4.6. Fear Itself: The Worthy
We open in Asgard, deep in the mountains at the centre of the planet, the spires of the capital just barely visible in the distance.
A pair of Einherjar are guarding the entrance to a cave. They’re clearly frightened, standing back to back, arguing about what it could be that’s picking off their unit. One believes it’s Dark Elves, while the other is insistent that it’s some kind of monster.
When the first guard doesn’t respond to a question, his partner spins around, spear raised, to find the first guard crumpled on the floor, a necrosword stabbed through his chest. Slowly the terrified guard looks up from his colleague’s corpse and the camera pans with him to reveal to Hela, standing over them with another necrosword ready. As the camera pans away, the guard screams.
The guards dealt with, Hela enters the cave. Inside is a dark, rough-hewn stone corridor, heading downwards. With a gesture, she conjures a sickly green flame to light her way as she makes her way downwards, the horns of her headdress brushing against the ceiling.
Eventually she emerges into a large chamber, at the centre of which is a pool lit by a strange inner light. Summoning a necrosword, she slices her hand, dripping blood into the water of the pool. The water shimmers, and a face appears in the water.
Mimir greets his great-niece, commenting on how long it’s been since someone last visited him. He wants to chat, but Hela is here on business, and has no interest in small talk.
Mimir: Very well, I see there is no persuading you. Tell me, then. Tell me what brings the goddess of death to the Well of Wisdom.
Hela: I come seeking a prophecy. Describe for me how the gods of Asgard will meet their end. Give me the prophecy of Ragnarok.
We cut to the capital city of Asgard, to the newly constructed hall that houses the Congress of Realms. Around a great ring-shaped table sit representatives of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, the Dark Elves of the resettled Svartalfheim, the Light Elves of Alfheim, the Dwarves of Nidavellir, the Aesir, the Vanir, the Mountain Giant, the Trolls, the Fire Demon of Muspelheim, and representing Earth, Roz Solomon, formerly of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Nakia of Wakanda.
The representatives are arguing about the provision of aid to the recently rebuilt Dark Elf settlements on Svartalfheim, arguing about whether the settlers are culpable for the crimes of Malekith the Accursed. Thor, representing Asgard, is arguing in favour of supplying aid, while the representatives of the Dwarves argue that the settlers took part in the Second Dark Elf War, and are therefore war criminals.
The debate is suddenly interrupted by a member of the Einherjar, Skurge, who bursts in to tell Thor that the All-Mother needs him urgently, as there’s been a breach in the palace's defences.
Volstagg, the second representative of Asgard immediately offers to accompany him, and the three of them rush back to the palace.
They find Frigga at the source of the breach, deep in the palace's cellars, where a wall has been shattered as though a bomb had gone off in front of it, fallen masonry littering the floor. It’s clear that not even Frigga was aware that there was anything beyond the wall, and they approach the breach warily, braced for a sneak attack.
Instead, they find a cavernous chamber, where hundreds of skeletons, each one dressed in the same black armour, have been laid out in concentric rings.
The innermost ring of skeletons are the only ones dressed differently, in far grander armour, each one still holding an enormous war hammer in its boney hands. This ring surrounds a huge black wolf, bigger than a horse, bound in place by silver chains, the air around it shimmering with magic.
Standing beside the wolf is Hela, and as the camera holds on her, she pushes through the magical barrier surrounding the wolf, shattering it in a burst of light, and places a hand on the back of the wolf's neck. At her touch, it rouses itself as though waking from a long sleep, and begins to stand.
Under her breath, Frigga curses Odin and his secrets. Thor asks her if she knows who this woman is, and Frigga says that unfortunately she does.
The Fenris Wolf hears their conversation, immediately turning to stare at them, alerting Hella to their presence.
Hella: Why All-Mother, I am honoured you chose to grace me with your presence personally.
Frigga: Leave this place, Hella Odinsdottir. My husband's death does not undo your banishment.
Hella: Oh, but it already has. The spells which kept me imprisoned in that miserable rock on Niffleheim all these centuries died when Odin did. But don’t worry. I’m just here to collect what is rightfully mine.
Her hands move in the air as she begins to raise the skeletons from the dead, a vividly green light shining from with them as they all begin to wake as the wolf had done.
