Skip to main content

marvel - How does Hulk carry both Mjölnir and Thor?


In the 2012 movie 'Avengers', Thor and Hulk battle on the lower hanger bay of the Helicarrier. During the battle, Thor throws Mjölnir (his hammer) at Hulk, who dodges and grabs it as it flies past. He can't hold Mjölnir up and it drags his hand down as it falls to the carrier deck. He tries to pick it back up but can't and catches a flying knee from Thor. Thor then picks up Mjölnir and jumps on Hulk's back, using the hammer's handle in a choke hold attempt. Hulk starts to shake him off and jumps around while carrying both Thor and Mjölnir around on his shoulders. How can this be?


I understand Hulk is the strongest but shouldn't mystic Mjölnir pin Hulk to the deck much like when Thor pinned Loki to the Rainbow Bridge 'Bifrost' in the movie 'Thor'?



Answer



Mjolnir, the mystical short-handled Uru-metal warhammer of the Asgardian, Thor Odinson, has two enchantments related to movement. Both can and have been subverted over Thor's history in the Marvel universe, but they are the most consistent powers of Mjolnir.




  • The first enchantment allows, when Mjolnir is deliberately thrown by Thor, to return to his hand after striking or attempting to strike a target despite any intervening obstacles or distance, even traveling through planets to return to Thor.





  • It has been blocked from returning by placing objects or substances between Thor and the hammer. Captain America using his shield and Magneto (using his magnetic powers) were known to have deflected the hammer from returning to Thor, even temporarily.




  • The hammer's movement limitation can be subverted if one picks up Thor and throws him, or punches him hard enough. We have even seen Mjolnir being "wielded" like a club against Thor in zero gravity by the Red Hulk, partially because Thor was still in contact with it and partially because of the zero G environment.




enter image description here


Thor taking a beating with Mjolnir at the hands of the Red Hulk due to a technicality...


Editor Tom Brevoort has offered the official explanation of how a bad guy like the Red Hulk could wield Mjolnir.




"…during a pause at one of our editorial retreats a few years ago, Jeph Loeb asked me if there were any circumstances under which the Red Hulk might be able to lift Thor’s hammer. We batted it around for awhile, and after some thought I told him that I could foresee two circumstances under which that might work: 1) If Thor still had his hand within the hammer’s thong or in his hand as well, so that the worthiness enchantment was defeated in that [Thor] himself [was] still in contact with the weapon, and 2) if the battle occurred in space where there was no gravity, and therefore the hammer was weightless. Jeph ended up using versions of both of these approaches in the story he thereafter wrote."




  • When Mjolnir is dropped or set aside, it takes a fixed position, from which it cannot be moved except by a 'worthy' individual. This power does not stop the hammer from being driven from place to place in a vehicle unless Thor does not want it to be moved. If it is dropped by Thor in a battle, its "default" setting is immovable until summoned by Thor. So while on the Helicarrier, Mjolnir could sit on a shelf somewhere until Thor called for it and it would still be immovable to a person trying to drag it away, but perfectly able to be flown where it needs to be.



This immovability enchantment has been subverted as well. Mjolnir has been wielded by a select number of other individuals: alien Beta Ray Bill; Avenger Captain America; Eric Masterson; Odin (Thor's father); Borr (Thor's grandfather); and Buri (also known as Tiwaz, Thor's great-grandfather).


The hammer has also been lifted by various sentient constructs (non-sentient machines apparently cannot), such as Zarrko the Tomorrow Man's mining robot; the Air-Walker (animated by the soul of Nova Corps captain Gabriel Lan); and the Awesome Android (by mimicking Thor's abilities and worthy nature). The hammer has also been lifted by Earth itself when animated via magical means. --Wikipedia -> Mjolnir (comics)




enter image description here


Captain America (in his guise as The Captain) wields Mjolnir long enough to free himself and return the hammer to Thor (off panel).


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.

aliens - Interstellar Zoo story

I vaguely remember this story from my childhood: it was about an interstellar zoo that came to Earth with lots of bizarre and unusual species, and humans would file through and gape at all the crazy looking creatures from other planets. The twist came at the end when the perspective shifted to the other side of the bars and we discovered that the "creatures" were traveling through space on a kind of safari. They thought they were the visitors and we were the animals. Neither side knew that the other side thought they were the zoo creatures. Answer Got it. Zoo, by Edward D. Hoch. Published in 1958. Link to Publication History Link to PDF

tolkiens legendarium - Did Gandalf wear his Ring of Power throughout the trilogy?

After Gandalf discovered that Sauron was back and sent Frodo on his quest to Rivendell, did he continue to wear Narya (one of the Three Rings)? It seems like a huge risk to continue to wear it after the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) started to try and reclaim the One Ring; if they managed to get the ring to Sauron, couldn't he be corrupted by his power? Whatever powers Narya bestows upon him couldn't possibly be worth the huge risk, could it? Answer When Sauron forged the one ring and put it on his finger, the other ring bearers were immediately aware of him and his intentions and removed their own rings. There is no reason why they couldn't merely do so again. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and preceived that he would be master of them, and of all they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," Silmarillion