Essential Thor #4
In "This World Renounced!", Dr. Blake—now a reluctant expert in plastic surgery—finds himself caught in a deadly game when Doctor Doom, intrigued by a newspaper article, kidnaps him to mend his ruined face. With Odin’s blessing, Thor returns to Midgard, only to discover Doom’s hidden missile silos and a captured Blake, setting the stage for a desperate showdown. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life with dynamic art by John Buscema and John Romita, with inks by Joe Sinnott and letters by Artie Simek, this essential issue blends high-stakes action with the quiet tension of a man facing his own reflection. The cover, a striking collaboration by Jack Kirby and Bill Everett, captures the moment of Doom’s unmasking—revealing a face that defies repair.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸Cast · 4 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Dr. Blake discovers that Doctor Doom has been building sophisticated missile silos in Latveria and decides to remove their threat. However, as Thor, he is summoned to Asgard by Odin. Odin gives him permission to return to Midgard to carry out his mission. Meanwhile, coincidentally, Doom reads a newspaper article about Dr. Blake who, it seems, is now an expert in plastic surgery. Doom kidnaps Blake and orders him to fix his face. Doom removes his mask. Blake recoils - - he cannot repair Doom’s face. Blake is imprisoned, changes into Thor, escapes, evades a missile, and resolves to battle Doom.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).