The Serpent of Asgardian legend rises in the form of a man, and he is determined to usurp control of Asgard and plunge the Earth into a worldwide epidemic of fear. To aid him in his battle, seven corrupting hammers descend upon Earth, empowering heroes and villains alike as ultimately powerful, unstoppable forces of evil.
This event touched roughly every corner of marvel comics, despite ultimately being a Thor/Captain America story. After the event ended, an epilogue, "Shattered Heroes", was added to a number of books examining the fallout from the event.