Before they can stand, however, Frigga strikes the floor with the butt of Gungnir, the spear of the All-Mother, and a burst of golden magic erupts from it like a sudden gust of rushing wind, flowing through the dead soldiers.
Hela throws up a barrier of magic to protect herself and the Fenris Wolf from Frigga's spell, but around her, the skeletons are burnt to ashes by Frigga’s magic, leaving only empty piles of armour and weapons.
As Thor, Frigga, Skurge, and Volstagg all ready their weapons, preparing to fight, Hella catches up the war-hammer from the nearest pile of armour, and throws it overarm - directly at Skurge.
On instinct he catches it out of the air, and we watch as black bleeds into his eyes, until they’re solid ebony from edge to edge, and the suit of armour Hella had take the hammer from vanishes from the floor, reappearing on Skurge.
He drops to one knee, saluting Hella with the hammer.
Hella: Welcome Kuurth, Breaker of Stone, the first to be found Worthy by me in millennia. You know what you must do.
Skurge nods and raises the hammer, revealing it has granted him the ability to fly as he crashes up through the ceiling of the chamber and vanishes from sight.
Frigga begins to order Thor to follow Skurge, but Hella throws a necrosword at her, and Thor jumps in to protect his mother at the same time as Fenris makes a leap for him.
Volstagg raises his sword and slashes at the wolf’s face, driving it back, and yells to Thor to go after Skurge, Volstagg will protect the All-Mother.
Thor promises to return for them, and uses Mjøllnir to fly up and out through the hold Skurge had left, yelling as he reaches the inhabited floors of the palace for the Einherjar there to raise the alarm.
He flies up into the sky, looking for his quary, and finds him. At the far end of The Rainbow Bridge, before the Himinbjörg, Heimdall is locked in a desperate battle with Skurge.
Thor joins the fight, but even with two of them, Skurge’s newfound power is too great, and he is able to fight past them to the Bifrost controls, which he activates, vanishing before their eyes.
Back in the tomb, Hella has Frigga pinned, necrosword raised, preparing to deal a final blow, when the Bifrost’s light hits the room, and Hella, Fenris, and the six remaining Hammers all disappear.
We cut to New York City, where James Rhodes is in the sky, testing out the flight capabilities of the new War Machine Armour, and making suggestions to Tony Stark of tweaks that are needed via the suit’s comms. He does a complete loop of Stark Tower before he suddenly stops, hovering as he stares at a huge beam of light which strikes the city below.
Cut to Washington D.C., where Natasha Romanoff and Sam Wilson are walking past the capitol, arguing good-naturedly about what they should get for lunch, when suddenly a burst of light hits the sidewalk ahead of them, briefly so bright it’s blinding. When it fades, the sidewalk and part of the road ahead have been destroyed by a massive impact, and in the centre of the crater lies one of the hammers.
Sam immediately goes into crisis management mode, starts talking about who they need to call and whether Thor is on world, asks Natasha if she wants to be on crowd control or to go and investigate the hammer, but she’s not listening, walking straight for the crater. When Sam tries to call her back, it becomes clear she’s in some kind of trance, not hearing him at all.
He grabs her arm, trying to get her attention, but she nerve-strikes him without even turning to look and keeps walking, until she can pick up the hammer.
As her eyes go black, and her civilian clothing is replaced by Argardian armour, Hella’s voice reverberates through her head.
Sam tries against to talk to her, aware now that something is very wrong, even though she’s got her back to him and he can’t see her eyes. He approaches carefully, hands raised, speaking to her calm and even, but as soon as his hand touches her shoulder, she spins, swinging the hammer into his chest.
As Sam flies backward, hitting a wall jarringly hard, Natasha raises the hammer and flies away.
Sam picks himself up, wincing and clutching his bruised ribs, and pulls an Avengers comm out of his pocket, slipping it into his ear.
Sam: Cap, you there?
Steve (panting, strained): Here.
Sam: We have a problem.
Steve: You’re not the only one.
As he speaks, we cut to Steve Rogers and Pietro Maximoff, both looking pretty badly battered, pressed back against a wall just out of sight of Wanda Maximoff, her eyes back, and a hammer in her hand.
Hella: Welcome Angrir, Breaker of Souls, third of my Worthy.
