Can Thor Fly Without Mjolnir or Stormbreaker? (MCU vs. Comics) 

Marvel comics are filled with various gods and cosmic entities with abilities able to break the laws of physical and reality. One of the gods that often appears in storylines is Thor, and over the long history of the character’s existence, we’ve seen him do basically anything imaginable, from projecting powerful lighting bolts to altering reality. His physical abilities are also under no question since we know that he has superhuman strength and speed, but can Thor fly without his famous weapons, Mjolnir and Stormbreak? This is what we set out to explore today since we don’t often see him do it. Let’s see whether Thor can fly unassisted both in the MCU and in the comics. 

The secret to Thor’s flight in his physiology (most of the time) 

Like most popular Marvel Characters, Thor is a fairly old character, and over the years, his character evolved everything from looks to his powers and abilities. Some powers were removed, and some were added, but he regularly gets power upgrades, and currently, he is at his strongest. 

Some aspects of his character have been shown to be inconsistent over the years, primarily his flight. Some writers show Thor as unable to take up air without Mjolnir, and some show him as able to soar through the skies with nothing but his might. 

The mechanics of how Thor could fly without his hammer are confusing, to say the least. It can be some innate power that Asgardian gods have; it could be magic, but some writers love to attribute Thor’s flight to his enhanced hammer and Stormbreaker. And I have to admit it makes sense in the long run.

But we still haven’t answered the question of whether Thor can fly without his hammer. Well, yes, he can, but there is a catch, as it seems that he is much faster and can fly much longer when he has his faithful old hammer equipped.

Thor is at his fastest when he is flying with Mjolnir as he can reach Mach32 speeds, which is 87,738,945 miles per hour. Thor’s fastest recorded speed at this point is three times the speed of light with the weapon. This is also the most common way to see Thor flying, as he often throws his hammer in any direction and holds onto its leather strap while being transported.

When flying without his hammer, Thor is much slower and can basically primarily hover in one place. Thor can fly much faster if he has Thorforce at his disposal, as it basically allows him to reach nearly the level of omnipotency that his father has. 

Can all Asgardians fly?

Not all Asgardians can fly, as not all Asgardians have the same powers and abilities. It’s true that they are highly superior to human beings in terms of their physical attributes, but most of the Asgardians are also much less powerful than Thor and Odin and generally don’t have access to either Mjolnir or the magic needed to take flight. 

Odin is likely the most powerful Asgardian, but the question of his unassisted flight still remains unanswered. Odin most often flies through his connection with Mjolnir and by using his extremely powerful eight-legged steed Sleipnir (whom Loki gave birth to, by the way. He also most likely can fly with Odinforce, but it’s hard to say, so we’re going to conclude that Odin’s flight works just as Thor’s does. 

As far as Loki goes, Loki is not technically Asgardian, but Frost Giants don’t have the ability to fly either. Still, we’ve seen Loki fly plenty of times in the comics, and it’s most likely due to his sorcery. He has the ability to manipulate energy to a severe extent, so giving himself the powers of flight shouldn’t be that far-fetched. 

Can Thor fly without Mjolnir or Stormbreaker in the MCU? 

Thor can fly without Mjolnir or Stormbreaker in the MCU, but like in comics, it’s a different kind of flight. At first, we see Thor flying by throwing Mjolnir in the distance and nearly teleporting to Point B by holding onto its leather strap. The speeds he was able to reach were mindblowing, but we’ve also learned that when he is utilizing Mjolnir, he can’t really hover in one place, as he needs to be in motion at all times. 

When Stormbreaker entered the game, we saw Thor flying by using the axe, and it wasn’t spinning. In the Battle of Wakanda, wielding Stormbreaker, he effortlessly flew, annihilating Outriders’ ships and attacking Thanos with ease.

 It’s only after he loses Mjolnir that Thor realizes he has the ability to fly without it. It’s a much weaker flight than we would have expected, but it’s apparently possible. 

And once again, I don’t have an explanation for it except for “Asgardian Magic” and the fact that Thor received several powerups, which allowed him to become stronger even when he was unarmed. 

Without Mjolnir had the ability to hover, glide, and fly swiftly. In the Contest of Champions, he lifted Hulk mid-air and effortlessly hovered across the Rainbow Bridge in the final showdown with Hela. Thor showcased his might by launching himself from the Royal Palace to the Bifrost swiftly. 

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