Though the powers the come with Mjolnir allow Thor to pull off some immensely powerful feats, the mythical weapon may be able to influence the God of Thunder's mind. One particular moment shows Thor utilize his trusted hammer to speak to a dearly departed friend. However, a later revelation raises a question or two about the true power of Mjolnir and what it could be doing to Thor.
After Captain America is seemingly shot and killed following the events of Civil War, Thor attempts to contact his friend in 2008's Thor #11 by J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel. Noting that Mjolnir can summon the spirits of those who have sworn an oath to it, Thor calls upon Steve Rogers, and is greeted by the spectral being of Captain America. Though Thor has a meaningful heart-to-heart with his brother-in-arms, it is later revealed in Captain America: Reborn by Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch that Steve isn't dead at this time, but has rather been thrown backwards in time.
This revelation puts Thor's experience with the ghostly Steve Rogers into question, because if Steve isn't somewhere in the afterlife when their conversation takes place, how can Thor talk with him? Though the hanging thread of Thor's conversation went unanswered for years, an explanation may have presented itself in Mighty Thor #11 by Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Sabino. Mjolnir is shown as being able to create illusions and poses as Jane Foster to protect the new Thor's identity. Mjolnir also has a consciousness, the God Tempest, and can even express its thoughts and feelings to those who wield the hammer.
It's clear that Mjolnir can make its users see what they desire to see, particularly when it wishes to assist those in need. Considering one of the prerequisites for wielding Mjolnir is being worthy, it stands to reason that it would favor Thor just as much as it favored Jane. So when Thor is in mourning and needs to see his friend Steve, there's a very good chance that Mjolnir could step in and help ease the God of Thunder's pain by conjuring an image of the man he believes to be dead, if only for closure's sake.
Mjolnir being the source of Steve Rogers' ghost would be a great way to close a plot hole that's existed for years. Of course, if it's true, then one could argue that Mjolnir's decision does more harm than good. After all, at this time Thor and the entire world believe Captain America to be dead, and presenting the fallen hero as a specter reinforces that thinking while the hero is actually time-displaced. If the theory holds water, then Thor's relationship with Mjolnir may be a bit more complex than fans thought.
That said, the idea of Captain America's ghost being an illusion is just speculation. In the end, it may just be an unfortunate case of wires getting crossed and not enough information being communicated between writers. But the theory that Mjolnir has the potential to affect Thor's mind could be an interesting avenue worth exploring one day.
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