Iconic Objects in Comics

There are many objects found between the covers of comics that symbolize various characters, storylines or what have you. Some are objects of power, like the M'Kraan Crystal or the Infinity Gauntlet. Others are power sources for their wielders like Green Lantern's lamp or ring, or Quasar's Quantum Bands. And others are simply weapons like Thor's hammer or the captain America shield.

Each one of these, and countless others, has been solidified in the world of comics as iconic objects. Go to any specialty store carrying comic memorabilia and you're likely to find statues and lithographs featuring these famed items for display in your home, or wherever you like. By displaying one of these pristine replicas you show your loyalty to and fondness of the characters or stories that produced them.

In a comic panel, or in a scene in a movie (like the captain America shield in Iron Man recently), a single momentary placement of one of these objects can be all-telling and all-inspiring. It can give a clue to where a story is headed or who might show up, or it can simply pique the curiosity of the reader or viewer. This has never been more apparent than in recent years with Avengers Disassembled at Marvel Comics and the whole Crises events at DC Comics. In the former, the objects of each character (Hawkeye's quiver, Cap's shield, Thor's hammer and so forth) symbolized the death of Marvel's greatest team. In the latter, DC last year released a poster hinting at the destruction to come. In it, the Atom's belt could be seen, and GL's ring and other objects were of import as well.

These objects have become more than just tools to further story plots, or to display powers. They have become icons themselves. See the red cape with the yellow "S" on it waving majestically in the air and you know exactly what the message is. See that same cape on a pole, tattered, and the message is, again, abundantly clear. The same can be said for the use of any of these objects in the right context.

These iconic objects symbolize the essence of each character within the four color world. Thor was thought dead, but when his hammer fell to earth in a recent issue of Fantastic Four, it symbolized his return, and a return to power for one of Marvel’s icons. It was a powerful scene and plot line that played into the over-arching story throughout the Marvel Universe at the time.

Where these objects are there is a story waiting to be told. And that makes them every bit as iconic as the stories they are used to tell.

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