Is Odin inconsistent about the powers of Mjolnir?
In Avengers: Endgame in the final battle with Thanos,
Captain America not only was able to wield Mjolnir, but also used its lightning powers.
And I remembered in Thor: Ragnarok when Thor complained to Odin about being powerless without the hammer, to which Odin replied
Are you Thor, the God of hammers? The hammer is only to control your power.
or something like that (don't remember exact words).
This led me to believe that Mjolnir was just a powerful weapon, rather than the source of lightning. Then reading Stack Exchange I was reminded about Odin's enchantment that he placed on Mjolnir in the original Thor:
Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.
And by "power of Thor", I assume he meant the power of lightning? This seems like a contradiction with what he later said. Was Odin just trying to motivate Thor since
Hela was beating him pretty easily. But then again, he was able to "hit her with the biggest lighting in the history of lightnings" without Mjolnir.
So which is it about Mjolnir?
Best Answer
No, he's not being inconsistent.
Thor's powers are his, they're not granted by Mjolnir. He's capable - even if he doesn't realise/know it - of using them without Mjolnir, including after it's destroyed as he does in Thor: Ragnarok.
In the first Thor movie, Odin takes Thor's powers away from him, and then places the enchantment on Mjolnir. The intention is that, once Thor proves he's actually worthy again, his powers will be returned to him.
As a side effect of the enchantment, anybody else who happens to be worthy will also possess Thor's powers, while they're holding Mjolnir (for some definition of "holding"). This is what allows Captain America to summon lightning; he doesn't use Mjolnir to do it, but he has to be holding Mjolnir to have the ability to do it.
Pictures about "Is Odin inconsistent about the powers of Mjolnir?"
Can Odin take away Thors powers?
Odin didn't remove Thor's power. He removed Thor's ability to channel his power through Mjolnir. In the original Thor, Odin simply removes the hammer from Thor's hand. He then puts an enchantment on it that only the "worthy" can wield the hammer.What does Odin say about Mjolnir?
Odin : [enchants Mjolnir] Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of THOR!Why is Odin worthy of Mjolnir?
The gods Odin, Bor, and Buri \u2014 Thor's father, grandfather, and great-grandfather \u2014 have all hefted Mjolnir at one time or another. Odin, because it was his enchantment on the hammer in the first place, so he could do what he liked; while Bor and Buri were simply worthy.More answers regarding is Odin inconsistent about the powers of Mjolnir?
Answer 2
Clearly Thor's lightning powers, his ability to fly/hover and his super strength/durability are not derived from Mjolnir, because he demonstrates them in both Infinity War and Endgame while wielding Stormbreaker. Stormbreaker was forged by a dwarf and not enchanted by Odin.
In which case, it seems that Mjolnir must grant some other powers to whomever is worthy of lifting it. In Endgame we see that Captain America is able to produce lightning and throw Mjolnir with improbable force similar to how Thor does, and Thor is able to use the same powers with Stormbreaker at the same time. It's not clear if Captain America is made more durable while holding Mjolnir.
Therefore, Mjolnir must duplicate Thor's innate powers. Thor does not lose them when someone else has it, or it is destroyed. Maybe after some time they "rubbed off" on him and he doesn't need Mjolnir any more.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: RODNAE Productions, Miguel Á. Padriñán, RODNAE Productions, RODNAE Productions