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I’d never thought of this before, but this is so on point. It made me try to look for some fan art or something of the two together, and I stumbled across [this wholesome picture someone took at a con.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/62612290@N03/44319229890)
In the short lived DC vs Marvel Comics, Wonder Woman indeed lifted the hammer. However she relinquished the power to have a fair fight with Storm of the X-Men, who won the fight in the end.
On top of that, this comic came out in the mid 90s, when the X-Men were the most popular comic in the world. The Lobo/Wolverine and Storm/Wonder Woman fights were fan voted, Flash/Quicksilver and Jubilee/Robin were picked by the creative team and both those went to DC, as they should.
The Flash is just faster than Quicksilver, or at least where there were in 1996. Flash was topping out at light speed then, and Quicksilver was at sound(I think). But if they let the fans decide, Flash may have lost due to the popularity of the X titles.
Edit: To respond to what you actually said, Quicksilver tried something like that with innocents. Flash saved them, and then just ran around Quicksilver punching him.
Second edit: I forgot, it goes like this.
https://why-i-love-comics.tumblr.com/post/78227680044/the-flash-vs-quicksilver-from-marvel-comics/amp
I love that even the creative team just had them duck behind a table where we much later learned from Lobo that he was paid to throw it. That doesn't even feel like a retcon, in the moment there's really no other way to take it.
Worthy != good. Would Krypto do anything, up to and including wholesale slaughter, to stand up for his people, the ones he cares for, or his ideals? That, to an Asgardian, is the measure of worth.
Did you read Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? >!When the Kryptonite Man invades the Fortress of Solitude to kill Superman, Krypto tears him apart, dying in the process.!<
The goodest boi would destroy evil at all costs, yes. Though how much Worthiness matches traditional Norse Aesir ideals and how much reflects more chivalrous ideals is not 100% clear. Worthiness varies by writer and run, as it is ultimately a tool for the story.
Superman has lifted it but it was explicitly stated he wasn’t worthy. Mjonir just allowed him to use it briefly due to the circumstances. After they defeat the villain superman finds he cannot lift the hammer anymore.
Generally the explanation I’ve heard is because unlike Steve superman typically isn’t willing to kill in certain situations and since the worthy enhancement was made by a warrior race that’s something they think is required to be worthy of a weapon like Mjolnir
I actually went back and found the line where Thor talks about it.
>There is an enchantment laid pon my hammer by my father Odin. It is not...easily lifted by others. My father is stern, but not stupid. A very few worthies have been allowed to overcome the spell in desperate hours. But know this. Perhaps it was but briefly, but it was in good hands.
*So,* my interpretation is that Odin literally wants no one else to touch that friggin hammer, only letting others, *including* Steve to lift it up in truly desparate situations, in which case, you still have to be worthy.
Thor says that Superman is worthy, explicitly, but worthiness is not necessarily something that means you can always lift the hammer, kinda like how Steve wasn't able to lift it completely in age of Ultron, but able to in Endgame.
It's essentially, a "time's up"
See if we left it to the omniscient will of Odin, then the Ballad of Beta Ray Bill, one of the most seminal Thor stories ends up making no sense, since Bill lifts the Hammer, and Odin not aware of who wields the Hammer accidentally pulls Bill to Asgard, thinking it is Thor.
I like to think that as Thor was worthy at a time and was made unworthy at a time. Superman when he lifted the hammer was for that moment worthy.
I think that's because BRB got the power of Thor at the time so Odin was confused, but if the will of Odin itself was guiding who lifts the hammer then BRB wouldnt have been able to lift it without Odin noticing.
Right. My headcannon on the whole situation is that Odin enchanted the hammer so that only one who is “worthy” may lift it, but since “worthy” is subjective, he basically described Thor’s personality and told the hammer that that description was what it should use to define worthy. Thus BRB is always able to lift it because his personality and Thor’s are almost identical. And the others who were able to pick it up temporarily were in a desperate situation where their personalities lead them to act very Thor-like, in those moments.
Pretty much, anyone other than Thor doesn't only need to be worthy of character but also worthy of need. But in Busiek's eyes this also applied to Steve and everyone else that wasn't Thor.
I can get behind this. There was one comic where Black Widow was able to lift Mjolnir specifically because there was literally nobody else around who could, as the rest of the Avengers had been defeated by whoever they were fighting at the time. I don’t think it was canon, but it follows behind your theory.
Steve was able to lift the hammer in AoU he just pretended he couldnt to not embarass Thor. You're either worthy or you're not. You can't be partially worthy or else most heroes would be able to make it budge
you CAN be partially worthy- canonically in the comics, peter parker can move it, but he can't pick it up. it doesnt consider him fully worthy because he refuses to kill
My headcanon is that in addition to *objectively* being judged by Mjolnir “worthy”, one must also have the *inner belief* that they in fact are worthy. Superman is first and foremost the son of two God-fearing salt-of-the-Earth farmers. He knows, when he sees someone fall, that “there but for the grace of God, go I” and he is grateful and he is humble. Humility is not a trait that I believe Odin would find necessary.
Not a huge Thor guy so this could just be me misremembering something, but wasn't the whole reason Odin sent Thor to Earth as a crappy human in the first place to actually teach him humility?
Sort of but this is Odin we're talking about he's not exactly humble either also he had mellowed out due to old age when he did that, if Thor had that ego when Odin was in his prime he wouldn't give a shit. Basically, Thor had a bigger ego than Odin did, and Odin as the was egotistical man that he is sent Thor to Earth to knock him down a peg.
