Mjolnir (comics)

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Uru (comics)
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Mjölnir
Mike Deodato Jr.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceJourney into Mystery #83 (August 1962)
Created byStan Lee
Larry Lieber
Jack Kirby
Joe Sinnott
In story information
TypeMystic item/artifact, Weapon
Element of stories featuringThor

Mjolnir, known more formally as Mjölnir (/ˈmjɔːlnɪər/) is a fictional magical weapon appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is depicted as the principal weapon of the superhero Thor. Mjolnir, which first appears in Journey into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962), was created by writers Stan Lee and Larry Lieber and designed by artists Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott.

Mjolnir is typically depicted as a large, square-headed gray sledgehammer, with a short, round handle wrapped in brown leather, culminating in a looped lanyard. The object is based on Mjölnir, the weapon of the mythological Thor.

Publication history

Mjolnir debuted in Marvel Comics title Journey into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962), being the means by which physician Donald Blake transformed into thunder god Thor Odinson (by striking it on the ground). The first use of the hammer's name was in the "Tales of Asgard" feature in Thor #135 (Dec. 1966) in a story by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The weapon's origin is eventually revealed in Thor Annual #11 (1983), with another version presented in Thor vol. 2, #80 (Aug. 2004).

In a 2002 documentary with Kevin Smith, Lee says his brother and co-creator Larry Lieber originally referred to Mjolnir as the "Uru Hammer".[1] Writer Roy Thomas eventually changed the name of the hammer to the mythologically correct name of "Mjolnir" but maintained the Larry Lieber concept of it being composed of fictional metal "uru".[2]

Origin

Mjolnir's origin in Marvel continuity mirrors the original

gadfly and stings Eitri's assistant on the brow as he is working the bellows for the forge
. The assistant stops for a moment to wipe away the blood, and the bellows fall flat. As a result, the hammer's handle is shorter in length than Eitri had originally intended, meaning that the hammer could only be wielded one-handed.

Despite the error, the Norse gods consider Eitri to have forged the greater treasures. Loki loses the bet and in retaliation the Sons of Ivaldi sew Loki's lips shut. The ruler of the Norse gods, Odin, uses the hammer – called Mjolnir ("Grinder") by Eitri – and eventually passes it to his son Thor, on the condition that he first prove he is worthy to wield the weapon.[3]

In Thor Annual #11, the origin is changed in small but subtle ways. First, the treasures are commissioned by Odin as gifts for both of his boys, but Loki forfeits his share when he touches Gungnir, Odin's spear. Secondly, Loki turns into a moth instead of a gadfly, and just annoys Eitri instead of biting him. Thirdly, while the dwarfs still forge the golden duplicating ring known as Draupnir and Mjolnir, instead of making a golden boar spear they just make a magic gold boar that can fly.[4]

In the second volume of Thor, another version of the hammer's origin is depicted when Odin orders the dwarven blacksmiths Eitri, Brok and Buri to forge Mjolnir using the core of a star.[5]

The series The Mighty Thor provides another version of Mjolnir's origin: after an extended battle Odin traps a galaxy-sized storm called "Mother Storm" in a nugget of uru, which Odin orders the dwarves to use to create a weapon capable of using Mother Storm's power.[6]

Enchantments

Odin placed several enchantments upon Mjolnir prior to Thor wielding the hammer:

  • This is reflected in the inscription on the side of Mjolnir, which states: Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.[7] For almost the entirety of Marvel continuity, this has exclusively been Thor.
  • Once thrown it will always return to the wielder's hand after being thrown. By hurling the hammer and holding the lanyard, Thor is capable of flight.[7]
  • The wielder can control the elements of storm (lightning, wind, and rain) by stamping its handle twice on the ground.[8]
  • Mjolnir can open
    interdimensional portals, allowing its wielder to travel to other dimensions (such as from Earth to Asgard)[4]
  • Also originally capable of creating chronal displacement and therefore allowing
    Avengers' access to time travel.[11] Thor, however, is still able to manipulate time with Mjolnir.[12]
  • Thor can transform into the guise of a mortal, the physician Donald Blake, by stamping the hammer's head on the ground once and willing the change. When Thor transforms into Blake, his hammer takes the appearance of a wooden walking cane. Odin also stipulated that if Thor was separated from Mjolnir for more than sixty seconds, he would revert to his mortal persona until striking the cane once again.[13] Fortunately, Mjolnir is small enough for Thor to comfortably tuck it into his belt so he could have both hands free when desired and still be in physical contact to prevent the change.

