remember his scripting at DC having as many self-indulgent quirks, but maybe it's best that I don't go back and check.