# Why is Thor more worthy to wield Mjolnir than Cap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920 "2014-10-29T17:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/1 "2014-10-29T17:04:24Z")
Thor is a nice guy and everything but as far as good qualities go Steve Rogers should be above him right? does something else go into the test besides their relative “goodness”? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/2 "2014-10-29T17:12:04Z")
Cultural context - I suspect Viking “worthiness” differs from American worthiness. It’s probably more about bravery, fierceness and alcohol consumption. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/3 "2014-10-29T17:16:57Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Thor is a nice guy and everything but as far as good qualities go Steve Rogers should be above him right? does something else go into the test besides their relative “goodness”? Odin defines what worthy means, for one thing. Cap’s values are not necessarily Aesir values. Also, I expect that the hammer is freaking heavy. Cap is probably the strongest non-superpowered human on Earth, but he’s still just a guy. Wouldn’t surprise me if an uru hammer weighs over a ton. ---
**Author:** ![JesterX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JesterX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JesterX)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/4 "2014-10-29T17:20:39Z")
Funny, I seem to remember a story once where cap actually was able to at least move mjolnir. And not from the new avengers clip. I’ll see if I can research it. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/5 "2014-10-29T17:24:02Z")
> [@JesterX](#): > > Funny, I seem to remember a story once where cap actually was able to at least move mjolnir. And not from the new avengers clip. I’ll see if I can research it. Oh, you’re right about that. Comics!Cap has been able to budge Mjolnir at least once, and on other occasions been as unable to move it as, say, Stark (whose unworthiness is unsurprising even to those who like him). ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/6 "2014-10-29T17:26:22Z")
I bet Kal-El could wield it, one way or another. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/7 "2014-10-29T17:28:44Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I bet Kal-El could wield it, one way or another. I believe he did, in one of those DC/Marvel crossovers. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/8 "2014-10-29T17:30:13Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I bet Kal-El could wield it, one way or another. He couldn’t in the Avengers/JLA crossover. Well, more accurately he was able to do so during the climactic battle but could no longer do so afterwards, and Thor explained that Kal’s being able to do so was a temporary grace of Odin. Superman has the appropriate nobility, sure, but lacks the killer instinct of a Asgardian warrior. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/9 "2014-10-29T17:34:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Cultural context - I suspect Viking “worthiness” differs from American worthiness. It’s probably more about bravery, fierceness and alcohol consumption. Fair enough, but movie-Cap is all _over_ that, right? He got the job by bravely throwing himself on a grenade, and after single-handedly liberating prisoners-of-war to lead against their enemy on the battlefield he consumed alcohol while lamenting that no amount sufficed to get him drunk enough while mourning a fallen comrade-in-arms. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/10 "2014-10-29T17:37:18Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Fair enough, but movie-Cap is all _over_ that, right? He got the job by bravely throwing himself on a grenade, and after single-handedly liberating prisoners-of-war to lead against their enemy on the battlefield he consumed alcohol while lamenting that no amount sufficed to get him drunk enough while mourning a fallen comrade-in-arms. Movieverse-wise, I’ll bet there’s some “loyalty to Asgard” written into the spell. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/11 "2014-10-29T17:45:37Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > He couldn’t in the Avengers/JLA crossover. Well, more accurately he was able to do so during the climactic battle but could no longer do so afterwards, and Thor explained that Kal’s being able to do so was a temporary grace of Odin. Superman has the appropriate nobility, sure, but lacks the killer instinct of a Asgardian warrior. Admittedly, my knowledge of Thor is almost exclusively from 1960’s-70’s comic books, but I don’t remember Thor, or any of the Asgardians, having a notable killer instinct. Even Antlers, for all his scheming, seemed intent mostly on monologuing. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/12 "2014-10-29T19:10:14Z")
> [@JesterX](#): > > Funny, I seem to remember a story once where cap actually was able to at least move mjolnir. He was able to pick it up, whirl it around and throw it back to Thor. Thor complimented him about it afterwards. Ferocity isn’t a necessary quality to pick it up. I never saw it myself, but I recall it being mentioned elsewhere there was a scene after a battle where some nameless emergency worker passed by Thor and the other Avengers, said something like “Oh, Thor, here’s your hammer, we found it over there”, handed it over and left. Cue everyone doing a double take. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/13 "2014-10-29T19:22:16Z")
So…If the hammer was on a roof, couldn’t Hulk just go into the house and lift the entire roof, hammer and all? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/14 "2014-10-29T19:25:48Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > He was able to pick it up, whirl it around and throw it back to Thor. Thor complimented him about it afterwards. But he didn’t get the power, though, unless I’m mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/15 "2014-10-29T19:27:06Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > So…If the hammer was on a roof, couldn’t Hulk just go into the house and lift the entire roof, hammer and all? Nah, the roof would immediately collapse. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/16 "2014-10-29T19:28:42Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Also, I expect that the hammer is freaking heavy. Cap is probably the strongest non-superpowered human on Earth, but he’s still just a guy. Wouldn’t surprise me if an uru hammer weighs over a ton. Except in Thor 2, he hung it from a wooden coat rack in Jane’s apartment. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/17 "2014-10-29T19:30:04Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Except in Thor 2, he hung it from a wooden coat rack in Jane’s apartment. Haven’t seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/18 "2014-10-29T19:38:58Z")
Mjolnir is exactly as heavy as it wants to be at any given time. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/19 "2014-10-29T20:00:07Z")
At the moment, Thor is in fact not worthy enough to wield the hammer. A woman (possibly Frigga) is the current custodian of Mjolnir. She’s using the title “Thor” while the Odinson has an axe and a robot arm. I suspect things will be back to normal by the time **Avengers 2** opens. A bunch of people have lifted or used the hammer in the last few decades, including Red Norvell, Beta Ray Bill, Storm, Wonder Woman, Superman and Eric Masterson. Thanos just used one this week, but it was an evil version. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920/20 "2014-10-29T20:03:49Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Mjolnir is exactly as heavy as it wants to be at any given time. 😛 So… it’s like a wizard did it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-thor-more-worthy-to-wield-mjolnir-than-cap/702920.md?page=2)