The last enchantment was eventually removed and transferred to Stormbreaker, the hammer of character Beta Ray Bill which was commissioned by Odin as a replica of Mjolnir.[14] After this the Donald Blake persona disappeared (eventually returning from the after life[15]), and Thor assumed a civilian identity simply by changing into modern clothing (carrying Mjolnir concealed within a duffel bag). Thor eventually adopts the mortal persona of Jake Olson as penance for accidentally causing the original Olson's death during a battle, and simply pounds a fist to effect a change. During this period Mjolnir would disappear when Thor became Olson, and reappear when returning to his true form. Thor was also once again bound by the original rule whereby he would revert to Olson if kept away from Mjolnir for more than a minute.[16]

The enchantment eventually changes: during the

Jane Foster – who inherits the power and title of Thor, with the inscription changing to read if she be worthy.[19]

Powers and abilities

Capable of creating:

Generating exceptional offensives:

  • Geo-Blast (an energy wave that taps a planet's gravitational force)[25]
  • Anti-Force (energy created to counter-act another force)[26]
  • God Blast (an energy blast that taps into Thor's life force)[27]

Mjolnir can also absorb energy;

The hammer is also capable of empowering others – accidentally endowing the hero

Union Jack with the ability to generate electricity[31] – and removing any harmful radiation or other toxins from a host.[32]

There are also several rarely used abilities:

As a former

religious relic, Mjolnir is also lethal to the undead, causing creatures such as vampires to burst into flame and crumble to dust.[37]

Mjolnir is also not indestructible, having been damaged or destroyed several times in continuity: a force beam from the Asgardian Destroyer slices it in two;[38] the Molecule Man dispels the atomic bonds between the hammer's molecules, vaporizing Mjolnir;[39] shattered after channeling an immeasurable amount of energy at the Celestial Exitar;[40] Dark god Perrikus slices Mjolnir in half with a magical scythe;[41] and shattered when it collided with the uru weapons of Loki's Storm Giant followers, resulting in an atomic-scale explosion.[5] Mjolnir was not recreated after this last incident until Thor returned to Earth several years later.[42] Temporary wielder Jane Foster sacrifices Mjolnir and herself to defeat the monster Mangog by hurling them all into the Sun. Thor and Odin are able to resurrect Jane, who subsequently presents Thor with the last fragment of his hammer.[43]

During the

War of the Realms storyline, Thor is able to channel the power of the ancient Mother Storm to reforge Mjolnir, declaring that Gorr was right and vowing to prove himself better than the gods who had come before.[44]

Wielders

Other than Thor and Odin, certain other individuals have proven worthy of lifting Mjolnir in the primary continuity:[45]

Alternate versions of the

Black Widow, Spider-Man, and Valkyrie have lifted Mjolnir through worthiness. Other Marvel characters have lifted Mjolnir not through worthiness but through technicalities such as absorbing Thor's powers, including the Air-Walker, Awesome Android, Magneto, Rogue, Wonder Man, and Doctor Doom.[59][60][61]

Moon Knight[62] also has the ability to lift Mjolnir as it is made from Uru, a metal ore from the moon of a dead universe. So, with the help of Khonshu's influence, Moon Knight has the ability to control the hammer.

