Warning: contains mild spoilers for Thor #13!
Marvel Comics have revealed that an upcoming issue of Thor will see Doctor Strange and Loki working together with one of the weirdest collections of heroes ever. Any warrior who's ever wielded the Odinforce and power of Thor is in danger, and the entirety of Asgard has also been banished thanks to the efforts of the mad and murderous Donald Blake, the forgotten alter ego Odin created for Thor early on during his career fighting for the people of Earth.
Donald Blake has only recently realized that he was only ever a mere creation of Odin, and had been kept in a gilded prison beneath the World Tree when he wasn't needed. Driven to insanity and thirsting for revenge, Donald Blake is determined to take all of the Odinforce for himself in order to kill Odin, and he's trapped Thor in his old prison with no way of getting out. He's already defeated and de-powered a handful of beings who once held the power of Thor, and now he's trying to destroy the World Tree, having recently learned that it's the source of the Odinforce itself.
As such, the allies of Thor are mounting an offensive, as odd an assembly as they are. While the entirety of Asgard has been trapped in the hellish Dimension Blood, Doctor Strange arrives to offer his assistance, and he's not alone in the Marvel Comics preview for Thor #13 from writer Donny Cates with art by Nic Klein. Joining him are none other than the Mighty Throg, Lockjaw, and Bats the Ghost Dog. The Sorcerer Supreme is surprised to see Asgard's ranks swelled with recent refugees, including a race of alien bears, and less than pleased to see Thor's brother Loki, as Strange and the God of Stories have a colorful history and rivalry with one another. However, it looks as though they're prepared to set that aside for the greater good. Here are the preview pages and issue synopsis for Thor #13 from Marvel Comics:
A vengeful Donald Blake, Thor's enchanted ax, Jarnbjorn, and the World Tree - not a good combination! With Thor still nowhere to be found, Blake is about to finish what he started: the end of Asgard! Meanwhile, Valkyrie manages to track down the long-absent Odin, but he is not the same All-Father he once was. Can Odin rise to the occasion and help save his son and Asgard? And who will help Lady Sif and the others in Dimension Blood? Surprises abound as the gods face the fight of their eternal lives in the penultimate chapter of "Prey"!
Donald Blake has shown himself to be a fearsome opponent, and he's only grown more powerful, but this issue sees perhaps Marvel's biggest, weirdest, most powerful team-up being organized against him. With the Sorcerer Supreme, the gods of Asgard, and even the Pet Avengers (who have defeated Thanos in the past) working together, it's possible Blake can finally be destroyed, even if the Odinforce is one of the most powerful in the Marvel Universe.
Thor only recently took his place as All-Father of Asgard, but the size and nature of this team-up shows the new scale of his responsibilities, as characters from all over the Marvel Universe - including those who would rather not work together - come to his aid. Any villain who can attract the attention of Loki and Doctor Strange is bad news, but hopefully this story arc will mark the first great, genuinely unifying victory of Thor's reign. The issue hits stores and online outlets on March 17.
