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Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, possesses a special quality that requires a person to be worthy in character and not just strength in order to lift it. The magical powers bestowed on Mjolnir allow the inanimate object to judge the worthiness of its holder. It also prophesies that whosoever manages to wield it, will acquire Thor’s powers.
Carved out of the Asgardian metal, Uru, by dwarven blacksmiths, even unworthy Asgardians such as Loki are rejected by the Mjolnir. It isn’t just physical might, but a combination of other characteristic traits, including a pure heart, that convinces the hammer to give itself up to the holder.
Since worthiness depends on circumstances and is liable to change, even Thor has had to prove himself worthy many times. As such, a universe that is filled with numerous superheroes needs to have specific rules and guidelines to pick up the Norse god’s weapon. The characters who could do so – either due to worthiness, by fluke or through cheating – have tasted the immense power of Odinson.
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Disclaimer: This list contains spoilers and is arranged in no particular order.
Storm, Captain America, and 8 other super warriors who wielded Thor’s hammer
1) Jane Foster
The movie, Thor: Love and Thunder proves that Dr. Jane Foster is a worthy Thor and deserves to hold the Mjolnir in her hands. She stepped in when Thor became incapable of using the hammer. She also showed that she was a deserving candidate by sacrificing for Asgard.
2) Captain America
MCU fans remember the fight scene from Avengers: Endgame, where Steve Rogers lifts the Mjolnir and strikes a blow at Thanos, much to the viewers’ delight. Comic fans have known Steve to prove his worth several times, despite choosing to not lift the hammer in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
There is no doubt that he is selfless, noble, and pure at heart.
3) Storm
As a powerful member of the X-Men, Storm deserves to lift the Mjolnir easily. However, Loki tricked her by handing her a replica named Stormcaster. While breaking free of Loki’s control, she discarded the weapon.
Thor returned it to her and asked her to destroy it. With his permission and goodwill, she used the Mjolnir to destroy the Stormcaster.
4) Valkyrie – Ultimate
In The Ultimates series, the Norse god lost his Mjolnir to Magneto, who abused its powers to cause destruction which almost killed Valkyrie. In a turn of events, Thor sacrificed his life to save Valkyrie, and in return, she became his successor and wielded Mjolnir to defeat Magneto.
5) Superman
In JLA/Avengers, Superman needed to use Captain America’s shield and Mjolnir to defeat the mega villain Krona. Odin lifted the worthiness enchantment off the Uru-hammer so that the Kryptonian could use it. It is no surprise that the Man of Steel possesses the strength required to wield the Uru weapon.
6) Wonder Woman
In the DC versus Marvel crossover series, Odinson lost his hammer during a fight with Shazam. While Wonder Woman picked up the Mjolnir easily, she decided not to use the powerful weapon against her opponent Storm. Although she lost the fight, she proved why she was considered worthy by the hammer.
7) Beta Ray Bill
In Marvel Comics, Beta Ray Bill is the alien non-Norse character who could not only lift the Mjolnir, but also deserved it. In a mistaken fight between Bill and Thor, Bill won and got the hammer. However, Odin found both characters equally deserving and gave Bill the Stormbreaker hammer when Mjolnir went back to Odinson.
8) Vision
In a blink-and-miss scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision swiftly picks up the Mjolnir and hands it to the Norse god.
As such, Vision was created using the J.A.R.V.I.S. AI system, one of the Infinity stones, and an Ultron-like synthetic body. These physical attributes, coupled with his pure heart, make him a worthy candidate for Mjolnir.
9) Rogue
Readers know that Rogue absorbs the powers of the people she touches. As such, it makes sense to believe that she can absorb the worthiness of others too, as told in the story, What if…Rogue possessed the Powers of Thor, where she manages to get all of the Norse god's powers and worthiness to use Mjolnir and causes a lot of damage, including destroying the Avengers.
10) Squirrel Girl
In one edition of the light-hearted series on the Squirrel Girl, named The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats up the Marvel Universe, the hero faces her own evil clone. With the Avengers already defeated, Squirrel Girl spots Mjolnir and picks it up to fight.
Thus, for a brief moment, this surprising candidate becomes the Goddess of Thunder.
Final words on characters lifting Thor’s hammer
There have been other characters who have tried their hands at picking up the Norse god’s weapon. Notable mentions would include the Hulk, the Red Hulk, Moon Knight, Awesome Android, and Red Norvell.
While in the What if…? series, Conan the Barbarian and Black Widow could use the Mjolnir, in alternate realities, Loki, Silver Surfer, and Ragnarok got the coveted opportunity. While Magneto cheated to try Mjolnir, Dr Doom lifted it when it fell through hell and lost its enchantment. As such, Mjolnir continues to remains one of the most revered weapons in the superhero universe.