We cut to Tony’s lab, where he and JARVIS are cross-referencing reports of hammers landing from social media, acting as control and dispatching Avengers to investigate.
Tony: What have you got for me, Barton?
Clint: Well, it’s definitely not good
Clint Barton is in Manhattan, looking at a scene of destruction, a crater similar to the ones we’ve seen before, but the building behind it has been hit by something hard enough to destroy a chunk of wall, and paramedics are taking away an injured man on a gurney.
Clint fights through the crowd of lookiloos to get to the man, and asks him what happened.
Man: She went fucking crazy! I was talking to some girl, and that bitch from apartment 23 went mental. Hit me with a fucking hammer! I’m going to sue. (Raises voice, addressing someone out of shot) You hear that, bitch, I’m going to fucking sue!
As Clint turns, the camera pans with him, revealing Jessica Jones, standing in the centre of the crater, eyes black, a hammer in her hand.
Hella: welcome Skirn, Breaker of Men, forth of my Worthy
Clint: Are you getting this, Tony?
Tony (voiceover): Yeah, I’m seeing it. Any idea who she is?
Clint: Never seen her before. That’s weird, right? Everyone else affected is a superhero. Why’s this one a civilian?
Voice (from behind Clint): Yeah, Jess isn’t exactly a civilian
Clint turns to see Luke Cage, his clothes ripped and covered in brick dust, moving stiffly towards him.
We cut to the New Avengers Facility, where Clint is just arriving back with Luke. He helps Luke out of the car, and supports him into the building through to a conference room where Tony, Cap, Sam, and Pietro are discussing the hammers.
As Luke sits down, Bruce Banner pulls Clint away into the corridor. He tells him that they’re being sent to Alaska, where one of the unclaimed hammers has landed, to take readings for Tony.
Bruce says that Tony thinks he’s safe, because so far the hammers have only affected women, but Bruce isn’t convinced.
Bruce: Here. In case- Before we leave, I need you to take this.
Clint: An arrow?
Bruce: It’s a gamma dampener, it absorbs excess radiation. In theory, it should force Hulk to revert back into me.
Clint: In theory?
Bruce: It might also kill me. I haven’t had time to test it yet.
Clint: Why are you giving this to me?
Bruce: Because you’re the only one I’d trust with it. I know—you won’t hurt me needlessly, but I trust you to do the right thing, even if it hurts. If something happens, if the hammer does something and there’s no option except to put me down hard, you’re the only one I trust to make that call.
Clint: I don’t want that privilege, Bruce.
Bruce: I know. That’s why it has to be you.
Back in the conference room, Tony gets an incoming call from Phil Coulson, calling to confirm that his team has eyes on the hammer.
As he talks we cut to Hawai'i, where Phil, Melinda May, Leo Fitz , and Daisy Johnson are looking down at one of the hammers which had landed on a beach, the pattern of the shockwaves caused by its impact visible in the sand.
Fitz says that he’s getting energy readings consistent with magic, rather than tech, and whatever it is, it’s powerful, but he can’t tell more than that from here.
They begin making their way down the beach towards it, and then Fitz’s magic detector maguffin starts to go crazy. He calls to his team to stop, but Daisy doesn’t listen, caught in the hammer’s thrall.
As her hand closes around the handle, we hear Hella again.
Hella: Welcome Nerkkod, Breaker of Oceans, fifth of my Worthy.
We cut to a quinjet, en route to Alaska, Clint in the pilot seat. Bruce gets a call from Tony, telling him they’ve got confirmation that it’s only affecting women, but warning him to still be careful because Coulson’s team have confirmed that they’re magical, and with Wanda out of commission and Thor off world, they don’t have a magic expert on hand.
Back at the New Avengers facility, JARVIS confirms he has been able to find some of the hammer wielders from social media, and Tony sends coordinates to the other Avengers.
Elsewhere in New York, a teenage girl is approaching a medical clinic, having to fight her way through a crowd of anti-choice protestors. She ducks her head, trying not to engage, but they’re yelling at her, getting up in her face, clearly terrifying her.
As she flinches away, there’s a thud behind her, and a hand shoots out from beyond the edge of shot, grabbing the man closest to the girl by the throat, and the camera pulls back to show Jessica Jones, dressed in Asgardian armour, hammer in hand.
