Journey into Mystery#19
The Return of the Tomorrow Man!
Loki had been very busy. For most people, this would be cause for great alarm. Having been ordered to find a worthy opponent for his hated sister Lady Thor, Loki's attention never wavered. Images of everyone from common hoodlums to armored dictators appeared before the trickster in a smoke filled cauldron.
"Midgard is overflowing with villains, yet my sister has vanquished most of the fools." He glanced at a rack of potions. "Nay, such magiks might be detected. Father," the word soured his tongue, "would insist on a fair battle, so I must use someone that could face down the might of Asgard with minimal assistance from my hand, or at least nothing overt."
He delved deeper into the cauldron, looking backwards and forwards in time. "Surely there must be some…ah!"
Glancing into the far future, Loki found something. Seated inside a small office, his desk overflowing with slanted pieces of metal, a bored looking office worker pushed figures around on a flat screen in front of him.
"Zarrko, the so-called Tomorrow Man!" Loki beamed. "I recall his mind was wiped, but I can fix that." Loki picked up a small jug and carefully poured a few drops into the cauldron.
-Z
Zarrko blinked and rubbed his eyes. He had been reinstated at his old job, or at least that was what they had told him. His entire life up to a few months ago had been erased. Even the best medical minds couldn't figure that out. His memories had been restored, but his connection to them was gone; not that they were such a big deal to begin with. Endless days of entering and leaving the same office, sitting through meetings and generally having about as much impact on the world as a coffee substitute, Arthur Zarrko was the type of man who inwardly screamed every moment he was awake.
That scream became an outwardly one when at once his memories, his full and proper ones, came rushing back. He didn't know how, but in an instant he recalled his fight with the 20th century heroine Lady Thor. "She did this to me, I'm sure of it!" He glanced around the office. "And I intend to pay her back!" He stormed out of the office.
Loki leaned back and smiled. "Now this shall prove to be an interesting challenge!"
_LT
Jane Foster, better known as Lady Thor, busied herself with paperwork. Her plan to marry Don Blake, the man she loved and one of the few who knew her secret, seemed to be growing more and more distant. She had first considered it cold feet, but lately he seemed more obsessed with finding people from his childhood.
"Of course, if I had been told my existence was a lie created by a Norse god to teach me a lesson, I suppose I just need to give him some time."
Jane filed more insurance forms. Then the room shook. "An attack?" she rushed to the window. Marching down the street was a large robot casually flipping cars. An all too familiar voice was being broadcast from its cockpit.
"Lady Thor! Come out and face me or I'll level this primitive backwater you call a city!" The Tomorrow Man's voice rang out.
"The Tomorrow Man? How did he come back?" She snagged her cane and slipped up to the roof. "No time to worry about it now, but it shouldn't be a problem to send him right back to his own time."
-L
As Jane slammed the stick onto the roof, he leaned back in satisfaction. Odin's spell was being cast as the strange magic turned her from a slight nurse into a towering mass of blond muscle. When the wind died, Lady Thor stood on the roof, but Loki knew the spell was working. "Now to simply sit back and watch my dear sister's demise."
-LT
Lady Thor felt strange. She had changed from Jane to her Asgardian self routinely enough, and Mjolnir still felt like it always had, yet there was something off. Like she had woken up with a cold or forgotten her belt, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"No matter, there be villains to fight!" She twirled her mystic hammer and landed before the robot. "Ho! Quarter shall be given foe, if thou but asks."
"Quarter? No, I think not!" A compartment opened up on the robot's torso and a dozen missiles shot out, knocking Lady Thor back through a passing truck. "I don't how my mind was restored, but I remember everything! And I remembered I didn't get a chance to finish fighting you!"
"That shall be an unfinished quest villain, for thy dreams end here!" She dusted herself off and twirled her hammer. Storm clouds gathered, but nothing more. "What madness be this? I must summon a portal to direct this madman, yet all I summon be weather!" She blasted a lightning bolt into the robot, but it had no effect.
Zarrko paused, but even his shock couldn't overcome his joy. "The magic finally wearing down?" he pressed a button on his glove. The robot hummed. Steam escaped several joints before the machine suddenly split into two. "It would take a genius to understand, but my robots can expand, doubling their number every minute. Do you understand?"
Lady Thor lowered her hammer. "Aye."
"Good, and before you get any ideas about calling your Avenger friends, understand that I also have several vials of various diseases, common enough in my time but quite deadly here I assure you, and I have no qualms about releasing them upon your city if I am further bothered. Do you understand?"
Lady Thor seethed. "Aye."
"Good, but I am willing to leave your primitive time behind for good…if you agree to my conditions."
"Which are?"
"Serve me and help me conquer my time period. Once I am established I shall return you back to your place in history."
Lady Thor watched the robots. There were already six of them in the street. "Very well."
"Excellent!" Zarrko beamed as he opened up a portal. He, the robots, and Lady Thor vanished in a flash of light.
_L
Meanwhile, back on Asgard, the preceding scenes had been watched carefully by the royal court. Once Lady Thor walked through the portal into the future, everyone seemed to hold their breath, waiting on Odin's response.
