Powerpuff Girls’ Bubbles Is Worthy of Lifting Mjolnir (Yes, Really)

From Goku to Superman, fans have long debated which fictional characters would be worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, but one ‘warrior’ who fits the bill is Powerpuff Girls’ Bubbles. While Marvel has long been cagey about what it actually means to be ‘worthy’ of the hammer, Bubbles more than fits the bill for the qualifications fans actually know.

In Thor’s original stories, a degree of both humility and accomplishment has always been necessary in measuring the worthiness of another besides Thor to lift his hammer. The comics have also alluded to the importance of the hero needing to possess a desire to help or protect those in need. While all true, the hero must also deem themselves worthy of the task in addition to Mjolnir. Many fans understandably believe that desperation plays a crucial role in a character’s assessment of themselves, as this has been the case in many instances. However, there have been characters other than Thor who were capable of lifting Mjolnir without feeling desperate at the time. Instead, the recent Thor #15 from Donny Cates and Michelle Bandini suggests that what matters are purity of heart and purpose, and a willingness to always be at the forefront of pushing back every type of evil.

What makes Bubbles more worthy of wielding Mjolnir than her sisters is actually something that the villain Him mistakenly proves in IDW’s Powerpuff Girls #5 by writer and artist Troy Little. When attempting to show how alike Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup are to the villains of Townsville, Him materializes each of the girls’ hidden sins. Blossom’s sin is pride and Buttercup’s is wrath, but Bubbles is so pure-hearted, she literally has no sin to bring to the fore. While Mjolnir’s wielders haven’t all been totally without sin, they are pure in the sense of their heroism and commitment to protecting others for the right reasons – a trait Bubbles embodies more than perhaps any other superhero. In many ways, Bubbles is an even more pure-hearted version of Wonder Woman, who has proved worthy of Mjolnir in the past.

Thor’s worthiness to lift Mjolnir only came about once he was taught humility by Odin, and wrath has cost him his connection to the hammer in the past. However, it’s also the variety of the Powerpuff Girls’ villains that makes Bubbles so worthy. One of the surprising caveats of worthiness is being on the front lines against any threat to Earth, from the magical to the mundane. From the sci-fi Mojo Jojo to the demonic Him and the monstrous Fuzzy Lumpkins, the Powerpuff Girls answer any threat going, which surprisingly makes them more qualified than many Marvel or DC superheroes, who tend to respond to a specific type of threat.

Many critics would probably point to the fact that Bubbles might not think herself worthy, which is another main criteria that must be fulfilled in order to lift Mjolnir. However, Bubbles has proved that she believes in herself and that she will even go to extremes to ensure others are aware of her capabilities, for example in the Powerpuff Girls TV episode “Bubblevicious.” Ultimately, it’s not surprising that a child character would end up being worthy of Mjolnir – the sense of purpose and clear heart needed to lift the hammer are often harder to achieve in the complex lives of adults. Marvel also doesn’t limit Mjolnir to super-serious heroes, as the frog hero Puddlegulp (aka Throg) has proved worthy in the past.

Blossom might be the leader and Buttercup might be the toughest fighter of the Powerpuff Girls, but Bubbles is clearly not only worthy of wielding Mjolnir, but more so than her ostensibly more capable sisters.