Synopsis: Loki uses his wit to free himself from a tree of Asgard in which he was imprisoned by causing a leaf to fall into the eye of Heimdall. The tear Heimdall shed allowed Loki to break free of the curse which stated he was destined to stay in the tree until his plight caused someone to shed a tear. He immediately sets out to locate Thor who has gone absent for many years. Loki uses a mental link he forged with Thor’s hammer to view him.
Loki travels across the rainbow bridge between Asgard and Earth to exact his revenge. He disguises himself as a human and creates a disturbance to attract Thor. When Thor arrives Loki reveals himself and challenges Thor to a dual in front of the crowd. Thor’s pride accepts the challenge. Loki hypnotizes Thor and tricks him into giving over his hammer. Loki gets distracted enough to miss Thor change to Dr. Blake. This transformation frees Thor from the hypnosis and then slips back over to the hammer left on the ground.
After changing back to Thor he chases Loki through New York City while Loki puts humans in danger in his fleeing from Thor. Loki brings the picture of a winged horse alive to help him flee but Thor drops him into the water which renders him helpless (he cannot use his magic in water). Thor pulls him out to Loki’s surprise. Thor ties Loki to his hammer and sends him back to Asgard. Asgardian gods witness this and praise Thor’s good work. Odin is proud of his oldest son. The hammer returns to Thor on Earth.
Notes: Originally published in Journey Into Mystery (1952) #85
Synopsis: Flashing forward three centuries into Earth’s future we see a bustling civilization of peaceful inhabitants – no weapons and no strife. There is one exception – Zarrko, a scientist intent on holding dominion over his weak contemporaries. He invented a time machine in order to travel back and collect weapons to use on his conquest of future Earth.
In present day, Thor is assisting the U.S. government test new weapons. Thor was about to allow a cobalt bomb to be detonated directly next to him in order for the military scientists to learn more about how it affects humans. As the countdown ticks off, Zarrko appears in his time machine, snatches the cobalt bomb in vanishes before anyone can stop him. Zarrko leaves a piece of futuristic metal behind that tips the military leaders off that he was from the future. It is Thor who gives him the name Tomorrow Man.
Thor appeals to Odin asking for permission to travel to the future to track Tomorrow Man. His wish is granted as Odin reminds Thor that his hammer has the ability to travel faster than the speed of light thus allowing time travel. Thor places the metal to his hammer to assist in identifying the correct era which turns out to be the year 2262.
The people Thor meets in the future are afraid of Zarrko and have submitted to his demands. Thor arrived about a month after Zarrko returned. Thor and a mysterious hooded stranger evade the guards at Zarrko’s castle and gain entry. Zarrko traps Thor only to find out he was a decoy – the real Thor being the man in the dark hood. Zarrko sicks his robot guards on Thor who manage to take away his hammer. Thor has 60 seconds before reverting to Dr. Don Blake.
He fills the chamber with water from a pipe short circuiting the robots, regaining his hammer. He gives chase as Zarkko takes the C-bomb to the sky planning on detonating it over the planet. Thor uses his power over weather to stop him and secures the bomb. Zarkko somehow got amnesia and doesn’t know who he is. Thor travels back to 1962 where Jane coos over Thor’s writeup in the newspaper to Dr. Don Blake.
Notes: Originally published in Journey Into Mystery (1952) #86
