The Worthy: Six Other Heroes Who Have Lifted Thor’s Hammer, Mjolnir

Captain America (Steve Rogers)

First time lifting Mjolnir: Thor #390

Ironically, Rogers wasn’t Captain America at the time, going by simply The Captain after resigning his most famous identity. That’s why he’s in those black and red duds you see above.

Anyway, while it caused a little bit of outrage among fans at the time, it’s hard to argue that if any mortal man was worthy of lifting Mjolnir, it should be Steve Rogers. He did it under duress, as he was helping Thor fight some troops in the service of the serpent god Seth, led by Grog the God-Slayer. Thor became separated from his hammer and ended up getting buried under a wave of enemies, and the Captain was simply acting out of desperation trying to get Mjolnir back to the Thunder God.

Rogers surprised himself by being able to lift it, noting that stronger beings had been unable to do so. Of course we know it’s the worthiness and not the raw power that matters. Steve seemed happy to return the hammer to its rightful owner ASAP, and Thor was suitably impressed.