I absolutely love mega-events in comic books. Ever since I started collecting them I’ve been someone who has to pick up all the side stories, offshoots and companions because it adds so much to the overall storyline in my opinion.
Civil War is actually my favourite series of all time because the unique points of view and perspectives that happen to the characters really help to enrichen and tell this overarching narrative. The end feels all the better for it because you know the journey that the heroes and villains have gone on and what it took to get to this point.
Now this to me is a reason why the MCU works so well and all of the origin stories, side chapters and post-credits culminated in Avengers Endgame which I feel is the most ambitious crossover since Archie Vs The Predator.
In the movie is a standout moment that gives me goosebumps every single time and it’s a scene that had audiences in the theatre cheering.
When Cap catches Mjolnir.
But why does this scene work so well and why is it something that hits home every single time that we watch it?
What is Mjolnir?
Mlojnir is an item in the Marvel Universe that no mere mortal can wield. Ever since its the first appearance in 2011’s Thor, it’s been held in high regard due to those only deemed worthy of being able to lift it.
Throughout the saga, it’s been something that’s aided the God Of Thunder on his many adventures but in the main timeline, the item was destroyed by Thor’s sister Hela.
Because of this, he had to go through his own redemption arc in both Ragnarok and in Infinity War in which he gained Stormbreaker and doomed the universe to death.
However, upon journeying back in time, Thor ended up taking Mlojnir which not only showed that he was worthy, but it also set the pieces in place for us to see that Cap was too.
Best of the Best
Steve is a character that very much represents the best of what humanity can be. When we met him in the First Avenger he was someone who showed us that though we might not have the strength to fight that our will can go a long way and that it’s what’s inside that counts. Now not all of us can end up getting the super soldier serum but stories like Episode 1 of What If showed that no matter what, because of his character Steve was destined to be a hero.
One of the reasons that wielding the hammer works so well is because it very much bridges the gap between man and God and shows us first-hand that we have the power within ourselves to achieve that status.
After all, many of the Gods that we’ve seen in the MCU are what you would petty and squabbling self-centred sociopaths and Steve Rogers lifting this indeed cement that we can be better than the ones that rule us.
But it’s not just that which makes this scene pop off and I doubt many of you ever even considered it when watching it fly into Cap’s hand.
Why We Love This Scene
What we love about this scene is that it actually shows something that we all suspected since Age Of Ultron and that is that Steve Rogers is worthy. By unleashing this, it feels like a payoff ten years in the making and it makes Cap one of the top characters in the Marvel Universe.
However, the build-up to it is also deeply layered in specific iconography and it also mirrors a scene in Infinity War which makes the moment hit home even harder.
In that, we watched as Thor drove Stormbreaker into Thanos’ chest instead of his head. Because of this, the villain was able to carry out the snap which destroyed half of all life in the universe and left the world in a state of grief for five solitary years.
The first hour of Endgame very much dealt with this mourning and though they managed to kill Thanos early on they still ended up at a loss and in no better of a position than they’d been at the end of the snap. Though this opening act was slow-paced, it was important to have this room to breathe after the almost none stop action that was Infinity War and it showed our heroes all coping with loss in a different way.
That’s why Ant-man’s return was so powerful as it offered hope in a desolate and bleak future that allowed the heroes to get back what they’d once lost.
We watched as the Avengers went back in time to collect the Infinity Stones but in doing so they ushered forth a worse version of Thanos who now was hellbent on destroying all life.
Thanos journeyed to the present and knowing that he was out to destroy everyone this time, the stakes felt infinitely higher.
Defeated
I think it’s safe to say that he smashed Tony, Cap and Thor like you should smash that like button and watching the three most popular Avengers getting the crap kicked out of them made you realise how low humanity’s chances were.
Left with just Thor, Thanos completely wails on him and when the former calls Stormbreaker to his hand he catches it mid-air and starts to drive it into his chest. This is a reverse to how things were at the end of Infinity War and just as it seems like Thor is about to have Stormbreaker shoved into his chest we get one of the biggest saves since Stone Cold Steve Austin saved the WWF from the WCW gooddaaamn look at him go.
The hammer goes to Cap’s hand and he catches it, showing the shield in all its glory before facing down against Thanos to take him head-on.
Deus Ex Machina
Now, this actually capitalises on a trope in tv and film known as Deus Ex Machina. In case you don’t know this translates to mean God From The Machine and it’s typically used to describe when a character appears out of nowhere to save one that’s in great peril.
It’s shown up in lots of media over the years and the worst version of it I can think of is when the T-Rex just completely shows up without making a noise at the end of Jurassic Park. I say worst, I still like this moment to be fair.
Why it works so well here though and feels more than a cheap gimmick is because it combines several elements in order to pull off a big reveal that builds upon the past of the MCU and adds to Cap’s character as a whole.
Levelling Up
Not only are we seeing something that was teased all the way back in Age Of Ultron but we’re also witnessing Cap step up to the next level in order to go toe to toe with the most powerful being in the universe. Cap holding back Thanos’ hand in Infinity War came as a huge shock to the Mad Titan and this builds upon that to show that not only can he go toe to toe with him but that he can also put him on the back foot.
Watching him summon forth lightning and throw his hammer off the shield so that it knocks Thanos off balance is incredible and I love the way Cap swings it around before hitting him in his ball sack of a chin.
It’s the first time in the fight that you really feel that the heroes have a chance and as Ivan Vanko said if you can make God bleed, people will cease to believe in him. This was something that was shown in Infinity War when Tony went head to head with him and even though he threw everything that he had at him just for a drop of blood it did show that it was possible to beat him.
Avengers Assemble
Though it’s not highlighted in this fight, we also see that Steve has managed to cut Thanos in a similar place and it truly highlights what’s to come. The scene is followed by the incredible Avengers Assemble moment and the payoff of this wouldn’t work as well as it did without the set-up here in which we see one man that symbolises the best of us standing up against evil.
This scene works because not only does it show us that those with the strongest wills can stand against a God but it also highlights the journey that Cap has gone on to get to this point.
He’s a character that was deemed someone who wasn’t even worthy to join the fight when he first started out but now he’s leading the frontline against the ultimate force of destruction in the universe.
It shows that the gap between God and man has grown significantly shorter and that we too are worthy to stand amongst them if we are pure of heart. He is arguably the most human character of us all which makes us get behind him and feel like it’s us hitting Thanos just as much as he is.
It’s an amazing moment that rightly made people cheer in the cinema upon seeing it for the first time and it’s a scene that I go back to time and time again to remind me why I fell in love with the MCU as much as I did. I can’t overstate how much I get chills every time I watch this scene and it symbolises that within us all there is a hidden greatness that can come out at any moment.
Cap was there when we most needed him and this scene is the perfect culmination of his story and the Infinity Saga as a whole.
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