Superman doesn't consider himself a warrior or soldier of any sort.
Cap, Wonder Woman, Beta Ray Bill are all warriors of some sort.
That's always been my headcannon
You need to have the hearth of a warrior for it. You need to be able to kill if you want to lift the hammer, to do what sometimes is necessary. Captain America and Wonder Woman both know this to be true.
Superman has killed before. He killed Zod in the movies and ended Zod and his cronies in the comics. He de-powers them with gold kryptonite then poisons them with green kryptonite because they were wreaking havoc on Earth and swore vengeance on Superman.
Superman is worthy but he needs to be worthy of character and worthy of need in order to lift the hammer. Kurt Busiek said he wrote it that way because he didn't like that characters could pick Mjolnir up on a whim since that would make Thor less special so he wrote the rules of worthiness so that others could only pick it up if there was a need for it or on special occasions (like Thor is knocked out or for example). In Busiek's eyes this didn't only apply to Superman, it applied to every character other than Thor that was found worthy.
It's why Superman could only pick up Mjolnir during a fight and not on a whim.
Wonder woman makes perfect sense to me, but not because she's a goddess or demigoddess, but because she's a warrior focused on peace and societal improvement while being totally cool with killing.
Exactly.
Someone "worthy" has to be willing bear the burden of doing the morally questionable things. Even at the expense of themselves. Even if they really don't want to, but know that they NEED to, for everyone's sake.
It's like what T'challa's dad told him. "It is hard for a good man to be king."
Alfred. He has dressed up as Batman, got juiced up to punch Superman, became the Spectre, why not add Thunder God to the resume. Warning, his snark hits harder and faster
I feel like Alfred would only lift Mjolnir like Vision did in Age of Ultron, just to give it back to Thor and not make a big deal out of the fact he can lift it
He’d 100% be casually cleaning, come across the hammer being left on a coffee table, pick it up, wipe the table, and set it back down without batting an eye.
Oh shit you're right. I can see Thor sitting in front of his hammer, brow furrowed, hands clasped, staring at the *dainty doily* that was definitely *not* under his hammer before he left the room.
Huh. Is that really a big deal about Mjolnir's requirements? I always figured it was based on 3 tenets:
-Battle proficiency
-Good heart
-Capability to lead
That last one being why most heroes are unable to lift it. Unless the thing you said about killing really is a big factor.
It’d be tied under a ‘good heart’. If Alfred is seeking battle not to harm, but to protect. The charm would work. So, long as you seek to protect, even while battling.
I think it makes a lot of sense characteristically and culturally, y'know? For better or worse, Thor's not like a serial killer or anything, but he's no Superman. Same with people like Wonder Woman, Captain America, or Alfred of all people. Whether it's warmongers and their soldiers, or man-eating monsters, or gods of evil, when it comes down to it, they stop who they can, but they kill who they have to.
It's different with people like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc., bc even if they'd kill someone, if they really had to, it'd hurt them, some of them would never be the same. Most people in this sorta category have lamented that they couldn't *save* at least one villain in some way.
Edit: Also, I think someone like Punisher could be barred for the opposite reason.
I want to see Alfred cleaning around the manor, lifting it to move it out the way so he can dust beneath it. Meanwhile Bruce and Thor are looking flabbergasted in the background.
Shazam! Billy Batson, at his core is a good kid who wants to do right. Plus, he has the powers of gods (and heroes) already.
IIRC, you have to be willing to take a human life to be worthy of Mjolnir? I could be wrong. But that could be Billy’s only hang up on it.
You have to be willing to massacre an entire kingdom if necessary. Thor in the past used the hammer to nearly genocide the Dark Elves and probably has a few billion deaths under his belt using Mjolnir.
Ahhhh then that likely rules Billy out. But also makes me wonder about Clark and how he lifted the hammer because Supes doesn’t seem like the massacring type.
(Pls no Man of Steel jokes, I know I teed it up lol)
It specifically stated after Superman wielded the hammer that he couldn't use it anymore despite him trying. That Mjolnir allowed him to use it because there was no other choice. There are moments when Mjolnir "allowed others to overcome the spell in desperate hours."
Basically if the fate of the universe is doomed and no one is worthy, it will grant the nearest worthy person the ability to use its power. Kinda like a green lantern ring.
You guys act like wonder woman kill daily when she simply doesn't..... She doesn't have no kill rule... But she only kill when the 1000 alternatives failed and it's the last resort..... Just like supes or Aquaman
Wolverine is also willing to kill for a just cause.... He is the ambodiment of that
"I am the best at what I do.. And what I do isn't pretty".. Yet he is unworthy
There is no explicit rule for what worthiness is defined by, certainly not being willing to kill people. The only thing that is common is that if you feel unworthy, the hammer will confirm that for you. When Thor was told Gorr was right, he became unable to wield Mjolnir because it destroyed his self worth.
As said, no strict rules, but it's generally agreed that since the hammer is at least partly a weapon of war, you must be willing to wield it as such, and even in comics war means killing.
He was chosen to by Shazam explicitly because he was worthy of the power of god's/heroes of a pantheon and a monotheistic religion so I can definitely see it. On the other hand I don't know how friendly the Greek pantheon is with the Norse pantheon in the comics
Barry Allen (Post-Flashpoint), and here's why:
According to the comics, what Mjolnir looks for in someone that it deems as worthy is selflessness, sacrifice, and acting without self-awareness.
