WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If...? Season 1, Episode 7, "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?," streaming now on Disney+.
What If...? has been bringing fans some exciting stories that take the established lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turns it on its head in ways fans would never expect. As a result, many secrets become uncovered that tie into the main timeline. For example, through events surrounding Killmonger saving Tony Stark, audiences see just how far back Erik Stevens' time in the military goes. The show's seventh episode also hides some secrets revolving Thor's hammer, but uncovering them involves translating ancient Norse runes.
In the episode, fans are treated to a version of Thor that never grew up with Loki. As a result, he acts more like a college frat boy than a noble God of Thunder. Rather than guard the nine realms, he chooses to throw massive parties that often lead to cataclysmic results instead. When Jane Foster realizes this, she takes matters into her own hands.
After contacting his mother, Frigga, she warns him that she plans on visiting him on Earth, which prompts Thor to panic. To get the attention of his party guests, he uses the power of Mjolnir to project his voice like rolling thunder. In the brief shot, Nordic runes can be seen inscribed on the center circle at the top of the hammer. While it seems like basic rune spelling, a direct translation ties to the hammer's other appearances.
In the comics, Thor's hammer states, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." This is also the spell that Odin whispers into the hammer before throwing it down to Earth in the first Thor film. While it can't be seen on the hammer with the naked eye, a similar inscription is also etched into the hammer in What If...? that states, "He wields this hammer commands the lightning and the storm." While it isn't exactly like what has been seen on the hammer in the past, it serves as a clever way to double down on the power the weapon has.
The attention to detail is also impressive as the shot of Thor's hammer is only briefly seen and could've easily been random runes or had nothing at all. Instead, the animators chose to add that little detail to add even more immersion in the world. Even more exciting is that it's nearly a direct translation and relatively easy to decipher with a rune translator at home.
What If...? keeps showing that even if the stories aren't canon to the main timeline, they still offer exciting Easter eggs that add even more lore to the ever-growing universe. In this episode's case, the runic translation shows that Mjolnir's power is anything but a joke no matter how immature Thor acts. Now, the only question that remains is how many more Easter eggs are hidden in past episodes and how many more are on the way.
A new episode of What If...? airs each Wednesday on Disney+.
0 Comments