WARNING: The following contains spoilers for King in Black #5, by Donny Cates, Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, Frank Martin, Jason Keith and VC's Clayton Cowles, on sale now.
The inscription on the side of Thor's hammer Mjolnir states that only those who are deemed worthy are able to lift it and possess the power of Thor. Over the years, only a select few have proven capable of wielding the powerful Asgardian artifact, such as Steve Rogers, Jane Foster and Beta Ray Bill. What's more, certain other characters have also lifted Mjolnir: Loki was able to pick up the hammer as a result of the changes in Asgardian magic, and Black Panther exercised a certain amount of control over the hammer given his ancestor's shared past with Mjolnir. And now, another name can be added to that list.
In King in Black #5, another major Marvel hero lifts Thor's hammer -- and it's someone totally unexpected: Eddie Brock, aka Venom.
In King in Black #4, a recently deceased Eddie Brock was brought back to life by the Enigma Force. Now powered by this cosmic entity, Eddie was transformed into the new Captain Universe. After being reunited with his symbiote, Eddie joins the battle once more as Venom, and he's now more powerful than ever. With the combined abilities of the symbiote and the Enigma Force, Venom stands between Knull and the rest of the world's heroes. This fight is now his, and he knows what he must do to win.
Before the fight begins, Venom stretches his hands and calls two weapons to him: the Silver Surfer's board, and Thor's hammer. Both weapons fly from the hands of their owners and into Eddie Brock's grasp. Thor simply can't believe it, because that is a feat that is, as the Silver Surfer remarks, impossible. But the Surfer looks on with a smile, knowing full well what this means: Venom is now something else entirely.
Thanks to the Enigma Force, Venom's powers know no equal. He uses Mjolnir and the surfboard to create a new battle axthat, combined with his own abilities, allows him to defeat Knull. This feat is undoubtedly impressive, but having Venom summon Mjolnir is truly noteworthy given that he now joins a very small group of people who have been able to wield the hammer.
Of course, the big question here is whether Eddie Brock is truly worthy of the hammer, or if it was the presence of the Enigma Force that enabled him to do so. There is some ambiguity at play here, and fans will surely debate about Venom's worthiness for a long time to come.
After all, thanks to the Enigma Force, Eddie was also able to exert control over the Silver Surfer's surfboard -- another showcase of his great cosmic abilities. But, for the past three years, Eddie has been on a redemptive arc that saw him become a father, an Avenger and a hero. Through his trials, Eddie has proven to be one of Earth's greatest heroes -- and perhaps that is what allowed him to call Mjolnir to him.