Many superheroes have a signature weapon that they rely on. These
items are often associated specifically with them. Thor has a very
distinct signature weapon. Yes we are of course, talking about The
Mjolnir. This powerful hammer has been by his side during many of
his most memorable adventures. What many fans may not know is
that the Mjolnir is not the only one tool in his arsenal. The Asgardian
god has others at his disposal, including the Stormbreaker. It’s an
alternate version of Mjolnir, serving several of the same functions.
The thing that differentiates it is that one end of its head is a
hammer, while the other is an axe.
Here are Some Facts About Thor’s Stormbreaker.
1. IT WAS ORIGINALLY MADE FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Stormbreaker is
that it wasn’t made for Thor. It was specifically made for the
Korbinite named Beta Ray Bill. Stormbreaker came into
creation following the fight between Thor and Beta Ray Bill at
Skartheim. After the battle, Bill began to feel guilt over his
victory, now feeling that Mjolnir was Thor's by right. In a
compromise -as Bill fairly won the battle Odin had the Dwarves
blacksmiths to create a new hammer made for the cyborg
Korbonite warrior, crafted from the same Uru metal as Mjolnir.
2. IT WAS MADE WITH MAGIC
After deciding to gift Beta Ray Bill with a hammer of his own,
Odin went to the dwarfs of Nidavellir. Specifically, Odin sought
out his old friend Eitri and requested that something similar to
Mjolnir be made .Eitri agreed and ordered his colleagues to get
to work. They forged a mold, which Odin infused with his
magic. For a brief period of time, Stormbreaker and Bill became
endowed with cosmic powers, given to them by the Silver
Surfer, as a means to save Bill's life. This physically changed the
hammer's appearance to that of an axe-like weapon with a hole
in the center. Under unknown circumstances, both Bill and
Stormbreaker returned to their normal, Odinpowered
appearances a short time later.
3.Worthiness
It is believed that, just like the original Mjolnir, no one can lift
the Stormbreaker who is not worthy. Stormbreaker shares
many qualities in common with Thor’s other trusty weapon,
Mjolnir. Perhaps the most significant of them is its ability to
assess “worthiness.” In other words, it can only be lifted by
those of impeccable moral character.
4.ABILITY TO OPEN PORTALS
As with many superheroes, Thor does a lot of traveling in his
adventures. Because he hails from a far-away land where things
commonly require his attention, he frequently needs to zip back and
forth between Earth and Asgard. Other times, he has to move
between various locations as part of his duties as a protector. Thor
must get to where enemies are attacking, or where someone
requires assistance. Using Stormbreaker provides a means for doing
these things with expediency. When ever Thor needs to race to a
different location, he can use the weapon to open a portal that will
rapidly get him where he needs to be. Beta Ray Bill successfully
averted catastrophe using this same power when a meteor with a
small black hole at it’s center was heading towards Earth. Silver
Surfer destroyed the meteor, but the black hole kept on going. Bill
used the Stormbreaker to open a portal, thereby sending the
threatening cosmic object into some other part of the galaxy.
5. IT WAS ONCE SPLIT IN HALF
When Beta Ray Bill was captured by the Skrulls, they separated
Stormbreaker into two, axe-like halves as weapon for the Super-
Skrull that was sent to kill the gods of Asgard. How the Skrulls were
able to circumvent the worthiness is still a mystery, but the Skrull
was able to reforge the halves back into one whole weapon, hurling
it towards the town of Broxton in an attempt to destroy it. After
catching the hammer mere moments before it could hit the town,
Thor returned Stormbreaker to its rightful owner once again. This
incident is noteworthy because it shows that Stormbreaker can be
damaged, but also because it shows that, even in a compromised
state, it is still a force to be reckoned with.
6.Transformation
By stamping the Stormbreaker Beta Ray Bill can revert to his mortal
human form, Simon Walters, dressed in whichever clothes he last
wore in that form. Then, by stamping his fist, Bill turns back into his
superhuman form, and he has the hammer. When Beta Ray Bill made
his way to Earth, where he inhabited the body of a veteran. In this
guise, he was known by the name “Simon Walters.” Whenever he
wanted or needed to revert back to his Korbinite body, he could do
so by tapping on Stormbreaker. The weapon allowed him to go back
and forth between these identities. At another point in his history,
Bill had his consciousness transferred into a cyborg body. Similarly,
he could transform back into his non-cyborg form by tapping
Stormbreaker on the ground.
