Synopsis
| - This story picks up a trial that had been postponed in previous issues. Thor had rushed back to Asgard, and left his fight with the Absorbing Man to save a kidnapped Jane Foster from his evil half-brother [[W:C:marvel:Loki Laufeyson
- Loki has convinced King Hymir to help him in his eternal feud with Thor, by having the King give Thor a series of very difficult challenges. Thor is unable to refuse them, or he is dishonored, and if he fails, he becomes a slave for the cruel king. The first challenge, is to catch a fish from the dreaded Sea of Eternal Darkness. The fish in this sea are "not mere fish - but undersea monsters! No fishing line could capture such a creature! But the Mighty Hammer of Thor CAN!"
This challenge done, the King give him the main task, to break a drinking goblet in only two minutes. He realizes that his time is short, so without delay throws the goblet at a rock wall, shattering the wall. He then tries to use his mighty hammer, to no effect. Thor knows that if he should slay the king, even if he didn't complete the challenge, he would not be a slave, except he would "break the heart of fair princess Rinda!" Rinda was not worried about herself, and urged the Thunder God to do what he must, since he has been deceived. With that, he hurls the goblet, at full force at the crown of King Hymir. The goblet then shattered, revealing the source of the enchantment, the "magic catalyst". This inspired a fit of paranoid anger in the King, directed at the Trickster for supposedly betraying the King, and revealing the secret to Thor, and ordered Loki gone from his kingdom. As he left, Loki vowed "eternity is endless, I shall never stop scheming!"
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