Bond has his Walther PPK, Doctor Who has his Sonic Screwdriver, Cap has his shield and Thor has Mjolnir. Forged of Uru by Dwarven blacksmiths this hammer has become synonymous with the Son of Asgard.
But perhaps the closest analogy to draw here is Arthur’s Excalibur, especially when considering the inscription on Mjolnir:
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."
Many have wielded Mjolnir from Beta Ray Bill to Superman himself but in the end it always returns to its rightful owner. In the comics Thor’s lifeforce is bonded to the hammer, increasing this connection further. But the most important thing to bear in mind about Mjolnir is what it tells us about Thor’s character.
In the recent movie, Thor has been unable to wield the hammer since being banished to Earth. It's only when he learns to be humble, when he's ready to sacrifice himself to save those around him that he's able to lift the hammer once more.
Worthiness here has nothing to do with strength. Mjolnir then is not only a badass hammer but a constant reminder to Thor to keep his ego in check.
With that in mind, there’s plenty of scope here for some great scripts and scenarios.
Have at it!*
*I feel I deserve some kind of recognition for avoiding all MC Hammer jokes whilst writing this post.
Mjolnir in WHEN ALL YOU HAVE IS A HAMMER...
ReplyDeleteThis story takes place during Ragnarok, which has spilled over into Earth. Thor has died, and the duty of bearing his hammer has fallen to Captain America, who is defending Avengers Mansion from a horde of frost giants while Thor is examined by Doctor Donald Blake, who was separated from Thor in the leadup to Ragnarok.
Panel 1: Steve Rogers, stands, unmasked, before the horde, face solemn and resolute. His shield lies broken at his feet, SHIELD agents lie dead at his side from earlier scuffles, and at least a few frost giants are dead as well. The shield is heavy in his hand.
Caption: Avengers Mansion, 3rd month of Ragnarok
Panel 2: Closeup on Steve's face. He is stonefaced, but his eyes express a pure rage.
Captain America: COME ON, THEN.
Panel 3: Steve winds up and releases the hammer.
Captain America: LET'S HAVE IT!
Panel 4: The lead frost giant takes a hammer through the face, surprising his compatriots. We can see the hammer arcing back towards Steve.
Panel 5: Inset, close on Mjolnir returning to his hand.
Panel 6: Steve, game face on, staring at the viewpoint, which should be from the frost giants' POV. He's either got his hands up, or is pointing at the frost giants.
Captain America: ANYONE ELSE WANT A TASTE?
Niel - I'm not sure I dig Cap's dialogue -- though, he probably is like this in the heat of battle. The ultimate gentleman who is also the ultimate soldier should probably kick into a sever testosterone fugue in battle.
DeleteThat aside, I totally dig the concept and the page. Very tidy, mate.
I could maybe see Ultimate Cap maybe voicing this dialogue but not 616 Cap.
DeleteOther than that this is a solid page.
After thinking it over, I'm thinking the dialogue, and the role, would work well with Captain Britain instead of Captain America. There's the Excalibur angle, with a hammer instead of a sword, and there's the hero who's been seen as second-rate really step up where, and I'm not all that sure on this one, Cap himself hasn't been seen succeeding. IIRC, Cap can't hold the hammer, but Superman can. I might have those backward, but I'm not sure.
DeleteMJOLNIR: featuring THOR and SAMMY HAGAR in "Hammer of the Gods"
ReplyDeletePanel 1: Interior - The Hard Rock Cafe in NYC, completely torn apart. Guitars hanging askew on the walls, gold and platinum records in shattered frames litter the floor. THOR lies bloody and broken on the stage, his head cradled in SAMMY HAGAR's arms. THOR is in his modern armour, SAMMY is wearing a Hawaiian shirt, bermuda khaki shorts, one sandal is missing.
SAMMY: (small text) But...wait...no...
THOR: Samuel Hagar...canst thou...read the inscription...on mine hammer?
Panel 2: from over Sammy's shoulder, we see Mjolnir on the stage floor, it's inscription readable to us.
SAMMY: "Worthy"...Dude, I like to think I'm an OK guy, but...
THOR: (off-panel) ...Sam...favourite song...
Panel 3: Thor's head in Sammy's arms, he's going unconscious.
THOR: (small lettering, weakly) ...Rock Candy...hhh...*
Panel 4: SAMMY's hand touches the handle.
Panel 5: Bright pale yellow. Sound FX says "BOOM"
Panel 6: SAMMY HAGAR holding MJOLNIR above his head in one hand. He is wearing Thor's classic costume, but all red. A Les Paul is clutched in his other hand like a battle axe. Classic rock god stance, like a metal album cover.
HAGAR-THOR: YEEAAAHHH!!!!
CAPTION: (like a scroll with runic writing) "For he had passed the trials of the demonic Edward Van Halen. Loki stands not a chance..."
To Be Continued...
NOTE: Apologies...Been listening to Sammy, and read his biography, over Easter break...Kind of stuck there...Anywho, CHEERS (Mas Tequila!)
Well played, AZ. I tried to come up with a 'Hammer of the Gods' story myself (though I was basing it on Led Zep because of their infamous bio) but I couldn't get it to work. Glad someone managed something in that vein.
Delete"For Want of a Hammer"
ReplyDeleteNOTE: This page should be drawn in the Mini Marvels style.
1) Long panel. Thor throws his arms wide in exasperation, talking to his fellow Avengers; Iron Man, Cap and Hulk.
THOR: You guys! I lost my magic hammer!
IRON MAN: Oh no!
CAP: Gosh!
HULK: HULK SHOCKED!
2) The Avengers in a living room, looking under couch cushions, behind the TV, etc.
THOR: If I can't find it, Dad's gonna be so mad!
HULK: HULK LOOKING!
3) Thor and Loki. Thor is giving Loki a suspicious look. Loki has a mock-innocent look and is wearing a large top hat.
THOR: Loki, did you take my hammer?
LOKI: Noooooooooo...
4) Hulk pops in from off panel, lifting Loki's hat to uncover Mjolnir. Loki and Thor surprised.
HULK: HULK FIND!
5) Long panel. Thor holds up the hammer triumphantly. The other Avengers around him, throwing up their arms, cheering. Loki fumes in the background.
THOR: I got my hammer back!
IRON MAN & CAP: YAY!
HULK: HULK HELPED!
END OF PAGE.
Daaw! ^___^
DeleteThat's exactly the reaction I was going for.
Delete