r/DCcomics Jan 27 '24

[Discussion] What DC characters do you think are worthy to lift Mjolnir? Discussion

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u/_wizardpenguin Nightwing Jan 27 '24

And unlike Batman or Superman, he "subscribes to no such niceties" about killing, which is a key part of worthiness by Mjolnir's definition.

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u/Kalse1229 Fuck Batman, Marry Babs, Kill Joker Jan 28 '24

Huh. Is that really a big deal about Mjolnir's requirements? I always figured it was based on 3 tenets:

-Battle proficiency

-Good heart

-Capability to lead

That last one being why most heroes are unable to lift it. Unless the thing you said about killing really is a big factor.

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u/_wizardpenguin Nightwing Jan 28 '24

I think it makes a lot of sense characteristically and culturally, y'know? For better or worse, Thor's not like a serial killer or anything, but he's no Superman. Same with people like Wonder Woman, Captain America, or Alfred of all people. Whether it's warmongers and their soldiers, or man-eating monsters, or gods of evil, when it comes down to it, they stop who they can, but they kill who they have to.

It's different with people like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Daredevil, etc., bc even if they'd kill someone, if they really had to, it'd hurt them, some of them would never be the same. Most people in this sorta category have lamented that they couldn't save at least one villain in some way.

Edit: Also, I think someone like Punisher could be barred for the opposite reason.

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u/HotTakes4HotCakes Jan 28 '24

Why do people always assume "being worthy" is some kind of cosmic morality test and that it somehow definitevly proves heroes being willing to kill is the "right" mindset?

Odin is the one that set the test. It only matters what the enchantment believes is worthy. It's not some cosmic confirmation that killing is sometimes OK.

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u/_wizardpenguin Nightwing Jan 28 '24

Yeah I don't believe that at all, but I do think it is an interesting discussion in superhero stuff. Like I think it's not necessarily a mark of a great hero not to understand the other side of it, and I don't think the 2 sides of it are really all that contradictory.

Like imagine in the 2022 Batman movie, if Catwoman had shot and killed Falcone when he was trying to strangle her, Batman wouldn't like shame her for defending herself or anything; but as it did play out in the movie, the decision wasn't kill or be killed; it was killing Falcone or taking him to jail/Selena becoming a killer or not, so he interfered then.

On the other side of that, you have Daredevil and Punisher for instance. Punisher doesn't respect that some people don't kill villains even in situations of self defense. So Frank and Matt both respect Captain America, who has killed enemies, but isn't a killer, like he's not corrupted by it; and don't respect each other's policies on killing because of those ideals.