Loki put a hand to his brow and spoke first. "See father? Without the power she stole from you, that mewling mortal simply throws her lot in with the first foe to show force. Is that someone who is worthy to wield Mjonlir?"
"I say thee nay!" Odin's rage shook the very rafters. He slammed his fist into the arm of his throne, startling the ravens gathered at his feet. "This! This is proof at last! Loki, my son, go forth to Midgard and bring the mortal Blake here."
"Hold noble Odin!" a voice rang out from the back of the crowd.
"Who dares?" Odin glared his single eye at the crowd. It parted at once as a fair haired youth stepped forward.
"Tis I, Magni, all knowing All-Father. True, this mortal has taken my father's power, but allow her time to combat her foe."
"Fool! You saw her whimpering form follow that mortal into the future!" Loki pointed at the image, still frozen before the court.
"Aye, but we didn't hear what was said or see what happened after. Perhaps it is a ploy?" Magni turned to the court. "Perhaps we aren't giving this mortal female credit. Perhaps by going with her enemy she sets in motion a plot to ensure his defeat?"
"You give the mortals too much credit!" Loki snapped back.
"Perhaps, but then few creatures are as full of tricks such as yourself uncle." Magni smiled. Despite the calm tone, Loki's face burned with the insult.
Odin held up his hand. "Young Magni has a point, although I agree this mortal seems far too feeble to have devised anything using cunning. We shall observe more before acting." Magni bowed, but Loki kept his face neutral.
"Well nephew, you finally earned my attention…and I will make you suffer for that."
-LT
The landscape took her breath away. Lady Thor marveled at the floating buildings and multicolored sky as she looked around at the city. "So this is the future?"
"A possible one," Zarrko tinkered with one of the robot's controls, "despite what some theorize the future isn't written in stone, but rather runs like a river against several other time streams. Sometimes they run parallel and sometimes they run into each other at various points."
Lady Thor nodded, barely paying attention as the buildings off in the distance shifted color. Zarrko finished his work and his lecture. "Now then, with your hammer as my power source I will be unstoppable!" Several robots turned to face her, their guns primed.
"Mjolnir is weak, but he doesn't seem to understand that." With a feigned air of reluctance she carefully placed the hammer inside a metal cocoon that Zarrko had fabricated from a device in his belt.
"Excellent!" Zarrko beamed as the hammer clicked into place. "Robots, dispose of her." He turned around as several black and white pods appeared off in the distance and flew towards them. "With the power of a god at my disposal, I'll conquer this time and all others as well!"
He raised a hand. "Eliminate her now." Lady Thor barely had time to block her face as one of the robots fired a concussive ray that knocked her back. She sailed through the air, unaware of anything else.
-LT
Lady Thor landed with a bone jarring crunch. Had she been Jane Foster, she doubted she would have lived through the impact. She dragged herself to her feet as waves of dizziness overtook her. "I've been away too long!" She cursed as her muscles faded and her clothing was replaced with the simple nurse's uniform.
"And now I'm stuck in the future with no way to get my hammer!" She glanced around just to see where she landed. She would have guessed an alleyway, although considering the time period she could just as easily been inside anything. She moved past the brightly painted walls and into what she guessed was a street. Instead of paved roads all she saw running down the street was a series of tracks of various shapes and widths.
"Do they use trains in the future?" She scratched her head as she tried to comprehend the type of vehicle that would use such a thing.
"No time to worry about that now!" an aged voice coughed behind her. Jane spun around, fists at the ready. The older woman dismissively waved her away. "Dear, I haven't the interest to fight anyone, much less you."
Jane lowered her fists, but there was something in the woman that put her on edge. "You act like you know me. How is that possible?"
The woman grinned. Jane was suddenly reminded of her grandmother. "You could say we're closely related. Now look, you're in an awkward time right now in your life. I can't offer much help, although I would if I could, but all I can say is relax. Things will work out for the best and you'll be happy, but you have to work at it."
Jane, feeling more unnerved than anything, backed away from the old woman. "Good, if generic advice, but do you know how I can return home or defeat Zarrko?"
"I'd give you the exact method if I could, but all I can do is this." Reaching into her robe, she quickly lashed a flexible metallic band around Jane's waist. "Now hold on and try not to fidget." The woman adjusted the end of the band which was coiled around her waist. Before Jane could question her, the woman pointed her palm at the ground. A tremendous gust of wind picked them up and carried them across the city.
Landing softly, the older woman disentangled Jane and stepped back. "Zarrko should be having a fit about now. I'd suggest taking your cane back quickly."
"But the power is gone!"
The older woman sighed and shook her head. "Halved actually, but don't worry. You can get through this." She stepped back and pointed her hands at the ground.
"Wait!" Jane forcibly grabbed the woman's robe. "Who are you?"
The older woman smiled again. "The Ghost of Christmas Future. Just listen to me and things will work out." With that the woman sailed off into the air.
