Can Iron Man armor lift Mjolnir?

In the Marvel Universe, Iron Man's armor has, on occasion, been able to lift Mjolnir, the enchanted hammer of Thor. However, whether or not Iron Man can lift Mjolnir depends on several factors, including the specific version of the armor and the context of the story. Let’s break it down:

1. Mjolnir’s Worthiness Enchantment

• Mjolnir is famously enchanted by Odin, and it can only be wielded by someone deemed "worthy". This means that, traditionally, only those who possess qualities like nobility, courage, and selflessness can lift Mjolnir. The key here is worthiness, not necessarily physical strength.

• In the Marvel comics, we’ve seen a few characters other than Thor lift Mjolnir, including Captain America, Beta Ray Bill, and even Hulk, although they had to prove their worthiness in different ways.

2. Iron Man Lifting Mjolnir:

• Iron Man (Tony Stark), in most cases, cannot lift Mjolnir on his own. This is because Iron Man's worthiness has always been in question. Tony Stark, being somewhat arrogant and self-centered (especially early on), generally wouldn’t be considered "worthy" of wielding Mjolnir. His reliance on technology and his sometimes morally ambiguous actions disqualify him in the eyes of Mjolnir's enchantment.

However, there are notable exceptions:

3. Instances in Comics Where Iron Man Lifts Mjolnir:

• "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015 movie): In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), there is a memorable scene where Captain America moves Mjolnir slightly, suggesting that he might be worthy. However, Iron Man never attempts to lift it directly. Instead, Thor and Captain America have the major moments with Mjolnir.

• "Iron Man 3" (Comic Book Story): In a particular Iron Man comic (Iron Man #279), Tony Stark built a suit called the "Thorbuster" armor specifically designed to fight Thor. In this comic, Stark uses the Thorbuster armor to hold Mjolnir for a brief time, though he doesn’t technically lift it in the traditional sense. The suit had the necessary strength and magnetic field manipulation to handle the power of Mjolnir for a while.

• "Avengers" Comics: There is a storyline where Tony Stark temporarily uses a special suit (sometimes called the "Iron Thor" armor) that allows him to wield Mjolnir, combining his technological expertise with the hammer’s magical properties. In these versions, Tony doesn’t necessarily "lift" Mjolnir in the traditional sense, but his suit’s technology enables him to wield it.

• "Civil War II": During the events of Civil War II, Tony Stark briefly gets a hold of Mjolnir in an alternate version of reality where he proves his worthiness through his actions, making him able to wield the hammer for a short period.

4. Iron Man’s Suit and Mjolnir

• Iron Man’s technology sometimes plays a key role in allowing him to interact with Mjolnir in ways that go beyond traditional worthiness. His extremely advanced armors, like the Mark 85 or Mark L (which have nanotech and energy manipulation capabilities), might theoretically allow him to manipulate Mjolnir in some capacity. However, magical properties like Mjolnir’s worthiness enchantment still pose a challenge.

• "Infinity War" (Comic): In the Infinity War comic book series, Stark uses an advanced suit to work in tandem with Mjolnir's power. However, the issue still revolves around his worthiness to truly wield the hammer, and it's not a simple lifting of it like Thor.

5. The MCU:

• In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a famous scene in Avengers: Endgame (2019) where Captain America temporarily lifts Mjolnir during the battle against Thanos. However, Iron Man never attempts to wield Mjolnir directly in the MCU. His suit and capabilities allow him to stand alongside Thor in combat, but he does not attempt to lift the hammer in the same way that Cap does.

Conclusion:

While Iron Man's armor can allow him to hold or manipulate Mjolnir to a certain extent (like the Thorbuster suit), he cannot truly lift Mjolnir in most cases, as he is not considered "worthy" under the rules of Mjolnir’s enchantment. However, in certain storylines, advanced technology or special suits have allowed Tony Stark to wield the hammer temporarily, but these instances are usually exceptions to the usual rule of worthiness.