17 Characters Who Have Lifted Thor’s Hammer

Chirag Joshi
Jul 17, 2017
11 min read

The rule of Thor’s mystical hammer is simple and straightforward: whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. That’s the message emblazoned on the hammer, Mjolnir, but it gets a little less clear cut in practice; the determination of worthiness decided by an inanimate, if magical, object can be easy to shift one way or another as the plot requires. Despite being in a world populated by powerful superheroes, not everyone has the purity of intent to wield the Norse god’s trademark weapon.

The recent Avengers: Age of Ultron had a fun party scene that addressed the question of worthiness head-on, with each Avenger giving it their best shot, to no avail. Even Thor himself had to prove his worthiness to his father Odin to receive the hammer – and he’s lost it a fair few times through the years, too. Worthiness isn’t a fixed trait, but rather something that depends greatly on circumstances, which can change with time. Because of that, many characters have had a chance to access the power of Thor – some through loopholes, some thanks to cheating. But no matter how, they all got a taste of that power for a panel or two.

Here are the 17 Characters who had Lifted the Mjolnir.

17. Beta Ray Bill

As seen in: The Mighty Thor #337 (1983)

Alien Beta Ray Bill holds a special place in the Marvel Universe. He was the first one outside the Norse pantheon worthy enough to wield Thor's hammer. Originally, thinking he picks up a stick, Bill accidentally picks up Mjolnir to gain Thor's power. Trying to figure out who gets to claim Mjolnir, Bill beats Thor in a fight, and Odin eventually creates a separate hammer for him.

16. Awesome Android

As seen in: She-Hulk Vol. 2 #14 (2006)

While many of the characters on this list got the hammer based on circumstance, Awesome Android (a.k.a. Awesome Andy) got it by becoming Thor.

This flashback-heavy issue showed that Andy has the power to copy any personality trait. He used this to "copy Thor's nobility" and thus, gave him the ability to both use and wield Mjolnir.

15. Hulk & Red Hulk

As seen in: Avengers Assemble #4 (2012)

As this list has proved, loopholes can be instrumental when it comes to lifting Thor’s hammer. Both Hulk and Red Hulk have become experts at utilizing Mjolnir without actually needing to be worthy of lifting it.

Red Hulk latched onto the moving hammer’s momentum to launch both himself and Thor into space, where the combination of his own strength and the lack of gravity allowed him to use the hammer against Thor. Hulk has pulled some similar maneuvers himself (grabbing onto the hammer while it is in motion and going along for the ride) but once during a showdown with Thanos he was able to handle the hammer while Thor was still holding onto it. That took care of the worthiness requirement, which is what freed Hulk up to use the hammer.

14. Wonder Woman

As seen in: Marvel vs. DC #2 (1996)

Sure, there might be a real-life rivalry between Marvel and DC, but the two universes have crossed over.

While Thor was busy fighting Captain Marvel, he lost his hammer and it ended up in the hands of Wonder Woman, who knew how to handle the power of a goddess.

However, that honor that made Wonder Woman so very worthy also made her too noble to fight with an obvious advantage, so she gave up the hammer in order to have a fair fight with Storm. Honor doesn’t necessarily win a fight, though, and Storm ultimately took home the victory.

13. Storm

Loki created a similar hammer called Stormcaster that he gave to Storm as part of his continued machinations for the Asgardian throne. It gave her powers similar to Thor’s, but Storm wasn’t interested in Loki’s games and power plays. She rejected Stormcaster, though many years later she came to hold it again. As a newly empowered Goddess of Thunder, she battled with Thor, but instead of harming him she snagged Mjolnir so that she could destroy Stormcaster once and for all. So not only did Storm prove herself worthy, she also willingly gave up incredible power twice – seemingly more proof that she is deserving of the honor.

12. Superman

As Seen in: Avengers/JLA #4 (2004)

When Thor falls to the forces of Krona, it is up to Superman to save the day. For this moment, Superman also got to use Captain America's shield as well. He is the only one (besides Captain America himself) to use both the hammer and the shield at the same time.

Is there any image more geek-worthy than the cover to JLA/Avengers #4 and its image of a battered Superman wielding both Mjolnir and Captain America's shield.

11. Conan The Barbarian

As seen in: What If? Vol.1 #39

For as long as Marvel published Conan comics, it's surprising that we didn't see more crossovers between Robert E. Howard's heroes and the Marvel Universe. But we did at least see a glimpse of the crossover opportunities with this issue of What If?