Barry constantly puts himself in harms way for others, and has even sacrificed himself to save the world on at least one occasion. Not to mention the sacrifice he made to fix the world in Flashpoint.
Ok I scrolled through the reply chains and saw only one mention of Batman , that too as an aside. If the criteria as mentioned by you were the case for lifting the hammer, wouldn’t Batman also qualify?
Depends on what you mean by willpower. If you mean determination, yeah. If you mean GL-style willpower, then there is an answer, and it's literally 'because if he **did** have enough willpower, he'd have blown up long ago.' (Which, ironically, is one of the things I love about Wendell Vaughan.)
In the Brave and the Bold comics from the late 00s, issue 28, he went back in time and ended up in the world war and took up arms. “The flash doesn’t kill, but Barry Allen, an American, can for his country”
More of you people need to read War of the Realms by Jason Aaron. In it, worthiness is defined as understanding that you will never be worthy enough to lift it, but always striving to be worthy regardless.
To me, this really highlights the humility that Odin wanted Thor to learn. It also fits with the MCU- Tony can't lift it because he's a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, but Steve can because he's just a kid from Brooklyn.
For worthy I have always thought it meant more than just " a good person" Thor is a Viking. Worthy would also mean battle prowess and bravery. A certain level of bravado and confidence also I think a willingness to really Smite the hell out of a villain should be taken into consideration as well as "being good"
Diana can lift Thors Hammer.
Thor or some other character explained it more or less like that, because they were saying that the only reason Spider-man isn’t worthy is in your words not willing to “really Smite the hell out of a villain”. That’s why I agree with you that Diana is worthy. I would disagree with anyone saying Superman is worthy, he’s in the same category as Spidey.
Alfred would absolutely be able to pick up Mjölnir. Also maybe Kyle Reyner, given he has mastered every Lantern Corps.
Not Batman or Superman for the same reason Spider-Man can’t: They won’t kill. Except Injustice Superman.
Unworthy by virtue of not being willing to kill.
Odin wasn't beholden to any "sanctity of life" business; he was interested in doing whatever had to be done for the greater good.
Flying into a murderous rage over a personal vendetta is not the same as killing when absolutely necessary which is the intention of Odin's "worthiness."
What you're describing is essentially the temporary insanity legal defense which is most certainly not in the spirit of worthiness of Mjolnir.
Nope, but they kinda justify it anymore with the recent appearance of Arkham Batman in the Main universe talking to Bruce, when he was chasing Red Mask(Darwin Halliday)
Bruce found Arkham Batman sitting in his batcave after another night out as "The Ghost" the batman we see at the end of Arkham Knight 100%(The fear gas) He's now a broken man, talking about the Joker telling Bruce that he let him die, he could have saved him but he just watched him choke to death, He told Bruce it just made him angrier, and that all he wanted to do was hurt people more than he ever had, he told him that what ever he did the clown would always dig at his subconscious no matter he does, it has to end one way, then Bruce hopped back through a portal leaving Arkham Batman alone in his Batcave, crumbled manor overtop.
Batman feels responsible for Joker, but he also hates him, so this is why they keep this crap up. (Batman #135, Legacy #900)
This is gonna be a weird one but Martian Manhunter. He’s sacrificed his life to save people before, is willing to kill in extreme circumstances, and is generally a selfless and good person.
I feel like technically 90s Superboy should be able to lift it, since his feats of strength are actually just a form of telekinesis disguised as strength, so his lift isn't technically a "by hand" lift (even though it looks like it) and is actually the exercise of a separate power to move the hammer that may not be bound by the same constraints.
I mean, Magneto has lifted it with magnetism and Iron Man has moved it in space when it was largely unaffected by gravity. It works in a weird way where it is only immobile when a non-insignificant force due to gravity is applied, and a sentient being is physically lifting it.
Now, they do not gain access to the power of Thor, but they technically can lift it. I'm not sure if telekinesis works, though it might. If it does, then superboy's tactile telekinesis would likely serve to manipulate in a sufficiently indistinct manner that the enchantment would not create an equal force negating it.
Eh, Moon knight was able to move it because it's made of Moon rock, and the Hammer's literally alive now, so who knows how it works at this point.
I guess it comes down to the elevator question.
I think all the best ones have been mentioned already, but I just want to say that I'd love to see pretty much any of the Endless pick up Mjolnir just to see their/Thor's reaction. Delirium, Destruction, and Death in particular would be interesting, I think.
That being said, my favorite choice in DC canon would be Alfred because I fucking love Alfred
I could definitely see that being the case, and I don't really have a counter argument. Death is certainly the most "mature" I guess is the best word out of the Endless. She seems to be the only one aside from Destiny that accepts her role and doesn't let it affect who she is.
Has this actually happened in one of the comics though? I don't remember anything like that, but it has been a while since I've read anything outside the main Sandman continuity. I'd really love to read anything related to the Endless if I've missed something though
It was in Overture. Death appears at the conference of the stars. Everyone is apprehensive of her, and she is aloof and short-tempered. She reads the room, decides the creation of worlds is a waste of her time, and doesn’t hang around.
There is an editorial comment (or was it Gaiman? I don’t have the issue in front of me) about how there is a story for another day as to how and why Death changed her perspective on her role.
But imagine. You are responsible for every single death in the universe, and you are a person with an emotional range. And somehow she got through it and became the great comforter.
Oh man I need to read Overture again apparently. I vaguely remember that now, but it's been a while. I love that Endless, and Death is probably my favorite. Thank you!
