“Whosoever holds this hammer, if s/he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” That’s the inscription etched onto the side of Mjolnir, the mythical Asgardian weapon of choice for the mighty God of Thunder. Yet, as readers have seen many times before, merely being worthy enough to wield the hammer doesn't necessarily make someone Thor.

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There can be more than one person worthy, and it extends beyond the Odinson fans know from comics and the movies. The characters who've been found worthy of Thor's powers and mantle can be ranked from weakest to strongest to determine, once and for all, who is the most powerful version of Thor.

Updated on June 29, 2022 by Scoot Allan: The upcoming release of Thor: Love and Thunder teased the debut of Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor alongside the classic Odinson. Jane Foster's run as Thor introduced a powerful new Thunder God to the Marvel universe. However, she wasn't the only character to prove worthy of Mjolnir and the power of Thor over the years. There were a few Thors from across the multiverse who also challenged the original Asgardian for the role of Marvel's strongest Thunder God.

20 Thor Was Turned Into The Frog Of Thunder Before Simon Walterson Became The New Throg

Throg the Frog of Thunder in Marvel Comics

There have been, bizarrely, multiple versions of a Frog wielding Thor's powers. The first appears in Walt Simonson’s seminal run on Thor, when the God of Thunder himself is transformed into a frog and joins forces with Puddlegulp and King Glugwort in a bitter war against the rats. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers reveals Puddlegulp is a human named Simon Walterson.

Simon was turned into a frog by a witch’s curse. He then happened upon a sliver of Mjolnir and became Throg: Frog of Thunder. From there, he joined Lockjaw and the rest of the Pet Avengers in retrieving all the fabled Infinity Gems. He’s limited in power due to the fact he’s a frog, but still worthy enough to wield some of Mjolnir's power.

19 Thor Girl Was A Cosmic Being Who Turned Herself Into An Asgardian

Tarene disapproves of her orders as Thor Girl in Marvel Comics.

The girl who would become known as Tarene first appeared as a cosmic being known as The Designate. She was created to help bring about the evolution of sentient beings to their next level. However, Thanos destroyed her home planet, forcing her to team up with Thor to stop the Mad Titan.

The Designate transformed herself into an Asgardian Goddess to honor Thor and his bravery, becoming Tarene and operating as Thor Girl. She was forced to sacrifice most of her cosmic abilities in battle with Surtur, however, she retained her Thor Girl powers which she used as a member of the Initiative before returning to the stars.

18 Young Thor Adventured On Earth Before He Was Worthy Enough For Mjolnir

Young Thor with his ax

The Odinson fans know and love wasn’t always worthy to wield the hammer; that kind of Godly responsibility had to be earned. There was a time when the man they'd come to call Thor was merely a headstrong, arrogant, swaggering boy learning (sometimes the hard way) what it meant to be a God.

Readers meet the young, pre-worthy Thor in Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic’s early issues of Thor: God of Thunder, where the past, present and future versions of the God of Thunder come together to battle Gorr, the God Butcher. While he’s the weakest version of Thor, he still displays the early elements of what makes him the God of Thunder.

17 Odinson Became Unworthy Of Mjolnir's Power During The Original Sin Event

Unworthy Thor wielding his ax

In a single moment, with a single whisper, Nick Fury divulged a single, secret truth to Thor during the Original Sin storyline. With that epiphany realized, the Odinson found himself unworthy to lift the mighty Mjolnir.

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It took Odinson nearly three years on his roller coaster of self-discovery to regain his worthiness while Jane Foster operated as Thor in his stead. Wielding the ancient Asgardian ax Jarnbjorn, Thor was still a formidable character, but nowhere near the strongest Thor.

16 Red Norvell Briefly Gained The Powers Of Thor After He Was Manipulated By Loki

Red Norvell as Thor

Roger Norvell (known as Red to his friends) belonged to a film crew attempting to chronicle the real lives of Asgardians, but when they were shunned by Thor, Loki stepped in to help. Red was smuggled into Asgard as an unwitting pawn of Loki and Hela’s plans to bring about Ragnarok, but while there, he became infatuated with Lady Sif.

Loki sent Red on a trial to gain the powers of Thor and potentially win Sif’s love. Odin was aware of his adopted son’s machinations and plotted to imbue another with the powers of Thor in case Odinson was struck down during Ragnarok, as was prophesied. These two circumstances converged and thus, for a short while, Red Norvell became a new God of Thunder.

15 Ragnarok Was A Biomechanical Clone Of Thor Created To Fight During The Civil War

Thor's evil clone Ragnarok

During the first superhuman Civil War, Thor was out of the picture. Due to the death cycle of the Asgardian Ragnarok, he wasn’t around to take a side in the conflict surrounding the infamous Superhuman Registration Act. Constructing a clone of Thor, Mr. Fantastic and Iron Man sent their own God of Thunder into battle.

Later dubbed Ragnarok, Project Lightning was considered a success and was almost as powerful as the real thing. So much so, in fact, that it was able to overpower and murder giant-size hero Goliath. It’s later revealed the clone was worked on by the Skrull imposter of Hank Pym, which might account for its murderous tendencies.

