Marvel Comics: The Sentinel(Sentry)

~Santa Fe Airport, New Mexico~

By the time Sean arrived in this sun-drenched state of red rock cliffs, it was already deep into the night...

After completing the Sentinel's debut performance, he had left New York on a private jet under the guise of a scientific expedition. After all, Umbrella Corporation's operations were running smoothly now, and his constant oversight wasn't required.

A car waiting for him honked twice. Sean got in, and the headlights swung around as the vehicle headed toward a prearranged private residence.

About forty minutes later, Sean was met by a visibly apologetic Harry. The young Osborn heir grinned sheepishly and immediately took his friend's backpack like an overeager bellboy.

"I wanted to pick you up at the airport, but that drunken Norwegian lunatic caused another mess."

Sean couldn't help but laugh, tossing his bag to Harry, "And where is the lovely Miss Darcy who has captured your heart?"

Harry scratched his head. His trip to New Mexico wasn't purely for leisure... this 47th state of the Union was rich in mineral resources and home to numerous federal research institutions, making it an ideal market for Oscorp's smart grid project.

Business had gone surprisingly well. In just a few days, Harry had secured multiple deals.

But along the way, he'd crossed paths with an astrophysics research team; Dr. Jane Foster and her assistant, Darcy. The latter's cheerful personality had deeply attracted Harry, who was currently in an emotional dry spell.

"Darcy and her professor are camped near the old bridge town. They ran into that crazy Norwegian guy while studying some atmospheric anomalies. The guy is completely delusional, talking like he's some kind of god!"

Perhaps out of some masculine instinct, Harry had taken an instant dislike to the man who called himself 'Thor'...

"He injured four doctors and two security guards at the hospital! Like some kind of barbarian. If I hadn't paid a hefty settlement, he'd be rotting in a cell right now."

Inside the private residence, Sean leaned back on the couch as Harry recounted the story.

The Asgardian prince, stripped of his power by Odin for his arrogance, hadn't fared well on Earth... first getting hit by a car, then being mistaken for a drug-addled madman.

With no money or identification, he would have been deported as an illegal immigrant if not for the kindness of the astrophysicist.

"And what about those black-suited agents from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Sean asked, his eyes glinting with interest.

"They claimed they were investigating a security threat and confiscated all of Dr. Foster's research data and equipment. They left a check, but as she put it, most of that gear was custom-built, and none of the data was backed up…"

"So the gallant Mr. Osborn, eager to impress Darcy, punched one of those agents?" Sean mocked.

At that, Harry's ramble came to an abrupt halt. After a pause, he admitted, "Not just that. I promised Darcy I'd get her iPad back, along with all of Dr. Foster's research."

Sean smirked, resting his hands behind his head, "Let me guess... you called every Department of Defense contact, local police chief, and city official you know."

Harry slumped in defeat. He'd pulled every string he could, but the black-suited agents had simply ignored him. If not for his status as a high-profile socialite, things might have ended far worse.

"And what about that troublesome drunk?" Sean asked lightly.

"Heard there's some metal hammer in a crater fifty miles west of town. The lunatic ran off to find it." Harry rolled his eyes.

A faint, enigmatic smile played on Sean's lips, "I'm rather curious about this Norwegian drunk myself."

...

~Outskirts of Old Bridge Town~

Under the cover of darkness, a tall, powerfully built blond man crouched in the brush of a low hill...

The thick weeds and black night shielded him from the trained eyes of the black-suited agents patrolling below.

His gaze burned with intensity as he studied the fortified compound ahead, a temporary structure of steel and plastic walls surrounding a massive impact crater. At its center lay a silver, square-headed hammer, its surface etched with intricate patterns.

This was Mjolnir... forged by dwarves from the uru metal of Asgard, capable of summoning storms, rain, thunder, and lightning.

Or so the myths claimed.

In truth, the so-called "Hammer of the gods" had been crafted from the core of a dying star, and blessed by Odin himself. Without it, Thor was but a shadow of his true strength.

Not long ago, the hammer had crashed to Earth alongside its disgraced master, landing in this New Mexican desert.

Locals had tried (and failed) to lift it, turning the site into a makeshift tourist attraction. That ended when government agents declared the area a radiation hazard and sealed it off.

"Stay here," the blond man whispered to Jane, who had driven him here, "Once I reclaim Mjolnir, I'll retrieve your stolen belongings."

"No!" Jane hissed, and pointed at the heavily guarded compound, "You think you can just waltz in, take your hammer, and walk out?"

"No. I'll fly out." Thor ignored her concern.

With Mjolnir in hand, mortal defenses meant nothing.

Since Odin had cast him down to Midgard (Earth), stripped of his power, Thor had been reduced to a mere man, and was mistaken for a madman, no less. Only the rumors of the hammer's landing had given him direction.

Above, storm clouds gathered, lightning flickering in their depths.

...

~Inside the Temporary Command Center~

"Magnetic field fluctuations spiking, sir. Readings are off the charts." Agent Coulson studied the monitors.

Despite every test, the hammer remained impervious... no scratches, no measurable composition.

Then alarms blared.

"Intruder! We have an intruder!"

On the screens, a massive blond man plowed through S.H.I.E.L.D. agents with brute strength and battle-honed reflexes.

Thor burst into the crater, rain now pouring down. His fingers closed around Mjolnir's familiar grip. Thunder roared above, as if the heavens themselves acknowledged his return.

But the hammer didn't budge.

"Father… is this your judgment? Am I truly unworthy?" Thor roared into the storm, sinking to his knees in the mud.

<...Stand down, Barton. Show's over...>

Coulson's voice crackled over comms.

From the shadows, Hawkeye lowered his bow, watching as agents dragged the broken man away...

...

Far above, beyond mortal sight, a pair of eyes watched from Asgard's Bifrost. A sigh followed, carried by the cosmic winds...