Warning: Spoilers for The Immortal Thor #4!An increasingly difficult debate to answer within Thor lore is whether or not Loki would be worthy of lifting the mighty Mjolnir. Loki has had a long and prolific career as a supervillain, but in recent memory has also served as a reformed hero. While their acts of heroism have been notable enough to redeem Loki in the eyes of those within the Marvel Universe, it’s tough to say if it’s enough to deem them worthy.
That debate becomes further complicated by The Immortal Thor #4 by Al Ewing, Martin Coccolo, Matthew Wilson, VC’s Joe Sabino, and Wilson Moss. In an issue that collectively lists Loki among Thor’s most trustworthy allies that he would allow to wield his hammer, one would assume that this is where the debate would be made crystal clear, more than it ever has been before.
However, the nature in which Loki does manage to hold the hammer only manages to raise more questions than answers about their worthiness.
Loki Isn’t the Enemy Thor Deserves, But The Enemy He Needs
Loki seeks to help the God of Thunder in Immortal Thor #3–but also noting that if they must help by being Thor’s enemy, they will.
Loki Holds Mjolnir on a Technicality
Thor comes face-to-face with a new enemy, Toranos, one whom Thor does not believe he can take on by himself. Instead, he recruits four people close to him whom he trusts enough to lend his hammer and power so that they can take down Toranos as a combined unit. This unit would later refer to themselves as the Thor Corps: Thor, Storm, Beta Ray Bill, Jane Foster, and Loki. When Toranos first touches down on land for the battle, Thor starts passing his hammer around to exchange his powers to everyone around him. After first giving his hammer to Storm, he orders her to throw his hammer at Loki, fully confident that they are worthy enough to catch it.
Unfortunately, Loki isn’t as confident, instead opening a portal for Beta Ray Bill to leap in front of them and catch it. To compensate, Bill wields the hammer and allows Loki to grip the bottom part of the handle so that they, too, can wield the power of Thor.
Is Loki Worthy?
This is when the notion of worthiness gets tricky. Is Loki worthy, or do they only get Thor’s powers on a technicality brought on by Bill lifting the hammer? Does that count as being worthy? If Loki wasn’t worthy, would that negate Bill’s worthiness and they’d both drop the hammer? Can – or even should – someone still get Loki’s powers without being worthy? Is Loki lifting it as much as they are touching it while Bill is actually lifting it? So many questions with few answers, but if one thing can be answered concretely, it’s if Loki has the right to be afraid of the hammer.
Loki’s initial fear stems from them believing holding the hammer is a “hero’s task” and, as far as they are concerned, Loki is no such thing. Or are they? Marvel has confirmed time and time again that Loki’s recent actions have earned them hero status, once even calling them the most important hero who ever lived as Avenger Prime. Loki’s hero status is not only valid but essential to the Marvel Universe. One would have to assume that, ultimately, Loki’s grand hero status should solidify them as worthy of wielding Mjolnir, even if their worthiness was depicted as murky at best in this issue.