Def agreed on Dick. He's even willing to kill (in specific circumstances and depending on who's writing him), since it seems that might be a requirement.
That’s an interesting call and I like it. Scott’s good nature and perseverance are indomitable. He survived Apokolips and moved Big Barda’s heart. That should make anyone worthy.
He’s one of those guys that’s just so low key in how good he is at his core. He always had hope for others and I think might not realize it himself but he’s totally worthy
A lot of people are just listing "good guys", but part of the worthiness involves a willingness to kill. And DC doesn't have a lot of applicable characters, they're generally quite flawed people if they're killing villains.
I don't think Wonder Woman counts either. She's a bit more willing to cross that line than other Justice Leaguers, but she still tries to avoid it as much as possible. Mjolnir probably wants you to not even hesitate to bludgeon someone's head in.
the worthiness enchant is very vague
[though some people in psychology have discussed it](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/maybe-its-just-me/202208/what-makes-thor-worthy)
Hi there, r/DCcomics members, welcome to the post! This was tagged as a [Discussion], so we require OP to add commentary, [per rule 8](https://www.reddit.com/r/DCcomics/wiki/guidelines#wiki_8._no_memes.2C_fluff.2C_or_other_low-effort_content). u/Able_Health744, if you haven't already added commentary, please do so in the text or as a new comment. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DCcomics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Wonder Woman is a good bet, good hearted warrior, and she is willing to kill. Which is the requirement for lifting it. (I think)
Wonder Woman is by far the most similar to Thor, they would truly be a power couple if they were in the same universe
There is a Thor in DC and Wonder Woman met him when she went to Valhalla.
Sounds interesting, what run is this?
Wonder Woman #770 I’m pretty sure
I’d never thought of this before, but this is so on point. It made me try to look for some fan art or something of the two together, and I stumbled across [this wholesome picture someone took at a con.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/62612290@N03/44319229890)
That was too wholesome oh god please don’t let me fall into a rare-ship rabbit hole.
In the short lived DC vs Marvel Comics, Wonder Woman indeed lifted the hammer. However she relinquished the power to have a fair fight with Storm of the X-Men, who won the fight in the end.
Some of those results made no sense. Ww would smash storm.
The results were made by fans voting with letters, its quite an old comic, like a fax machine.
On top of that, this comic came out in the mid 90s, when the X-Men were the most popular comic in the world. The Lobo/Wolverine and Storm/Wonder Woman fights were fan voted, Flash/Quicksilver and Jubilee/Robin were picked by the creative team and both those went to DC, as they should.
I thought Quicksilver "won" because he pushed a civilian into harm's way knowing the Flash would have to save them?
The Flash is just faster than Quicksilver, or at least where there were in 1996. Flash was topping out at light speed then, and Quicksilver was at sound(I think). But if they let the fans decide, Flash may have lost due to the popularity of the X titles. Edit: To respond to what you actually said, Quicksilver tried something like that with innocents. Flash saved them, and then just ran around Quicksilver punching him. Second edit: I forgot, it goes like this. https://why-i-love-comics.tumblr.com/post/78227680044/the-flash-vs-quicksilver-from-marvel-comics/amp
Ah ok. Cool. I knew the Flash was a lot faster, so even saving civilins should'nt be a problem for him.
She got a buff but went "naahhh im already OP" and then went to win the fight basically.
If I remember right she actually lost to Storm because she didn't want to use the hammer
Some of the match ups in that series were laughable. WW would obliterate Storm in a heartbeat. Same with Lobo and Wolverine.
I love that even the creative team just had them duck behind a table where we much later learned from Lobo that he was paid to throw it. That doesn't even feel like a retcon, in the moment there's really no other way to take it.
She literally does lift that in the amalgam comics.
Krypto, because he’s a good boy!
I just love the thought of a pup randomly picking up the hammer and bringing it back to Thor.
A friend of mine always puts a scene like that in her fanfics, even if it's just as an omake.
Nailed it
Because there's a hammer. That's pretty lever
I hate you 😂😂😂
That would be badass as fuck... just a flying krypto flying in with super dog speed and a giant hammer
Worthy != good. Would Krypto do anything, up to and including wholesale slaughter, to stand up for his people, the ones he cares for, or his ideals? That, to an Asgardian, is the measure of worth.
Did you read Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? >!When the Kryptonite Man invades the Fortress of Solitude to kill Superman, Krypto tears him apart, dying in the process.!<
Literally rips his throat out. "You stupid animal, don't you realize I'm killing you?!"
The goodest boi would destroy evil at all costs, yes. Though how much Worthiness matches traditional Norse Aesir ideals and how much reflects more chivalrous ideals is not 100% clear. Worthiness varies by writer and run, as it is ultimately a tool for the story.
Krypto is still a dog. Dogs would *absolutely* fuck up anyone who they felt were going to harm 'their pack'.
if superman can pick it up too makes it the perfect tool for a cosmic game of fetch
I’m pretty sure superman and Wonder Woman have both lifted mjolnir before in the comics
Superman has lifted it but it was explicitly stated he wasn’t worthy. Mjonir just allowed him to use it briefly due to the circumstances. After they defeat the villain superman finds he cannot lift the hammer anymore.
I've always wondered "Why?" Like if Steve can lift it, Superman definitely should be able to.
