The Mighty Thor #374 (December 1986)
Rating: 6/10
"Fires of the Night"
Writer: Walter Simonson
Art: Sal Buscema
Inker: Sal Buscema
Let me start off by saying that this issue is pretty damn good. It would be higher except:
1) I'm not a real big fan of Thor
2) The art is not the greatest (Although better than Power Pack)
3) There are too many parts of this story that have nothing to do with the Mutant Massacre crossover.
Still, I recommend reading it. Fans of Thor might appreciate it more (although they may complain that there's too many parts with X-characters)
Unfortunately, I don't have the preceding issue which details how Thor gets down to the sewers, but this one opens with Thor standing between three Marauders and a crippled Angel. Harpoon fires the opening salvo, but Thor easily shatters the spear. Blockbuster attacks head on but his strength is no match for the Thunder God. Vertigo tries to disorient Thor, but he spins his hammer and turns her attack back on the Marauders. A blast of lightning scatters the three Marauders and they run. Thor then turns to the critical injured Angel and takes him off the wall. A portion of the ceiling collapses and Thor quickly removes Angel from the deteriorating room.
I skip a few pages about some white haired guy from Asgard...
The Marauders are recuperating as Sabretooth teases Blockbuster about his ineffectiveness against Thor. Blockbuster storms off, intending to prove his worth. Meanwhile, Thor makes his way through the tunnels and comes across Artie who was seeking Angel. Before they can go anywhere, the ceiling above Thor cracks and down drops Blockbuster, right onto Thor's arm, breaking it! A follow up blow sends the god careening into a wall. He is ready to follow up when Angel jumps, trying to stop the Marauder. Of course, Angel is completely ineffective and Blockbuster quickly gains the upper hand. Right before he kills the winged mutant, Thor throws his hammer and it strikes Blockbuster in the face, killing the Marauder. Thor gathers Artie and Angel and continues in seek of a way out of the tunnels.
Skip another two pages about the Warrior Three (at least I know their names).
Finally, Artie finds who he was seeking: Cyclops and Marvel Girl. Jean lifts Angel with her telekinesis while Cyke and Thor talk. Cyclops quickly applies some first aid, creating a splint for Thor's shattered forearm. They then part ways with Cyclops and Marvel Girl leading Artie and Angel away from the tunnels. Thor stays behind to grant the fallen a funeral. After a heated discussion with the death god, Hela, Thor calls upon lightning to purge everything from the tunnels. The lightning stretches throughout, clearing away anything that is or was organic (remember that blast at the end of Uncanny 212). The tunnels are finally clean of the horrible massacre. Nothing else lives down there.
I hate reading an issue and having to skip pages because I don't care at all about what happens. That's my biggest complaint about this issue. I've never read Thor and don't intend to get any back issues or read any TPB. I get tired of skipping pages so this story seems incredibly short. Sal Buscema's art doesn't help things. His art is too confusing to follow (much like Bachalo's artwork) and he uses way too many lines and doesn't do the best job inking his own work.
However, despite the art, the pages that do involve the Mutant Massacre are extremely exciting and fun to read. Let's face it, Thor is a god. The Marauders aren't supposed to be able to do much to him. And yet Blockbuster gives it the ol' college try. I love seeing them beat back and then almost kill Thor. I also really enjoy seeing the rescue of Angel. And I especially enjoy seeing Blockbuster's death by Mjolner.
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