After being granted his father’s powers, Thor defeats Mjolnir seemingly at the cost of his hammer in the dramatic finale Thor #23.
The tide of battle has turned for Thor and the Avengers. Mjolnir, the spirit of Thor’s hammer, turned against her master and laid waste to the world, including everything and everyone Thor loved. Outmatched and desperate, Thor called upon the powers of his mother, Gaea, and despite his incredible power boost, Thor was still no match for Mjolnir’s unstoppable wrath. Odin, remorseful for his involvement in Mjolnir’s anger and determined to set things right, made the ultimate sacrifice to allow his son to end the battle once and for all. Now imbued with the powers of both his parents and newly enraged by the loss of his father, Thor has achieved an incredible new form with a whole host of abilities. Thor #23 sees him strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the spirit of his beloved weapon, but there may be even more sacrifices that must be made before the battle can be won.
There was a lot of build-up in the last few issues to this climactic final battle between Thor and Mjolnir in Thor #23. Odin’s sacrifice did not go in vain, with Thor now imbued with both his and Gaea’s powers. This proved to be just enough of a boost for Thor to wrest his hammer away from Mjolnir and lead her to the forge Nidavellir, the place of her birth and, soon, her death. Seeing Thor literally hammering the evil spirit out of his hammer to the point of shattering is terrifying, yet satisfying. It’s also a testament to Thor’s character development as God of Thunder and Odin’s successor as the All-Father.
Much of the current Thor series features strong writing from Donny Cates, who demonstrates a willingness to explore Thor’s character and motivations. The last issues of this arc were about the loss of Thor’s identity, family, and trust. His triumph, by way of Odin’s redeeming sacrifice, was well-deserved and long overdue, but not without tears. Thor himself had to make the painful sacrifice by destroying his beloved ancestral weapon, shattering it to pieces. After the winning battle, and a long period of slumber, Thor awakens in time to pick up the pieces, quite literally, as his loved ones step in to rebuild his hammer and his life.
Family makes up a huge part of Thor’s identity and his character development. He and his siblings have major issues with their parents, their lineage, and each other, which make up the majority of conflict and friction within each of their respective stories. It’s only fitting and cathartic to see that Thor, after having lost his father and his hereditary weapon, continues to think of his family for the duration of the battle. He draws on their strengths and support, even after the battle ends. Sif lends him her sword. He has a tender moment with Angela and Loki as he recovers. Most importantly, he is gifted with his hammer, battered and haphazardly glued together, but newly rebuilt with his father’s spirit inside.
The Mjolnir arc was all about deconstruction, taking everything that Thor thought he knew, loved, and took for granted and turning it on its head. With this arc seemingly coming to a close and Thor rising in one piece from the rubble, it makes sense that Thor #23 sets up a new period of reconstruction. The stage is set for Thor to rebuild his sense of purpose as the God of Thunder, his relationships with his family, and his feelings towards his father. Perhaps Thor can even restore his place among the Avengers with his reconstructed weapon.
Thor #23 starts and ends on a bittersweet note, and brings to an end one of the most riveting and harrowing arcs that the character has ever experienced. While Thor getting his hammer back after such an intense battle 0f self-sacrifice and loss might seem too convenient, it makes for a satisfying end considering what he’s gone through. Thor’s hammer, time and again, has been used to destroy. Perhaps going forward, it and Thor himself will have a chance to rebuild.
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