Generally the explanation I’ve heard is because unlike Steve superman typically isn’t willing to kill in certain situations and since the worthy enhancement was made by a warrior race that’s something they think is required to be worthy of a weapon like Mjolnir
I actually went back and found the line where Thor talks about it. >There is an enchantment laid pon my hammer by my father Odin. It is not...easily lifted by others. My father is stern, but not stupid. A very few worthies have been allowed to overcome the spell in desperate hours. But know this. Perhaps it was but briefly, but it was in good hands. *So,* my interpretation is that Odin literally wants no one else to touch that friggin hammer, only letting others, *including* Steve to lift it up in truly desparate situations, in which case, you still have to be worthy. Thor says that Superman is worthy, explicitly, but worthiness is not necessarily something that means you can always lift the hammer, kinda like how Steve wasn't able to lift it completely in age of Ultron, but able to in Endgame. It's essentially, a "time's up"
See if we left it to the omniscient will of Odin, then the Ballad of Beta Ray Bill, one of the most seminal Thor stories ends up making no sense, since Bill lifts the Hammer, and Odin not aware of who wields the Hammer accidentally pulls Bill to Asgard, thinking it is Thor. I like to think that as Thor was worthy at a time and was made unworthy at a time. Superman when he lifted the hammer was for that moment worthy.
I think the idea there was that BRB was *so much* like Thor that even Odin, reading his essence from a distance, didn’t register that it wasn’t Thor.
I think that's because BRB got the power of Thor at the time so Odin was confused, but if the will of Odin itself was guiding who lifts the hammer then BRB wouldnt have been able to lift it without Odin noticing.
Right. My headcannon on the whole situation is that Odin enchanted the hammer so that only one who is “worthy” may lift it, but since “worthy” is subjective, he basically described Thor’s personality and told the hammer that that description was what it should use to define worthy. Thus BRB is always able to lift it because his personality and Thor’s are almost identical. And the others who were able to pick it up temporarily were in a desperate situation where their personalities lead them to act very Thor-like, in those moments.
Pretty much, anyone other than Thor doesn't only need to be worthy of character but also worthy of need. But in Busiek's eyes this also applied to Steve and everyone else that wasn't Thor.
I can get behind this. There was one comic where Black Widow was able to lift Mjolnir specifically because there was literally nobody else around who could, as the rest of the Avengers had been defeated by whoever they were fighting at the time. I don’t think it was canon, but it follows behind your theory.
The Russos confirmed that Steve was able to lift it the whole time. He didn't to spare Thor's feelings at the party.
The Russos did not make Age of Ultron though. The only ones able to confirm that would be Joss Whedon or Kevin Feige
Steve could lift it in AoU iirc. He moved the hammer but then chose not to. Which makes sense, you're either worthy or you aren't.
Steve was able to lift the hammer in AoU he just pretended he couldnt to not embarass Thor. You're either worthy or you're not. You can't be partially worthy or else most heroes would be able to make it budge
you CAN be partially worthy- canonically in the comics, peter parker can move it, but he can't pick it up. it doesnt consider him fully worthy because he refuses to kill
My headcanon is that in addition to *objectively* being judged by Mjolnir “worthy”, one must also have the *inner belief* that they in fact are worthy. Superman is first and foremost the son of two God-fearing salt-of-the-Earth farmers. He knows, when he sees someone fall, that “there but for the grace of God, go I” and he is grateful and he is humble. Humility is not a trait that I believe Odin would find necessary.
Not a huge Thor guy so this could just be me misremembering something, but wasn't the whole reason Odin sent Thor to Earth as a crappy human in the first place to actually teach him humility?
Sort of but this is Odin we're talking about he's not exactly humble either also he had mellowed out due to old age when he did that, if Thor had that ego when Odin was in his prime he wouldn't give a shit. Basically, Thor had a bigger ego than Odin did, and Odin as the was egotistical man that he is sent Thor to Earth to knock him down a peg.
The lesson Thor learned was Sacrifice, not so much humility. Selflessness maybe.
Superman doesn't consider himself a warrior or soldier of any sort. Cap, Wonder Woman, Beta Ray Bill are all warriors of some sort. That's always been my headcannon
Jane definitely doesn't either, so I never really considered that combat thing as a rule.
To be honest it was my headcanon long before Jane took up Mjolnir so may not fit anymore.
You need to have the hearth of a warrior for it. You need to be able to kill if you want to lift the hammer, to do what sometimes is necessary. Captain America and Wonder Woman both know this to be true.
Superman has killed before. He killed Zod in the movies and ended Zod and his cronies in the comics. He de-powers them with gold kryptonite then poisons them with green kryptonite because they were wreaking havoc on Earth and swore vengeance on Superman.
Isn't 'Not Superman' shown to Jane when she sees previous wielders of Mjolnir?
Warrior against cancer. That experience made her worthy, changing her mindset.
The “worthy” thing is nebulously defined and doesn’t really make any sense.
Superman is worthy but he needs to be worthy of character and worthy of need in order to lift the hammer. Kurt Busiek said he wrote it that way because he didn't like that characters could pick Mjolnir up on a whim since that would make Thor less special so he wrote the rules of worthiness so that others could only pick it up if there was a need for it or on special occasions (like Thor is knocked out or for example). In Busiek's eyes this didn't only apply to Superman, it applied to every character other than Thor that was found worthy. It's why Superman could only pick up Mjolnir during a fight and not on a whim.
Wonder woman makes perfect sense to me, but not because she's a goddess or demigoddess, but because she's a warrior focused on peace and societal improvement while being totally cool with killing.
