American comic book: Absolute Spider-Man

Chapter 94 Hammer

Thor brandished his hammer before the crowd: "Only someone worthy of this hammer can lift it!"

Those present immediately scoffed, "Pshaw, come on."

Saul's girlfriend, Jane, chimed in, "Put your hammer down and see if anyone can lift it!"

Everyone echoed this sentiment, pushing the atmosphere in the banquet hall to its peak.

Thor slammed Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, onto the long table with a loud thud.

"Come on, come on!" Thor slammed his fist on the table. "Whoever can lift it today will be the heir to the throne of Asgard!"

Clint was the first to roll up his sleeves: "I'll go first."

Clint had seen this hammer when Thor was exiled to Earth by Odin to reflect on his actions.

At that time, all the S.H.I.E.L.D. members involved in the mission tried, but no one could lift the hammer.

He walked up to the hammer, assumed a horse stance, gripped the handle with both hands, took a deep breath, and his face turned bright red.

The hammer didn't budge.

Unconvinced, he changed his posture, feet shoulder-width apart, and strained all his muscles: "Drink!"

It remained completely still.

Clint straightened up and clapped his hands: "There's something wrong with this hammer; it discriminates against Hawkeye."

"I'll do it." Natasha stepped forward, grasped the hammer handle with one hand, and gently lifted it.

No response.

She glanced at Thor, who shrugged.

Natasha smiled and took a step back: "It seems it doesn't like Black Widow either."

War Machine Rhodes walked up to Mjolnir: "I'm an Avenger, after all. This hammer should give me some face, shouldn't it?"

"Come on, there are plenty of Avengers here," Tony retorted mercilessly.

Rod gripped the hammer handle with both hands, his shoulder muscles bulging.

But the hammer remained as if it were welded to the table.

Rod released his grip and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Tony, does this thing have a fingerprint lock inside?"

Tony, holding a glass of whiskey, leaned back in his chair: "Maybe you're just not smart enough?"

He put down his wine glass, stood up, and said, "Make way, let me show you what a true genius is."

Tony walked up to Mjolnir, circled him, and examined him carefully.

Then he reached out, pinched the hammer handle between his index and middle fingers like he would a cigar, and gently lifted it.

The hammer didn't move.

He increased the pressure, gripping the hammer handle with his entire hand, his arm muscles tensing, and nanotech armor emerging from under his skin, covering his palm and half of his forearm, but the hammer still didn't budge.

Tony released his grip, and the nanotech armor retracted: "This hammer definitely recognizes me; it knows I've never liked physical labor."

"You just can't lift it," Steve said from the side.

"If you're so good, then you do it."

Steve put down his champagne and walked over to the hammer.

The banquet hall fell silent for a moment.

All eyes were on him.

He gripped the hammer handle and lifted it—the hammer wobbled slightly.

There were quite a few body-enhancing individuals present, and those with sharp eyes immediately noticed the hammer shaking, instantly turning the quiet atmosphere into a noisy one.

Thor's eyes widened: "It moved?"

"It just wobbled." Steve took a step back, putting his hands in his pockets. "Looks like I'm still not qualified."

Thor breathed a sigh of relief.

Falcon Sam rubbed his hands together and stepped forward: "Since the captain has already made a move, I'll give it a try."

He gripped the hammer handle, muttering, "I represent Brooklyn—"

The hammer didn't move.

"On behalf of the Air Force—"

Didn't move.

"I represent all American civil servants who don't want to go to work —"

Not moving.

Sam released his grip, turned to Steve, and said, "It's probably because I slack off too much at work."

Harry Osborne, watching with a vengeance, quietly tugged at Ned's sleeve. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Ned shrank back: "I'm not an Avenger."

"What are you afraid of? It won't shock you."

Ned was pushed in front of the hammer. He gripped the handle with both hands and pulled hard—but the hammer didn't budge.

He lifted it again, but it still didn't move.

Ned released his grip and breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness I didn't lift him up, otherwise you'd all have to call me Prince from now on."

Peter couldn't hold back; that fatso was dreaming.

Harry didn't go because he knew his own limitations.

Next up is Ben Graham.

The moment his stone fingers gripped the hammer handle, the entire banquet hall floor trembled.

The hammer didn't budge, but two of the floor tiles beneath his feet cracked.

He loosened his grip and looked down at the cracks: "This hammer is heavier than me."

Susan stopped Johnny, who was about to try it, saying, "Don't go, it'll be embarrassing."

"I haven't tried it yet!"

"You'd be even more embarrassed if you tried."

Johnny walked up to the hammer, unconvinced, gripped the handle with one hand, and struck what he thought was a very cool pose.

The hammer didn't budge. He switched hands, his face flushed red, his whole body engulfed in flames—but he still couldn't lift the hammer.

"This hammer is definitely aimed at me." Johnny said indignantly, loosening his grip on the hammer handle.

Peter said to Gwen, who was sitting next to him on the sofa, "Why don't you give it a try?"

"Am I going too?" Gwen asked.

"It's just a try, why not give it a go?"

"Okay." Gwen walked up to the hammer and reached out to grasp the handle.

She didn't think she could lift the hammer, so she subconsciously put some force on it to test if it was really as heavy as everyone said.

Mjolnir was lifted up by Gwen as easily as a handbag, and for a moment, the room fell silent.

Steve looked at the hammer in Gwen's hand and raised an eyebrow.

Thor's mouth was agape, completely at a loss for words.

Gwen looked at Thor's hammer in her hand, somewhat bewildered, and then looked to Peter with pleading eyes.

Peter gave her a "that's how it should be" look, then stepped forward and gestured for Gwen to put the hammer back on the table.

He said, "The hammer's qualification stems from Odin's spell, which only recognizes those with pure hearts who are willing to sacrifice themselves for justice and to protect others." I think Gwen possesses these qualities, and I believe no one would disagree.

The thousand-year-old child Thor quickly convinced himself to accept reality; a "smart person" like him never suffers internal strife: "Yes, Gwen possesses such qualities, even the Allfather acknowledges it."

Tony retorted, quite indignantly, "Then why can't I? Didn't I have a spirit of sacrifice when I rushed into the wormhole with the nuclear bomb?"

Peter retorted sarcastically, "But you're not pure, Tony. If your lewd intelligence could be converted into IQ, humanity would have already reached level 7 civilization."

Tony proudly declared, "Sex is one of the greatest pleasures of humankind. Do you all think everyone is a century-old virgin like Steve?"

Pepper and Maya, sitting on either side of him, awkwardly covered their faces, as if knowing Tony was something shameful.

Peter pointed to Jarvis, who had been waiting behind Tony like a butler, and said, "Why don't you give it a try?"

Jarvis blinked his red eyelids, pointed to himself, and said, puzzled, "Me?"