Mangog—the physical manifestation of the hatred from a civilization so ancient that even Odin has forgotten its name.
Now, spurred by the hidden hands of the Norns and the preparations of Malekith, he had broken free from his imprisonment. Bearing hundreds of thousands of years of fury and resentment, he launched his assault upon Asgard.
The first to charge were the rank-and-file soldiers of Asgard, but they were utterly outmatched by Mangog. In a mere instant of contact, they were swatted away like flies.
Next was Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost. Relying on his peerless powers of observation, the heroic warrior managed to dodge one of Mangog's strikes.
Then, he was sent flying by a single kick.
At that moment, Mangog noticed Odin's arrival. With a thunderous roar, he leaped tens of kilometers toward the All-Father. Odin, showing no mercy, immediately fired Gungnir. The spear struck Mangog with such force that the resulting shockwave carved a massive trench across the surface of Asgard.
Odin raised his hand to recall the Spear of Heaven. Beside him, Loki asked nervously, "What should I do?"
"Shatter our fate, son. Do whatever it takes."
As he spoke, Odin leaped from the palace and flew instantly to the front of Mangog. He knocked the beast down just as it was trying to stand, then leveled the tip of Gungnir at Mangog's face, letting it erupt with a brilliant light.
However, the explosive energy did not evaporate the monster's head as many Asgardians had expected. Though Mangog's head was driven deep into the ground by the continuous impact, it did not signify his defeat. Amidst Odin's sustained bombardment, the All-Father's leg was suddenly seized by Mangog's three-fingered hand and hurled violently aside.
Mangog scrambled to his feet. He had seen his target. As the golden-armored All-Father rose, the beast charged at him with a guttural roar.
"Odin!"
"I am here, you beast!"
Odin used his spear to flip Mangog into the air. Yet, mid-flight, Mangog forcibly twisted his body and crashed down from the sky. Odin dodged the impact and cast a magical binding to restrain Mangog, intending to use a spell to banish him from Asgard.
Perhaps Mangog would return to Asgard within a few days, but it didn't matter—as long as it wasn't now.
Just as Odin thought this, he saw Mangog use raw brute force to tear away the branches of Yggdrasil. Before Gungnir could touch him, the beast grabbed Odin's head, slammed him into the ground with a vicious "slam dunk," and followed up with a heavy fist to Odin's face.
Suddenly, a searing beam of light struck Mangog, knocking him back. Odin climbed up from the ground and looked toward his savior. It was the Destroyer armor, arriving on the scene under remote control.
Odin's first thought was Loki, as Loki had experience and a reason to do so, even if it seemed somewhat futile. He was about to speak when he heard the voice of his wife, Frigga: "What is the matter? Do you require assistance?"
"I am not yet so old that I need my wife to fight my battles for me."
Odin stood up with a smile. Indeed, Mangog was powerful, but the beast had not yet truly harmed him. Of course, he did not mind his wife's help. In the distance, the fallen Mangog charged toward them once more. Frigga seemed to notice something and could not help but ask her husband, "Is that monster growing stronger?"
"Yes."
Odin had destroyed a civilization, and that civilization's hatred had birthed Mangog. Now, Mangog was wreaking havoc in Asgard, killing countless husbands, wives, children, and parents. This, in turn, generated a massive amount of new hatred—and hatred was Mangog's nourishment.
As long as the Asgardians harbored hatred for the monster destroying their home, Mangog would continue to grow. He was already becoming larger and swifter.
Mangog lunged at the two of them, but his fists were caught by the Destroyer's hands. Odin struck Mangog's knee with his spear, bringing him to the ground. Then, working in tandem with the Destroyer, they pinned the beast between them, unleashing simultaneous energy blasts to overwhelm him.
Even in the heat of battle, Odin had the presence of mind to ask Frigga, "Where did you find the Destroyer? I do not recall giving you the key."
"Loki took me to it. He wished for me to help you, as... if he were the one piloting the Destroyer, it might have caused complications."
Under the combined energy output of the two, Mangog began to howl in agony. However, Odin's brow furrowed deeper. Mangog hated Odin, and he also resented himself for lacking the strength to defeat Odin. If this continued, he would grow to a level even Odin could not predict.
Moreover, even under the pincer attack of Odin and the Destroyer, the creature hadn't suffered so much as a scratch. It truly was a monster that could not be solved by physical force alone.
"Help me restrain him, Frigga. I shall cast a spell to banish him from Asgard."
As Odin spoke, he increased the output of his divine power to allow the Destroyer to focus on binding Mangog. But Mangog, though his hands were held, did not cease his struggle. He lunged forward and bit directly into the Destroyer's left arm.
Then, a scene occurred that shocked even Odin. The Destroyer armor—created specifically to combat the Celestials, the same armor that Thor could not harm in the slightest even with his full strength—was bitten through by Mangog.
Having crushed the Destroyer's arm, Mangog broke free and knocked the armor back with a punch. Frigga scrambled to regain control, trying to force the Destroyer back into the fray to assist Odin. But at that most critical moment, the Destroyer, missing one arm, suddenly lost all power.
Shocked and panicked, Odin used his ravens to look toward his palace. He did not know what had happened to his wife or what had gone wrong.
And then, he saw it. There, his foster son—his son, Loki—had driven his dagger into the back of his mother while she was focused on controlling the Destroyer.
Loki felt his mother's blood flow. He knew his dagger was coated in a lethal poison—one from which there was almost no recovery.
He met his mother's pained, shocked gaze as she turned back. With a look of indifference, he shook his head and offered a somewhat helpless smile.
"Forgive me, Mother. I had to do this."
The Destroyer restraining Mangog collapsed. In that same instant, Odin, screaming "No!", was grabbed by the head by Mangog and slammed ruthlessly into the earth. The beast began to pour all of his boundless rage upon the King of Gods pinned to the ground.
"Asgard shall be destroyed here today!"