Thor Names the 5 Qualities That Make Someone Worthy of Mjolnir (Why Captain America Could Lift It in Endgame)

Summary

• Wielders of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, must possess compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility.
• The MCU version of Captain America embodies these qualities, making him worthy of Mjolnir’s power.
• Mjolnir’s power can rewrite one’s spirit, potentially leading to dire consequences for its wielder.

Warning! Spoilers for The Immortal Thor #5 ahead!The Mighty Thor has finally explained what exactly makes someone worthy of wielding his hammer, Mjolnir. Ever since its introduction in 1962, the hammer has promised to bestow great powers to anyone who is worthy enough to actually pick it up and use it. This new detail explains what made the MCU’s Captain America worthy of the power of Thor in Avengers: Endgame.

In The Immortal Thor #5 by Al Ewing, Martin Colccolo, Matthew Wilson, and VC’s Joe Sabino, Thor has organized the Thor Corps, a group made up of friends, allies, and Loki, who can all wield Mjolnir in what seems like an unwinnable fight against a true ancient god. This god, Toranos, is also one with the thunder, and desires the hammer to unleash his vengeance on the universe. However, it seems Thor plays the trickster in this story, letting Toranos grab Mjolnir and discover the true power of Thor.

It turns out that being “worhty” isn’t just about strength and magic; it’s about knowing how to use the power with compassion, restraint, nobility, wisdom, and humility.

Why MCU Cap Could Pick Up Mjolnir

Mjolnir has had a long and varied history in its relationship with Thor, and what makes him worthy of it has changed over time. In the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby-penned story from Journey Into Mystery #102, Thor is told he can only be worthy of Mjolnir once he faces death. When Hela, Goddess of Death, kidnaps Sif, Thor doesn’t defeat her through violence and lightning; he offers himself up in place of Sif, and this self-sacrifice enables him to wield Mjolnir. Thor is already the God of Thunder, but Mjolnir amplifies his strength: both by virtue of just being a weapon, and by reminding him of his duties as a god.

“When they called to me in ancient times – as rain lashed and lightning struck, as the roof fell in and the longboat capsized – what power did they invoke? Did they wish the storm to rage on, more terrible each moment than the last? I say thee nay. The power of Thor…is the power to hold the storm back.”

The MCU version of Captain America has a lot of those qualities that Thor details: compassion, restraint, nobility, hard-won wisdom, and humility. In Captain America: The First Avenger, a colonel throws a dud grenade at the young Army recruits as a test; Steve, well before he has any powers, throws himself on it, willing to die to protect others. He even wields humility well: in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he only seems to nudge Mjolnir. However, in Avengers: Endgame, he summons it to him as soon as Thor is down. This means that Steve Rogers knew that he could pick up Mjolnir, but out of modesty, he kept this fact quiet.

The Power of Thor is the Power to Be Worthy of the Power of Thor

This new power of Mjolnir’s to rewrite one’s very spirit is an exciting new direction for the series. At the end of The Immortal Thor #5, Jane Foster warns Thor that there have been omens in Valhalla that death awaits one wielding Mjolnir. Given the Marvel version of the hammer’s origin, this may tie back to how Thor first gained it in 1962, facing off against literal Death. For now, Thor spelling out what makes him worthy explains how many characters, including Steve Rogers of the MCU, have been able to use Mjolnir.

The Immortal Thor #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.