In this hypothetical tale, Thor was transported back in time to the Hyborian Age. With no memory of his previous life, Thor fell in with Conan and began leading the life of a thief/reaver/slayer. Conan always was good at multitasking. Eventually, Conan's nemesis Thoth-Amon caught wind of the amazing weapon in Thor's possession and tried his best to harness Mjolnir's might for himself. In the aftermath of the battle, Thoth-Amon was burned to a crisp and Thor lay dying of his wounds. He passed Mjolnir onto Conan, making it probably the one time in Conan's career he happily dabbled in magic.

Unfortunately, while the ending of the issue implied Conan went on to enjoy his newfound godhood, we never actually see what a Mjolnir-wielding Cimmerian is capable of. This is one What If? issue that definitely needs a sequel.

10. Magneto

As seen in: The Ultimates 3 #5 (2008)

Marvel’s Ultimate Universe is an alternate world that is known for its darker and grittier take on familiar heroes. In that world, Magneto lost his children Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch and the ensuing grief drove him to extreme actions. Magneto’s electromagnetic powers gave him the ability to manipulate all kinds of metals, and it turned out that Mjolnir was no exception to Magneto’s sphere of influence. Magneto wasn’t actually able to lift the hammer, but he was able to manipulate the air around it to much the same effect.

However, in the main Marvel universe, Magneto is unable to control Thor’s hammer at all. The hammer is forged from a particular metal not native to Earth called Uru, and because it is not native to Earth, it’s less able to be controlled by Magneto. That doesn’t exactly explain what’s different about the Ultimate universe, but hey – they’re not comics if they don’t have a couple of plot holes.

9. Black Widow

As seen in: what if?

Natasha Romanoff got her shot at Mjolnir in another What If…? issue, in which Thor is, once again, dead thanks to the catastrophic events of Ragnarok, an apocalypse based in Norse mythology that takes the lives of all the superpowered heroes. This leaves behind all the heroes without special abilities and, when it comes time to battle the Frost Giants, that’s a problem.

As everyone is getting overwhelmed, Natasha is sent out to retrieve the hammer. There are no tricks or loopholes involved in her being able to lift it, aside from the general alternate universe theme of the story; she is simply worthy of Mjolnir in that moment. Some have theorized that having the heart of a warrior is of great importance when utilizing Thor’s hammer – it doesn’t only require nobility and honor, but certain qualities that would be admirable to a society of Norse warrior gods. Natasha may have a morally grey background, but she is certainly a warrior.

8. Thunderstrike

Eric Masterson has the makings of a very traditional heroic backstory: he was a very normal man who found himself in extraordinary circumstances and rose to the challenge. Eric was just a regular guy, a construction worker, when he came into contact with the God of Thunder. He was the collateral damage in a throwdown between Thor and the villain Mongoose, but Odin recognized Eric’s intrinsic decency so he saved his life in the only way he could: Odin merged Thor and Eric into one person.

For a while, Eric functioned as Thor’s identity when he wasn’t running around in a cape and helmet – any time Thor needed to be a civilian, he assumed the identity of Eric Masterson. This was how Eric was able to use Mjolnir. However, eventually Thor and Eric were able to separate again, with Odin forging a new weapon just for Eric: a mace called Thunderstrike. The Allfather is just giving those out like candy on Halloween, it seems.

7. Rouge

The Marvel What If…? series explores storylines that differ slightly from the accepted canon, diverging at important moments and delving into an alternate reality. One such story takes the moment when Rogue and others in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants attack the Avengers. In the regular canon, Rogue’s ability to absorb the life force of others had her zapping Carol Danvers of her powers and vitality. Instead, What If…Rogue Possessed the Power of Thor? had Rogue doing the same to Thor, killing him and in the process gaining enough of his intrinsic Thor-ness to be able to control the hammer. Rather than being worthy on her own, Mjolnir seems to recognize her as Thor.

The resultant surge of power kills Vision and Iron Man, and also leads to the deaths of everyone in the Brotherhood. Rogue is understandably at a very low place, at which point Loki smarms in to take advantage of the situation. His plan is to use Rogue to take out Odin, leaving them free to conquer both Asgard and Earth. She goes along at first until a visit from Thor’s spirit convinces her to honor her new position as the Goddess of Thunder and do some good with it.

6. Bor

As seen in: Thor #600 (2009)

You could consider Mjolnir to be a family heirloom of sorts. Odin ordered the hammer's forging, and he was able to lift it even when Thor himself was a headstrong, unworthy boy. And it seems the privilege extends to generations past as well. In Thor #600, Loki (a woman at the time) used her magic to resurrect Odin's father, Bor, in the middle of Manhattan. Thanks to his confusion and Loki's manipulation, Bor saw the city as a realm full of demons in need of smiting. And when his grandson appeared to intervene, Bor saw him only as the lord of the demons.

