Thor had indeed encountered some resistance. As he unleashed his power and went about slaughtering the planet's inhabitants, it wasn't just him and his lightning wreaking havoc. His hammer, Mjolnir, was flying through the air, cutting down lives in its path to fulfill Thanos's orders. However, Thanos had demanded the death of only half the planet's population, and that restriction forced Thor to limit his power, carefully controlling the destruction he wrought. If not for this, Thor would have already unleashed his full divine strength, obliterating the planet or, at the very least, wiping out all life on its surface with a massive storm of lightning.
Thor's task was proceeding smoothly. The planet's civilization was weak, with no superpowered individuals, much less anything approaching the strength of someone like Drax. Thor continued his slaughter, unaffected by the emotions that usually accompany such acts of violence.
However, Mjolnir had encountered an obstacle. As it tore through the battlefield, cutting down foes, a sturdy figure stepped in its path. For the first time, Mjolnir hesitated, its momentum slowing, and the hammer trembled slightly.
Yes, Mjolnir had fallen in love again. After recognizing people like Clark, Robert, and Peter Parker, another individual had earned its favor—someone whose worthiness was high on Mjolnir's list.
Mjolnir's hierarchy of recognition was important. For instance, while Peter Parker could lift the hammer, his standing wasn't high enough to compete with Thor. If Thor and Peter both called for the hammer, it would always fly to Thor first. However, that didn't mean Thor held the highest rank. The vast universe was full of remarkable beings, and sometimes, unexpected encounters like this would occur.
With a hum, Mjolnir plummeted to the ground. Once it landed, the hammer's lightning powers faded, and it appeared as nothing more than an ordinary tool—showing no signs of its previous destructive force.
"What's going on? Why has this blood-soaked killing hammer fallen? Is it out of energy? But why do I feel like it's calling to me? Am I imagining things?" The figure, a muscular humanoid with the head of a horse, pondered as he revealed his true face.
This half-beast creature was Beta Ray Bill. His name might not be well-known, but in another universe, his title "Beta Ray Thor" was legendary. Bill had a history of defeating Thor, even when Thor wielded Mjolnir himself.
In fact, Odin had once crafted Stormbreaker, a weapon with powers nearly identical to Mjolnir, as a gift to Bill so that Mjolnir wouldn't become Bill's permanent weapon. With Stormbreaker in hand, Bill's power had grown even further, making him more like Thor than the God of Thunder himself.
As Bill laid eyes on Mjolnir for the first time, he immediately felt something unusual. The hammer was calling to him, filling him with curiosity and an inexplicable fondness, causing him to ignore the bloodshed it had caused.
"It's not an illusion. It's really calling me. I feel like I have to pick it up…" With Mjolnir's summons growing stronger, Bill finally stepped forward, reaching out to grasp the hammer's handle.
Crack!
Boom!
At that moment, a massive lightning bolt struck from the sky, followed by deafening thunder that echoed across the landscape.
Had the skies been clear, this phenomenon would have been highly conspicuous, but with the entire planet already cloaked in dark storm clouds and constant lightning, no one initially noticed the change.
However, when the lightning struck Bill, transforming him into Beta Ray Thor—clad in Asgardian armor—those nearby finally took notice.
As Beta Ray Thor appeared, the planet, once under Thor's exclusive control, now had two wielders of divine thunder. The dark clouds above froze in place, and the flashes of lightning ceased, as if waiting for the two wielders of Mjolnir's power to settle their contest before the storm could resume.
"Hm? Mjolnir?" On the other side of the battlefield, Thor paused, sensing the shift. He had lost his connection to Mjolnir. In the past, losing the hammer would have left Thor practically powerless, barely stronger than a mortal. But that was no longer the case. After several personal transformations and power breakthroughs, Thor had become more than just the god who wielded a hammer—he was now the true God of Thunder.
"I can't believe Mjolnir has found someone else worthy of lifting it again. If that's the case, it seems Asgard could end up with many Thors." Thor chuckled to himself, lightning sparking in his eyes as his gaze pierced the distance to see Beta Ray Thor's form.
"A half-beast? Mjolnir, your taste has gotten stranger. I understood the Earth heroes—they were strong and looked the part. But this horse-faced guy? Isn't that going a bit too far?" Thor's eyes flickered with confusion before he shook his head with a resigned smile.
"Oh well. Since you've chosen him, let's see how he measures up. Unfortunately for him, he'll end up on Thanos's kill list."
With a flash of lightning, Thor vanished from where he stood, this time relying solely on his own power to summon the thunder.
"I've become a god? Is this really a divine artifact called Mjolnir? Have I become the God of Thunder?" Beta Ray Thor stared at the Asgardian armor now covering his body, clearly amazed at his transformation. He felt an immense surge in his life force and strength, as if he had ascended to a new level of existence.
