Mjolnir is famous for being the hammer of Thor, which can only be lifted by those worthy of it. But, what exactly is Mjolnir? What powers does it give the person it wields? And why can only a few people lift it, and who are those people?

I’ll be answering those questions in this post today!

What Is Mjolnir?

Mjolnir is a hammer of Norse myth, which as made its way into Marvel Comics when Thor and the rest of the Asgardians turned up. The basic idea of the hammer is the same in both comic and myth, and they share similar traits, such as being very picky as to who can lift them, and being incredibly powerful weapons.

Who Made Mjolnir?

The hammer was made by Eitri, a Dwarf from the planet Nidavellir (he was played by Peter Dinklage in Avengers: Infinity War!). He forged the weapon out of Uru, a rock-like substance with metallic properties, found only on the first moon of existence, making it one of the first substances in existence. Odin then enchanted the hammer so that only those deemed worthy could lift it.

What Powers Does Mjolnir Give People?

Those who are seen as worthy are given many powers, such as weather manipulation (bringing in storms, rain, thunder, etc), (in the case of Thor himself, who already can do this, it boosts his ability). It also grants its user the ability of flight, and at extreme speeds too – Thor himself has been clocked at flying at three times the speed of sound using Mjolnir!

The hammer also can give off energy blasts, some so powerful that not even Ego The Living Planet can fend it off, it can also detect energy, especially dark psychic and supernatural energy. Any energy thrown at Mjolnir can then be absorbed and redirected again at enemies, the electromagnetic spectrum can be manipulated and Cosmic Energy can also be controlled through it.

And if that wasn’t enough, Mjolnir can also be used to absorb life forces, detect illusions, manipulate souls, transform its user into other people, and provides All-Speak, which is the ability to communicate with any race or species.

Why Can Only A Few People Lift Mjolnir?

The hammer was enchanted by Odin, so that only those deemed worthy could lift it. Anyone deemed unworthy (which Odin can decide upon), will be unable to even move the hammer a centimetre, and will not gain the powers of Thor when interacting with it.

Who Can Lift Mjolnir?

There have been a few people who have famously lifted Mjolnir in the comics – Thor, Jane Foster and Odin being the main wielders. But, it has also been lifted by Beta Ray Bill, a cybernetic alien (and comic fan favourite character!), Throg (Thor as a frog, just like we saw in the Loki series), Loki himself (after his moral compass was temporarily reversed), Squirrel Girl, Gwenpool (only when she was holding Thor’s severed arm… which is a story I’m not getting into right now!), Black Panther and Captain America.

On top of that, there are those who can manipulate Mjolnir without being worthy, people such as Moon Knight and Khonshu can move the hammer as both have divine powers which allow them to control moon rock, which is what Mjolnir is made of. Magneto can also technically lift Mjolnir with his magnetic powers, though he finds it a struggle. With these characters, while they can lift the hammer, they do not get the powers of Thor.

And that’s the end of my guide to Mjolnir! I hope it was useful, and if you have any questions, leave them down below and I’ll do my best to answer them!