The Mightiest Avenger returns this Friday, July 8th, as Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters everywhere. And to celebrate the release of the next chapter in the MCU, That’s It LA has decided to bring you all up to speed with a little crash course on the coolest and most formidable weapons in all the Nine Realms. After all, what’s a demigod space Viking pirate angel to do without his magic hammer axe? Suit up and strap in because we’re bringing the thunder to you!
Mjolnir
The mightiest of weapons ever created, Mjolnir is the signature weapon of Thor. Forged in the heart of the dying star, Nidavellir by Eitri the Dwarf King, Mjolnir was created exclusively for Thor Odinson as both a weapon to destroy or a tool to build. Enchanted with magic from Odin the Allfather, and father of Thor, Mjolnir could only be lifted by those who were deemed worthy to harness its power. While Odinson has been the primary owner of the legendary weapon, it has been picked up by a small number of MCU characters, including Odin himself, Vision, Hela, Captain America, and now Jane Foster.
In the comics, Mjolnir debuted the same issue as The Mighty Thor; Journey into Mystery #83 (1962). Unlike its film counterpart, however, it appeared to Dr. Donald Blake as a walking stick. Whenever he’d tap the stick on the ground, it would transform him into The Mighty Thor, and the stick itself would become Mjolnir. In the comics, as well as in the films, Thor could spin Mjolnir in his hands like a helicopter to allow him to fly, as well as act as a conduit to harness his power over lightning and thunder.
Sadly in the MCU, Mjolnir was destroyed by Hela, the goddess of death, in the events of Thor: Ragnarok, with a past incarnation making a memorable (or some may say iconic) cameo appearance in Avengers: Endgame. However at the end of that film, Steve Rogers returned the past Mjolnir back to 2013, so the present day version of the weapon remained shattered in New Asgard. However, in Thor: Love and Thunder expect the shards of the weapon to reassemble into a stronger one, now controlled and harnessed by the worthy Jane Foster (as adapted from the Jason Aaron run of Thor vol. 3 (2014).
Stormbreaker
Following the destruction of Mjolnir at the hands of Hela and the decimation of the endangered Asgardian population at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Thor Odinson is in desperate need of a “Thanos-killing” weapon. Thus, he sets off on a quest with Rocket Racoon and Groot of the Guardians of the Galaxy to find Eitri on Nidavellir. Thor, Rocket, and Groot come to find the planet is a graveyard, all save for Eitri, who agrees to help Thor forge the powerful weapon to aid him in defeating Thanos: The legendary axe Stormbreaker. Wielding Stormbreaker, Thor can channel the Odinforce (the omnipotent lightning blasts) at enemies, while chopping them down to size. The weapon is also so powerful it can summon the bi-frost – something absolutely necessary given the demise of Asgardian gatekeeper, Heimdall earlier in the film.
Stormbreaker in the comics actually belonged to cyborg Korbanite warrior Beta Ray Bill, an ally and sometimes rival of Thor. After besting Thor in combat and claiming Mjolnir, Bill decides that the hammer cannot be anyone else’s but Thor’s. And thus, Odin commissions Eitri and the dwarves of Nidavellir to build a new hammer for Bill. The hammer, possessing very similar abilities as Mjolnir, came to be Bill’s weapon. Eventually, Bill becomes a herald of the planet-eating villain Galactus, and Thor, having no choice but to stop him, destroys Stormbreaker with Mjolnir in Thor #3 vol. 6 (2020).
All-Black The Necrosword
All-Black the Necrosword is the primary weapon of Gorr the God Butcher in the Jason Aaron Thor: God of Thunder comics from 2012. Gorr came across the weapon after finding two gods incapacitated from battling one another in a nearby crater on his unnamed planet. The weapon came to Gorr and he used it to dispatch of one of the gods, making a solemn vow to destroy all gods with his newfound power and weapon. In the comics, it’s revealed that The Necrosword is actually the first symbiote ever created – a species that includes Venom and Carnage. Though it chose Gorr as its owner during the events of the Aaron run, its true master is Knull, the Symbiote God.
The Necrosword will be making its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Thor: Love and Thunder, as the primary weapon of Christian Bale’s MCU version of Gorr. While comic accuracy remains to be seen in the film, it’s likely (given Sony Pictures’ rights over the use of symbiotes in films like Venom) that the origins from the comics will be altered for the film. Given clips that have been released recently, it’ll more than likely be a weapon powered by the Shadow World that the MCU Gore appears to be in control over.
Zeus’s Thunderbolt
One of the major reveals in the Thor: Love and Thunder trailer is the appearance of Zeus, played by Russell Crowe. We see him catching a golden Thunderbolt in his bare hands, and also within the same trailer, we see it being wielded by Valkyrie in battle with Gorr. Not much else is known about the Thunderbolt in the film, but its most likely based on the lighting bolts created by Hephaestus and wielded by Zeus in the comics.
The gods of Olympus are actual characters in the Thor comics, and in in several conflicts with Hercules, Zeus has actually led the Olympians in battle against the Asgardians. Though they end up becoming allies at the end of the their conflicts with one another, the primary weapon he uses (in addition to his may formidable powers) are the thunderbolts created by Hephaestus.
Can’t wait to see all these weapons in action? Neither can we! Luckily we won’t have to much longer, since Thor: Love and Thunder is hitting theaters this Friday, July 8th!
About the author: When not saving the world from apocalyptic circumstances, Mike Manalo is a mild-mannered freelance reporter passionate about attending comic cons, premieres, and screenings. Hobbies include being obsessed with comics, movies, and all things nerdy!
