raul grau
Mar 29, 2006, 01:40 am
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/comixfanpresents.gif" align=left border=0 hspace=10 alt="Comixfan Presents logo">The Top Ten Cosmic Objects
By: Jon Hancock, Matt Lazorwitz, Jordan T. Maxwell, Gary Miller
Editors: Raul Grau, Jordan T. Maxwell
Last week, Comixfan examined the alien landscape of our fictional universes by highlighting those Top Ten Alien Races (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38266) found amongst the great unknown, but now we begin our journey beyond mere extraterrestrial life, beyond conventional space, beyond the unknown, into the unknowable. There are powers far greater than healing factors and tall building bounding, where cosmic forces rend reality and test the limits of time. Of course, not every character can reach the cosmic realm unaided, but if you are fortunate enough to find a funny hat with a Lord of Order bound inside, then you too can clash with the gods (and goddesses... sexism is so very mortal).
From Nega Bands to Quantum Bands, from the Starbrand to the Starheart, the omniverse is literally littered with cosmic trinkets... any mystic with a sanctum has dozens of Orbs and Eyes to choose from... so how can you determine which otherworldly objects are gifts from the gods? The cosmic couch potatoes of Comixfan were willing to wade through the wands, all to determine which archetypal symbol was the most symbolic. Here are the ten objects that might not be sold at a store near you, but are certainly worth their warranty.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Lasso.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Lasso of Truth"></a>#10 Lasso of Truth
First Appearance: All Star Comics #8 (DC)
Created by: William Moulton Marston
Like Wonder Woman herself, the Lasso of Truth is an item right out of mythology. Not literally, mind you, but it is traditional in heroic cycles for the gods to bestow their chosen champion with divine gifts and tools for use in their coming trials and battles. Diana has been blessed with many such gifts, but her Lasso is the greatest and possibly the most iconic. And for good reason, as the Lasso is a perfect metaphor for Wonder Woman's character. Strong and unbreakable as steel, yet flexible and gentle. Even its greatest power, the ability to pull the truth from whomever it binds, is one that Diana herself innately possesses to some degree (one would have to in order to be the Goddess of Truth, for however short a time). While some maintain that the Lasso is a symbol of bondage, and makes Wonder Woman some kind of BDSM male fantasy, it is much more complex than that. If the truth shall set you free (as another divine champion once said), then through the bondage of the lasso one finds a kind of freedom. Like Wonder Woman's mission in the Patriarch's World...a fierce warrior teaching peace...the Lasso is a paradox, but there is power in that contradiction, if only symbolically. Also, the Lasso (and Wonder Woman)'s creator helped invent the lie detector machine. That kind of synchronicity has to earn you a few points.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Hammer.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Mjolnir"></a>#9 Mjolnir
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #83 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of... Thor!" So the inscription read when lame physician, Dr. Donald Blake, was first transformed into mighty Marvel's Norse God of Thunder. Forged by Eitri, Brok, and Buri, enchanted by Odin, Mjolnir (in English, "That Which Smashes") was first carried by Odin himself. Later, the elder Asgardian subjected his teen son Thor to a number of tests before he could carry the weapon. Since then, only a select few besides Thor have been able to heft the hammer: among them, the alien Beta Ray Bill, Earth's own Eric Masterson (the late Thunderstrike), Captain America, and Krypton's Superman! The hammer's powers are numerous, from interdimensional travel, to flight, to the now-lost power of time travel. Mjolnir can even be used as a conduit for the considerable cosmic power of its owner. Its most astonishing feats include shattering a Celestial's head, negating the Juggernaut's force field, and absorbing and redirecting a bomb set to obliterate an entire galaxy! Its cosmic storms even defeated the living planet, Ego. Its power great, its weaknesses few, all vile miscreants shouldst fear yon Uru mallet!