"Yes, you have become a god." A voice interrupted Bill's thoughts, startling him. Beta Ray Thor had not sensed Thor's approach, but Mjolnir trembled in his hand, waking him from his daze.
"And you are…?" Beta Ray Thor turned to face the source of the voice—Thor himself.
"I am Thor, the God of Thunder of Asgard, and the rightful wielder of Mjolnir," Thor said, his eyes fixed on the hammer in Beta Ray Thor's hand. He tried calling out to Mjolnir, but the hammer, though it trembled, showed no intention of leaving Beta Ray Thor's grasp. Thor sighed and continued, "To put it more clearly, I am the invader of your planet, and I'm here to kill half your people."
"You're the one?!" Beta Ray Thor's face twisted in fury. He had seen Mjolnir slaughter his people but hadn't realized that the hammer belonged to Thor.
But the title of God of Thunder didn't scare Bill. He, too, was now a god, and with Mjolnir in hand, he felt confident in facing any opponent—even Thor.
Boom!
Lightning gathered around Beta Ray Thor as he leapt into the air, swinging Mjolnir at Thor. An immense surge of thunder shot from the hammer, aimed directly at Thor's body.
Although Beta Ray Thor had only just acquired Mjolnir, his strength surpassed that of Thor when he had first arrived on Earth, and he was far more powerful than Peter Parker had been when wielding the hammer.
As Mjolnir hurled an endless torrent of lightning toward him, Thor shook his head slightly, his expression cold. His connection with Mjolnir, forged over a thousand years, made him feel as though he had been betrayed by an old friend.
Crackle!
But Thor quickly steadied himself, releasing a powerful wave of thunder from his own body. The two forces of lightning, though almost identical in origin, clashed with each other. There was no explosion—just the sharp sound of electricity crackling and colliding.
Both Thor and Beta Ray Thor were highly resistant to lightning in their divine forms, but the difference in their powers was clear. Even without Mjolnir, Thor's strength as a god vastly surpassed Beta Ray Thor's newfound power. The latter simply wasn't yet a match for the battle-hardened god of Asgard.
Perhaps with more time and experience wielding Mjolnir, Beta Ray Thor could challenge Thor's command over lightning. But for now, Beta Ray Thor was outmatched.
Crackle!
Despite Mjolnir's seemingly endless power, Beta Ray Thor's lightning was slowly pushed back by Thor's superior thunder. The force sent him flying, though his Asgardian armor absorbed most of the impact.
"What's going on?" Nearby, Thanos and his Black Order arrived at the battlefield, stopping in their tracks at the sight of Beta Ray Thor flying through the air. For a moment, they thought Thor had been fighting himself.
However, when they saw Beta Ray Thor's horse-like face, their confusion only deepened. They couldn't understand why this stranger was dressed exactly like Thor and wielded Mjolnir, Thor's hammer.
Thanos, who was familiar with Mjolnir's origins, knew that only Thor could lift it. Even with his immense strength, Thanos himself had never been able to pick up the hammer. But now, this horse-faced being not only held Mjolnir but had gained the same power as Thor. It baffled Thanos and his followers.
"Does this mean that whoever lifts the hammer gains Thor's powers?" Supergiant speculated. "Does Thor's strength come from the hammer?"
"That's not entirely accurate," Corvus Glaive responded, shaking his head. "Without Mjolnir, Thor may lose some of his power, but his strength doesn't come from the hammer alone. It comes from his own immense divine energy."
"Even with Mjolnir
's power, this horse-faced creature is no match for Thor. But why hasn't Thor called the hammer back to himself?"
"Maybe he can't," Thanos mused, his eyes gleaming. "But it doesn't matter. That creature is not a real threat to Thor."
Boom!
Just as Thanos finished speaking, Thor and Beta Ray Thor clashed again, this time in close combat. Thor threw a punch, while Beta Ray Thor swung Mjolnir. After the impact, Beta Ray Thor was sent flying again, while Thor remained unscathed.
Though Thor couldn't summon Mjolnir back, the hammer still weighed only 42.3 pounds when it struck him—hardly enough to injure the god of thunder. This was one of Thor's advantages when facing Mjolnir in the hands of others.
Of course, this wasn't an exclusive advantage. Anyone deemed worthy by Mjolnir would experience the same, but this was the first time Thor himself had found himself on the receiving end.
"Mjolnir, it seems your new wielder isn't quite up to the task," Thor said, shaking his head as he watched Beta Ray Thor struggle to rise, a portion of his armor shattered.
"You haven't seen the full extent of my strength!" Beta Ray Thor growled, hurling Mjolnir at Thor once more. But this time, Thor reached out and caught the flying hammer with one hand...
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