Thunder Hammer

This is what powers the Horde!

"Krakaboom!"

— Mjölnir, The Mighty Thor

Likely inspired by how hammers make noises that could be compared to thunder, fiction frequently grants them the power to generate electricity or command storms. The sight of a hammer charged with electricity also falls under Rule of Cool so there's that. Designs usually range from a giant two-handed or a one-handed war hammer.

The Trope Maker is Mjölnir, the mystical hammer wielded by the Norse god Thor, associated with lightning to Thor's thunder, which means Mjölnir is what's lightning as it flashes through the air from Thor wielding it. Thunder Hammers are often either Mjölnir itself, named after it or is an Expy of the mythical hammer.

Compare Thunder Drum. Sub-Trope of Shock and Awe and Elemental Weapon. Sister Trope to Lightning Gun, Shock Stick, Static Stun Gun and Lightning Lash. Frequently overlaps with Humongous-Headed Hammer.

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Examples:

Anime & Manga

• Digimon:
  • Digimon Adventure: Zudomon has an attack called Hammer Spark, which charges the "Thor Hammer" he wields with electricity. Confusingly, the English dub renamed both the attack and the weapon to "Vulcan's Hammer"^note This actually still works, if more esoterically, since Vulcan was the forger of lightning bolts used by Jupiter.
  • Digimon Frontier: Invoked by the names of Blitzmon's attacks, "Thor Hammer" and "Mjölnir Thunder". The former has him clasp his hands together and swing them down while they are charged with lightning, while the latter is a Ground Punch which releases an electric blast. None of these attacks actually involve an electrified hammer but their names reference the mythical hammer of the Norse Thunder God.
  • Digimon Adventure: (2020): Not only do Zudomon and his Hammer Spark return, he also has a ranged version of the attack where he fires an electrified beam from the hammer.
• Fate/kaleid liner PRISMA☆ILLYA: Mjolnir is wielded by Beatrice Flowerchild since she possesses the Berserker class card connected to Thor. The hammer is roughly three times her size and requires her to enlarge her entire arm just to hold it. Mjolnir turns out to be a massive Red Herring for this Berserker's True Name - rather than being derived from Thor, the card is instead derived from Magni, one of Thor's sons who inherited the hammer after his father's death during Ragnarok.
• Mobile Fighter G Gundam: The Zeus Gundam's Lightning Hammer is a large yellow hammer with a bolt-shaped handle. It is based on Thor's Mjölnir and can be charged with electricity to shock the enemy. The lightning abilities do not seem to be restricted to the Lightning Hammer as when another Zeus Gundam appeared in Gundam Build Fighters, it was able to channel the same abilities using a random stock hammer.
• Record of Ragnarok: Mjölnir is a massive hammer larger than Thor's entire body. Thor can channel electricity through the hammer, making his swings even more powerful and devastating.
• Soul Eater: Marie Mjolnir's weapon form is either a hammer or a tonfa. True to her namesake, she's able to utilize her soul wavelength to generate electricity.

Comic Books

• De Rode Ridder: The hammer is of course the focal point in the album De Hamer van Thor ^note Thor's Hammer. Both Mjollnir and Gungnir also make an appearance in the album De Walkure ^note The Valkyrie, where they are wielded by their original owners. The album Doodsbrenger ^note Deathbringer briefly shows how Mjollnir was originally forged (from mithril, according to the story!), but instead focusses on the sword Deathbringer, which was forged at the same time but ended up hidden on Midgard, where it was eventually found by the album's main villain.
• Steel's hammer has a variety of features revolving around electromagnetism. It can measure electromagnetic energy, generate EMPs to disrupt machinery and be tuned to the Earth's magnetic field, making it impossible to move. When not in use, the hammer can be magnetically attached to Steel's back.
• The Mighty Thor:
  • As expected in a comic based on Norse myth, the titular character wields the Trope Maker. Thor (2014) reveals that the piece of Uru Mjölnir was created from contained a cosmic storm called the God Tempest.
  • Beta Ray Bill has Stormbreaker, a hammer/axe, with similar powers to Mjölnir. It was created for Bill when it was found out that he was worthy enough to carry Mjölnir since he and Thor can't exactly use the same weapon.
  • The Ultimate Marvel version of Thor has multiple hammers named Mjölnir. His original hammer has the same powers as the 616 version.
• Valhalla: Thor wields the Trope Maker Mjölnir, here presented as a short-hafted one-handed hammer that neatly fits in his hand. Thor can cause thunder and lighting to erupt from the hammer by brandishing it.
• X-Men: In the 80s, when Storm was going through her depowered "Mohawk phase", a 1985 story in X-Men Annual saw Loki attempt to manipulate her into allying with him by giving her a knock-off Mjolnir called Stormcaster, which gave her back her Weather Control powers so long as she wields it. She was forced to surrender the hammer when she thwarted Loki's plan.

