War of the Realms #3 (2019)

Brief Summary Heimdall passes on his sword Hofund to Daredevil, allowing him to rebuild the Bifrost and send different hero strike teams on their missions across the Ten Realms. A team led by Captain America ventures into Jotunheim to rescue Thor. A team led by All-Mother Freyja travels to Svartalfheim to find the Black Bifrost and destroy it. On Earth, Captain Marvel leads the War Avengers to London to directly confront Malekith the Accursed, who has stolen the Ebony Blade from the Black Knight. Having become aware of the heroes' access to Bifrost, the invaders send troops to attack Asgard, Daredevil and Heimdall stand their ground with the help of Jane Foster and the Destroyer. All over the world, heroes keep their efforts to defend the Earth: Tony Stark, Shuri and Screwbeard work on weapons at the Avengers Mountain, which is about to become attacked by enemies; Roz Solomon locates Roxxon's base in Antarctica; Namor fights off Fire Sharks underwater; the Dora Milaje defend Wakanda from Angels of Heven; in Manhattan, the Fantastic Four are holding at bay Malekith's forces on their own. Malekith uses the Ebony Blade on War Avengers member Venom, teleporting himself and it away from battle. The Dark Elves attacking Asgard manage to blow up the Bifrost, cutting off travel between the realms for the heroes. Freyja's team is cornered at the Black Biforst, and after sensing the Biforst's destruction, the All-Mother decides to instead make use of it. Captain America's team reaches Thor, but they find him consumed by warrior's madness. Detailed Summary At Avengers Mountain, All-Mother Freyja and Captain America go over a plan to destroy the Black Bifrost and retake Midgard from Malekith and his allies. Giving Captain America Jarnbjorn, Freyja tasks him with going to Jotunheim and rescuing Thor - a mission that Steve Rogers accepts. In Asgard, Heimdall and Matt Murdock stand in Himinbjörg at the foot of the shattered Bifrost. Heimdall tells Daredevil that he would often watch his exploits in the "Kitchen of Hel" - which Daredevil remarks is more than a little creepy, asking how they're going to go about fixing the Bifrost. Heimdall, whose eyes were stolen, tells Daredevil to take up his sword Hofund, which will imbue him with its divine power and turn him into the next Guardian of the Bifrost, though he warns him that being imbued with the power of a god of omniscience may be more than Daredevil's mortal mind can handle. Remarking he never was a good Catholic, Daredevil draws Hofund and is transformed into a god, the Bifrost reforming. Heimdall asks Daredevil if he is alright, and the new God Without Fear replies that he can hear everything from stars going supernova to butterflies taking flight. Entering Himinbjörg accompanied by the Destroyer, All-Mother Jane Foster tells Daredevil that Malekith will sense that the Bifrost is working again and that they need to act quickly to send the three strikeforces where they need to go and get ready to hold the Rainbow Bridge. Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist - equipped with Asgardian weapons and armor, and astride winged horses - enter Jotunheim through a Bifrost portal. Spider-Man complains about only getting a shield before realizing he's insulting Captain America, who ignores him and asks if Wolverine can locate Thor's scent. Wolverine indicates a river of Frost Giant blood flowing below them, suggesting they follow it. Luke Cage wonders why they're using flying horses when snowmobiles would be more efficient, Iron Fist asking if he's never seen any "sword and sandal" movies. They're interrupted by an arrow the size of a telephone pole, which impales Luke Cage's winged horse. Spotting a pair of Frost Giant archers, Captain America tells his taskforce to take evasive action, Spider-Man offering to deflect the arrows with his shield. Wolverine sarcastically wonders how he was the one who died when Spider-Man is so stupid. As Captain America tells them to kill the Archers in the name of Thor, Luke Cage angrily removes the arrow from his horse and throws it like a javelin. Freyja, Punisher, Blade (impersonating Dark Elves), Hulk (impersonating a rock troll), and Ghost Rider (impersonating a fire giant) try to sneak past a checkpoint in Svartalfheim. As Freyja tries to persuade the two guards to let them pass, they ask the Punisher what clan he belongs to. The Punisher - making a note in his mental War Journal to never leave the Five Boroughs again - angrily replies that his clan is dead, just like they're going to be. Blade berates Castle for breaking character as the strikeforce casts off their disguises, noting that if he squints hard enough the Dark Elves look enough like vampires for him to enjoy killing them. Freyja orders Ghost Rider to summon the Hell Charger - the strikeforce climbing aboard and breaking through the checkpoint. In London, Malekith defeats the Black Knight and takes the Ebony Blade; marveling at the cursed sword's bloodlust and declaring it a fitting weapon for the ruler of New Svartalfheim - formerly known as Europe. Captain Marvel arrives with her strikeforce, theWar Avengers - Captain Britain, Deadpool, Lady Sif, Venom, Weapon H, Winter Soldier. As Captain Marvel engages Kurse, Malekith teleports out of the way and mocks them. Venom lunges at Malekith, declaring his intent to eat him. In Himinbjörg, Daredevil informs Jane Foster that Midgard is slipping away. Jane Foster declares that she won't let that happen, asking Daredevil what the status of their away teams are. Daredevil remarks that all three teams are hopelessly outnumbered and fighting for their lives, adding that will soon be the case for them as well: Dark Elves are on the way. Immediately after he finishes speaking, a Black Bifrost portal opens and a group of Dark Elf suicide bombers charge through - armed with enough swamp bombs to blast Asgard to smithereens. Jane, the Destroyer, Heimdall, and Daredevil engage the elves to hold the bridge - the latter's omniscience letting him see the ongoing events of the war: Shuri and Tony Stark working with Screwbeard to build a new weapon to turn the tide of battle, even as hordes of Frost Giants, Fire Goblins, and Dark Elves approach the body of the Progenitor; Roz Solomond dogfighting a fleet of Roxxon paramilitary helicopters while reporting to her boss that the corporation has seized Antarctica; and King Namor fighting a swarm of Muspelheim Firesharks to defend Atlantis. Daredevil sees that Sindr is razing Asia, the Enchantress has conquered South America and is raising an army of the dead, Ulik has conquered Australia, and Heven's angels are fighting the Dora Milaje for control of Africa; while in Manhattan the Fantastic Four have arrived to help take back the city. In Jotunheim, Captain America cuts open a Frost Giant to save Spider-Man, who complains that they're somehow even colder on the inside. With the last of their winged horses having frozen to death, they're forced to continue the search on foot. Standing atop a dead Frost Giant, Wolverine remarks they're close, telling the others to listen. Iron Fist remarks that he can hear someone screaming, Wolverine saying that's Thor and Captain America telling the team to pick up the pace. In Svartalfheim, Freyja's strikeforce arrives at the Black Bifrost and cut down the guards. As Blade wonders how they'll destroy it, the Punisher suggests rigging the Hell Charger into a car bomb, to Ghost Rider's displeasure. Saying they have all the destructive force they need, Freyja turns to Jennifer Walters, who starts charging gamma energy to destroy the Black Bifrost in one punch. In London, Venom mocks Malekith and throws him through a bus. Malekith remarks that he wasn't aware they'd been fighting, having read the symbiote's mind and learned of Knull and All-Black. Wreathing the Ebony Blade in flames, Malekith impales Venom, seemingly incinerating him. Not noticing the Ebony Blade embedded in the street, Captain Marvel orders her team to regroup and find Malekith, then wonders where Venom went. In Himinbjörg, Daredevil is overloaded by his All-Sight, enabling one of the Dark Elf suicide bombers to get by and blow up the Bifrost. In Svartalfheim, Freyja senses the Bifrost's destruction and tells the team their plans have shifted from destroying the Black Bifrost to holding it. As Dark Elf tanks made from giant crocodilian monsters approach, Jennifer decides to unleash her charged-up gamma energy on them. In Jotunheim, Captain America's team comes across pair of piles of Frost Giant corpses so high they could be mistaken for mountains. Spider-Man spots Thor, but Wolverine pulls him back and warns the team that Thor is in the grip of something he's all-too familiar with: the berserker rage. Soaked with Frost Giant blood and wreathed in lightning, his hammer almost completely destroyed and his prosthetic arm missing, Thor lets out a scream of bloodlust and demands that every Frost Giant in the realm come to him.