Thor Annual #12

Three Storm Giants named Horvald, Grolf, and Aslak are trekking through a valley in the Asgard Mountains when they come upon a farm occupied by the woman Solveig. She reveals the farm is Vidar’s and they seek petty revenge against him by slaughtering the farm animals due to his reputation as the son of Odin. Solveig tries to stop the giants but they kill her and take her golden belt from her corpse.

Vidar returns from a hunt and encounters the corpse of his wife. Enraged, he heads to Asgard to seek an audience with Odin. Vidar arrives amidst a raucous banquet and suggests he is unwelcome but seeks a boon from his father. Thor is angered at his lack of restraint and seeks to fight him but is rebuffed by Odin who sends Thor and Hoder, a blind seer who can envision who killed his wife, on a mission of vengeance.

During their trek, Vidar becomes impatient at Thor’s lack of urgency and seeks his own path on a couple of occasions. On one such occasion, he encounters Thrunhild, the wife of the storm giant Horvald. She has stolen Solveig’s golden belt brought home by Horvald and is wearing it when Vidar spots her. Thinking she is responsible for his wife’s death, he kills her in a rage before the storm giants arrive and reveal the truth. A fight ensues but Vidar is captured by the storm giants.

At the camp of Thor and Hoder, Hoder detects the trouble Vidar is in and Thor rushes to his aid. Thor arrives at Horvald's Castle and fights the giants but their spears set the castle on fire, and they attempt to flee in fear. Thor saves the chained Vidar and they flee together while Hoder uses Vidar's Staff to prevent the giants from lowering the drawbridge to escape the castle. Thor destroys the drawbridge with Mjolnir upon arrival and Vidar seeks to enact his revenge on the giants but Thor stays his hand and they afterward return to Vidar’s farm. Vidar asks Thor to pay his respects to Odin but Odin appears and gives his blessings to Vidar.