Mjolnir: Has it Reached the Point Now Where TOO Many People Have Lifted it?

So, I recently saw the article on CBR about how Carol Danvers just joined the ever-growing list of people, other than Thor, who have lifted Mjolnir and I have to admit that it's gotten to be a big club. Let's review:

[LIST][*]Beta Ray Bill: the famous "first case" from Thor #337[*]Captain America (Steve Rogers): has long been established as being able to lift Mjolnir, but most recently seen doing so in Secret Empire (and of course, Avengers: Endgame)[*]Thunderstrike[*]Awesome Andy[*]Ultimate Magneto (it was the Ultimate universe, but still)[*]Red Hulk: I mean, traditionally a [B]supervillain[/B] and, albeit, he did so when the hammer was in zero gravity, but...should that matter for an [B]enchanted[/B] hammer[*]Conan[*]Bor[*]Storm: lifted Mjolnir in Uncanny X-Men Annual #9[*]Throg[*]Jane Foster: famously replaced Odinson as Thor for a few years[*]Volstagg: became the War Thor after lifting Ultimate Thor's hammer[*]Silver Surfer: as seen in Donny Cates's Thanos series where the Silver Surfer has become worthy and now wields Mjolnir to fight Thanos[*]Carol Danvers: the most recent addition, albeit only able to do so because of Thor's DNA (but again, should that be able to fool an enchanted hammer)

And of course, let's not forget:

[*]Wonder Woman: wielded the hammer in the Marvel vs. DC crossover and then again in JLA/Avengers[*]Superman: also wielded Mjolnir in JLA/Avengers.[/LIST]

So, you see what I mean? I think, for some reason, every time some writer wants to make a character seem cool, they just HAVE to have them be seen lifting Thor's hammer. Now, Captain America, I get. Jane Foster's tenure as Thor was pretty great, IMO (I know some hated it, but whatever). Storm is also one that I get. Beta Ray Bill basically only exists because he's someone else who can wield Mjolnir. I also really like the fact that Superman and Wonder Woman can wield it because it has that cross-universe appeal and it's not like they'll be doing so on a regular basis.

However, some of these seem a bit...unnecessary? I mean, did Silver Surfer really need to be added to this list? Weren't there other ways to fight Thanos? Did Carol Danvers? I mean, there are other powerful artifacts in the MU to use. Is it really worth it to inject yourself with Thor's DNA when you could have easily just grabbed an Infinity Gauntlet (because apparently they grow on trees now) or the Ebony Blade or the Nega Bands (hey, remember those things?). I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see the entire roster of the Fantastic Four, Peter Parker, Wolverine, Miles Morales, Dr. Doom, and Rick Jones all lifting Mjolnir within...two years. I don't know. What do you think?

You forgot Gaea. Basically, anyone more powerful than Odin as far as magic goes should be able to lift the hammer. So that's a pretty long list, if you think about it.

By the way, did Storm lift Mjolnir, or was she given her own hammer back in Uncanny X-Men Annual 9? If memory serves, she reduced it to slag at the end of the issue, which would indicate that either the uru was different, or the process to refine it was different. In any event, I don't think it was actually Mjolnir. Please do update me if I'm wrong about that.

first of all, many of these aren't actually lifting it normally, it's just a gimmick. Lifting thor's hammer is about worthiness. Worthiness has never been defined except some vague "very good guy who's also a warrior and willing to sacrifice himself"

Unless marvel heroes are almost all trash there should be a dozen who can genuinely lift it without gimmicks.

Like I know Mar-vell never got a chance, but he should be able to lift it too post Eon. I can see Rich Rider being able to lift it. But I cannot see spidey being able to lift it, because of his stance on killing.

If you make it an extremely protected class, then people start to wonder what "worthiness" even is, when many fundamental aspects that I mentioned are shown to have are share by other heroes.

You forgot Ironman, he also lifted it in zero gravity and Gwen-pool who lifted it recently. But yea the more people keep lifting the damn thing, the less impressive and unique it becomes and i predict this trend is just gonna keep happening.

Conan was a What If?
Surfer was an alternate future

Yes. Once we go beyond Odin and Thor, too many. Much as I love Cap and Beta Ray Bill, too may.

