A fierce argument echoed through the Asgardian hall.
"I told you—a wise ruler never rushes into war! Five years ago, I thought you were ready, but clearly, I was mistaken."
Odin's voice was stern and unyielding as he looked upon his son. Vanity, greed, cruelty, arrogance, ignorance… Odin's words cut deep, perhaps the harshest criticism Thor had ever received. But the real issue wasn't just Thor's actions; it was that, in Thor, Odin saw echoes of Hela—and even himself in his youth.
Odin's anger at Thor was, in truth, a reflection of his own past mistakes. In his early years, Odin had ruled through conquest and force, driving the Nine Realms into endless conflict. Countless lives had suffered under his aggressive regime, and he had come to regret those actions deeply.
"You also told me that a true king must always be ready to fight!" Thor fired back. "The war has already begun, even if you refuse to acknowledge it. They started this fight, and I only chose to finish it! Without your intervention, it would be over by now!"
To Thor, Odin's perspective was frustratingly naive. It reminded him of old-world Europe, where leaders, after committing many atrocities, suddenly became overly lenient in their remorse. Odin's guilt over his past had made him lenient, almost passive, toward those he once oppressed. But it was one thing for Odin to change, and quite another to expect everyone else to follow suit.
Furious, Odin finally decided to act. He stripped Thor of his powers—or rather, sealed them—and exiled him to Earth to reflect and grow.
Thor, however, had anticipated this. In fact, he'd been planning to leave Asgard for a while anyway. A few days earlier, Odin and Frigga, frustrated by Thor's endless appetite, had ordered him to abstain from alcohol and go on a diet.
Odin's words still echoed in Thor's mind: "You can't keep gaining weight like this! Do you truly wish to live like a pig?"
Fortunately for him, Maya Hansen hadn't lost her affection for him despite his expanded physique. If she had, Thor thought, he might have been ready to join a monastery.
Odin picked up Mjolnir, preparing to send it to Earth along with Thor. He hesitated for a moment, adding an additional spell to the hammer, and then fell into the deep sleep known as the Odin Sleep…
Meanwhile, outside Earth's atmosphere, Carol Danvers was watching over the planet. For years, she had been busy finding a new home for the Skrulls. Suitable planets were few, and most were already inhabited. Amidst her busy search, she had managed to return for a quick visit to Earth.
Suddenly, a large figure hurtled towards her from above. Carol instinctively threw a punch, and the figure disappeared into the sky.
Wait a second… was that a person? And kind of familiar?
Thor, now tipping the scales at close to four hundred pounds, was plummeting to Earth. Originally, he was supposed to land in New Mexico, but thanks to Carol's punch, he veered off course, hurtling northward past the North Pole.
As he flew over Norway, a magical portal appeared out of thin air, pulling him in before he vanished completely.
Back in Asgard, Heimdall noticed Thor's sudden disappearance. He went to report it, but Odin was already in his deep slumber, leaving Heimdall with little choice but to let it be. In his view, if Thor's life were truly in danger, Odin would sense it, so he chose not to worry.
In New Mexico, Mjolnir came crashing down from the sky, creating a small crater on impact. The mysterious arrival of the hammer quickly drew attention, and Nick Fury arrived to secure the site. He recognized Mjolnir immediately.
A newly-promoted Natasha Romanoff, eager to prove herself, attempted to lift the hammer, only to find herself unable to move it.
"Mjolnir isn't rejecting me," she reported, bewildered. "But I can feel another force holding it back—almost as if someone has blocked me."
S.H.I.E.L.D. launched a quiet search for Thor, but no trace of him appeared. It was as if he'd never arrived on Earth at all.
Years passed, and the crater containing Mjolnir became a famous local attraction..