Spoiler Alert: Plot Details from Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm #1

Hello Boys and Girls, tis me again, your humble Angela fanatic with another exciting installment of "For the Love of Angela". I have a confession... after Guardians of the Galaxy 10, I completely lost track of Angela. I recently skimmed through copies of GOTG 11 - 13, and All-New X-Men 22 -- 24, at my local LCS, to see what my fair lady was up to, but the whole "Trial of Jean Grey" just didn't do it for me. And that's crazy since two of my favorite redheads were in the same crossover event; what's not to love? I know it's ignorant and unfair of me to say, but truth be told, I compared it to Claremont's and Byrne's classic "Dark Phoenix Saga", which I grew up with... and there's just no comparison.

Back in late May, I read the press release regarding Angela's all new origin due to come out in Original Sin and related titles. I don't want to pass premature judgment on Original Sin, but, vaguely, the complex plotline reads like some crazy cosmic murder mystery reminiscent of Alan Moore's classic murder mystery conspiracy fable, The Watchmen. Is anyone else getting that vibe too? "Who Killed the Comedian?" is now, "Who Killed the Watcher?" Ironic isn't it? Watchmen... The Watcher? Or, once again, am I making a superficial and unsubstantiated connection between the two? Or maybe I just miss, "The Author" who refused to be given any credit for his work on Marvelman aka Miracleman (see Marvel reprints of said works).

Anyway... before I cause some controversy between Moore, DC and Marvel, let me stir another by revealing the plot details of Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm #1.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE PLOT DETAILS TO ORIGINAL SIN: THOR & LOKI: THE TENTH REALM #1

Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm #1 was released on July 8th. I've waited nearly two weeks to post this journal to avoid spoiling it for anybody intending to read it who hasn't yet read it. So If you haven't and don't want to know, look away and move on! Yes... you have been warned: I will discuss in detail, the all-new origin of Angela, which in my opinion, is both an Angela and Thor key worthy of collecting for it has major ramifications for the Odinson and possibly the Marvel Universe proper.

I am also going to say I'm very excited about the whole thing! Yes, you read that right! I'm giving Marvel its due by saying Angela has finally been given a legitimate back-story. And boy what a doosey it is! In my humble opinion, Marvel has effectively retconned Angela's Image origin (last seen in Curse of the Spawn #9), out of existence save for those fans (like me) who still cling on to it like an amalgam of six tragic female souls made into an angel... or an Angela. Yes, I'll continue to treasure and never forget Angela's lush history as seen in various Image titles, but I'm happy to say I am finally ready to move on.

It's no secret I'm building, or attempting to build, a complete collection of Angela comics from her Image days. This lofty goal has been in the works since February 2012 when I accidentally discovered I was the sole bearer of a Spawn #9 Newsstand Variant. Little by little, I've been amassing a set (both raw and graded), a set I am calling "Angela Pre-Marvel": basically Angela's entire publication history across all Image titles (save TBP's, reprints or foreign variants). Some of them are very rare and difficult to obtain. But I'm getting there, slowly but surely, however there's still plenty more to go. And I'm delighted to say, without revealing anyone's identity, there is another CGC Boardie who is also on a mission of equal import... another who is equally as passionate of Angela, and perhaps... more ambitious than I. This collector I predict will have a magnanimous collection, one which will encompass Angela appearances in both Image and Marvel. We have been in contact, and I will be at this collector's disposal in any way I can to support and assist in achieving his/her collecting goals. We have discussed splitting Angela into two distinct CGC Collections:

(1)Angela Image

(2)Angela Marvel.

Angela Image: From my research, Angela has made 25 distinct appearances in comic books published by Image (not including TBPs, collected editions or foreign variants). In addition, these 25 comics have 16 variant covers (not including foreign variants), which would bring the total collection to 41.

Angela Marvel: It goes without saying, in no time, this will be the bigger of the two collections (especially with the sickening amount of variant covers which already exist), with Angela having already made appearances in Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, All New X-Men and now Tenth Realm. Also, I've read the latest rumors through Bleeding Cool, that on or about the upcoming San Diego Comic Con (July 24th -- 27th), Marvel will announce an Angela solo series to be helmed by Kieron Gillen and Marguerite Bennett; I'm so keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

If there is anyone else out there looking to build an Angela collection, and who has no clue where to start, allow me to recap a list of the Angela keys worthy of collecting:

Image Comics:

Spawn #9 (Angela's 1st Appearance)

Curse of the Spawn #9 (Origin of Angela)

Angela #1 (Angela's 2nd Appearance: 1st Greg Capullo art on Angela)

Spawn #100 (Death of Angela)

Marvel Comics:

Age of Ultron #10 (The Return of Angela: 1st Appearance of Angela in the Marvel Universe)

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, #5 (2nd Appearance of Angela in the Marvel Universe; joins in the following issue)

And now let's add to this growing list:

Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm #1 (the all-New Origin of Angela)

Okay... so on to the show:

In this exciting first issue, The Orb (a kooky Ghost Rider villain with a gigantic eyeball for a head), holding one of the murdered Watcher's eye balls, purposely reveals its secrets to Thor, Luke Cage, the Hulk and Spider-Man. Each superhero see's a unique revelation specific and significant to their lives. In Thor's case, he discovers the existence of a Tenth Realm (previously believe to be nine), and, most importantly, he discovers has a sister.

With do haste, Thor returns to Asgard, to confront Queen Freyja (Thor's Mother, Loki's Foster Mother, and current ruler of Asgard in place of the missing Odin). In this confrontation, Queen Freyja reveals the truth (transcribed and formatted in screenplay-comic book -script hybrid form, with dialogue in quotes since I didn't write it):

Page 8, Panel 1: Ext. Ancient Asgard -- Day

Extreme Wide Shot: Ancient Asgard: a full-scale war between Asgardians and winged Angels.

Flashback: Caption: "Long Ago."

Queen Freyja

(Off Panel)

"You spoke of fire. Of blood. Of a war that makes all

conflict since seem like the shadows of a child's game.

A war with Angels. You caught the smallest glimpse of that war..."

Flying Angel

"Death to Asgard! Death to the nothing ones! Nothing for nothing!"

Page 8, Panel 2: Continuous

Medium Shot: Queen Freyja and Odin, side-by-side in ferocious battle.

Queen Freyja

(Off Panel)

"But I lived it. And it cost me all."

Queen Freyja

"Hold hard husband! If we fall now... Asgard dies forever!"

Odin

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