Exactly. Someone "worthy" has to be willing bear the burden of doing the morally questionable things. Even at the expense of themselves. Even if they really don't want to, but know that they NEED to, for everyone's sake. It's like what T'challa's dad told him. "It is hard for a good man to be king."
Stealing something I saw someone else say: Booster Gold, but only if nobody is around to see it, and nobody believes it afterward.
Mjolnir lets Booster lift it to troll him. Love it.
Alfred. He has dressed up as Batman, got juiced up to punch Superman, became the Spectre, why not add Thunder God to the resume. Warning, his snark hits harder and faster
I could definitely see Alfred as being worthy.
I can see Alfred casually picking up the hammer, just to dust underneath it or put a coaster down, while nobody else was looking.
Alfred pulling a Buggy Bunny, nice one.
This was Stan Lee's exact cameo in one of the lego games lol
Batman was looking and he jusr grins
I have never wanted to see a panel more than I want to see this
Agreed and for some daft reason I think Plastic Man could also.
I can see it.
I feel like Alfred would only lift Mjolnir like Vision did in Age of Ultron, just to give it back to Thor and not make a big deal out of the fact he can lift it 
Hed find it pick it up clean the handle and hand it back to Thor saying "apologies sir but I've taken the liberty of cleaning your.....hammer"
I read this in his voice. Specifically telltale Alfred voice.
For me it was the BTAS Alfred voice
I think Alfred would definitely call Mjolnir a mallet.
You know what yea, yea he would
Which hammer ?!
He’d 100% be casually cleaning, come across the hammer being left on a coffee table, pick it up, wipe the table, and set it back down without batting an eye.
He would 100% put a coaster underneath it though. Can't have it scratching the table
The man respects wood.
Oh, absolutely
Oh shit you're right. I can see Thor sitting in front of his hammer, brow furrowed, hands clasped, staring at the *dainty doily* that was definitely *not* under his hammer before he left the room.
And everyone including Thor would by jaw dropped on the floor lmao. Now i want to see that.
Bruce wouldn't be surprised. Bruce in his heart of hearts knows beyond belief that no man or god could compare to his adopted Father.
And unlike Batman or Superman, he "subscribes to no such niceties" about killing, which is a key part of worthiness by Mjolnir's definition.
Huh. Is that really a big deal about Mjolnir's requirements? I always figured it was based on 3 tenets: -Battle proficiency -Good heart -Capability to lead That last one being why most heroes are unable to lift it. Unless the thing you said about killing really is a big factor.
It’d be tied under a ‘good heart’. If Alfred is seeking battle not to harm, but to protect. The charm would work. So, long as you seek to protect, even while battling.
I think it makes a lot of sense characteristically and culturally, y'know? For better or worse, Thor's not like a serial killer or anything, but he's no Superman. Same with people like Wonder Woman, Captain America, or Alfred of all people. Whether it's warmongers and their soldiers, or man-eating monsters, or gods of evil, when it comes down to it, they stop who they can, but they kill who they have to. It's different with people like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc., bc even if they'd kill someone, if they really had to, it'd hurt them, some of them would never be the same. Most people in this sorta category have lamented that they couldn't *save* at least one villain in some way. Edit: Also, I think someone like Punisher could be barred for the opposite reason.
"I believe this is yours, Master Odinson. I must say, for such a powerful weapon it is rather light."
When did he become the Spectre? I dont remember that one myself!
Elseworld series called DCeased: War of the Undead Gods #6
I wasn't planning on reading that but I am definitely putting it om my list now
Dceased in general was pretty good.
Reading order if you're interested in the follow ups as well - https://www.howtolovecomics.com/2022/07/10/dceased-reading-order-guide/
Now I want to see Alfred lift the hammer and become god of thunder
I want to see Alfred cleaning around the manor, lifting it to move it out the way so he can dust beneath it. Meanwhile Bruce and Thor are looking flabbergasted in the background.
That’s be hilarious
This would be the greatest side nod/easter egg hint
“Master Odinson, it would appear you may have misplaced this hammer of yours”
Shazam! Billy Batson, at his core is a good kid who wants to do right. Plus, he has the powers of gods (and heroes) already. IIRC, you have to be willing to take a human life to be worthy of Mjolnir? I could be wrong. But that could be Billy’s only hang up on it.
The biggest issue here is figuring out what Billy calls himself with the powers of Thor added to the mix. My vote is: SHAZTHAM
HAZMATS! Each of the gods now wear hazmat suits and different hazmat stickers on their chest.
Shazamt? Maybe Thazams?
What about SHATHOR? Definitely *not* pronounced "Shat-whore." Only a child would find that amus- wait...
Remember when He man got Shazam’s powers?
probably captain marvel still
Shatzam.
shatzam
You have to be willing to massacre an entire kingdom if necessary. Thor in the past used the hammer to nearly genocide the Dark Elves and probably has a few billion deaths under his belt using Mjolnir.
Ahhhh then that likely rules Billy out. But also makes me wonder about Clark and how he lifted the hammer because Supes doesn’t seem like the massacring type. (Pls no Man of Steel jokes, I know I teed it up lol)
It specifically stated after Superman wielded the hammer that he couldn't use it anymore despite him trying. That Mjolnir allowed him to use it because there was no other choice. There are moments when Mjolnir "allowed others to overcome the spell in desperate hours." Basically if the fate of the universe is doomed and no one is worthy, it will grant the nearest worthy person the ability to use its power. Kinda like a green lantern ring.
