This November, Thor: Ragnarok storms its way into theaters, and in preparation for the main event, Marvel has released the first teaser trailer for the film. Although the trailer contains many standout moments, perhaps none of them stand out quite as much as the sight of Cate Blanchett’s Hela destroying Thor’s mighty, Uru-forged hammer: Mjolnir. Watch the scene in the trailer below:
Mjolnir is by no means indestructible. This is actually a common misconception, as the God of Thunder’s sidearm has been dinged up, damaged, and outright destroyed on several prominent occasions in the comics. Taking several of those occasions into consideration, here are 5 ways Hela would have the power to destroy Mjolnir:
She Dispels The Atomic Bonds Between Mjolnir’s Molecules
In Avengers #215, the Avengers go to confront Molecule Man, but the battle does not go as expected for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Upon facing off with Molecule Man, the villain simply waves his hand and destroys Mjolnir by dispelling the atomic bonds between the hammer’s molecules.
Obviously, Hela is no Molecule Man. However, it’s certainly possible that the MCU version of Hela possesses the ability to dispel the atomic bonds between molecules. While this is hardly the likeliest option, it would certainly explain how Hela is able to destroy the mighty Mjolnir with such ease.
She Channels Power From The Destroyer
In Journey into Mystery #119, Thor is running from the Destroyer, who has set out to kill him. During the battle, the Destroyer uses his disintegration ray and slices Mjolnir in two, leaving it unusable for Thor.
Although we don’t see the Destroyer in the Thor: Ragnarok trailer, it did make an appearance in the God of Thunder’s first solo film. Perhaps when Hela storms the gates of Asgard, she manages to somehow channel the power of the Destroyer, allowing her to shatter Mjolnir when she faces off with Thor.
She Uses Dark Magic
In Thor Vol. 2, #11 (“The Dark Waters, Part 1”), Perrikus finds out that Thor is still alive, and he enacts a plan to lure him back to Asgard. After a blast from the mighty hammer proves to be of no avail, Thor hurls Mjolnir at Perrikus. However, Perrikus expected this move, and he neatly slices through Mjolnir with his magic scythe, leaving nothing but the ruined hammer in his wake.
Although Hela doesn’t possess a magic scythe, the comics have clearly established the precedent that Mjolnir can, in fact, be destroyed by dark magic. Considering Hela is the Asgardian Goddess of Death, it’s hardly a stretch to imagine the supervillainess would possess such abilities in the film.
Thor Channels Too Much Energy Into Mjolnir
In Thor #388, Thor crash-lands on Pandora, where he attempts to aid Pegas in a battle against the Celestial Exitar over control of the former’s home planet. After an intense battle, Thor is finally able to pierce through the Celestial’s armor using all the power that Mjolnir has. However, Mjolnir is unable to withstand the sheer amount of power and strength it takes to pierce through the armor and is completely shattered in the process.
In the trailer, when we see Thor and Hela face off in the alley, is it possible that Hela is able to destroy Mjolnir because Thor simply channels too much energy into his trusty hammer? Perhaps the God of Thunder pushes Mjolnir too hard, in light of the threat that Hela poses, and it proves to be too much for the hammer to handle, thus allowing Hela to crush it to pieces.
Thor Becomes Unworthy
Perhaps the reason Hela is able to destroy Mjolnir isn’t because of her own worthiness, but rather then unworthiness of Thor. After all, with Asgard destroyed and Odin MIA, Thor becoming unworthy might not just mean that he’s unable to lift his hammer. It might mean that it’s capable of being destroyed.
What do you think? How is Hela able to destroy the all-powerful Mjolnir? Let us know in the comments section!