Loki has now claimed leadership of Asgard, and all must recognize that fact, even Thor. Finally winning the throne after a long sought out fight is not as sweet as he thought it would be. The ones that helped him now demand their due and the favors he promised them, including the death goddess Hela and seductress Lorelei. While he goes about his kingdom, he continually turns to his prisoners, Thor and Sif. Sif berates him for being jealous of her, and of cutting off her golden hair, only to bring about a greater love between her and Thor. While Balder reminds him that he has died and gone to Hel, while there, sees that there are parallel dimension incarnations of Thor, Loki, and Balder: Some different, yet all play the same roles. And Loki’s role is never to rule. Loki then turns to Karnilla, and agrees to free Balder into her care, in exchange for her to peer into a myriad other dimensions. There he sees confirmation of Balder’s words, all with Thor triumphant. Loki decides that Thor will indeed die at dawn by beheading. As he’s walking out of the dungeons, he runs into Fárbauti, his birth father. Loki decides to go against fate, and spare his brother as well as free him and Hela is revealed to be a failed illusion cast by Loki to convince him to kill his brother. Thor decides that when breaking free from his prison, he defeats his brother.
EHT Comics 