Possibly the single most whistle-worthy moment from cinemas in 2019 was when Captain America lifted Thor’s enchanted hammer Mjolnir in Avengers: Endgame and used it to battle Thanos. The magical weapon can only be lifted by the noblest of warriors, but Cap proved he had what it takes to wield the power of the God of Thunder. And now, in the comic book Avengers #28, Steve has picked up the hammer once again, this time against Thor himself.
The series tells the tale of the Starbrand, a mysterious cosmic super weapon that’s drawing the attention of the heroes in addition to universe-level threats. To add to the drama, Thor’s been overtaken by the Brood, an ancient race of super-parasites that now control the mighty character and are using him to attack his friends.
At one point, Thor’s transformation into a mindless Brood slave is so complete that he becomes unworthy of his hammer and drops it, charging towards Captain America with his bare hands, which are more than strong enough to make mincemeat out of the super soldier. That’s when Cap reaches for the hammer as the only weapon capable of withstanding the possessed former Avenger.
But lifting the hammer is not as easy as before. For whatever reason, Cap struggles to lift it, as though the weapon’s running a diagnostic on his established worthiness before allowing itself to be lifted. At the last second, though, it gets off the ground and Captain America uses it to smite Thor with a mighty blow across his face, knocking him away.
So, once again Steve has wielded the hammer of Thor and will no doubt find it a useful weapon in the upcoming fight against celestial threats. It remains to be seen how the Avengers will deal with the danger posed by the Starbrand in the next installment of the comic book series, but we’re certainly excited to find out.