The protestors step back, unsure what’s happening, and Jess throws the guy she’s got by the neck into the ground. She raises her hammer, brings it down in a strike clearly designed to kill the guy, but before it can connect, webs hit the hammer and wrench it back. As the familiar music sting plays, the camera pans around to reveal Spider-Man, crouched on a lamppost.
He starts to say that he understands her being pissed off but he’s not going to let her kill anyone, but he’s only halfway through the sentence when she throws the hammer at him, and he has to drop off the lamppost to avoid being hit.
Rhodey arrives, carrying Luke Cage just at that moment. Spidey is very excited to be meeting War Machine, but Luke tells him this is no place for a kid. Just as Rhodey’s about to agree with him, Spidey shoves him out of the way as the hammer speeds past, back to Jessica’s hand. Rhodey orders Spidey to get the civilians to safety, while he and Luke square up, preparing to fight Jess.
On Hellicarrier 64, the remains of S.H.I.E.L.D. are tracking the Hammer wielders, Nick Fury at the helm. Suddenly the Hellicarrier shudders with impact as Natasha, dressed in the armour of Greithoth, strikes the glass with her hammer.
Fury tries to reason with her, but she ignores him, continuing to hammer on the glass as it begins to crack. When the window shatters outwards, he pulls his gun and opens fire, but she raises her hammer, deflecting the bullet back at him, forcing him to duck.
She advances on him, smashing desks out of the way. Fury tries to fight her, but she knocks him onto his back and raises her hammer... but instead of crushing his skull, it hits Captain America's Shield as Steve and Sam arrive to fight her.
We cut back to Quake, the camera following her as she flies over the blue waters of the Pacific. When she reaches her goal, she flies up, hovering as we see before her the Island of New Attilan, home of the Inhuman refugees from the Moon, its buildings still under construction.
On the streets below, civilians run for cover as the House of Agon - Blackagar Boltagon, Medusalith Amaquelin, Crystal Amaquelin, Gorgon Petragon, Karnak Mandazur , and Triton Mandazur - step up to defend their people.
We cut to Tony, working in Stark Tower with JARVIS and Vision to coordinate the different teams and track the hammer wielders. Just as Vision confirms that there’s still no sign of Wanda, the building shakes, as though in an earthquake, and JARVIS confirms that he has found her, bringing up an image on every monitor of Wanda floating outside the tower, the Hammer of Angrir held telekinetically at her side.
Vision phases through the wall and flies out to meet her, calling her name and getting no response. Tony, now in a suit , flies out to join them. He too tries speaking to her, and this time he gets a response.
For the first time we hear one of the Worthy speak, her voice many layered and reverberating.
Wanda: You will pay for what you have done, Stark. (She summons the hammer closer, wrapping her hand around the handle). You will pay for killing my parents!
Vision: Wanda, please. Tony was not responsible for-
But before he can finish, Wanda extends a hand and Vision is surrounded with glowing red energy as she grabs him using her telekinesis, and throws him to the ground.
Tony fires on her. She blocks the repulsor blasts with her hammer, but she’s distracted long enough for Vision to break free, and an aerial battle between the three begins, Vision fighting to protect Tony, and trying again to reason with her, but to no avail.
We cut to the Sanctum Sanctorum where Wong and Daniel Drumm, the Sanctum Master, are discussing Asgardian magic when Iron Man is thrown through the skylight, landing in a heap on the flaw.
Tony: Hi, Wong. Hope you don’t mind me dropping in.
Drumm starts to ask what’s going on, but cuts himself off as he and Wong look up to see Wanda floating outside the window.
Back on the Helicarrier, Sam and Steve are working together to protect Fury from Natasha.
Sam: You don’t want to do this, Tash. Come on, snap out of it, this isn’t you!
Natasha: He betrayed me! He told me he was giving me something better than the Red Room, but it was all just rotten. He made me complicit in HYDRA’s crimes!
She brings the hammer down in a great golden arc, aimed at Sam’s head. At the last moment, Steve raises his shield to block it, but with a deafening crack, the shield shatters, falling to pieces at Steve’s feet.
