7 Characters That Are Worthy Enough to Wield Mjolnir

We all know the inscription: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Appearing along the broadside of the Uru-forged weapon, these words serve as a reminder that only those who are truly worthy are capable of lifting the mighty Mjolnir.

Throughout its history, Mjolnir has been wielded by a number of men in women in the Marvel Universe, as well as some over at DC. Sometimes, they’re able to do this because of a technicality, such as Odin removing the enchantment. However, it takes someone truly special to lift Mjolnir for no reason other than the fact that they’re worthy, and those are the names we’re going to explore in this list. Here are 7 characters that were worthy enough to wield Mjolnir:

  1. Beta Ray Bill

    Walter “Walt” Simonson is best known for his incredible run on Thor, and when he first took over as the writer and artist on the series, he wanted to make sure he made an impact. To do this, he decided that he wanted to have someone new revealed as “worthy” of Thor’s hammer, even with the enchantment still on it.

    In the pages of Thor #337, Simonson introduces a horse-faced alien named Beta Ray Bill, who is venturing across the universe with his people as they try to find a new home for their race. Unfortunately for Bill, his fleet comes just a little too close for comfort to Earth, prompting the heroes of the planet to attack. While fighting with Thor, the God of Thunder loses his grip on Mjolnir, allowing Bill to make the interception. Much to Thor’s surprise, Bill is able to lift the mighty weapon, prompting Odin to arrange for Thor and Bill to fight for the right to wield the hammer. Although Bill gets the better of Thor, the two are pretty evenly matched, so Odin creates a hammer just for Bill called Stormbreaker, which is fairly powerful in its own right. 

  2. Zeus

    When it comes to the Marvel Universe, there’s certainly no shortage of gods, which can make it difficult to determine which ones are the most powerful. As for Zeus, though, the character has at times been depicted as being slightly on par with Odin, making him one of the bigger powerhouses the MU has to offer.

    In Thor Annual #8, Thor and Loki both lose their memories and subsequently find themselves fighting in the Trojan War. Once Thor comes to, he and Zeus engage in a fierce battle, and as Thor calls for Mjolnir to return to him, Zeus catches the hammer in mid-air, preventing it from returning to the God of Thunder’s hands. This doesn’t last long, as the hammer eventually breaks free from Zeus’ grip and returns to Thor, but his ability to grab and hold onto Mjolnir is a true testament to Zeus’ worthiness. 

  3. Bor

    It was Odin who ordered the forging of Mjolnir, so naturally, the All-Father has no trouble lifting the mighty weapon that he would eventually pass onto his son. It isn’t just Odin’s kin that can lift the hammer, though, as Thor’s grandfather Bor has managed to accomplish this feat, as well.

    In Thor #600, Odin’s father Bor is resurrected by Loki and placed smack dab in the middle of Manhattan. Overcome with confusion, Bor sees the city as a realm full of demons in need of smiting, with Thor serving as their lord. Thor attempts to take down the more powerful Bor by launching Mjolnir at him, but Bor simply catches the hammer and tosses it aside. Although Thor iss eventually able to use Mjolnir to take Bor down, the hammer ends up shattering in the process, and Thor is ultimately banished to Midgard for striking down a fellow Asgardian.

  4. Captain America

    Captain America is the epitome of moral superiority (save for his current run as a Hydra sleeper agent). That being said, is there any wonder as to whether or not Cap is truly worthy enough to wield Mjolnir? After all, even the movies show that Cap is at least able to make the hammer budge, as seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

    In the comics, Steve Rogers first proves his worthiness in Thor #390, back when he was known simply as The Captain. When Thor iss separated from his hammer, the Captain picks it up and uses it to beat up some thugs before returning it to the God of Thunder.

    Cap would go on to wield Mjolnir again in the pages of Fear Itself #7 after his iconic shield is shattered by the Serpent. While Thor is battling his uncle, he loses his grip on Mjolnir, and the hammer is sent crashing down to the Earth below. With the greatest of ease, Cap is able to hoist the hammer high and rally his troops as they continue to fight the good fight.

  5. Wonder Woman

    Back in the 90s, it wasn’t all that uncommon for Marvel and DC to cross over several of their major characters. One such instance was Marvel vs. DC – a series in which fans would vote to determine who would win the various fights between their favorite characters from both publishers.

    In Marvel vs. DC #2, Thor is matched up with Captain Marvel (Shazam), while Wonder Woman goes toe-to-toe with X-Men mainstay Storm. Thor’s hammer moving from one world to another leads to it being discovered by the Amazon Princess, who is able to lift it with ease and is transformed into a Thor-ized version of herself. However, Diana feels that the use of Mjolnir in her battle is unbecoming of a warrior of her caliber, so she tosses it aside, and is swiftly and soundly defeated by Storm.

  6. Loki

    Having been jealous of Thor since childhood, Loki has used just about every trick in the book to get his hands on Mjolnir, or at least get it away from Thor. That being said, it may come as a surprise that the evil trickster was actually once able to wield the God of Thunder’s beloved hammer.

    When Loki: Agent of Asgard #9 takes place, an “inversion” spell cast by Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom turns Marvel’s heroes into villains and villains into heroes. As such, Loki becomes the God of Heroism and Truth instead of his usual mischief and evil and is therefore deemed worthy enough to wield Mjolnir, which he discovers when he reaches for it during a battle with the now-malevolent Thor. Unfortunately, once the spell ends, so too does Loki’s worthiness.

  7. Jane Foster

    In the events of Original Sin, the God of Thunder suddenly becomes unworthy when Nick Fury tells his that Gor the God Butcher was right when he told Thor that Gods such as him were selfish creatures. Because of this, Mjolnir ended up stuck on the moon, where it would remain until someone else worthy enough came along, and that person ended up being none other than Thor’s on-again/off-again love interest Jane Foster.

    Although Odinson initially attempts to take his hammer back, he comes to respect the abilities of the new Thor and gives her his blessing to continue on in his stead. To this day, Jane Foster still holds the mantle of Thor, both in the pages of her solo series, as well as in the pages of The Avengers.

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