5 Avengers Who Have Wielded Thor’s Hammer (Who Aren’t Thor)

Thor is one of the most powerful members of the Avengers, in large part thanks to his mighty hammer, Mjolnir. Forged in the heart of a dying star, Mjolnir grants Thor a laundry list of powers including weather manipulation, flight, and energy projection. The God of Thunder also regularly uses Mjolnir to deliver planet-shattering strikes. Another notable aspect of Mjolnir is that it’s enchanted so only those deemed worthy can lift it and wield Thor’s power. Because of his membership in the Avengers, some of Thor’s most trusted teammates have had the chance to prove themselves worthy of Mjolnir’s power.

In Marvel Comics, the Avengers are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, so it stands to reason that at least some of its members have hearts noble enough to lift Mjolnir. And with this divine power-up, these Avengers have performed some incredible feats.

5) Moon Knight

With his fractured mind and violent personality, Moon Knight seems like one of the last Avengers who could ever be deemed worthy of Mjolnir’s power. However, while the Avatar of Khonshu is still far from Mjolnir’s moral-purity standards, Moon Knight found a loophole in the Asgardian weapon’s enchantment. In the series Age of Khonshu, Moon Knight attacked his former teammates to steal their power and use it to stop Mephisto’s attempt to take over Earth. When Thor launched Mjolnir at Moon Knight, the anti-hero stopped the hammer’s trajectory mid-air. Moon Knight then explained that Mjolnir was forged from Uru, an enchanted mineral harvested from the universe’s first moon. And as the avatar of the Egyptian Moon God, Moon Knight could control the mineral that made up Thor’s ultimate weapon. Moon Knight would then beat Thor down with his own weapon. So, despite not being worthy, Moon Knight could freely bend Mjolnir to his will.

4) Storm

As a mutant with complete control over the weather, Storm is a natural fit to wield Mjolnir’s power. Although Storm is usually associated with the X-Men, she has also served on the Avengers on several occasions. In Immortal Thor #4, the God of Thunder sought to gather allies to defeat the all-powerful deity Toranos. When Thor tried to recruit Storm, she initially attacked him. However, instead of defending himself, Thor threw Mjolnir at Storm and let her grab it. In a flash of lightning, Storm received a divine power-up and Asgardian armor. Thor knew Storm was worthy of Mjolnir, making her the perfect ally against Toranos. Storm, along with Beta Ray Bill, Jane Foster, and Loki, all took turns wielding Mjolnir as they helped Thor battle the Elder Thunder God. As the newly formed Thor Corps, the Mjolnir-empowered heroes defeated Toranos. Yet even without the hammer, Storm is now considered a weather goddess all on her own.

3) Thunderstrike

Eric Masterson was just a regular guy until a chance encounter showed him to be worthy to lift Mjolnir and become the new God of Thunder. In Thor #408, the villain Mongoose was about to kill Thor. Acting fast, Eric picked up Mjolnir to protect Thor, but he was fatally wounded in the process. When Thor begged Odin to bring Eric back to life, the All-Father instead merged the mortal and the god into one being. In this state, Eric could transform between his mortal and god forms. As the new Thor, Eric naturally became a member of the Avengers and even helped them battle Thanos during the Infinity Gauntlet Saga. However, Odin soon split Eric and Thor apart and gave Eric his own Asgardian weapon, Thunderstrike. He then named himself Thunderstrike after his weapon. Eric, under his Thunderstrike aegis then continued to operate as a mighty Avenger until he ultimately died in battle.

2) Captain America

It surprised no one that Captain America with his morally pure and righteous character he proved worthy to raise Mjolnir and to gain the power of Thor. In Thor #390, the Avengers battled the malevolent god Seth and his demonic forces. When Thor was knocked out, Captain America picked up his teammate’s slack by lifting Mjolnir and smashing his way through Seth’s forces. Of course, once Thor woke up, Captain America didn’t hesitate to return his friend’s weapon. Captain America would pick up Mjolnir again during the Fear Itself arc, when the world was under attack by the Asgardian God of Fear, the Serpent. In that story, when the hero’s shield is shattered, Captain America grabbed Mjolnir as he rallied his fellow Avengers against the Serpent and the Worthy in an epic final battle. And who can forget the fan-favorite moment when Captain America wielded Mjolnir to battle Thanos in the climactic final battle of Avengers: Endgame?

1) Jane Foster

One of the most significant developments in the Thor mythos in recent years occurs when his former love interest Jane Foster claimed Mjolnir and became the Goddess of Thunder. When Thor became unworthy of Mjolnir, the Allmother sought a new host. That host was Jane Foster, who was dying from her recently contracted cancer. In Thor: God of Thunder #25, Jane gained her divine form, took on all her ex-boyfriend’s powers, and quickly joined the Avengers as their newest heavy hitter. However, whenever Jane transformed into Thor, the magic would destroy all the chemotherapy medicine in her body. So, as a result, she became more ill every time she tried to save lives. This culminated in Jane returning Mjolnir to Thor and becoming the new Valkyrie, with her cancer in full remission. Whether as Thor or Valkyrie, Jane Foster proved herself to be an invaluable Avenger who was more than worthy of Mjolnir.

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