In Alaska, Bruce and Clint exit the Quinjet. While Bruce gets out various scientific equipment, Clint greets the Sheriff of the town where the hammer has landed. He promises the man that the Avengers are on the case, and are going to get to the bottom of what’s going on, and the Sheriff, visibly relieved, offers them a lift out to where it landed.
On the Hellicarrier, Steve, his shield arm hanging limp and useless, orders a retreat, and he, Sam, and Fury make for the aircraft carrier, just barely managing to keep ahead of Natasha.
In a burst of rainbow light, Thor, Roz Solomon, and Volstagg land on the lawns of the New Avengers facility. When Thor finds the building empty of Avengers, he speaks to JARVIS instead, asking where they are.
JARVIS: All Avengers are currently engaged in battling an unknown magical threat. Several hammers-
Thor: I know. They are the Hammers of the Worthy, my sister Hella’s most loyal Generals. With her, they Conquered the Nine Realms, and when they ran out of worlds to conquer, they waged war against Asgard itself. They, and she, were imprisoned, but my father’s death weakened the spells holding her, and she has broken free.
JARVIS: Several Superheroes have taken up Hammers. They are proving extremely difficult to subdue.
Tony (tapping into the conversation from his suit): kind of an understatement there, J. You got any idea how to stop these ladies, Thor? Because we are getting creamed out here.
As he speaks, we cut to a view of the ongoing battle between himself, Vision, Drumm and Wong, and Wanda, which they’re obviously losing, Tony’s armour battered and cracked, Drumm injured and Wong exhausted.
Pietro is zipping through shot, evacuating civilians before they can be hit by falling debris from the battle.
Tony: hell, even just knowing how they’re picking their targets would be useful, because we’ve got at least one unclaimed hammer.
Thor: they are the weapons of Berserkers, preying upon the pain in the wielder’s soul.
Roz: Anger. They target angry people, and they turn that anger into strength.
Tony pauses mid flight, and when we cut to the inside of the mask, his eyes are wide.
Tony: Oh fuck. Bruce!
And then Wanda swings the hammer like a baseball bat right into Tony’s side, sending him careening down towards the ground.
Back in Alaska, Bruce and Clint arrive at the Hammer crater. Bruce produces a hand-held scanner. He takes a reading and then begins to walk towards the hammer.
Sheriff: Hey, you should stay back here. No telling what that thing does.
Clint: He’s got a point, Bruce. Maybe we keep our distance for now, yeah?
Bruce (turns to face them, walking backwards towards the crater): What’s that thing you like to say, Clint? Trust me, I’m an Avenger. I know what I’m doing.
Because he’s facing them, we get to watch along with them as he stiffens and his eyes bleed black, and he turns, taking the last few steps to the crater, ignoring Clint yelling his name, and wrapping his hand around the hilt of the hammer.
As soon as he touches it, he begins to transform, skin turning green and muscles bulging and expanding as the magic of the hammer swirls around him.
Hela: Welcome, Nul, Breaker of Worlds, seventh of my Worthy
When it clears, Hulk is standing there, dressed in the armour of Nul, teeth bared in a savage smile, eyes black from edge to edge.
We cut back to the battle outside the clinic, where Spidey, Rhodey, and Luke are getting the shit kicked out of them by Jess.
Suddenly, Jess turns, as though hearing something off screen. Spidey, taking advantage of her distraction, tries to web the hammer out of her hand, but she easily tears it free, raising it, and flying away.
In the skies above the Sanctum Sanctorum, Wanda does the same.
Natasha has cornered Sam, Steve, and Fury on the aircraft bay, nowhere to run to, when she also hears the call and flies away.
In Alaska, Hulk advances on Clint, who tells the Sheriff to get clear. When the Sheriff says they've got nothing that can hurt him, Clint says Hulk is his friend, and he knows what he’s doing.
Clint: Trust me, I’m an Avenger.
He doesn’t pull his gun, instead taking a step towards Bruce, hands held out to show that he’s unarmed.
Clint: Come on, Big Guy. You’re not going to hurt me, yeah? You just need to calm down, okay? Can you do that for me?
For a moment, it seems like it’s working, Hulk stilling, black eyes fixed on Clint.
Clint: that’s it, you’re doing so good. Just stay there, okay? Just stay calm, and we can get through this. (He takes another step closer) You just need to put down the magic hammer.
