"Foolish, arrogant, conceited, and jealous. What right does someone like you have to call himself a god? You are unworthy of the honors you bear! Since you envy that Midgardian so much, I will grant you the chance to become one. Be a mortal forever!"
Odin unleashed his immense divine power, ripping away Thor's armor and stripping him of his godly strength.
By the time the All-Father's final words fell, Thor had been reduced to a strong but ordinary man.
The next instant, Odin hurled him into the Bifrost and placed a powerful enchantment on Mjolnir. "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
With that, he flung the hammer of the gods into the Bifrost, his face still dark with fury.
"Father, he was simply overcome by anger. I will go bring him back," Loki said, a flash of wild joy in his eyes even as he feigned concern.
Odin glanced at his adopted son. He knew exactly what Loki was thinking.
"There is no need. He will not return."
"I see. You want him to spend some time as a mortal on Midgard to cool his head? That's a fine idea. Once he regains his senses... "
"He may not survive to return to Asgard," Odin said gravely. "Something unusual is happening on Midgard. My only expectation for him is that he strives to stay alive there."
Loki froze, his secret delight vanishing.
He was more than happy to see Thor suffer... preferably in spectacular fashion... but someone else daring to harm him?
That was unacceptable. Only Loki was allowed to scheme against Thor.
Especially when it came to his life!
Loki asked, "Who on Midgard would dare harm the son of Odin? The Celestials? Do they have such audacity?"
"The Celestials may not intend to harm Thor directly, but their actions are not truly their own. Their renewed activity must stem from some hidden motive. This is no good omen," Odin replied.
The tools the Celestials had placed on Earth would never act without purpose. Every move they made carried the will of Arishem. Odin believed this deeply. He knew all too well how terrifying the Celestials truly were.
Loki grew even more puzzled. He knew nothing of the ancient war between the gods of the World Tree and the Celestials, so he could not understand his father's concern.
The Celestials were just that... Celestials. Were they truly worth the strongest All-Father of the World Tree investing so much attention? Loki had also heard recent news from Heimdall. Even on lowly Midgard, some unknown nobody had managed to humiliate one of their powerful agents. That alone proved the Celestials were not worth excessive worry.
As for Thor being jealous of that nobody… well, given his brother's simple mind, it was entirely possible. Loki could picture Thor's thought process with his eyes closed:
The Celestials had stolen Father's attention. Unforgivable.
And a mere mortal who had defeated a Celestial? Even more worthy of attention. Even less forgivable!
That was Thor's straightforward, one-track logic.
Odin's face was like ice. "He has been exiled. From this moment, his life and death are no longer my concern!"
"But he is an Asgardian! And Mjolnir…"
"If a Midgardian can lift Mjolnir, then he shall possess the power of Thor. This is the word of Odin, All-Father... an oath and a blessing!" Odin snorted.
What else could he do? Send Thor to one of the other eight realms? That would guarantee his death. At least on Earth, with the Ancient One watching over it, Thor still had a decent chance.
Moreover, if Thor wasn't sent to Earth and given the opportunity to learn humility and caution, he would truly be beyond saving.
Besides, if the heir to Asgard couldn't endure even this much hardship, he had no right to become the next All-Father.
"Midgard… Earth…" Odin narrowed his eyes. "I have my worries about the Celestials, but what exactly is the Ancient One fretting over while holding the Time Stone?"
During their cross-dimensional communication, he had sensed that her mind was elsewhere.
He couldn't figure it out, but after careful consideration, Odin concluded that as long as no single-universe level gods appeared, the forces he could currently wield would make him unafraid of any lesser threat.
The brilliant Bifrost pierced the deep, silent vacuum of space, carrying the mortal Thor and his hammer to Earth. It carved a complex, mystical symbol into the soil of New Mexico.
By unfortunate coincidence... perhaps due to the small ripples Adam had indirectly caused... Thor did not encounter Jane Foster. There would be no hospital visit or chain of subsequent events.
Thor landed safely on the ground and roared at the sky.
"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost and send me back!"
"Heimdall!"
He shouted like that from dusk until dawn, and from dawn until dusk. Starving, his voice hoarse, he still received no response. Only then did true panic set in.
Or rather, the fact that the God of Thunder's throat could even grow hoarse was terrifying. It confirmed he had truly become a mortal, his divine power gone without a trace.
Thor decided to find a tavern in Midgard first and fill his stomach. The God of Thunder would not starve to death in this backwater place.
He picked a direction and began the long trek along the highway.
He walked for another full day.
The farther Thor went, the more bitter and furious he became. If he still had his hammer, he would have flown. Why should he have to walk?
Had his father sent him here just to train his endurance?
He clearly remembered seeing his hammer thrown into the Bifrost after him, but he had no idea where it had landed.
"As long as I recover Mjolnir, I can regain my power!"
Thor clung to that belief. His last remaining sliver of hope rested entirely on the hammer.
What he didn't know was that dozens of kilometers away in a small town, a large crowd of mortals had already discovered his hammer and turned the site into a major spectacle.
Even more than ten hot dog vendors had shown up.
"Out of the way! You're not strong enough. I'll definitely lift it!"
"This thing looks just like the hammer of Thor from the old stories. Is it real?"
"Someone brought a pickup truck!"
"Hot dogs! Cheap hot dogs!"
The scene was lively and chaotic.
And it wasn't just ordinary people or S.H.I.E.L.D. who had noticed and rushed over.
The leader of the Deviants who had absorbed the Crimson Dynamo had altered his original course and was also heading straight for the site.
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