With Mjolnir in her grasp, Jane Foster as the Goddess of Thunder was bold, radiant, and awe-inspiring. But now, without the hammer's power coursing through her, she looked fragile and worn—every bit as broken as her battle-weary body.
The camera cut to Jane lying pale and motionless in a hospital bed.
Thor arrived to see her, only to be met with devastating news from the doctor: Jane's condition was critical. Worse still, he learned that wielding Mjolnir had severely worsened her already terminal illness. The hammer hadn't healed her—it had drained her.
Overwhelmed with fury, Thor slammed his fist into the vending machine outside the room, crumpling it in a single blow.
But when he walked into the room, he was calm. He didn't let his anger follow him inside. Instead, he brought her a few snacks and sat beside her, offering quiet comfort.
Then he made up his mind: he would go after Gorr alone. One failure wasn't enough to stop the Son of Odin. The mighty Thor wouldn't back down—not now.
But Jane wasn't having it. She didn't want to be left behind. She wanted to fight by his side. Despite her deteriorating health, she missed the feeling of power surging through her when she became the Goddess of Thunder. The hammer gave her strength, purpose. She wasn't ready to give that up.
Even though she knew there was a price.
Thor, however, cared about that price deeply. When she pressed him, he finally told her the truth.
"That hammer is killing you," he said gently. "Every time you use it, it drains whatever strength you have left. Your body can't fight the cancer and wield Mjolnir at the same time."
Jane's expression softened. She had already come to terms with the reality.
"You were the one who said to live like there's no tomorrow," she said with a faint smile.
To her, waiting to die in a hospital bed was worse than dying in battle—as the Goddess of Thunder, on her own terms.
And in truth, her thinking wasn't far off from the Asgardian view of death: to die in combat was the highest honor, the gateway to Valhalla.
But Thor was torn. A prince of Asgard, he found himself begging her with uncharacteristic tenderness.
"Jane… if there's even the slightest chance—any chance—you have to take it."
She looked away, bitterness flickering in her voice. She'd tried every scientific treatment, every logical route. None of it had worked. Now Mjolnir was all she had, even if it was like poison.
She gave a half-laugh and said, "I know what I look like. Some astrophysicist from New Mexico who's living in a fantasy… But look at me. I want to fight. I am the Mighty Thor."
She didn't want to fade away.
Thor looked at her for a long moment, face conflicted. Then his expression shifted. He spoke quietly, but firmly.
"Because I love you."
Of course. It had to be love—nothing else could shake the core beliefs of a battle-hardened Asgardian warrior. Nothing else could make a man like Thor so vulnerable, so unsure.
Jane was visibly moved. She'd felt Thor growing close again, sensed his affection. But she hadn't realized how deeply he still loved her.
Thor, no longer holding back, said it plainly.
"I never stopped loving you. This… this is our chance. But if you pick up that damned hammer again, there is no chance."
Off-screen.
As Thor stared at the screen, lost in thought, Deadpool grinned and piped up in his usual irreverent tone.
"Oof, talk about mixed signals. One minute it's 'my precious Mjolnir,' next it's 'that damn hammer.' You really need to make up your mind, Goldilocks."
Thor nearly choked. "You insufferable shit—"
Stephen Strange rested his chin on his hand, solemn and thoughtful. "I get it. If it were me, I'd do the same. I wouldn't let her pick it up again either. I'd find another way to save her."
Thor glanced over. "Aren't you… a doctor?"
"Surgeon," Strange replied, shrugging. "But hey, I'd switch departments for her. I'd do anything. Honestly, Thor, you're a god. Don't you have any way to help her?"
Thor scratched his head, clearly frustrated. "I… I don't know. Maybe Asgard had something, once. But that Asgard's gone. It's just… not there anymore."
At that, Annie—eyes shimmering, voice soft but insistent—joined the conversation. As a woman, the love in Jane's decision resonated with her.
"What about Omnipotence City? You're telling me, out of all the gods in the cosmos, none of them can cure one woman's cancer? This is the divine we're talking about—this should be nothing to them."
Billy Butcher let out a harsh, cynical laugh.
"You lot still don't get it, do ya? Those gods don't give a toss about mortals. They treat humans like toys. You beg them for mercy, and they clap and cheer like they're watching a bloody circus."
He sneered. "They don't save people. They enjoy watching us suffer. Bunch of worthless wankers, the lot of 'em."
Thor's face darkened, clearly angry. He didn't deny that there were gods who fit Butcher's description—Zeus certainly came to mind—but hearing someone damn all gods with one brush, it struck a nerve.
His dislike for Billy Butcher was quickly catching up to his exasperation with Deadpool.
Back in the video…
Eventually, Thor managed to convince Jane. They shared a quiet, intimate moment. And then he left to speak with Valkyrie.
She'd been wounded in the battle against Gorr—the God Butcher had stabbed her in the gut with Zeus's Thunderbolt. But true to her warrior nature, Valkyrie was already back on her feet.
Still, she knew she wasn't in fighting shape. Going with Thor now would only get her killed. So instead, she gave him Zeus's Thunderbolt.
"Destroy his sword," she said firmly. "If you're gonna stop him, you need to break that blade."
With the Thunderbolt in hand, Thor set off. While it couldn't open the Bifrost, it could guide him to the heart of the cosmos—Eternity.
And meanwhile, Gorr the God Butcher had already arrived. Before him stood an ancient temple, and at its end—a towering statue.
Legend said that beyond that statue lay Eternity itself: a cosmic force capable of granting any wish.
And if Gorr reached it first, he would make his wish come true:
The annihilation of all gods.
____
T/N:
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