He takes another step, close enough to touch, and reaches for the hammer. But that, finally, makes Hulk react, knocking Clint backwards into a tree.
As he raises the hammer, preparing to attack, Thor lands between them, Mjölnir in hand.
In the New Avengers facility, Roz and Volstagg are sitting in a conference room, news reports on the battles playing on the screen, as the defeated Avengers begin to limp in.
In New York, Spidey asks Rhodey if he can help, but Rhodey tells him he appreciates the assist, but he’s too young, and Luke tells him he really doesn’t want to get involved with this.
Clint struggles up out of the snow, and pulls a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, putting them on and pressing a button on the side of them.
Clint: JARVIS, you getting this
JARVIS: loud and clear, Agent Barton
In the conference room, only two battles are still playing on the screen, Thor vs Hulk, streamed from Clint’s glasses, and Daisy battling the House of Agon on Attilan, grainy cell-phone camera footage from someone on the Island who is livestreaming the battle.
In Alaska, a portal appears behind Hulk, and Hela emerges from it, riding Fenris.
Hella: Well, well, little brother, you look like you’re struggling. How do you like my Hammers? A bit more impressive than yours, don’t you think?
Thor: End this, Hella. Whatever grudge you have is against Asgard. The mortals have nothing to do with this!
Hella: Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. They have everything to do with this. They will be the weapons by which I bring Asgard to its knees.
Thor: You cannot hope to destroy Asgard. You have tried it before and failed.
Hella: Ah, but I will. There is nothing you can do to stop it, little brother. It has been foretold.
Thor’s eyes go wide, as he realises the meaning of her words, just before we cut back to the conference room.
Volstagg: we must locate the final hammer. Those Hella has claimed are powerful indeed. If the last is in the hands of another such warrior, there is no telling what they may do before we locate them.
Tony: don’t know what good it will do. It’s not like we can fight them, even if we find them.
Roz: I actually might have an idea about that, but you’ll need to come with me.
Tony: I’m not leaving my team-
Rhodey: Go, Tones. If you can get us a way to stop them, that’s more use than you’ll be hanging around here.
Back in Alaska, Thor summons all his strength and hits Hulk hard enough to send him flying, buying himself time and space to summon the Bifrost, as, on the lawn of the New Avengers facility, Roz does the same, Roz, Tony, and Thor all vanishing.
Hella turns her attention on Clint, but when he aims an arrow at her, she only laughs and steps through another portal.
The Bifrost deposits Thor outside the cave that we saw Hella enter at the beginning of the film. He descends the staircase and greets Mimir.
Thor: Uncle, I need to know what it is you told Hella. And I need to know who has the final hammer.
Mimir: the first I can help you with. The second… your friends will find out any moment now.
On New Attilan, Quake strikes the ground hard, channelling her powers through the hammer to shake the earth.
Karnak: She’s going to destroy the entire Island!
Medusa: We have done nothing to you, stranger. Would you kill us all without even telling us why?
Daisy: Inhumans have done nothing but destroy lives! Inhumans killed my friends, my father. Inhumans did this to me!
As she says the words, she brings the hammer down again, shaking the Island and sending rocks sheering off the edges.
Gorgon: Crystal, how are you doing?
Princess Crystal has her hands pressed to the ground, her face pale and sweaty with effort.
Crystal: I’m holding the earth together as best as I can, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold it!
Hella appears from a portal into a clearing, where the Worthy are waiting for her.
She looks around at them and then turns to address someone just out of shot.
Hella: One of our number has refused my summons. Breaker of Faith, retrieve her for me.
Daisy: this ends now
Raising her
hammer, she brings it slamming down into the ground just as a portal opens behind her. Out of it steps Loki, eyes black from edge to edge, dressed in the armour of Mokk, Hammer in hand.
hammer, she brings it slamming down into the ground just as a portal opens behind her. Out of it steps Loki, eyes black from edge to edge, dressed in the armour of Mokk, Hammer in hand.
Loki: Our Queen calls for us, Breaker of Oceans.
Daisy: No, not yet. I’m so close-
Loki: She does not enjoy being kept waiting.
With one last desperate look behind her, Daisy hefts her hammer, and steps through the portal after Loki, leaving Crystal to finally stabilise the Island.
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