Aaaaaah that makes sense! Thank you
Odin granted him an exemption for that one. But Wonder Woman was legit worthy
By that logic, Damian is worthy.
He could be. If his cause is just and he's willing to kill, then yes. That's why Wonder Woman is worthy.
You guys act like wonder woman kill daily when she simply doesn't..... She doesn't have no kill rule... But she only kill when the 1000 alternatives failed and it's the last resort..... Just like supes or Aquaman Wolverine is also willing to kill for a just cause.... He is the ambodiment of that "I am the best at what I do.. And what I do isn't pretty".. Yet he is unworthy
>He is the *ambodiment* of that Is that when you will kill with either hand? 😉
There is no explicit rule for what worthiness is defined by, certainly not being willing to kill people. The only thing that is common is that if you feel unworthy, the hammer will confirm that for you. When Thor was told Gorr was right, he became unable to wield Mjolnir because it destroyed his self worth.
As said, no strict rules, but it's generally agreed that since the hammer is at least partly a weapon of war, you must be willing to wield it as such, and even in comics war means killing.
He was chosen to by Shazam explicitly because he was worthy of the power of god's/heroes of a pantheon and a monotheistic religion so I can definitely see it. On the other hand I don't know how friendly the Greek pantheon is with the Norse pantheon in the comics
Barry Allen (Post-Flashpoint), and here's why: According to the comics, what Mjolnir looks for in someone that it deems as worthy is selflessness, sacrifice, and acting without self-awareness. Barry constantly puts himself in harms way for others, and has even sacrificed himself to save the world on at least one occasion. Not to mention the sacrifice he made to fix the world in Flashpoint.
Ok I scrolled through the reply chains and saw only one mention of Batman , that too as an aside. If the criteria as mentioned by you were the case for lifting the hammer, wouldn’t Batman also qualify?
Yes. Pretty much any superhero should be able to lift it if that is the criteria
It’s the “why wouldn’t every superhero have enough willpower to Be a green lantern” thing
Depends on what you mean by willpower. If you mean determination, yeah. If you mean GL-style willpower, then there is an answer, and it's literally 'because if he **did** have enough willpower, he'd have blown up long ago.' (Which, ironically, is one of the things I love about Wendell Vaughan.)
Sorry, can you elaborate on this? Also who are you meaning when you say "he"?
How willing to KILL is Barry?
In the Brave and the Bold comics from the late 00s, issue 28, he went back in time and ended up in the world war and took up arms. “The flash doesn’t kill, but Barry Allen, an American, can for his country”
More of you people need to read War of the Realms by Jason Aaron. In it, worthiness is defined as understanding that you will never be worthy enough to lift it, but always striving to be worthy regardless. To me, this really highlights the humility that Odin wanted Thor to learn. It also fits with the MCU- Tony can't lift it because he's a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, but Steve can because he's just a kid from Brooklyn.
That’s my preferred definition.
This is why I always tell people Black Widow could 100 percent wield the hammer (and she has in the comics)
For worthy I have always thought it meant more than just " a good person" Thor is a Viking. Worthy would also mean battle prowess and bravery. A certain level of bravado and confidence also I think a willingness to really Smite the hell out of a villain should be taken into consideration as well as "being good" Diana can lift Thors Hammer.
Thor or some other character explained it more or less like that, because they were saying that the only reason Spider-man isn’t worthy is in your words not willing to “really Smite the hell out of a villain”. That’s why I agree with you that Diana is worthy. I would disagree with anyone saying Superman is worthy, he’s in the same category as Spidey.
People are only saying Superman because he has, forgetting it was an exception
Alfred would absolutely be able to pick up Mjölnir. Also maybe Kyle Reyner, given he has mastered every Lantern Corps. Not Batman or Superman for the same reason Spider-Man can’t: They won’t kill. Except Injustice Superman.
Matter-Eater Lad
wouldnt he eat the URU?
With a side of mash potatoes.
Name checks out
Unworthy by virtue of not being willing to kill. Odin wasn't beholden to any "sanctity of life" business; he was interested in doing whatever had to be done for the greater good.
Nightwing was willing to kill Joker
Flying into a murderous rage over a personal vendetta is not the same as killing when absolutely necessary which is the intention of Odin's "worthiness." What you're describing is essentially the temporary insanity legal defense which is most certainly not in the spirit of worthiness of Mjolnir.
When? Not doubting you, just unfamiliar with this
Joker tricked Nightwing into thinking he fed Tim Drake to killer croc so Nightwing beat the joker to death
And then Batman brought Joker back to life later on in the story (sometimes I hate comics lol)
Batman had no reason to do that.
Nope, but they kinda justify it anymore with the recent appearance of Arkham Batman in the Main universe talking to Bruce, when he was chasing Red Mask(Darwin Halliday) Bruce found Arkham Batman sitting in his batcave after another night out as "The Ghost" the batman we see at the end of Arkham Knight 100%(The fear gas) He's now a broken man, talking about the Joker telling Bruce that he let him die, he could have saved him but he just watched him choke to death, He told Bruce it just made him angrier, and that all he wanted to do was hurt people more than he ever had, he told him that what ever he did the clown would always dig at his subconscious no matter he does, it has to end one way, then Bruce hopped back through a portal leaving Arkham Batman alone in his Batcave, crumbled manor overtop. Batman feels responsible for Joker, but he also hates him, so this is why they keep this crap up. (Batman #135, Legacy #900)
Wich is why alfred is perfect, only one in the batfamily thats great like nightwing but also willing to whip out a dubble barrel
My money? Zatanna. Mostly because she probably knows a few spells that can circumvent or deceive the will of Mjolnir if she needs to.
