GotSIS Lore Compendium: What makes one Worthy?

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy,
shall possess the power of Thor."

One of the most fascinating and beloved artefacts in the Marvel Universe is the Mjolnir. Forged by King Eitri and the Dwarves of Nidavellir in the heart of a dying star with the mythical metal Uru, Mjolnir is one of the most powerful weapons in the Universe.

It is also one of the most versatile and fascinating weapons giving its wielder the powers of weather manipulation, flight, energy projection and manipulation, the ability to open gateways, and most recently, the full spectrum of the powers of the Norse god, Thor. And these are the mere tip of the iceberg. (Refer Whole Power List --- even if all of these may not be applicable for GotSIS).

Yet, one of its most notable enchantments is its worthiness enchantment. This spell surrounds Mjolnir and prevents it from being wielded by anyone save those who have been found worthy.

This enchantment becomes even more notable as the All Father Odin, using the Odin Force and the power of Soul-fire (something only Skyfathers can use beyond a level) to tie Thor's powers to the hammer.

So, the question is:

Q. What makes a person Worthy?

To answer it simply, there's no simple answer. Worthiness is ever mutable as the hammer itself is semi-sentient with a tendency to listen to its master if they ask something of it [as noted by Jane Foster becoming worthy because Thor asked Mjolnir to take care of her].

It does have parameters to judge, but they can be bent by its master's will. Though, some of the main parameters are:

1. Value for life (Odin is angry because Thor killed frost giants for nothing but pettiness)

2. Kingship ('Tis a weapon worthy of a king' ~Odin during coronation scene and Kingship and leading is a burden not everyone can truly bear)

3. Being a Warrior (Asgardians value the culture of warriorship.)

4. Power to wield divinity (Mjolnir compromised on this for Jane in Thor 4, which resulted in her death.)

5. Nobility and Honor.

Though these are the usual parameters, it is at the end of the day whom Mjolnir decides is worthy, as per its master's will and its own metrics of worthiness, that, at times, are compromised based on said will and circumstances. But when judged on pure metrics, Harry was found lacking mainly on point 2. Kingship. (Also 3 because Harry is more of a guardian than an outright warrior. He doesn't instigate fights if he can help it but will fight hell and heaven to protect someone. That, for the hammer, is partial fulfilment.)

Q. Why is the Hammer Sentient and how Harry was capable of influencing it?

The answer comes down to the world tree and the unique nature of relics.

Mjolnir taps into the Yggdrassil, which is essentially more than a source of power. It is a lifeforce of the nine-realms that holds them together in a way which makes it semisentient. This is because it draws power from the realms themselves including a portion from the realm of death, of fire, of ice, of darkness, of light, and most importantly, of Gaea, who is an Elder god and powerful on a sheerly incomprehensible scale. Oh, and not to mention, has the remains of the god storm, Tempest which Odin trapped within it.

Over the years (about 5000 or more), the hammer has drawn onto this power and the power of Asgard and its wielders: Odin, Hela, and Thor.

Running on this much wattage gives it a semi-sentience of its own. A semi-sentience which is enough for the Soul Stone to communicate with and bully because it took offense.

Q. What about those who lifted Mjolnir in the MCU?

I would say that Odin is the prime master of Mjolnir. He is the one who laid a few of its enchantments and he is the master of the Yggdrassil, making him de-facto worthy of the hammer.

After him are Thor and Hela, who were judged worthy on their own stuff, and based on Odin's will. Even after Hela ventured to the dark side, the hammer still allowed it because Odin wanted it to and it had a sense of loyalty to Hela too, as she was its first true wielder.

Which is why Hela can lift it even after a long time, as Mjolnir remembers her.

For Steve, in the Age of Ultron scene, Thor doesn't want anyone else to lift the hammer and despite being worthy-ish enough, Steve can't do it. Because Thor says no in his head. On the other hand, Thor needed his help against Thanos and so Mjolnir allowed Steve in and gave him its powers. Also, Steve had, through trials and time become more worthy in the hammer's eyes too.

Vision was forged by the hammer itself, letting him have a part of Mjolnir in him. Also, he's a robot and has the mind stone, which, at some end helps him be worthy.

Jane, as I put it before, becomes worthy just because Thor asked Mjolnir to take care of her.

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AND... DONE! Hope you all liked this lore-piece and that this helps answer any doubts you may have!

The next update will be for Black Dawn in a couple of days or so.

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