Thus began a furious battle between Thor (empowered with the might of the Odinforce) and a god more powerful than even Odin himself. When Thor launched Mjolnir at Bor, the elder god merely caught the hammer and tossed it away.

Thor was eventually able to summon all his might and bring down his grandfather, but the feat left Mjolnir shattered. And for the crime of striking down a fellow Asgardian, Thor was banished from Midgard. Which, of course, was what Loki really wanted all along.

5. Throg

As seen in: Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 (2009)

One of the other iconic moments of Walt Simonson's involved Thor being turned into a frog by his trickster brother, Loki. That was a temporary transformation, obviously, but there's a new heir to the title of "Frog of Thunder" these days.

Throg is another human-turned-amphibian, although in his case the transformation was permanent. His origin story as Simon Walterson (we see what you did there, Walt) established both the tragedy of the character and his kind, noble, brave heart. Walterson was transformed into a frog named Puddlegulp during Simonson's run, where he and his new frog compatriots helped Thor battle some evil rats.

Puddlegulp returned many years later in the mini-series Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers. There readers learned that Thor accidentally left behind a broken sliver of Mjolnir when he departed. Puddlegulp was able to lift this sliver and transformed into Throg, Frog of Thunder. And Central Park's animal population has a new defender.

4. Captain America

As seen in: The Mighty Thor #390 (1988) / Fear Itself #7 (2011)

If any Avenger other than Thor is worthy of lifting Mjolnir, it has to be Captain America. Which is why Steve Rogers has proven worthy of wielding the hammer on two separate occasions.

The first came in 1988, during a period where Steve had abandoned the mantle of Captain America and gone independent as "The Captain." Cap paid a visit to his buddy Thor at Avengers Mansion, only for the team to be attacked by Grog and the Demons of Death (great band name). When Thor was subdued by the combined might of these villains, Cap was able to lift Mjolnir long enough to send it back to its rightful owner.

Cap had the chance to wield Mjolnir for a slightly longer stretch in the event Fear Itself. With his trusty shield having been shattered by the Serpent, Cap had nothing but some automatic weapons to battle the Serpent's minions. Luckily for him, Thor lost his grip on Mjolnir during his battle with his uncle. Mjolnir crashed to Earth, and Cap hoisted it high and led the charge.

3. Loki

As seen in: Avengers & X-Men: Axis #9 (2014)

After multiple entries dealing in Loki royally messing things up for his brother just out of a self-serving thirst for power, it may come as a surprise to learn he once accomplished his ultimate goal: to possess the power of Thor. Having been jealous of Thor since childhood, Loki had gone through just about every scheme and trick he could to get Mjolnir, or at least get it away from Thor.

When an event called the Inversion caused Loki to become the God of Heroism and Truth instead of his usual mischief and evil, he becomes a new Avenger (and an inverted Thor becomes a new villain). Loki also finally becomes worthy of Mjolnir, which he discovers when he reaches for it during a battle with the newly belligerent Thor. However, the Inversion spell is undone during the brawl, causing Loki to once again lose Mjolnir to his brother.

2. Jane Foster

When the most recent Thor title featured a female iteration of the character on the cover, it grabbed a lot of media attention – especially when the creators behind it insisted the new mystery woman was Thor. She wasn’t Lady Thor, she was the real deal; even so, she wasn’t the Thor everyone had come to know, and the discovery of her true identity was a driving force in the story. It was eventually revealed to be none other than Thor’s on-again/off-again love interest Jane Foster.

The new Thor had taken over at a time when the original Thor (going by Odinson when de-powered) was no longer worthy of Mjolnir. While at first Odinson attempts to take his hammer back, he comes to respect the abilities of Thor and gives her his blessing to continue on in his stead. Odinson had initially dismissed the idea that Jane might be the one wielding Mjolnir solely because he knew she was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, but it turns out that while transformed she was perfectly healthy – though when she wasn’t, Jane’s cancer was actually getting worse because of the toll transformation took on her body. Despite that, Jane Foster is still the current Thor, and has perhaps proven herself the worthiest of all.

1. Vision

As seen in: Avengers Age of Ultron

The film Avengers: Age of Ultron delivered a mini twist in the form of newly created humanoid robot, the Vision, being able to casually pick up Thor’s hammer and hand it to him.This is unique to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; the Vision’s comic book counterpart has not been shown to lift the hammer.Part of Vision’s ability to do so involves reasons similar to Awesome Andy: as a robot, he doesn’t quite follow the same rules as his human colleagues. Although they can lift the hammer, doing so doesn’t give either android the full powers of Thor.

Bonus Entry...........

0. Deadpool

As seen in: Deadpool #37 (2000).