Axe vs Hammer.
Eric Masterson is storing Executioner’s old axe, which transformed Jackie Luckus into Bloodaxe, in his house. The axe is actually calling out to Eric because it has some kind of personality. And he throws a house party. He throws a party knowing the axe is in his home and knowing it can call out to people and knowing that it changes people into bloodthirsty Asgard-powered killers.
Anyway, of course someone gets the axe and Bloodaxe is back in play.
I’ve tried hard to understand who Bloodaxe is. I’ve read and reread earlier issues–like Thunderstrike #1, where Thunderstrike took possession of the axe but the being wielding it escaped–and I can’t figure it all out. Was it Jackie Luckus back then? Because that’s the “big reveal” that won’t happen for several years–and the mystery of Bloodaxe’s identity will be a theme of this series, much like Hobgoblin’s identity was a theme in Amazing Spider-Man. Ironically, Hobgoblin’s identity during those issues is also confusing–as multiple writers and editors make nonsensical changes to it that affected Roger Stern’s original version.
All that to say this issue introduces what may or may not be a new Bloodaxe, but I’m tagging the weapon and not the identity of the user.