Fear Itself (Comic Book)

Named after the famous speech by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fear Itself is the name of a Marvel comic book event and seven-part limited series published in 2011. Penned by Matt Fraction and penciled by Stuart Immonen, the main story has Odin's brother, The Serpent, breaking free from his slumber by the Red Skull's daughter. With the backing of Hydra and The Worthy, he plans to harvest the world of its fear and take over the Nine Realms. However, he is destined to fall at the the hand of the mighty Thor, but how can he be mighty when he is prophesized to fall as well?

Volume 1, Issue 1
The inciting incident involves Sin, the daughter of the Red Skull, coming across a project her father could not complete. After having dreams about what power the project can bring, she embarks on an old base in the South Pole to find her father's project: the Hammer of Skadi. Upon contact, she is possessed by Skadi and enacts her dream to kill Captain America and take over the world. Despite losing her free will, she does not mind being controlled and sets The Serpent free. The Serpent then calls for the rest of the Worthy to spread fear across the Earth.

Volume 1, Issue 2
Seven hammers lands near various superhumans and beckon them to be touched. The hammers claim the Juggernaut, Hulk, Titania, and Attuma. They are now known as Kuurth: Breaker of Stone, Nul: Breaker of Worlds, Skirn: Breaker of Men, and Nerkkod: Breaker of Oceans.

Volume 1, Issue 3
The Absorbing Man and The Thing join the Worthy, who are now being controlled by Greithoth: Breaker of Wills and Angrir: Breaker of Souls.

Volume 1, Issue 5
Thor fights with Nul and Angrir. After growing weary, Thor uses Mjolnir to puncture Angrir through the chest, mortally wounding him. The Thing gains his consciousness back but is now dying. However, Franklin Richards uses his reality-warping powers to recover the Thing and remove Angrir.

Volume 1, Issue 7
After Thor defeats The Serpent, Odin whisks the rest of the hammers away and scatters them into space, freeing the rest of the possessed superhumans in the process.