In the first Thor movie, many people tried pulling the hammer out of the crater into which Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, had just crash-landed. Why pull the hammer and not just break the rubble below and take away the hammer along with the attached rock? Is that not possible?
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2I expect the answer is just "the people trying to pull the hammer out didn't know about the enchantment and didn't think that was necessary".– F1KrazyAug 15, 2020 at 21:27
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Even if they did break the rock they still couldn't have taken the hammer because they couldn't lift it.– Paulie_DAug 15, 2020 at 21:53
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1 Answer
This is an unanswered question about Mjolnir: what kind of movement does it resist?
For example, Thor is seen walking around on the SHIELD helicarrier, Mjolnir must clearly be on board (since he uses it soon after). But if he's currently not holding Mjolnir, how is the helicarrier able to stay up in the air? The carrier also isn't anchored in place either, as they are clearly travelling.
A more blatant example: Earth is still spinning and orbiting the Sun as Mjolnir sits there in the crater. So clearly the Earth isn't hindered by it either.
This is where we go beyond the source material. There is no in-universe answer here, as we have no more information than Odin's vague "those who are worthy" claim. All we have is what we've seen about Mjolnir refusal to move, but it's impossible to differentiate movie mistakes from willful in-universe exemptions if it's not explicitly acknowledged by the source material - which it isn't always.
The most likely answer as far as the plot cares about it is that Mjolnir's enchantment must seemingly be able to judge on the fly what counts as "being moved by an unworthy subject" and resist only that kind movement; thus allowing worthy subjects like Thor and Steve Rogers to move it (because they are worthy) and the helicarrier to transport it (as it is not a subject wielding Mjnolnir).
The movies also reference this unanswered question. The final scene of Age of Ultron contains Tony and Steve arguing about this specific issue, pondering whether an elevator can move Mjolnir, and so on.
Clip here of Steve asking the elevator question, the discussion is interjected between the main conversation.
I guess that means we do have actual in-universe evidence that the answer is not known.
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Meh, I wager it's just locked to arbitrary reference frame and only "worthy" may unlock it.– MithoronAug 23, 2020 at 17:30