The saga of the Black Winter comes to a devastating conclusion in this week's Thor #6 from writer Donny Cates with artists Nic Klein and Matt Wilson – and the consequences of Thor's actions in the tale could have monstrous reverberations throughout the Marvel Universe.
Spoilers ahead, so don't read any further unless you want spoilers!
Battling through an explosive final confrontation with the Black Winter, Thor turns his attention to Galactus, now empowered with an unseen level of the Power Cosmic rippling through him. Though Galactus begs Thor for aid against the Black Winter, Thor turns on him, summoning all the power of Mjolnir to strike Galactus down and strip him of the Power Cosmic.
Using this new level of unfathomable energy, Thor literally skeletonizes Galactus in his armor, leaving him a dead and smoldering husk as the Black Winter approaches. With the full might of Galactus and his own godlike power, Thor summons an epic wave of destructive force that discorporates the Black Winter, sending the being – who appears to be a dark reflection of Thor himself, down to his own black Mjolnir – tumbling down in a rain of black snowflakes that resemble ash.
Thor catches the last flake before it blows away, and the last remnant of the Black Winter offers Thor a chance to see what his own death will be – his true, final end.
Somewhat stunned, Thor accepts, and is given a horrific vision of devastation to come.
In the vision, seen presumably from Thor's perspective, Thanos stands above Thor, flanked by what appears to be an army of zombified Marvel heroes – and in his hand, he wields Mjolnir, encrusted with Infinity Stones.
Back on Asgard, where Thor has placed Galactus's helmet at the entrance to the Bifrost, he tells Silver Surfer – who is technically not silver at the moment – that his vision was "darkness, and nothing more."
Thor #7 goes on sale on September 16.
