Journey into Mystery #120
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeJourney into Mystery #120 is the satisfying capstone to the extended 'Trial of the Gods' arc — one of the earliest multi-issue serialized storylines in Marvel's Silver Age Thor run — resolving Loki's treachery with the Norn Stones, formally restoring Thor's honor before Odin, and planting a dangling plot thread (one accidentally dropped Norn Stone) that would pay off in subsequent issues as a new villain's power source. The issue also functions as a quiet but consequential crossroads for two ongoing narrative threads: Thor's de facto resignation from the Avengers upon discovering the roster had turned over to Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch, and Loki's escape from Ularic's servitude, which directly sets in motion the return of the Absorbing Man as a closing cliffhanger. That combination of arc resolution, character-status change, and immediate re-escalation illustrates precisely how Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were transforming the superhero comic from episodic adventure into what comics historian Les Daniels described as 'a spectacular saga.'
In "With My Hammer in Hand...!", Thor returns to Earth after repairing his hammer in a Pittsburgh furnace, only to find Jane Foster vanished and his old allies scattered. With the Avengers diminished and Hawkeye unwilling to help, Thor must face a new threat—Loki, now serving the Warlock Ularic, has summoned the Absorbing Man from beyond the stars. Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Jack Kirby, with inks by Vince Colletta, colors by Stan Goldberg, and letters by Artie Simek, this 1965 issue features a cover by Jack Kirby and Vince Colletta.
In "With My Hammer in Hand...!", Thor returns to Earth after repairing his hammer in a Pittsburgh furnace, only to find Jane Foster gone and his old allies scattered. With the Avengers diminished and even Hawkeye driven off by Thor’s pride, the god of thunder must face a new threat—Loki, now wielding dark magic from Ularic the Warlock, has summoned the Absorbing Man from beyond the stars.
In "Set Sail!" from Journey into Mystery #120 (1965), Thor and his companions embark on a perilous voyage under Odin’s blessing, bound for a mission to protect Asgard. Tensions flare quickly as old rivalries surface—Loki defends Volstagg from his own cruelty, while Magrat the Schemer plots to win favor by pushing Kroda the Duellist to assassinate Thor. Hogun the Grim intervenes, restoring uneasy peace aboard the ship. Back in Asgard, Odin silently contemplates the wisdom of sending such a fractured crew on a journey that may test them all.
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The issue was written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Vince Colletta, and lettered by Artie Simek — the core creative team that had been running Thor continuously since the character's expanded adventures in the early 1960s. It went on sale July 1, 1965, carrying a September 1965 cover date and a twelve-cent cover price, and was published under the Atlas Magazines Inc. indicia that Marvel titles still carried at the time. The issue marks the final chapter of the 'Odinsword Quest' serialization in the 'Tales of Asgard' backup feature, with that strip's events tracked directly from the preceding issue, demonstrating Kirby and Lee's increasing ambition to run parallel long-form mythological narratives alongside the main Thor story.
Trivia · 9 facts
- Cover-dated September 1965; on-sale date July 1, 1965; 12-cent cover price; published under Atlas Magazines Inc. indicia.
- Written by Stan Lee, penciled by Jack Kirby, inked by Vince Colletta, lettered by Artie Simek — the standard Thor creative team of the period.
- Main story titled 'With My Hammer in Hand...!' — Thor travels to Pittsburgh's blast furnaces to reforge Mjolnir, which had been shattered by the Destroyer in JIM #118–119.
- Thor returns the Norn Stones to Odin as proof of Loki's cheating during the Trial of the Gods, closes out that multi-issue arc, and pleads successfully for clemency for Loki.
- Loki escapes forced servitude under the warlock Ularic by trapping him in a time vault, then uses stolen magical resources to retrieve the Absorbing Man from space — cliffhanger setting up JIM #121.
- Thor visits Avengers Mansion and encounters the post-Avengers #16 lineup (Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch), marking the in-continuity moment of his departure from the team; the issue notes this scene may correspond to Cap's reference in Avengers #18 that Thor had quit.
- The 'Tales of Asgard' backup, 'Set Sail!', is Part 3 of the Odinsword Quest; it features the first appearance of Mrs. Volstagg and the crew's departure into the Sea of Fear — continued from JIM #119's introduction of the Warriors Three.
- The one Norn Stone Thor accidentally drops during his departure from Earth becomes a later plot point: it is eventually discovered by a character called the Demon, powering him as a villain in subsequent issues.
- Reprinted in: Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 3 (2001 and 2004 editions), Essential Thor Vol. 2 (2005, black-and-white), The Mighty Thor Omnibus Vol. 1 (2010), Thor Epic Collection Vol. 2: When Titans Clash (2016), Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Thor Vol. 4 (2024), and the Loki Omnibus Vol. 1 (2021), among other international editions.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Fantastic! #52 (1968), Fantastic! #53 (1968), Special Marvel Edition #2 (1971), Il Mitico Thor #20 (1972), Il Mitico Thor #23 (1972), Spider-Man Comics Weekly #44 (1973), Marvel Spectacular #5 (1974), Thor #1 (1977), Biblioteca Marvel: Thor #1 (2001), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #[3] (2001), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #3 (2004), Essential Thor #2 (2005), Thor: Tales of Asgard by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby #3 (2009), The Mighty Thor Omnibus #1 (2010), Thor: Tales of Asgard #[nn] (2010), Thor: Tales of Asgard #[nn] (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #3 (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #3 (30) (2011), Marvel Gold. El Poderoso Thor: En Mis Manos, Este Martillo #[nn] (2013), Thor Epic Collection #2 (2016), Loki Omnibus #1 (2021), Biblioteca Marvel: El Poderoso Thor #6 (2023), Mighty Marvel Masterworks: Thor #4 (2024), Marvel Origins #33 (2024) + 4 more
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