Two DC Comics characters have lifted Mjolnir in Marvel/DC crossover events:

Several imitations of Mjolnir have also existed:

Other versions

In the

version of Thor wields a Mjolnir styled after a classical war hammer, with no restrictions on who can wield it.[73][74] The origin of this Mlojnir is first told in Ultimates 2 when the European Defense Initiative were making a Norway super soldier program involving a battery-powered suit and hammer with the hammer acting as a portable power unit, though twisted by Loki's manipulations of reality tricking everyone that Thor was actually his mentally unbalanced brother who stole the suit.[75] In Ultimate Comics: Thor, the traditional hammer appears made by Odin's workers and sought after by Loki on Earth. This version was used a plot device when the hammer temporarily crossed over into the mainstream Earth-616 universe,[76] being found and used by the Asgardian Volstagg and later Jane Foster before being destroyed. The surviving fragments are reassembled into another weapon for Foster once she abandons the Thor persona.[77]

In other media

Television

1960s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Film

Animated film

  • The Ultimate version of Thor uses Mjolnir in
    Ultimate Avengers 2
    (2006).
  • Thor also uses Mjolnir in
    Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
    (2008).
  • Thor wields in Mjolnir in
    Hulk vs. Thor
    .
  • Thor wields Mjolnir during a brief flashback sequence in
    Planet Hulk
    (2010).
  • Thor uses Mjolnir in
    Thor: Tales of Asgard
    .
  • Thor wields Mjolnir in the anime film Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher.
  • Mjolnir appears in Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight.
  • Thor appears in
    Lego Marvel Super Heroes - Black Panther: Trouble in Wakanda
    .
  • Mjolnir was used by Thor in Lego Marvel Avengers: Code Red.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Mjolnir is a recurring item throughout the

Odin
, requiring any person who lifts it to be "worthy" and grants the user "the power of Thor" if they are able to do so.

Stormbreaker

  • In
    Infinity Gauntlet
    . He continues to wield it during Avengers: Endgame, and uses the axe to decapitate Thanos and later to battle the alternate version of Thanos and his army. Thor uses Stormbreaker during Thor: Love and Thunder, but later gives it to Love while reclaiming use of the restored Mjölnir for himself.

Video games

Thor wields Mjolnir in the following video games:

