Spoilers for Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2.
At issues end, Bill finds he's no longer able to lift his mystic hammer, Stormbreaker. Since he made a point of telling Agent Brand in issue 1 that he's one of the few individuals deemed worthy of lifting Stormbreaker, one can assume his recent actions have rendered him unworthy. Since Odin enchanted the hammer, I guess it's his definition that determines things, and his definition strikes me as somewhat unusual.
Given the timing of it, it would seem that the line was drawn at how Bill convinced the I'thians to flee I'than Prime, rather than try to fight off Galactus and two Heralds. Bill's method was to use a nanoplague the Voidian weapons makers he captured in #1 to infect the I'thians, and withhold the antidote until they were safely away from there home.
OK, that's dirty pool to be sure, but I find it funny that's more ignoble than his decision to kill Galactus, considering people have been arguing Galactus is necessary to the universe since, what, the trial of Reed Richards back during Byrne's Fantastic Four*? But here's Beta Ray Bill, bound and determined to kill him, and surely Odin would have perceived Galactus' importance (assuming it's actually true).
Further, Bill isn't even trying to destroy Galactus in a manner of which I'd think Asgardians would approve. Rather than try and fight Galactus, he opts to destroy worlds before they can be devoured, starving Galactus. Kind of a cheap way to gain a victory, and one you'd think would be frowned upon by beings that prefer to settle things in honorable combat.
But no, it's the fact Bill was willing to do anything to save the I'thians from their own foolish confidence that was the deal breaker. Perhaps it's because the I'thians were prepared to die fighting for their home, as would befit a Viking (or Asgardian), and Bill forced them to run. Or maybe the loss of worthiness was a cumulative thing, and that was merely the last straw. I think it's interesting for what it says about the Asgardians**.
* It was Byrne himself who proposed that, wasn't it? He showed up at Reed's trial and argued Richards shouldn't be executed for saving Galactus because the Big G was vital.
** I wonder if there's also something there about how Bill is making a mistake being so focused on death, whether it's killing Galactus, or avenging his dead people, which is driving him to try this. Is it that he should be focusing on using his power to protect the living, rather than avenge the dead through killing? Because I don't believe Beta Ray Bill is actually concerned with protecting innocents nearly as much as he is with vengeance.
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3 comments:
My first reaction would be that you're right that Odin would have preferred the Ithians go out in a blaze of glory. He's not called Betrayer of Warriors for nothing.
Marvel's Odin however isn't usually like that (the stories from the last few years being an exception). So my guess is that it was the use of trickery to humiliate and drive off warriors intent on defending their homes (plus the alliance it suggests with a being of evil) might be at fault.
If Bill wants to go around smashing his enemies with a hammer, that's fine but turning towards the tactics of Loki doesn't suit a being capable of wielding Mjolnir.
seangreyson: Now I'm wondering if it would have been OK if Bill had driven them off by attacking them, forcing them to expend so many weapons trying to stop him, they would lack the resources to defy Galactus?
It's still kind of devious, but they get the opportunity to defend themselves, and if they can't stop Bill, then they certainly couldn't handle Galactus.
Yeah that sounds like a strategy that would've been okay. Conquest, and a challenge of honor that it represented, would probably be ok with Odin.
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