Tyr and his forces, Loki stole the golden apples of Idunna and invaded Asgard with help from the Midgard serpent, but then changed sides and aided Odin's forces in defeating Tyr. Despite Loki's seeming hatred of his adoptive brother and father, Loki helped to defend Asgard from destruction from Surtur and his fire demons. This was because Surtur's goal was to destroy Asgard, whereas Loki sought only to rule it. Alongside Odin and Thor, Loki battled Surtur, and witnessed the seeming demise of Odin. Not long after that, Loki transformed Thor into a frog for a time, using the Twilight Sword. Thor was turned back when Volstagg destroyed one of the machines Loki had used to transform Thor. He then involved the X-Men and Alpha Flight in a plot to gain favor with "Those Who Sit Above in Shadow" by trying to prove that he could do a truly good deed by offering to grant the wishes of the two teams—such as giving Puck a normal body while granting Rogue the ability to touch again—but failed the test after trying to force the gifts on the heroes after they rejected them, the two teams learning that these enhanced powers—and the further powers that Loki would grant to the world—would deprive those who received the gifts of the ability to imagine and create new things, essentially destroying what it meant to be human. Acts of Vengeance In disguise, Loki manipulated a group of master villains into engineering the "Acts of Vengeance". With these prime movers, he set into motion a plot against the Avengers and other heroes, sending the Juggernaut against Thor, and casting a spell that caused temporary bouts of weakness in Thor. He then battled the combined forces of the West Coast and East Coast Avengers. His identity and role in the proceedings was ultimately revealed, and he was then defeated by the Avengers. Loki would actually die at the hands of Thor, although manipulation of the time stream would later bring him back. During this time, Loki briefly travelled to the dimension of the Ultraverse to seek out the Infinity Gems. Lady Loki Morwen, a powerful agent of chaos, was released and took Tessa Black, a daughter of Loki from his female form, as a host. With Doctor Strange unavailable, Loki and Spider-Man work together to free her. Loki proclaims that he owes an as-of-yet unpaid debt to