14 Reverend Cecil McAdam Was Given Godlike Powers In The Future To Become Thor 2099

Thor 2099 swinging his hammer

Marvel 2099 introduced a whole Church of Thor, and in Nueva York, Reverend Cecil McAdam led a flock of Thorites. Believing he could become the hero of his religious beliefs, McAdam accepted an offer from the evil head of Alchemax — Avatarr — becoming the new Thor. He then assisted Avatarr in combating the new wave of heroes flooding the city.

Imbued with Godlike powers from a hammer similar to Mjolnir, Thor 2099 fought against the newly formed X-Men 2099 and futuristic versions of Doom, Spider-Man and Punisher. In a climactic battle, The floating city of Valhalla was destroyed in a powerful explosion, seemingly killing the Thor of 2099.

13 Dargo Ktor Became The Last Champion Of Midgard In The Future As The God Of Thunder

Dargo Ktor as Thor

Traveling into the future, 2587 to be exact, the world is in ruins and the oppressive force of The Corporation rules over the remains. A group of rebels and worshippers of the Thor's myths find the enchanted hammer Mjolnir in a cave. Dargo Ktor seizes the hammer and became the new God of Thunder.

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The new Thor experienced some resistance from his hammer, however, as Mjolnir refused to obey its new master. When Dargo defeated Loki and finally overthrew the Corporation, he used Mjolnir to open a portal, sending the hammer through the rift in the hopes it would find its rightful master.

12 Ultimate Thor Was From A Universe Where His Powers Were Dependent On Technology

Ultimate Thor with lighting from mjolnir and his costume

Thor from Marvel's Ultimate Universe is a lot darker and more complex than his regular 616 counterpart. In this world, political activist and social anarchist Thorlief Golmen claims to be the reincarnated embodiment of the Norse God of Thunder after having a nervous breakdown and spending over a year in a psychiatric institution.

There was a lot of initial skepticism to his claims, but Thorlief turned out to be the real deal. He’s generally weaker than the 616 Thor, and his powers were partially dependent on the tech vest he wore. Magneto even stole Mjolnir at one point, which he used to bring about the cataclysmic Ultimatum event.

11 Iron Hammer Was An Infinity Warp Of Thor And Iron Man

Iron Hammer from Infinity Warps

The Infinity Wars event saw the Marvel universe folded in half by Gamora's use of the Infinity Stones. Popular characters like Iron Man and Thor were merged together to create powerful new heroes like Iron Hammer, who existed in the newly formed Warp World.

Stark Odinson was an Asgardian exiled to Midgard without his godlike abilities. However, he still had his knowledge of advanced technology, which allowed him to create a powerful suit of armor and his devastating hammer Mjolnirion. He became Iron Hammer and fought for Midgard while trying to earn his way back to Asgard.

10 Eric Masterson Was Briefly Merged With Thor Before Wielding His Own Hammer As Thunderstrike

Eric Masterson as Thunderstrike

Thunderstrike was the name later adopted by Eric Masterson, but for a while, he shared a body with the actual Thor — much like Donald Blake. Eric started life as a supporting character in the comics until the Mongoose almost killed hm. In order to save Eric's life, Odin merged him with the God of Thunder.

Eric was eventually manipulated by the Enchantress into attacking Sif, which enraged Thor. This led to a fight to reclaim Thor's powers. After the manipulation was uncovered, Odin gave Eric an enchanted mace and the new identity of Thunderstrike, although he didn't have as much power as before. Thunderstrike was eventually killed in battle.

9 Dani Cage Wielded Mjolnir In The Future As Thor Of The Wasteland

Danielle Cage as Thor with the Avengers of the Wasteland

The Wasteland was first introduced in the Old Man Logan storyline which took place in a dark post-apocalyptic future of the Marvel universe. It was a world that had been taken over by the supervillains following the deaths of heroic teams like the X-Men and the Avengers.

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Danielle Cage was the superpowered daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. She became the caretaker of young Hulk Jr. after Old Man Logan rescued the powerful child from his cannibalistic family. She proved her worth in battle when she picked up Mjolnir and gained the powers of Thor. She worked with the Avengers of the Wasteland as Thor of the future.

8 Hercules Was Manipulated Into Becoming A Replacement Thor

Hercules as the Replacement Thor

While most versions of Thor have either been Asgardian or human, the Olympian demigod Hercules briefly took on the role. When Thor was missing and Asgard was threatened by the Dark Elves of Svartalfheim. While Hercules did questionable things in the Marvel universe, one his best moments came when the Lion of Olympus filled in as Thor's replacement.

However, it was ultimately revealed Hercules was being manipulated by a disguised Malekith into taking over as Thor. He wielded his golden mace which was also disguised as Malekith and eventually entered into a battle with a Hercules-disguised Thor for a truly confusing match-up between Gods.

