WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Thor #1-4 by Donny Cates, Nic Klein, Matt Wilson and VC's Joe Sabino, on sale now.

In 2014, Thor dropped his mighty hammer Mjolnir after becoming unworthy in Original Sin. For years, the character continued to have adventures of his own, but without the hammer that helps make him the God of Thunder. Instead, Jane Foster picked up the hammer and became the new Thor. This was the new status quo for several years -- that is, until Jane Foster's realm-shattering fight with the monstrous Mangog ended up with the Goddess of Thunder sacrificing Mjolnir into the heart of the sun to fell the murderous beast in 2018's Thor series.

By all accounts, it seemed as if Mjolnir had been lost -- unmade. However, the hammer finally returned to the hands of Thor at the end of 2019's War of the Realms, after Thor used the God Tempest to re-forge his hammer from inside the sun itself. The hammer fell back to Earth, and Thor was worthy to lift it once more.

However, this hammer isn't exactly the same as the one that came before. Here's how it's now different.

RELATED: Unworthy Thors: 5 Marvel Villains (And Other Jerks) Who Lifted Mjolnir

A New Handle

When Mjolnir was first thrown into the sun by Jane Foster, the metal Uru that makes the bulk of the hammer remained in the burning star. However, the wooden handle Thor used the carry the hammer was no more. Therefore, when Thor reforged Mjolnir in War of the Realms, he only had the pieces that form the mallet of the mighty weapon. There was no handle to remake.

For this new hammer, Thor had to find a new handle -- and he did, in the form of Yggdrasil, the cosmic, metaphysical World Tree that binds all the Ten Realms. Using the tree's branches, Thor made a new handle that is visibly different from his previous hammer. Instead of being perfectly round and adorned with a silver swirl, this one is simply a twirl of vines that echo the World Tree.

RELATED: Thor: How Marvel Replaced the Avenger with a New Thunder God

A New Power

In Donny Cates and Nic Klein's Thor #1, the story picks up after the events of War of the Realms. As the newly-crowned King of Asgard, Thor settles into his new role as ruler of the Ten Realms, and he shows he's intent on keeping the peace after the massive war which recently ravaged each and every one of them. In order to enforce his rule, Thor shows his unbelievable strength -- as well as a new power -- when he throws his hammer down to Earth to help the Avengers defeat a monstrous invader.

Before the hammer reaches the Earth, however, Thor makes sure his throw takes the hammer across every single realm. Everywhere it goes, Mjolnir carries the voice of the King of Asgard. This allows him to address all of his subjects at the same time, across the entire universe. It's an incredible new power and one the old Mjolnir certainly didn't have.

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A Different Enchantement?

When the new Mjolnir first falls to Earth in War of the Realms, the inscription on its side reveals that it still has the same enchantment as before: Whoever lifts the hammer, if they are worthy, shall possess the power of the God of Thunder. Thor shows that he's regained his worthiness when he picks it back up to defeat Malekith once and for all.

Yet, in Cates and Klein's Thor series, there are hints that the enchantment isn't what it once was. In fact, though he is still worthy of the hammer, Thor has begun to notice that it is getting heavier. At one time, he even struggles to lift it -- enough to let out a grunt. Since Thor proved he is worthy of the hammer very recently, it's possible the new Mjolnir's enchantment is different.

Further proof of a new enchantment comes from Loki, God of Mischief and freshly-crowned King of the Frost Giants. In Thor #4, Mjolnir briefly lands on Jotunheim and Loki actually picks up the hammer. It's called back to Thor before Loki can properly process the information and what it might mean, but it further goes to show that the hammer is different. After all, as Mjolnir gets heavier for one brother, it appears to grow lighter for the other. That should, eventually, prove to be quite a role reversal.

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