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Mjolnir - the iconic hammer of the Mighty Thor - is the ultimate test of heroism in Marvel lore, and only a handful of Avengers have passed it. Enchanted by Odin, Mjolnir can only be lifted by those who are 'Worthy' - a vague definition that has literally taken on a life of its own, with Mjolnir itself (or rather the ancient cosmic storm imprisoned inside it) choosing who is permitted to lift it.
Even Thor has sometimes found himself unworthy to lift Mjolnir, with a tiny number of his allies (including Beta Ray Bill and Red Norvell) also achieving the feat. Even rarer are the Avengers who, in times of epic conflict, have been able to lift the enchanted hammer. Here are their names.
Captain America, aka Steve Rogers
In Thor #390 by Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz
Steve Rogers first lifted Mjolnir in 1966, and he wasn't Captain America at the time, instead going by the codename of 'the Captain.' Steve lifts the hammer when he and Thor are overrun by the Demons of Death, then quickly hurls it back to its owner. Interestingly, like Superman after him, Cap doesn't gain Thor's powers by lifting the hammer.
Cap later recreated this feat in 2011's Fear Itself, during the attack known as the 'American Blitzrieg', and used Mjolnir to defeat his evil doppelganger in 2017's Secret Empire. Of course, Captain America's most famous moment wielding Mjolnir was in the MCU's Avengers: Endgame, leading the heroes of Earth against Thanos.
Storm, aka Ororo Munroe
In Immortal Thor #4 by Al Ewing and Martin Coccolo
Storm has a bizarre history with Mjolnir, beginning in X-Men Annual #9 by Chris Claremont and Arthur Adams. In that story, Loki gifted Storm her own hammer - named Stormcaster - which was disguised as Mjolnir. This hammer gave Storm her own 'Thor' form, and has appeared multiple times since.
In 2011's X-Men: To Serve and Protector #3 (Marc Guggenheim, Christopher Yost, Derec Donovan, Eric Koda and Steven Sanders), Storm and Thor held Mjolnir at the same time in an attempt to destroy Stormcaster, leaving fans to question whether this counted as Ororo being worthy of Mjolnir.
2023's Immortal Thor #4 confirmed it did, as Thor gathered a group of heroes who had previously wielded Mjolnir. During this adventure, Storm lifted and wielded Mjolnir against the elder god Toranos, alongside Beta Ray Bill and surprise ally Loki.
Jane Foster, aka Valkyrie, aka Thor
In Thor: God of Thunder #25 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera
When Nick Fury convinced Thor that Earth was better off without gods, the God of Thunder suffered an identity crisis and became unworthy of Mjolnir. Knowing Earth needed a Thor, Jane Foster picked up the hammer and gained the powers of a god.
Jane joined the Avengers and fought for Earth, despite the fact that every time she transformed into a god, it burned out the chemotherapy drugs that were supposed to help her beat cancer. Eventually, Jane sacrificed herself in battle against the monstrous Mangog, losing Mjolnir but being reborn as new hero Valkyrie.
Venom, aka Eddie Brock
In King in Black #5 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman
When Knull descended from space to subjugate Earth, Eddie Brock bonded with the God of Light, aka the Enigma Force, and became the latest version of Captain Universe. Fighting for the entire universe against the God of Symbiotes rendered Eddie worthy of Mjolnir, which he was able to summon from Thor's hand.
Venom officially joined the Avengers in 2019's War of the Realms Strikeforce: The War Avengers, in a 'War Avengers' team led by Captain Marvel.
Venom didn't just wield the hammer, but combined it with the Silver Surfer's surfboard to create a terrifying ax, ultimately burning Knull away in the Sun itself. Some may argue that it was technically Captain Universe who could lift Thor's hammer and Venom was a onetime host, but since they've been an Avenger too, the moment belongs on this list regardless.
The Thing, aka Ben Grimm
In One World Under Doom #8, from Ryan North and R.B. Silva
Finally, the most recent hero to prove his worth did so without technically lifting Mjolnir. In One World Under Doom, the Thing lifts the enchanted hammer Stormbreaker in a gigantic battle against Doctor Doom. While it's a different hammer belonging to Beta Ray Bill, Stormbreaker has the exact same worthiness enchantment as Mjolnir, proving the big-hearted Ben Grimm is officially worthy.
Thor was recently erased from Marvel canon, meaning he didn't technically exist during One World Under Doom and neither did Mjolnir.
As Thor himself has explained, lifting Mjolnir is as much about the situation as the person doing the lifting, and the hammer will only recognize a new wielder if they're fighting a truly honorable fight and putting themself on the line in a battle worthy of the ages. The Avengers above are the heroes who found themselves the exact right person at the exact right time, proving their worthiness by lifting Thor's hammer.