Jane watched her fly away. Looking around, she spotted several of Zarrko's robots, now standing motionless. Easily walking past them, she saw the metal cocoon that housed Mjolnir, now a simple gnarled stick. She hid behind a robot as Zarrko raged at the inanimate object. "How?" He kicked the metal side.
"How does it work? How did the most powerful object in all creation become a simple piece of wood?" Zarrko tore the stick from the machine and swung it wildly. "Why won't you work?" He struck it against the ground several times. Jane's heart froze, expecting him to transform, but the stick remained the same. "Worthless! The authorities will be here in minutes and I've spent all my energy reserves! Without the hammer, I've nothing!"
"That's what I needed!" Jane sprang from her hiding place. Slamming her heel into his instep, she gripped his arm and hip tossed him to the ground. She picked up the cane as what she took to be police cars floated down and surrounded them.
Slamming the cane to the ground, she was rewarded with a blinding flash of light. Her body surged with the power, this time feeling back to its original level, as her clothes were replaced with the armor of Lady Thor. "Will you surrender knave?" She pointed her hammer at Zarrko's head.
Caught between Lady Thor and the approaching police, Zarrko meekly held his hands up. "I give up."
-O
Odin had been watching the preceding events with an ever growing interest. "Without power she charged her foe!"
Loki nodded in agreement. "Aye, but she was still aided, she took no action herself." Loki fumed as he tried to recall the face of the older woman. "Who was she? She was no god, yet she spoke to that mortal with such familiarity…"
"I have decided!" Odin's voice boomed. "Bring this mortal to me at once. I will decide her fate!"
Loki clapped, although inwardly he fumed. "Are you sure that is wise father? Perhaps another test?"
"Nay, she has been tested enough. I say before you all, this mortal will be brought before my throne for a final judgment!" Odin slammed his fist into the arm of his throne for emphasis. The crowd murmured with shock with a brave few applauding.
Loki, as ever, schemed. "Bringing her here might disrupt my plans, or she might do something foolish like tell the truth. I cannot risk her challenging my influence over the court. Jane Foster must die!"
Loki scanned the crowd, stopping when he saw a blond woman slinking away through the back. Making apologies to Odin and the rest he followed. "That hair, that body, could it be?"
Rounding the corner, Loki smiled when he saw the woman casually leaning against the wall. "Amora! 'Tis been far too long since the golden halls were graced by your beauty!"
"Ever the silver tongued devil, eh sky-walker?" Amora smiled.
Loki moved in closer. "I have a task for ye."
"What makes you think I am interested in being your lapdog?" Amora, still smiling, none too gently pushed him back.
"To chase down and humiliate a common thorn in both our sides: Thor."
"I thought him of the fairer sex now?" Amora focused her attention on her nails. "Hardly seems worthy of my talents."
"Thor's power lies with a mortal woman, true, but Thor himself is also mortal."
Amora lowered her hand. The smile was gone, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. "Really? I had heard tales of Odin doing something rash, but I never dreamed he would go that far."
"Aye, and now Thor rots away in a mortal's shell. Easy plucking for someone of your abilities."
"Wasting talents such as mine on a mortal is hardly a worthy use of them, but for old time's sake I'll agree." She lightly ran a finger across Loki's jaw. "On the condition that Thor is given to me…or at least his body."
"Gladly." They clasped hands in agreement. Loki slipped free and returned to the main hall. "Have care Enchantress. You can be of great aid to me, but if you think to betray me there won't be a place in the Nine Realms that could hide you from my wrath."
Amora watched the trickster leave. "Ah Loki, your schemes truly make life worth living, but I will have Thor to myself, even if I have slay you to get him."
The end
Journey into a Mailbox
Based on "The Return of Zarrko, the Tomorrow Man" which was first published in Journey into Mystery I#101 (February 1964) with credits to Stan Lee (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), George Roussos (inks), and Sam Rosen (letters) and "Slave of the Tomorrow Man" which was first published in Journey into Mystery I#102 (March 1964) with credits to Stan Lee (script), Jack Kirby (pencils), Chick Stone (inks), and Artie Simek (letters).
Be here next time when Lady Thor encounters the Enchantress!
And now for the fan mail
From They call me Bruce
An enjoyable story
From agent00soul
Another great outing for Lady Thor, Cambot. She's easily my favorite of your characters. I would love to see Hela make an appearance.
You can expect the goddess of the dead to be showing sooner than you think, but not for a while.
From Darci
For me the highlight was the continuation of the story arc with Zelda DuBois as the ersatz Lady Thor. This isn't in Marvel's continuity, of course, but it makes me wonder what the Circus of Crime will do without their founder? Jane Foster is going to pay for Zelda's impersonation, since she's been whisked off to Asgard to face Odin's wraith. Keep up the good work!
I intend to, thanks! As for the Circus of Crime, expect them to show up again before too long.
Be sure to keep an eye out for these upcoming tales
Tales to Astonish#17-Wasp VS the Human Top!
Amazing Fantasy#10-Rollar Disco Smash!
The Avengers#6-Invasion of the Lava Men!
Sensational Comics#19-The Horror that Hit Hollywood!