Film — Live Action

• Marvel Cinematic Universe: Like in the comics and the myths that inspired them, Mjölnir is featured as Thor's main weapon. Although Thor: Ragnarok establishes that Thor's Shock and Awe powers come from himself and not the hammer, anyone who is worthy enough to lift Mjölnir can call down lightning with it.

Literature

• Fengshen Yanyi: One of Tongtian Jiaozhu's many deadly Paopei are the Purple Lightning Hammers, which are apparently extremely powerful weapons that can break through even other lesser Paopei.
• Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: As usual, Mjölnir is Thor's weapon. Although it spends almost two books missing.

Live-Action TV

• First Wave: Mjolnir shows up as an alien device that can create portals.
• Gods of Honour: The series revolves around the birth and origins of gods, with Leigong as one of the three main characters (alongside Nezha the Warrior and Erlang the Guardian). True to the myth, Leigong does get his enchanted mallet and spike halfway in the show, allowing him to battle demons by striking them down with thunderbolts.
• Power Rangers Operation Overdrive: Thor appears in the episode "Hammer Time" and as expected wields Mjölnir, an oddly Japanese-looking version of it to be precise. This is mostly because it is a case of Cultural Translation due to it coming from a Boukenger storyline involving the Conjuring Mallet. In addition to its Sizeshifter powers from the stock footage, Thor is shown using it to create blasts of lightning.
• Supernatural: Mjölnir is auctioned off in the episode "What's Up Tiger Mommy?" by Plutus, the Greek God of Greed. When Sam manages to get his hands on it, he is able to strike down gods.

Myths & Religion

• Chinese Mythology: Leigong ("Lord of Thunder") is the Chinese equivalent of Thor. He is depicted as a bird-headed humanoid who carries a mallet and drum which can produce thunder, and a chisel to punish evildoers. He is often depicted as being accompanied by Dianmu ("Mother of Lightning") and Yuntong (Child of Clouds) who assist him in creating thunderstorms.
• Norse Mythology: Mjölnir is the Trope Maker and Trope Codifier. It is both a powerful weapon and an instrument that can provide blessings.
• Celtic Mythology has Lorg Mor (Lore-ug More), "Great Staff" the signature weapon of The Dagda, the Top God of the Irish pantheon. It is usually described as a staff or club (the word "lorg" can mean either in Irish Gaelic). Unlike most examples of this trope, one end not only channels Dagda's powers (which includes weather control) bringing death and destruction, but the other end actually revives the slain. He notably used its storm abilities when battling the sea monster muirselche.

Tabletop Games

• Dungeons & Dragons:
  • In the supplement Deities & Demigods Cyclopedia: Thor's magical hammer Mjölnir can fire a total of 100d6 worth of lightning bolts per day, divided up as the god wishes.
  • The Hammer of Thunderbolts is, depending on the edition, either a really powerful magic hammer or an outright artifact. Heavily based on Mjölnir, if wielded by someone who's also wearing Gauntlets of Ogre Power and a Belt of Giant Strength, it gives the wielder god-like strength and the ability to hurl the Hammer at distant foes to release mighty thunderclaps that damage and stun all nearby creatures. If the target is a giant, they must also make a saving throw or be instantly struck dead by the impact.
• Fabula Ultima: One of the sample rare heavy weapons is Mjolnir, a one-handed hammer that inflicts both bolt damage and the Dazed status effect to anyone it hits.
• Pathfinder: The minor artifact Hammer of Thunderbolts is essentially a lesser version of Mjölnir (and is also featured in Dungeons & Dragons). It requires other magic items (based on Thor's belt and gloves) to be worn to be used at full power.
• Warhammer 40,000: The Thunder Hammers are huge war hammers used by Space Marine Terminators. They have disruption fields designed to activate on impact, greatly increasing the damage they deal and producing a crack of thunder. For Astartes Terminators they are usually one-handed and reasonably sized, however they can also come in two-handed Humongous-Headed Hammer style for space marines wearing regular power armor.