7 Volstagg Was Transformed Into War Thor After He Picked Up Ultimate Thor's Hammer

Volstagg as War Thor in Marvel Comics

The War Thor, aka the All-New, Ultimate Thor, was the product of major conflict and upheaval in both Asgard and Midgard. Wielding the hammer of the original Ultimate Thor after it was lost during the Secret Wars event, War Thor was the scarred, jaded and angry alter-ego of Volstagg, long-time ally of the God of Thunder and formerly jolly member of the Warriors Three.

Volstagg picked up Ultimate Mjolnir in his grief over losing refugee children from the ravaged realm of Alfheim. War Thor helped defend Asgard against Mangogg, but he was injured in battle. After Ultimate Mjolnir was shattered, it was reforged as Undrjarn the All-Weaponand wielded by Jane Foster, the new Valkyrie.

6 Beta Ray Bill Proved Himself Worthy As Thor Before Receiving His Own Hammer

Beta Ray Bill wielding Stormbringer in Marvel Comics

The fan-favorite ambiguous anti-hero Beta Ray Bill proved he was worthy of Mjolnir when he claimed the powers of Thor after Odinson was separated from Mjolnir. This was the first time in comics that another being had claimed Thor’s powers, so it was a huge deal.

Odin proclaimed that Bill and Odinson would fight to the death to become the rightful owner of the Thor powers. Bill won but spared Odinson’s life, declaring him too worthy of an opponent. Odin then forged Bill his own hammer called Stormbringer. Since then, Bill remained a firm ally to his blood-brother, Thor.

5 Storm Thor Wielded Her Own Powerful Enchanted Hammer Called Stormbringer

Storm Thor using Stormbreaker

During the 2015 Secret Wars event, God Emperor Doom ruled over the newly created patchwork planet Battleworld. He used a Corps made up of multiversal Gods of Thunder to enforce his rule. There were all manner of Thors present in the Thor Corps, including Alison Blaire of Earth 15513, and even a Dino-Thor of Earth 200111.

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These were the best of the best, hand-picked from an infinite number of dead universes. A prominent member was Storm Thor, the perfect pairing of the God of Thunder and the X-Men’s resident "Weather Witch" Ororo Monroe. Originally from Earth 904, Ororo was given the powers of Thor through a mystical hammer called Stormbringer that she also briefly wielded in the mainstream universe.

4 Jane Foster Became The Mighty Thor After Picking Up Odinson's Discarded Mjolnir

Jane Foster as the Mighty Thor in the comics

Jane Foster was originally the love interest of both Donald Blake and Thor. However, she took on the mantle of Thor after the Odinson was declared unworthy during the Original Sin event. Jane Foster fought two very different battles. As Thor, she wielded Mjolnir in ways that Odinson never did, proving herself his equal, and in many ways, his better.

Jane's human persona, however, was fighting a losing battle with cancer, and her frequent changes into the Goddess of Thunder made her illness worse. Jane still chose to wield the hammer whenever she was needed. While Mjolnir returned to Odinson, Jane gained another power upgrade during the War of Realms event, becoming Valkyrie after joining with Undrjarn.

3 Thor Odinson Spent Years Proving Himself Worthy Of Mjolnir And His Full Powers

Thor with the Odinforce

The original Thor, he was known by many titles: Son of Odin. Brother of Loki. The Mighty Thor. The Mighty Thor. Since Journey Into Mystery #83 back in 1962, Thor Odinson wielded Mjolnir, fighting for his home of Asgard and his adopted home of Midgard. He was a founding Avenger in both the comics and the movies and remained a constant example of the best Marvel had to offer.

Thor has struggled with his worthiness over the years, though he has displayed incredible strength and abilities both with and without Mjolnir. Thor has recently gained the power of the Odinforce as the new ruler of Asgard, further increasing his might.

2 Rune King Thor Used Rune Magic And The Odinforce To End The Cycle Of Ragnarok

When Loki kickstarted the end of Asgard in Thor Disassembled, the Thunder God was forced to seek out enhanced power and knowledge in order to end the destructive cycle. He sought out his fallen father Odin in order to increase his power when he inherited the Odinforce.

Thor also gained the ability to use the wisdom of mystical Rune stones to further increase his strength. He was forced to sacrifice his eyes to gain the ability to see into the past, and he even hung himself to death on Yggdrasil to gain the Rune magic. He became the incredibly powerful Rune King Thor, allowing him to stand up to Those Who Sit Above In Shadow and end Ragnarok.

1 Old King Thor Survived Far Into The Future As One Of Marvel's Most Powerful Cosmic Beings

Old King Thor

Surviving the death of Asgard, of all other Gods, of the Earth and the heavens, Old King Thor defeated Galactus and was truly the strongest Thor. Inheritor of the Odin-Force (renamed the Thor-Force), nicknamed The Destroyer, and sitting on the throne of Asgard as the final All-Father, King Thor proved a God above all others.

He lost an eye and an arm (gaining the arm of the Destroyer instead), but King Thor was nothing if not a survivor. It took the combined might of King Thor, Young Thor, and Thor Odinson to defeat the God Butcher, but when they did, King Thor claimed Gorr’s sword for his own. This made an old God even more powerful, and easily the strongest of all Thors.

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