It was really been over done. Now when I see it I dont think man that hero is relly something special I think ho hum who gives a shit everyone has done it.

Nah, it's fine.

ehhhhh that's not a lot

Odin created the spell at a time when even the Asgardians were little better than cave men. "Worthy" as defined in the antediluvian, pre-Cataclysmic age would obviously be matched as sentient cultures progressed, evolved and matured over time. It's like establishing that the requirement to hold the hammer in 4000 BCE was literacy. Well, in 4000 BCE there weren't that many people who could actually read. But in 2020, well, yes, there are plenty of people who qualify, if that's the low bar. The specs on that spell just need to be updated with more modern prerequisites. :D

[QUOTE=Ichijinijisanji;4896128]first of all, many of these aren't actually lifting it normally, it's just a gimmick. Lifting thor's hammer is about worthiness. Worthiness has never been defined except some vague "very good guy who's also a warrior and willing to sacrifice himself"

Unless marvel heroes are almost all trash there should be a dozen who can genuinely lift it without gimmicks.

Like I know Mar-vell never got a chance, but he should be able to lift it too post Eon. I can see Rich Rider being able to lift it. But I cannot see spidey being able to lift it, because of his stance on killing.

If you make it an extremely protected class, then people start to wonder what "worthiness" even is, when many fundamental aspects that I mentioned are shown to have are share by other heroes.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't Peter have a stance against killing?

Also, I understand the need to define worthiness, but I think Marvel has now expanded the concept of worthiness to be [B]too[/B] broad. Again, Magneto somehow was able to prove himself "worthy" of wielding Mjolnir. Worthiness shouldn't mean anyone who shows any sort of shred of decency.

I thought Peter was opposed to killing. Thor and a few others who have wielded Mjolnir don't share that viewpoint. But again, we're talking about Odin, a flawed god himself, whose definition of "worthiness" isn't necessarily synonymous with moral chasteness or the golden rule. Odin could very easily see a pacifist as being unworthy to possess the hammer on the basis of his vision of the God of Thunder. Ghandi, MLK, sorry, no hammer for you; you're not worthy.

[QUOTE=Zeeguy91;4895891]So, I recently saw the article on CBR about how Carol Danvers just joined the ever-growing list of people, other than Thor, who have lifted Mjolnir and I have to admit that it's gotten to be a big club. Let's review:

[LIST][*]Beta Ray Bill: the famous "first case" from Thor #337[*]Captain America (Steve Rogers): has long been established as being able to lift Mjolnir, but most recently seen doing so in Secret Empire (and of course, Avengers: Endgame)[*]Thunderstrike[*]Awesome Andy[*]Ultimate Magneto (it was the Ultimate universe, but still)[*]Red Hulk: I mean, traditionally a [B]supervillain[/B] and, albeit, he did so when the hammer was in zero gravity, but...should that matter for an [B]enchanted[/B] hammer[*]Conan[*]Bor[*]Storm: lifted Mjolnir in Uncanny X-Men Annual #9[*]Throg[*]Jane Foster: famously replaced Odinson as Thor for a few years[*]Volstagg: became the War Thor after lifting Ultimate Thor's hammer[*]Silver Surfer: as seen in Donny Cates's Thanos series where the Silver Surfer has become worthy and now wields Mjolnir to fight Thanos[*]Carol Danvers: the most recent addition, albeit only able to do so because of Thor's DNA (but again, should that be able to fool an enchanted hammer)

And of course, let's not forget:

[*]Wonder Woman: wielded the hammer in the Marvel vs. DC crossover and then again in JLA/Avengers[*]Superman: also wielded Mjolnir in JLA/Avengers.[/LIST][/QUOTE]
Ultimate Magneto doesn't count because it wasn't the mjolnir with the worthiness spell.
Red Hulk didn't actually lift it.
Storm didn't wield mjolnir.
Volstagg didn't wield mjolnir.
Conan lifted it because it was in a time before it was enchanted.

Now if you start looking at alternate realities, you have Magni from the King Thor future, Spider-Man 2099, Dani Cage, Dargo Ktor, and probably others.

Quite a few people on your list need asterisks besides their name.

Even then, that's still not that many people. More people have worn the Ironman armor or been Hulk than have lifted Thor's hammer.

It’s not that many when you think of how long Thor’s been around.