From Captain America’s shield to Thor’s hammer, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is overflowing with weapons that have become visual shorthand for their respective owners. That’s why it’s always such a big deal when another character borrows one of these signature tools of war: because the idea of them changing hands is practically unthinkable.
Not that it necessarily should be. Indeed, sit down for a marathon viewing of the so-called “Infinity Saga”, and you’ll soon realize that pretty much every signature weapon in the MCU changes hands at least once. Sure, these arms exchanges are rarely voluntary and never permanent, but they do occur, as handily illustrated by the following list.
Iron Man Harnesses The Infinity Stones
Technically, the Infinity Gauntlet (and not the Infinity Stones that power it) is Thanos’ trademark weapon of choice. But since the Gauntlet amounts to little more than an oversized metal glove without said tiny cosmic rocks, we’re classifying them collectively as the real offensive implement here. With that semantic quibble settled, we’ll move on to the moment we want to spotlight in this entry: Iron Man squirreling the Stones out from under the Mad Titan’s nose in Avengers: Endgame.
True, we could have focused on Hulk’s similar act of geology-based kleptomania – especially since the Green Goliath’s actions resurrected the countless souls snapped out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War. But considering Shellhead used his turn with the Infinity Stones to end the threat of Thanos forever (at the cost of his own life, no less), this seems like the more memorable occasion of the two.
Vision Hammers Home His Heroism With Mjolnir
Given the dubious circumstances surrounding Vision’s creation – he was built by deranged murderbot Ultron – he initially needed to convince the Avengers that he was on their side. The thing was, he didn’t have a whole of time to explain himself, as Ultron was about to set his earth-shattering evil scheme into motion.
Fortunately, Vision soon stumbled upon the perfect solution when he casually handed Thor his hammer, Mjolnir. Thanks to the enchantment preventing Mjolnir from being handled by unworthy individuals, the team immediately reached consensus that their new acquaintance more than deserved a place within their ranks.
Pepper Potts Suits Up In Iron Man’s Armor
Pepper Potts doesn’t possess any superpowers – unless you count putting up with Tony Stark’s outlandish behaviour day in, day out (and we certainly do). Nevertheless, Ms. Potts stands out as one of the most formidable women in the MCU, largely due to the level-headed intelligence and grit she’s displayed when the chips are down.
Need an example? Try the time Aldrich Killian’s forces attacked Stark’s mansion in Iron Man 3, and Tony encases Pepper in his latest bleeding edge Iron Man suit. Pepper barely bats an eye – despite being a civilian who’s never piloted the armor before – before rocketing into action to save her boyfriend’s life.
Hela Destroys Mjolnir
Admittedly, Hela only has Mjolnir in her grasp for a matter of moments in Thor: Ragnarok, but it’s a very eventful turn of events all the same. First, the Goddess of Death demonstrates complete mastery over Thor’s beloved mallet, casually nabbing it one-handed and preventing it from returning to its master’s hand.
For her next trick, Hela reduces Mjolnir – one of the mightiest weapons in the universe – to a pile of Uru rubble, leaving the God of Thunder (and audiences) utterly gobsmacked. Few (if any) MCU antagonists have dealt so severe a blow in such a short timeframe, so it’s no wonder Thor’s wayward sister ranks as one of the deadliest baddies in the shared universe’s history.
The Winter Soldier Catches Captain America’s Shield
It was the big moment of the final Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer: the film’s eponymous villain plucking our hero’s shield out of the air before it could lay him out cold. This brief tease sent fan anticipation levels into the stratosphere, and fortunately, the full-length confrontation didn’t disappoint.
Not only does the brainwashed Bucky catch Cap’s shield, in their unabridged scuffle he goes on to fling it right back at the Sentinel of Liberty, nearly flooring him. On a more positive note, Bucky would later utilise the shield with Cap’s consent, while fighting alongside his childhood buddy in Captain America: Civil War. Steve Rogers has since passed on both the shield and the Captain America identity to the Falcon, but a vocal contingent of MCU devotees still argue it really should have gone to Buck.
Bruce Banner: Hulkbuster
With Thanos’ hordes at the gates during the finale of Avengers: Infinity War, all hands are needed on deck. This includes Bruce Banner, or to be more precise, his emerald alter-ego, the Hulk. The only problem? The jolly green giant won’t come out to play, leaving Banner with no other choice than to enter the fray clad in Iron Man’s Mark XLIV armor – better known as the Hulkbuster suit.
That’s right: Banner charged into battle wearing the same mobile weapons platform designed specifically designed to neutralize himself! The Banner/Hulkbuster combo proved a winning one; while Bruce experienced a few teething issues early on – tripping over his feet, at one point – he ultimately proves almost as effective as his jade-skinned counterpart.
Thanos Turns The Tables With Stormbreaker
Following Mjolnir’s destruction in Thor: Ragnarok, Stormbreaker has assumed the number one spot in Thor’s personal arsenal. Armed with this souped-up battle-axe, the Odinson nearly defeated Thanos single-handedly in Avengers: Infinity War…if only he’d gone for the head.
Fast forward to Avengers: Endgame and the inevitable rematch between Thor and Thanos, and things pan out in reverse, with the Mad Titan quickly overwhelming the God of Thunder. Indeed, Thor very nearly loses his life in the encounter, when he finds himself on the wrong end of Stormbreaker’s blade!
Killmonger Appropriates The Black Panther’s Suit
With its razor-sharp claws and kinetic energy pulses, Black Panther’s Vibranium-weave bodysuit is as much a weapon as it is a protective outfit. So after Erik Killmonger wrestles the Black Panther mantle from its current bearer, T’Challa, it wasn’t long before he kitted himself out in the cutting-edge cat costume associated with the role.
Luckily for the denizens of Wakanda that Killmonger sought to rule over, T’Challa still had a Panther get-up of his own. This made it possible for him to square off with his enemy on an equal footing, and the second time around, the true heir to the Black Panther legacy came out on top.
Spider-Man Snags Captain America’s Shield
This entry represents yet another instance of Captain America’s shield parting ways with the star-spangled Avenger. The incident in question goes down in Captain America: Civil War, during the showdown between Cap’s outlaws and Iron Man’s US Government-backed squad.
Before hostilities break out between the rival supergroups, MCU newcomer Spider-Man yanks the shield from its owner’s grasp in an attempt to stop the fight before it can start. Things don’t shake down that way, but the moment served as a suitably dramatic introduction for the webslinger’s latest big-screen incarnation.
Cap Proves Himself Worthy To Wield Mjolnir
In the comics, it’s long been established that Captain America meets the mystical worthiness criteria necessary to handle Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. However, Steve Rogers’ eligibility to heft this fabled weapon in the MCU remained a hotly debated topic for years, until Avengers: Endgame settled the matter once and for all.
Fittingly enough, Cap proves himself worthy by coming to Thor’s rescue with hammer in hand – and boy, is it a sight to see. Taking to mallet-based melee combat like a duck to water, Rogers unleashes a dizzying barrage of lightning-infused combos that skilfully incorporate his characteristic shieldplay, as well!
