The marketing campaign for Disney’s Lilo & Stitch was nothing short of brilliant. It’s no surprise, then, that the film pulled in close to a billion dollars at the box office this year. And now, as it heads to digital, Stitch (aka Experiment 626) is crashing Marvel’s 616 universe in the most chaotic and adorable way possible: on a batch of variant superhero comic book covers.
Expect to see Stitch invading the worlds of Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Fantastic Four, and X-Men, with Marvel’s top-tier artists, Paco Medina, Phil Noto, Humberto Ramos, Ben Su, and Luciano Vecchio, bringing the mischief to life.
But it’s the Avengers #30 Stitch Variant Cover by Humberto Ramos that hides the most interesting detail. The cover shows Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Panther, Vision, Hawkeye, and the rest of the gang chasing down Stitch, who’s sprinting away with Mjölnir firmly clenched in his mouth. It’s chaos. It’s hilarious. And it raises a very big question: Is Stitch worthy to lift Thor’s hammer?
Those who’ve seen all the MCU movies know that the hammer is no joke (it’s one of the most powerful weapons in the Marvel Universe). Imprinted on Mjölnir are the words: “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Which means the little blue alien with a history of planetary destruction just passed the Odin enchantment test.
Sure, Stitch was first introduced as one of the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy, a destructive experiment engineered for chaos. He crashed into Earth, caused mayhem in Kokaua Town on the island of Kauai, and generally acted like a walking natural disaster.
But then he met Lilo. And everything changed.
Through her, Stitch learned about Ohana, family, and empathy. Over time, Experiment 626 softened and went from a galactic menace to a loving protector. Since then, with the help a few friends, he’s fought off space invaders, saved Earth more than once, and proven that he’s more than just a weird family dog or science experiment with anger issues.
Yes, if worthiness is about courage, loyalty, and sacrifice, Stitch checks all the boxes. Just like Captain America. And since Disney owns both Marvel and Lilo & Stitch, you could argue this variant cover is now canon.
So, yes. Stitch lifting Mjölnir might be a bit of fun on a comic book cover, but it’s also a nod to just how far the character has come. From intergalactic fugitive to honorary Avenger? That’s quite the arc. Thor better watch his back. Stitch might be coming for the cape next.
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The Marvel comics are on sale from September 10.
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