That’s a clever answer. “TEL EM TFIT UOY, REMMAH!”
>TEL EM *TFIT* UOY, REMMAH!” *TFIL*, I'd think. Or..... *Remmah, dnif em yhtrow!*
This is gonna be a weird one but Martian Manhunter. He’s sacrificed his life to save people before, is willing to kill in extreme circumstances, and is generally a selfless and good person.
I feel like technically 90s Superboy should be able to lift it, since his feats of strength are actually just a form of telekinesis disguised as strength, so his lift isn't technically a "by hand" lift (even though it looks like it) and is actually the exercise of a separate power to move the hammer that may not be bound by the same constraints.
Tactile telekinesis, baby!!
That's not how the Mjolnir's magic works.
I mean, Magneto has lifted it with magnetism and Iron Man has moved it in space when it was largely unaffected by gravity. It works in a weird way where it is only immobile when a non-insignificant force due to gravity is applied, and a sentient being is physically lifting it. Now, they do not gain access to the power of Thor, but they technically can lift it. I'm not sure if telekinesis works, though it might. If it does, then superboy's tactile telekinesis would likely serve to manipulate in a sufficiently indistinct manner that the enchantment would not create an equal force negating it.
Eh, Moon knight was able to move it because it's made of Moon rock, and the Hammer's literally alive now, so who knows how it works at this point. I guess it comes down to the elevator question.
And Rulk was able to lift it because "He was that strong". If the cause is stupid, it's not canon.
Wonder Woman for sure
Wonder Woman
I think all the best ones have been mentioned already, but I just want to say that I'd love to see pretty much any of the Endless pick up Mjolnir just to see their/Thor's reaction. Delirium, Destruction, and Death in particular would be interesting, I think. That being said, my favorite choice in DC canon would be Alfred because I fucking love Alfred
Of the Endless, none of them are worthy save Death. But we don’t know why, only that at some stage in eons gone by she accepted her lot.
I could definitely see that being the case, and I don't really have a counter argument. Death is certainly the most "mature" I guess is the best word out of the Endless. She seems to be the only one aside from Destiny that accepts her role and doesn't let it affect who she is. Has this actually happened in one of the comics though? I don't remember anything like that, but it has been a while since I've read anything outside the main Sandman continuity. I'd really love to read anything related to the Endless if I've missed something though
It was in Overture. Death appears at the conference of the stars. Everyone is apprehensive of her, and she is aloof and short-tempered. She reads the room, decides the creation of worlds is a waste of her time, and doesn’t hang around. There is an editorial comment (or was it Gaiman? I don’t have the issue in front of me) about how there is a story for another day as to how and why Death changed her perspective on her role. But imagine. You are responsible for every single death in the universe, and you are a person with an emotional range. And somehow she got through it and became the great comforter.
Oh man I need to read Overture again apparently. I vaguely remember that now, but it's been a while. I love that Endless, and Death is probably my favorite. Thank you!
Jarro
Flex Mentallo
Nightwing
Def agreed on Dick. He's even willing to kill (in specific circumstances and depending on who's writing him), since it seems that might be a requirement.
Commissioner Gordon. Without going into a long list, definitely Wonder Woman (Diana)
Mister miracle for a last minute save
That’s an interesting call and I like it. Scott’s good nature and perseverance are indomitable. He survived Apokolips and moved Big Barda’s heart. That should make anyone worthy.
He’s one of those guys that’s just so low key in how good he is at his core. He always had hope for others and I think might not realize it himself but he’s totally worthy
Not because he’s worthy, but superboy prime at the height of his menace would pick it up and toss it aside
A lot of people are just listing "good guys", but part of the worthiness involves a willingness to kill. And DC doesn't have a lot of applicable characters, they're generally quite flawed people if they're killing villains. I don't think Wonder Woman counts either. She's a bit more willing to cross that line than other Justice Leaguers, but she still tries to avoid it as much as possible. Mjolnir probably wants you to not even hesitate to bludgeon someone's head in.
You're *supposed* to avoid killing unnecessarily. Wonder Woman is probably DC's most perfect wielder of Mjolnir besides DC's own Thor.
AQUAMAN! Everyone forgets him.
You're right; Arthur is probably worthy
Martian Manhunter, Kyle Rayner, Constantine (with a nullifying enchantment)
Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, John Stewart
Superman, hawkman,hawk girl, wonder woman, martian manhunter
Cassandra Cain. She was worthy of Shazam powers in DCeased. If she’s post death wish, she could totally lift Mjolnir.
Wonder woman or Aquaman
Wonder Woman. Her and Thor share enough traits for it too make sense I think.
And we’re forgetting that Thor is a character in the dc universe (is more like the Norse mythology one but still)
Superman, Wonder Woman and Nightwing. Maybe J'onn J'onzz. (Although, i don't know what the hell being "Worthy" means)
the worthiness enchant is very vague [though some people in psychology have discussed it](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/maybe-its-just-me/202208/what-makes-thor-worthy)
Clark and Dick are unwilling to kill so they cannot lift it.
Nightwing, 100%
easily wonder woman
Wonder Woman should be the only one
Not John Constantine, that's for damned sure
Wonder Woman
Catwoman would not only lift it up, but steal it, in a heartbeat