Thor #217

Name: Thor #217
Brand: Marvel
Availability: InStock

Nov 1973 · Marvel · 0.20 USD

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“All Swords against Them!”

★ 1st appearance — Krista

About this Issue

Thor #217 holds its place in Bronze Age Thor history primarily as the debut of Krista, a Valkyrie warrior and sister of the established supporting character Hildegarde — expanding Marvel's Asgardian mythology with a fresh shield-maiden who would resurface decades later in War of the Realms. The issue also serves as the narrative hinge between Gerry Conway's sprawling Dark Nebula/Xorr cosmic arc (issues #214–216) and the next major threat telegraphed by Odin, demonstrating how Conway consistently used bombshell cliffhangers to drive his lengthy, soap-operatic Asgardian sagas. The return of Igron — a villain originally co-created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby but left dormant since issue #177 — shows Conway's habit of mining the older mythology for forgotten threads, giving the book a sense of deep continuity unusual for Bronze Age Marvel. Together these elements make the issue a representative snapshot of what distinguished the Conway-era Thor: dense ensemble storytelling, cosmic scale, and a deliberate effort to flesh out the supporting world of Asgard.

In "All Swords against Them!", Thor returns to Asgard only to face a chilling invasion of doppelgängers—perfect copies of himself and his companions, now ruling the realm under the guise of the true Asgardians. Written by Gerry Conway and brought to life with dynamic artwork by John Buscema and Sal Buscema, this 1973 Marvel classic pits the real heroes against their mirrored selves in a battle that tests loyalty and identity. The cover by John Romita and Rich Buckler captures the tension, as Thor prepares to confront not just impostors, but a looming threat beyond the realm.

writer Gerry Conway · artist John Buscema · artist, inker Sal Buscema · colorist P. Goldberg · letterer J. Costanza · cover John Romita, Rich Buckler

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Fine) $8

CGC 9.8 · 18 in census $453

CGC 9.6 · 31 in census $134

CGC 9.4 · 15 in census $76

CGC 9.2 · 9 in census $56

CGC 9.0 · 5 in census $48*

CGC 8.5 · 4 in census $40*

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CGC 8.0 · 6 in census $34

CGC 7.5 · 3 in census $32*

CGC 7.0 · 2 in census $27*

CGC 6.5 · 2 in census $25*

CGC 6.0 · 1 in census $24*

CGC 5.5 none in existence

CGC 5.0 · 1 in census $20*

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Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

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CGC 9.6 $120 1 listing CGC 9 $89.99 1 listing CGC 5 $200 1 listing

Raw / ungraded ▾ $6.5–$80.1 5 listings

Raw / ungraded $6.5 Raw / ungraded $8.5 Raw / ungraded $9 Raw / ungraded $10.99 Raw / ungraded $80.1

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History

Thor #217 was written by Gerry Conway, whose unbroken scripting tenure on the title stretched from issue #193 onward with John Buscema providing layouts through most of that run — one of the longest stable creative partnerships on any early-1970s Marvel title. Roy Thomas served as editor-in-chief and credited editor, overseeing the Bronze Age cosmic direction that had come to define the book under Conway. The cover credit is disputed: the Grand Comics Database and Marvel's own wiki both flag John Romita Sr. (then Marvel's Art Director) as the most probable cover artist, while also noting the possibility of Rich Buckler's involvement, whose chameleonic style at the time made definitive attribution difficult.

Trivia · 8 facts

Title: 'All Swords Against Them!' — cover-dated November 1973, on-sale August 7, 1973 (Marvel Comics Group).
First appearance of Krista, an Asgardian Valkyrie and sister of Hildegarde; created by writer Gerry Conway.
Written by Gerry Conway; pencil layouts by John Buscema with finished art and inks by Sal Buscema; colors by Petra Goldberg; letters by John Costanza; edited by Roy Thomas.
Cover artist disputed: John Romita Sr. considered most probable, with Rich Buckler also cited as a possible contributor.
Plot: Igron — a Loki minion first co-created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Thor #177 — reappears after escaping Rock Troll captivity and conjures magical doppelgangers of Thor, Odin, and company to rule Asgard in their absence; Balder defeats him and the spell collapses.
Issue bridges the end of the Xorr the God-Jewel cosmic arc (Thor #214–216) to a new space-based threat previewed by Odin in the closing pages.
Reprinted in: Essential Thor Vol. 5 (2011), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 13 (2014), Thor Epic Collection Vol. 7: Ulik Unchained (2021), and several international editions including Italian (Thor e i Vendicatori #127, 1976) and German (Marvel-Comic-Sonderheft #5, 1981).
A British edition variant and a Mark Jewelers advertisement insert variant both exist for this issue; the issue is not currently available on Marvel Unlimited or ComiXology.