While Thor fights his brother in the last couple issues, Hildegarde, Sif and Hercules go searching for The Runestaff of Kamo Tharnn because they believe it can heal Jane Foster, who is dying in the hospital. They find Kamo Tharnn, who deafens Hercules.
Meanwhile, The Absorbing Man poses as a hospital orderly to take advantage of how sad and distracted Thor is. He gets close enough to touch Thor’s hammer and becomes Uru metal. They fight, and then Thor throws a toy hammer at Crusher Creel who thinks it’s the real deal and absorbs it, rendering himself powerless again.
By the time that’s over, Herc and Sif are back with the Runestaff. But there’s a catch: To heal Jane Foster, Sif has to give her life-which is absorbed into Jane Foster. It’s not really explained, but it’s not like a Valkyrie/Barbara Norriss thing where the Asgardian personality is dominant. It seems clear that Sif’s personality is gone, and Jane will now live. Too bad. Sif was a much more interesting woman for Thor than Jane Foster.