Video Games

• AdventureQuest: The game has an equipment set themed after Norse Mythology, Mjollnir naturally shows up as one of the weapons in the set. It is an Energy-element hammer that can either be swung or thrown. The Full Set Bonus of the set grants Mjollnir a x20% damage to any opponent that uses Strength.
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla: Mjölnir is an obtainable weapon, complete with a lightning effect.
• Brawlhalla: Sentinel and Thor's hammers generate electricity when used in special attacks.
• Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters: Elmer Fudd appears in the Viking Era as the guardian of Mjölnir. During his boss fight, his main method of attack is using the hammer to call down lightning bolts.
• Dead Island: The player can customize weapons with a variety of modifications. One in particular, the Shocking Sledge Mod, allows you to electrify a sledgehammer. Other, more generalized mods can also be used to electrify hammers.
• Dead Rising: Off The Record introduced the Electric Crusher, a weapon created by combining a sledgehammer and a car battery. It can brain zombies like a traditional hammer, but can also be slammed into the ground to send out a zombie-killing wave of electricity. The weapon recurs in Dead Rising 3 and 4.
• Dicey Dungeons:
  • The card Hammer, which does raw damage^note damage equal to the dice inserted and shocks one of the enemy's cards if you put in a 6 (or any even number if upgraded). If Inventor's art is anything to go by, this is a completely regular claw hammer.
  • The card Sledgehammer, only available in Parallel Universe and Bonus Round episodes, has a countdown of 10, and does 8 damage as well as shocking the enemy.
• Dislyte has Donar, the Esper of Thor who wields both his thunder powers and his iconic hammer.
• DOTA 2: Maelstrom is a hammer that gives your attacks a Chain Lightning effect. It can be upgraded to Mjölnir, which has the same effect and can also place a lightning shield around an ally.
• Dying Light: Electrified hammers are among the game's weapon customization options.
• The Elder Scrolls: Thunder Hammers can be found as random enchanted loot in The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, The Elderscrolls IV Oblivion, or Skyrim. Players can also create their own Thunder Hammers if they want to.
• Fallout 4: The super sledge (and sledgehammer as of Nuka-World) can be modified to do electrical damage, though your enemies' primary concern is still going to be the rocket power sledgehammer head.
• Final Fantasy: Thor's Hammer is a recurring weapon throughout the series. It is often used to cast lightning magic or deliver lightning-charged strikes. Curiously, it is often a signature weapon of the White Mage, a support-based class that rarely actually uses their weapons.
• Final Fight 3: Dean can generate electricity and his signature weapon is a hammer. He can charge said hammer with electricity and throw it at enemies.
• Genshin Impact: The Fatui Electrohammer Vanguard enemies wield giant hammers that can be imbued with the Electro element. While electrified, their hammers gain a significant damage boost and increase in range, making them very dangerous to face head on without a Cryo user to counter their element.
• God of War (PS4): The smiths who forged Mjolnir, Brok and Sindri, are supporting characters who aid Kratos and Atreus by providing crafting services. They are deeply ashamed of forging Mjolnir since Thor used it to slay countless Giants. Thor's sons Magni and Modi are in fierce competition with each other over the right to inherit the hammer. The hammer itself makes an appearance in The Stinger when Thor appears in front of Kratos's house in Atreus's dream.
• God of War Ragnarök: Continuing on from the previous game, Thor shows up with Mjolnir in tow and is shown to be capable of tossing and recalling it like Kratos with his axe. When the two collide, it creates a massive frozen lightning bolt that stretches to the skies.
• Hexen: The Crusader class from Hexen II carries a war hammer as their base weapon. While not electrified by default, under the influence of the Tome of Power it not only gains the ability to fly through the air at a toss, but then on impact also strikes those that it hits with bolts of lightning. Essentially making it into an Expy of Marvel's Mjolnir (especially with the ability to fly as the weapon is tossed, which Thor used to do).
• League of Legends:Jayce Talis uses a hammer that can discharge electricity.
• Love of Magic: Thor wields Mjölnir until it is taken from him and given to Bella.
• Magicka: Mjölnir itself makes an appearance as one of the weapons that can be wielded by a wizard. It can call down lightning from the sky.
• Neverwinter Nights 2: The Hammer of Ironfist is the Ancestral Weapon of Torim Ironfist, founder of the Ironfist dwarf clan. It inflicts bonus electric damage with each strike and grants the wielder partial resistance to electric damage. When the hammer is fully charged, it may be used to call forth a powerful blast of electricity, centered on the hammer itself, that damages foes and deafens them with a thunderclap-like noise.
