Thor #325
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeThor #325 is a representative single-issue artifact of the pre-Simonson transitional era on the title — a competent Bronze Age standalone that wraps up Doug Moench's brief tenure on the book just over a year before Walt Simonson would reinvent the character entirely with #337. Its dual-story format (a Mephisto redemption tale paired with the ongoing 'Tales of Asgard' Loki/Tyr backup) illustrates how the title was still leaning on episodic mythology and villain-of-the-month plotting rather than the long-arc storytelling that would soon define Thor's creative renaissance. The issue is also a minor character-history marker, introducing supporting character Brenda Barclay, who makes a handful of additional appearances across the run.
In "A Deal With Darkoth," Thor faces a chilling new threat when Mephisto dispatches the demonic Darkoth to kill Donald Blake. With Mephisto's influence tightening, Darkoth's resistance gives Blake a fleeting chance to become Thor—leading to an unexpected alliance that challenges the very nature of freedom and redemption. Written by Doug Moench and brought to life by Alan Kupperberg’s dynamic art, with Jim Mooney’s inks, George Roussos’s colors, and Janice Chiang’s lettering, this 1982 Marvel classic features a cover by Ed Hannigan and Al Milgrom.
In "A Deal With Darkoth," Thor finds himself drawn into a deadly game when Mephisto sends the enigmatic Darkoth to eliminate Donald Blake. As the two clash, an uneasy alliance forms when Darkoth—bound by a past pact—reveals his own struggle against Mephisto’s control, forcing Thor to confront not just a foe, but a man haunted by his own choices.
ComicBooks.com Value
Show all 8 grades ▾
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $4.95–$25.95 6 listings
More listings for this title
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 ▸History
The issue was written by Doug Moench and penciled by Alan Kupperberg, with Jim Mooney inking the main story and Jack Abel handling the backup, under the editorial oversight of Mark Gruenwald and Michael Carlin, with Jim Shooter serving as editor-in-chief. It arrived on newsstands August 3, 1982, carrying a November 1982 cover date, placing it squarely in the transitional creative window between Roy Thomas's mythology-heavy tenure and Walt Simonson's celebrated run that began with #337.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Written by Doug Moench; penciled by Alan Kupperberg; inked by Jim Mooney (main story) and Jack Abel (backup); colored by George Roussos and Christie Scheele; lettered by Janice Chiang; edited by Mark Gruenwald and Michael Carlin under EIC Jim Shooter.
- The main story, 'A Deal with Darkoth,' pits Thor and Dr. Donald Blake against Mephisto, who uses Darkoth the Death-Demon as an unwilling assassin; Darkoth ultimately resists Mephisto's control and is freed.
- This is Darkoth the Death-Demon's third overall appearance in Marvel Comics, following his introduction in Fantastic Four #142–144 and a return in Fantastic Four #193–194.
- First appearance of Brenda Barclay, a receptionist character who recurs in subsequent issues of the run through #354.
- The issue contains a second story — part two of a four-part 'Tales of Asgard' backup — in which Loki and the war-god Tyr capture Idunn and steal the Golden Apples of Immortality, threatening the gods of Asgard with mortality.
- Cover date November 1982; released to newsstands August 3, 1982.
- The issue has been reprinted in the Thor Epic Collection Vol. 12: Runequest (covering the 1982–1983 period) and appeared in the Spanish reprint series Thor el Poderoso (Planeta DeAgostini, 1983) #16.
- The cover art (by Ed Hannigan and Al Milgrom) was reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #21 (2021).
Cast · 2 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in The Mighty Thor #4 (1984), Thor Epic Collection #12 (2016), Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor #21 (2021), Thor el Poderoso #16
Key issues in Thor
Variants (2)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.