Why can Captain America lift Mjolnir?

Mjolnir is enchanted so that only someone 'worthy' can lift it. Captain America qualifies because of his selflessness and willingness to sacrifice — a rule established with Thor's 1962 debut.

Did Captain America lift the hammer in the comics?

Yes. The most cited instance is Thor #390 (1988), where Steve Rogers lifts Mjolnir during a battle, decades before Avengers: Endgame.

Why couldn't he lift it in Age of Ultron?

The film leaves it ambiguous. The most common reading is that Steve was concealing knowledge of Bucky at the time, or simply chose not to lift it to spare Thor.

Who else has been worthy?

Across Marvel comics the list includes Beta Ray Bill, Jane Foster, Storm and, briefly, several others — worthiness is a story decision, not a fixed roster.

Why Captain America Can Lift Thor's Hammer

The loudest cheer in Avengers: Endgame came from a moment comic readers had already seen. Steve Rogers picking up Mjolnir is a payoff to a rule written into the character from the start.

Here is what worthiness actually means, and where Cap lifted the hammer before 2019.

The enchantment is part of Thor's original 1962 setup

Thor was introduced by Marvel in Journey into Mystery #83, cover-dated August 1962, created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. The inscription on Mjolnir — whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor — is part of the concept from the beginning.

That single sentence is doing a lot of work. It makes the hammer a moral test rather than a weight-lifting problem, which is why the gag about Cap budging it in Age of Ultron lands at all.

FactMarvel's Thor debuted in Journey into Mystery #83, cover-dated August 1962, created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby.Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

Cap lifted it in the comics first

The best-known comics instance is Thor #390 (1988), where Captain America picks up Mjolnir mid-battle and uses it against Seth's forces. It is brief and deliberately understated — the point is that Steve was always going to qualify.

Later stories, including Fear Itself, revisit the idea. The consistent reading is that worthiness is about selflessness and willingness to sacrifice, not raw virtue or a clean record.

What Endgame added

Avengers: Endgame (2019) made the moment a set piece rather than a footnote, and it works because the film spent years establishing that Steve keeps choosing the hard, self-denying option.

Endgame went on to become one of the highest-grossing films ever released, which is a large part of why this piece of comics trivia is now general knowledge.