References

  1. ^ Stan Lee & Kevin Smith (November 6, 2002). Stan Lee's Mutants, Monsters & Marvels (Video). DHG Productions. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  2. ^ Larry Lieber & Roy Thomas (Fall 1999). "Alter Ego 02 : A Conversation with Artist-Writer Larry Lieber". Alter Ego. No. 2. TwoMorrows Publishing.
  3. ^ Thor Annual #11 (1983)
  4. ^ a b Journey Into Mystery #88 (Jan. 1963)
  5. ^ a b c Thor vol. 2 #80 (Aug. 2004)
  6. ^ The Mighty Thor vol. 2 #12 (Dec. 2016)
  7. ^ a b c Journey into Mystery #82 (Aug. 1962)
  8. ^ Journey Into Mystery #83 (Aug. 1962)
  9. ^ Journey into Mystery #86 (Nov. 1962)
  10. ^ Thor #282 (April 1979)
  11. ^ Avengers Forever #8 (July 1999)
  12. ^ The Avengers #300 (Feb. 1989)
  13. ^ Journey into Mystery #103 (April 1964)
  14. ^ Thor #340 (Feb. 1984)
  15. ^ Thor vol. 3 #1 (2007)
  16. ^ Thor vol. 2 #1 (July 1998)
  17. ^ Original Sin #7 (Aug. 2014).
  18. ^ The Unworthy Thor #5 (May 2017)
  19. ^ Jason Aaron (w), Russell Dauterman (a). Thor, vol. 4, no. 1 (October 2014). Marvel Comics.
  20. ^ Thor #312 (Oct. 1981)
  21. ^ The Avengers #228 (Sep. 1969)
  22. ^ Journey into Mystery #85 (Oct. 1962)
  23. ^ Thor #407 (Sept. 1989)
  24. ^ Journey into Mystery #115 (April 1965)
  25. ^ Thor #161 (Feb. 1969)
  26. ^ Thor vol. 3 #25 (July 2000)
  27. ^ Thor vol. 3 #12 (June 1999)
  28. ^ The Avengers #277 (March 1987)
  29. ^ The Avengers vol. 3 #44 (Aug. 2001)
  30. ^ Thor #411–412 (both Dec. 1989)
  31. ^ The Invaders #33 (Oct. 1978)
  32. ^ The Mighty Thor #1 vol. 2 (Jan. 2016)
  33. ^ The Avengers #13 (Feb. 1965)
  34. ^ Journey into Mystery #120 (Sept. 1965)
  35. ^ Thor #310 (Aug. 1981)
  36. ^ Earth's Mightiest Heroes #1–8 (Jan–May 2005)
  37. ^ Thor #332 (June 1983)
  38. ^ Journey into Mystery #118 (July 1965). Repaired Journey into Mystery #120 (Sept. 1965)
  39. ^ The Avengers#215 (Jan. 1982). Restored in The Avengers#216 (Feb. 1982)
  40. ^ Thor #388 (Feb. 1988) Restored by the Celestials in Thor #389 (Mar. 1988)
  41. ^ Thor vol. 2 #11 (May 1999) Restored Thor vol. 2 #11 (June 1999)
  42. ^ Thor vol. 3 #1 (Sept. 2007)
  43. ^ The Mighty Thor #700-706 (Dec. 2017-June 2018)
  44. ^ War of the Realms #1-6 (June-Aug. 2018)
  45. ^ Marnell, Blair (April 22, 2022). "Who Has Wielded Thor's Hammer?". Marvel.com. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  46. ^ Thor #276 (Oct. 1978)
  47. ^ Thor #337 (Nov. 1983)
  48. ^ Thor #355 (May 1985)
  49. ^ Thor #390 (April 1988)
  50. ^ Thor #433 (June 1991)
  51. ^ Thor #600 (April 2009)
  52. ^ Loki: Agent of Asgard #9 (Dec. 2014)
  53. ^ Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #9 (Dec. 2014)
  54. ^ Thor vol. 4 #8 (May 2015)
  55. ^ Thor vol. 4 #7 (May 2015)
  56. ^ The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe (Oct.2016)
  57. ^ Avengers vol. 8 #36 (Sept. 2020)
  58. ^ King in Black #5 (April 2021)
  59. ^ Tessier, Colin (January 18, 2019). "Hammer Time: 10 Characters Who Lifted Mjolnir Who Are More Worthy Than Thor (And 10 Who Aren't)". CBR. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  60. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (October 1, 2014). "12 Other Characters Who Have Lifted Thor's Hammer Mjolnir". IGN. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  61. ^ Wyse, Alex (November 13, 2017). "Do You Even Lift: The 15 Least Worthy Characters Ever To Wield Mjolnir". CBR. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  62. ^ "Who Has Wielded Thor's Hammer?". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  63. ^ Marvel Vs. DC #3 (May 1996)
  64. ^ Avengers/JLA #4 (December 2003)
  65. ^ Thor #339 (Jan. 1984)
  66. ^ Thor #459 (Feb. 1993)
  67. ^ The Uncanny X-Men Annual #9 (1985)
  68. ^ X-Men: To Serve and Protect #3 (Jan. 2011)
  69. ^ Deadpool #37 (Feb. 2000)
  70. ^ The Amazing Spider-Man #520 (Aug. 2005)
  71. ^ Civil War #1–7 (May 2006–Jan. 2007)
  72. ^ Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1- 4 (July-Oct. 2009)
  73. ^ The Ultimates #4-13 (March 2002-April 2004)
  74. ^ Ultimates 3 #5
  75. ^ Ultimates 2 #4
  76. ^ The Unworthy Thor #1-5 (Jan.-May 2017)
  77. ^ The Mighty Thor #20-23 (Aug.-Nov. 2017)
  78. ^ Goldman, Eric (April 25, 2012). "The Avengers: Thor's TV History". IGN. Archived from the original on June 27, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  79. ^ Bell, Wesley (March 24, 2021). "MCU: Every Phase 1 Post-Credit Scene, Ranked". ScreenRant.
  80. ^ Brian, Greg (August 15, 2019). "Marvel Directors Confirm Captain America Was Always Worthy to Hold Thor's Hammer". cheatsheet.com. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
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External links