Thor: Tales of Asgard by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby #2

Balder, beloved son of Odin, faces execution for abandoning the battlefield to save a fallen bird—yet even the blade meant to end his life cannot harm him, as nature itself protects him. With Thor watching and new figures like Tyr and Honir stepping into the fray, Odin’s decree sets in motion a mystery of fate and divine favor.

In a tale of cunning and fate, Loki seeks to destroy Balder by exploiting a secret he learns from the Norn Queen—Balder’s vulnerability to mistletoe. With a deadly dart in hand, he aims to end the beloved god’s life, but the Norn Queen intervenes, her power halting the act before it can be completed.

In "Trapped by the Trolls!", Thor finds himself ensnared in a dwarven plot when King Sindri tries to sell him to the trolls as a slave. Forced into their underground mine, Thor must outwit his captors and free the enslaved prisoners before the trolls’ cruel plans come to fruition.

In "The Secret of Sigurd!", Thor faces a mysterious challenger named Sigurd during a walk with Balder and Loki. As their duel escalates, Sigurd’s strength grows with each fall—until Balder recalls the truth: Sigurd draws power from the Earth Sprites, making him tied to the ground itself. With a clever twist, Thor uses his hammer to hurl Sigurd into the sky, leaving him stranded on a distant asteroid. The gods continue on their way, leaving the outcome of the clash to the stars.

In the thunderous clash between Asgard and the Giants of Jotunheim, Odin stands triumphant after the fall of their king, Laufey. Amid the wreckage, a mysterious bundle is discovered—containing a baby boy, left to the mercy of war. With a decision that will echo through the realms, Odin takes the child in, naming him Loki, and raising him as his own.