The Walking Dead universe might be crawling with zombies, but it’s still a lot more grounded than the more famous comic book franchises from Marvel and DC. That said, one of the most iconic and most powerful weapons in the Marvel universe made a secret cameo in one issue of the series, providing an unexpected link between these two worlds.
Robert Kirkman has history with Marvel, having helmed the super-successful Marvel Zombies limited series for them. Whether it came from him or artist Charlie Adlard, a sneaky reference to his work for the House of Ideas was slipped into TWD #123. The comic features Savior leader Negan rallying his troops to take on the Militia. In one panel, we see the villain standing in front of his soldiers who are all armed. Most are packing guns, but one guy – highly visible in the center – appears to be wielding none other than mythical Norse hammer, Mjolnir.
As you can see in the gallery above, the hammer is a close visual match to the God of Thunder’s preferred weapon, sporting the same shape, detailing and it looks like the same handle. Presumably, this is just something that resembles it though and not the actual Mjolnir that had fallen through some multiversal portal. Otherwise, this random Savior would have found himself completely unstoppable in the ensuing battle with Rick Grimes and company.
In contrast to most comic book franchises, The Walking Dead has never crossed off with any other titles, at least to date, likely because Kirkman doesn’t want to break the integrity of the universe he’s created. This secret appearance from Thor’s hammer, then, stands out all the more as a rare reference to the Marvel universe. It feels especially apt, though, given how many TWD TV stars have turned up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
