Rowan thought for a moment. Based on his own judgment of Captain America Rogers, the man is definitely not perfect. He's not just an outdated relic from seventy years ago—his thinking can be rigid, even paranoid at times.
But it's unfair to dismiss most of his virtues over a few flaws. For instance, while he may not know he can jump from a plane unscathed, he's still willing to sacrifice himself to save the world. In that way, he's no different from Iron Man, Tony Stark.
Tony had his fair share of issues—arrogance, recklessness—but he managed to turn his life around when it mattered, ultimately rising to become a hero at the peak of his potential.
The polarized opinions about Captain America largely stem from people treating Rogers like a saint—a machine devoid of emotion or human needs. So, when he shows any imperfection, it breaks the illusion. People cry hypocrisy.
Such is the irony of this world: a villain can do wrong all his life, but if he turns over a new leaf once, he's instantly cleansed—like Loki.
But a good person who's done good their entire life? One misstep and everything they've built is instantly dismissed.
Rowan, as an ordinary man, doesn't share this black-and-white outlook. He's no moral absolutist. To him, Captain America is indeed a man of solid character—far more upright than himself.
If Rowan were asked to sacrifice his life for others, he knew deep down he'd struggle to rise to the occasion. At most, he'd do what he could within his limits to keep a clear conscience.
That's what sets superheroes apart—their willingness to go beyond themselves. It's why the Avengers, the so-called "Big Three," earn their titles. And it's also why Rowan, despite everything, remains just a street-level hero for now.
Rogers' integrity is what allowed him to lift Mjolnir, using it effectively in battle—even briefly overpowering Thanos.
That, in Rowan's view, speaks volumes about the concept of Mjolnir's authority. As for others in the comics who have lifted it, like Natasha Romanoff, he admits he doesn't have the full context. He can only speculate.
Based on what he knows, Rowan probably can't lift Mjolnir—but that doesn't stop him from being curious. After all, in his previous life, this hammer was one of the most iconic artifacts in Marvel.
But he also knows that for top-tier entities, Mjolnir isn't as important as it seems. Odin wielded it in his younger days, only to later pass it down to his children without much sentiment. Hela crushed it effortlessly the moment she reappeared—utterly dismissive of its symbolic weight.
Only Thor—no, the "Hammer God" Thor—still cherishes Mjolnir deeply.
As long as he fails to realize that his real power comes from his bloodline and body, not the hammer, he'll remain the Hammer God in every sense.
Suddenly, the sky darkened above the small town, thunderclouds rolling in and power crackling violently in the air.
"The Destroyer is coming?" Rowan narrowed his eyes, instantly guessing what was about to happen.
Based on the story's trajectory, this might be the moment Loki tries to kill Thor.
The Thor saga often reads like a Norse family drama—betrayals, sibling rivalries, twisted loyalties. You kill me, I kill you. You love me, I love you. Classic Odin household melodrama.
Especially the three prideful "princesses" of Asgard—driven by deep feelings for their realm and determined to prove their loyalty to Odin and Queen Frigga. They were even willing to betray their own kind to gain trust.
They took enormous risks to protect Thor. In the end, one of them tried to assassinate Thanos to preserve Asgard's dignity—and was killed for it.
Yet now, Loki is showing no mercy as he moves to eliminate Thor.
That vicious look—completely different from the later, more reflective Loki—may well be a sign of growth. Or corruption.
Outside the small town, the massive surge of power from the descending figure tore the skies apart. Thor and others rushed out to face it as a massive figure was delivered through the Bifrost.
"It's here!" Nick Fury exclaimed from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. He and his team immediately felt the quake of energy.
Everyone rushed out.
"Don't act rashly!" Nick Fury barked.
He knew Loki had sent the Destroyer—an enchanted suit of armor with unimaginable power. Virtually indestructible, immune to conventional attacks, and without a known weakness.
Ordinary weapons? Worthless.
Unless Thor intervened, no one else could even scratch it.
To put it bluntly, they couldn't even break through its armor.
This situation required more than brute force—it demanded introspection from Thor himself.
The Destroyer's arrival sent powerful gusts across the desert, its armored bulk moving like a god-sized mech. The wind it kicked up was deafening.
Nick Fury watched from a distance, eyes narrowed. Seeing it in real life was far more terrifying than on any video.
What footage couldn't convey was the oppressive presence—the dread—that radiated off the Destroyer. Now he understood why Asgard regarded it as a trump card.
It was nearly indestructible, with the capability to annihilate civilizations.
"I wonder if a nuclear strike would even work," Fury muttered. He wasn't confident.
If it were a purely technological construct, he'd say yes—no doubt. Just a suit of armor, after all.
But this was Asgardian magic—an entirely different game. Magic defied logic and resisted the usual scientific principles. You couldn't predict its limits.
When dealing with the arcane, certainty became elusive.
Yes, humanity had weapons of mass destruction, but Asgard was a galactic superpower. Even nukes might mean little to them.
In the grand scheme, whether a civilization had matured hinged on one simple criterion: could they leave their homeworld?
Now, alien gods had begun to descend.
And the real question remained—when would humanity break through its own gravity and join the cosmos?
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