7. STORMBREAKER HAS MANY FUNCTIONS
Flight is one of its major skills. By harnessing willpower, the
possessor of the hammer can cause it to move in any direction, at
any speed. That provides a great deal of flexibility in combat,
allowing for immediate improvisation in defense or attack, as
necessary. On a related note, tracking is also something
Stormbreaker can do. If it needs to find the way to its owner — or,
potentially, the target of its punch — it can locate that person, even
if they are in a different dimension. Being a hammer, Stormbreaker
can be used as a blunt force melee weapon or as a throwing weapon.
It appears that Stormbreaker has the same attributes as Mjolnir, and
it can absorb, magnify, and return almost any type of force. By itself,
the hammer can create ground tremors, when struck against the
ground, or whirlwinds, when swung around. Stormbreaker can create
shields that will protect its holder from oncoming assault.
8. WEATHER MANIPULATION
We all know that Mjolnir can summon lighting. The Stormbreaker
can, too. In fact, as the name implies, it has the ability to manipulate
the weather. There are a number of notable examples in which it
was used for this purpose. Beta Ray Bill once summoned a storm
large enough to cover the surface of an entire sun. He did this in
order to block harmful rays emanating from it. Only because of his
hammer’s strength was he able to conjure up something large
enough to accomplish the task. Bill raises the Stormbreaker to the
sky, while Thor does the same with Mjolnir, and together they shoot
out dual bolts of lightning that stop the robot in its tracks. This ability
to control the weather proves handy in situations when Thor or Bill
need to gain an upper hand. The storms this hammer can create are
intense.
9. IT WAS USED TO FIGHT HULK AND FREE SLAVES
One of Stormbreaker’s most prominent uses comes in the 2010
direct-to- video animated feature Planet Hulk. The movie’s plot finds
Hulk crash-landing on another planet, where the dictatorial ruler
forces him to compete in a series of gladiator-style fights for his
people. The other fighters have been similarly enslaved. One of the
combatants Hulk faces is none other than Beta Ray Bill. During their
tussle, Hulk attempts to destroy Stormbreaker with his sword, only
to be repelled by its force projection ability. Bill hammers his
muscular green opponent with the hammer several times in
retaliation for the attack, and later sends it flying straight at Hulk,
who is knocked to the ground as a result.
Although Hulk ultimately wins, the fact that Stormbreaker topples
him over provides a glimpse of its immense power. Beta Ray Bill gets
another chance to utilize his weapon shortly afterward. He uses it in
a direct act of rebellion, summoning a lightning bolt that destroys the
special disks all fighters are required to wear in order to keep them
enslaved.
10. THOR ONCE REJECTED THE STORMBREAKER
You’d think that the chance to own a weapon like Stormbreaker
would be something Thor would never pass up, right? It’s powerful
and comes equipped with all kinds of features that prove useful. And
yet, the Asgardian hero rejected the Stormbreaker in one of the
comic book stories. Not because it wasn’t worthy of him, but
because he wasn’t worthy of it. In the Unworthy Thor storyline, Jane
Foster achieves worthiness and is able to claim Mjolnir as her own.
That sends Thor – referred to as Odinson – on a quest to find a new
hammer. A long search ensues, culminating with him having the
opportunity to claim Ultimate Mjolnir. Surprisingly, he doesn’t take
it, proclaiming, “It’s not my hammer.” Gorr the Butcher, a villain who
targeted gods, previously told him that gods were unworthy of
worship and that their arrogance would ultimately destroy mankind.
Thor ignored those words until Nick Fury later tells him that “Gorr
was right,” sending him into an existential crisis. This makes him
doubt his own worthiness, which, in turn, causes him to decide that
Ultimate Mjolnir doesn’t belong in Thor’s hands.