• Nuclear Throne: The Lightning Hammer shoots lightning every time it is swung.
• Phantasy Star Online 2:
  • Techters' Wands often take the form of hammers. By using an Element Change Ring, Techters can imbue their Wands with lightning, striking with elemental explosions with every swing.
  • Aratron Tolstoy's Avatar Arms is Thor's Hammer, a large war hammer that crackles with electricity when he slams it down on the floor. When he fights you in earnest, he transforms into a Humongous Mecha with an even larger hammer that calls down lightning in addition to his electrified hammer.
• Quake: The Scourge of Armagon Expansion Pack has the Mjölnir as a melee weapon. It's hidden attack involves striking the floor and releasing a stream of bolts that shocks every monster in the vicinity. This attack is only available if the player has enough Cells.
• Shin Megami Tensei:
  • Thor is a recurring demon throughout the franchise and wields his hammer Mjölnir. He invariably has access to lightning-element spells as per his legend as the god of thunder. His hammer is also available for use as equipment in numerous games throughout the franchise.
  • In Persona 5, Mjölnir is one of the strongest weapons available to Ryuji Sakamoto, and can only be obtained by itemizing Thor. Appropriately, Ryuji specializes in Electricity himself, and Mjölnir improves his Electricity output on par with the passive skill Elec Boost. Oddly, it's actually a mace.
• Swords & Soldiers: The ultimate spell acquired by the Vikings is the Hammer of Thor. When activated, it summons the God of Thunder, who hurls his hammer into the battlefield, where it will stay put and electrocute all nearby enemy units until it's destroyed.
• Titan Quest: The "Essence of Donar's Hammer" relic sounds like it should be this as Donar is another name for Thor. However, it does not have much of a electricity connection beyond inflicting "Stun" or generic elemental damage.
  Donar, or Thor, is the Germanic god of thunder. A son of giants himself, he uses his mighty hammer to protect the world from all kinds of monsters.
• Transformers: Devastation: There is a large assortment of giant hammers in the game and all the non-unique weapons have Fire, Ice, Lightning variants. Naturally, there are lightning hammers that deal shock damage, which Optimus and Grimlock can use. Humorously enough the regular giant hammers' design harken back to the Magnus Hammer from Transformers: Animated, so them getting electrified can count as a Mythology Gag.
• Warcraft:
  • The Doomhammer is an ancestral orcish weapon wielded by Thrall, and temporarily by Enhancement Shamans in Legion. Although it can channel the power of any element, its attacks are almost always accompanied by lightning.
  • The Mountain King Hero Unit in Warcraft III wields a hammer which he uses to perform his Storm Bolt and Thunder Clap attacks. Muradin retains these abilities in Heroes of the Storm. Downplayed with the Thunder Clap ability in World of Warcraft; it's a vanilla Ground Pound that doesn't require a hammer to use, but the ability icon still shows an electrified hammer doing the attack.
  • Stormhammers are the weapons of the Wildhammer dwarves, which are lightning-infused hammers they throw from atop their gryphons. They strike "with the fury of a storm" then return to their wielder's hand.
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine: At some points in the Singleplayer Campaign, Captain Titus is allowed to arm himself with the fearsome Thunder Hammer, sometimes either on its own or with a complimentary jump pack.
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Electra is a lightning-based blade inspired by Japanese thunder gods. She uses a hammer as her weapon and functions as a tank.

Web Animation

• RWBY: Befitting a character inspired by Norse myth, Nora Valkyrie has the ability to absorb electricity to boost her strength and speed, and fights with Magnhild, a hammer(that can transform into a grenade launcher). In Volume 4, the hammer gets an upgrade that allows it generate an electric current.

Webcomics

• Ginger's Bread: Ryan and Kelly once gave Ginger a taser shaped like a hammer as a birthday present. At first she was annoyed that they were persisting with the joke that her (very Swedish) dad is Thor, but then she decided it was a pretty cool weapon.
• The Order of the Stick: Durkon starts using a Hammer of Thunderbolts near the end of the story arc "Utterly Dwarved". It's coruscated in white lightning whenever he swings or throws it.

Western Animation

• Arcane: Jayce's Mercury Hammer is powered by Hextech and can generate electric energy for close or ranged combat.
• Gargoyles: The Quarrymen wield hammers that can discharge electric currents. This function is activated by cocking the hammer like a shotgun.
• Transformers: Animated: The Magnus Hammer can fire lightning bolts or call down lightning from the sky. It is Ultra Magnus's weapon as well as his symbol of authority.

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