The story unfolds through flashbacks that recount Odin, the Asgardian king and Thor's father, banishing Thor to Earth and stripping him of his godly powers. As punishment, Odin creates the persona of Dr. Donald Blake, a frail human doctor, who can only transform into Thor by striking a special cane on the ground. The comic also introduces Gondolff the Golden, a servant of Odin who keeps watch over Thor.

This issue is a key one for Thor fans as it explains the long-standing mystery of how a powerful god could exist as a seemingly ordinary human.