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Surfer_sboard.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Cosmic Surfboard"></a>#8 Cosmic Surfboard
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
The Silver Surfer is one of the most iconic figures from Marvel’s Silver Age (no pun intended), one of those legendary Lee & Kirby creations, and part of that iconic quality comes from his distinctive look. And that look, as well as his name, derive from his mode of transport: the Cosmic Surfboard. Soaring above Earth and alien worlds, looking upon humanity and other species with his unique detached perspective, the Surfer’s board is his trademark. His power flows through it, and it is as much a part of him as his own arm. It is so connected with the Surfer that when Doctor Doom stole his powers, the board was taken by Doom (who never struck me as much of a surfer). It is also a true sign of his alien nature. We view surfing as something intrinsically tied to the sea, and while the Surfer has talked of flying through the tides of space, there is something about seeing a surfboard coasting through the air that really shows the cosmic nature of the character; it is something that defies our expectations and our way of thinking.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/BookofDestiny.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Book of Destiny"></a>#7 Book of Destiny
First Appearance: Weird Mystery Tales #1 (DC)
Created by: Marv Wolfman and Berni Wrightson
Originally dubbed the Cosmic Log in Destiny's first appearances, the Book of Destiny contains every event that has happened, is happening, or ever will happen. Everything that happens to everyone, everywhere. It cannot be erased or altered. And it is not writing itself as it goes along. Every word has been there since the dawn of time. One could easily flip through its pages and see the future...if one were willing to carry such dangerous knowledge. For that is the power and the burden of Destiny's Book. Knowledge. The knowing of every event that will occur throughout the expanse of eternity, and the inability to change any of it. The chain that binds the Book to Destiny's arm is the chain that binds us all to our own fate. And yet, as all the Endless are defined by their opposites, Destiny and his Book represent freedom. Because we can choose whether we look at the Book or not, whether we know and accept our fate or continue to choose and explore, learn and grow. And perhaps it is not that we merely act out what the Book says, but that it chronicles that which we would have done regardless. The Endless serve humanity, not the other way around. And as Delirium says, there are things that the Book does not know. Mysteries and magic, the romance of WHY things occur, rather than just the fact that they did, have, or will. That is the joint power and beauty of Destiny's Book. The knowledge contained on its dry dusty pages and the mysteries that it speaks not of.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Death_sAnkh2.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Ankh of Death"></a>#6 Ankh of Death
First Appearance: Sandman v.2 #8 (DC)
Created by: Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg
The Endless are not gods. They are as far above gods as gods are above mere mortals. And yet, just as gods are brought into being by the dreams of men, so too do the Endless serve their functions among the mortal and immortal worlds. To facilitate this function, they each have their sigils. For Death, second eldest of the Endless, her sigil is a simple silver ankh...Egyptian symbol for life and immortality. At first glance, the notion of Death wearing a symbol of life may seem ironic. But once you begin to understand her full function, the irony fades and the truth is illuminated. Life and death are part of the same cycle. They define one another, because life loses some of its precious nature if it has no end. You can live for centuries, millennia even, from one end of eternity to the next...if there is no death, then life has no meaning. So when Death says her ankh is "the most important thing in the whole universe," she isn't being either boastful or glib. The ankh IS life because it brings death. It is not the source of Death's power. It is the embodiment of her function. There is no life without death there to define it.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/UltimateNullifier.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Ultimate Nullifier"></a>#5 The Ultimate Nullifier
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #50 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
What could be deadlier than a weapon that could wipe out virtually everything, including any who dare to use it? First found in Galactus' immense starbase, Taa II, the Nullifier is the ultimate weapon (it says so in the title). Few have even seen the object, still fewer have used it, and even fewer than that have survived its use. Among all things in the universe, it is the only object to scare the proverbial (not literal) pants off of Galactus. During the Infinity War, Quasar once used the Nullifier in an ill-fated attempt to rid the universe of the threat of the Magus, but instead found himself trapped beyond the veil in "The White Room" (with black curtains, near the station...) while Marvel Boy, an older Protector, stole his place in reality. From there, its wielders became progressively less cool. Morg, Galactus' renegade herald, succeeded in "nullifying" Galactus and Tyrant, without suffering ill effects. And the Fantastic Four's multidimensional nemesis Abraxas plotted to use the Nullifier to erase all of reality, but Reed Richards stopped his threat, using the Nullifier to destroy and reorder reality himself, giving life to those Abraxas had killed, also stripping his son Franklin of his cosmic powers and returning his then-teen daughter to her mother's womb. What more could you ask of a cosmic weapon? (And in case you were wondering, I stand by the assertion that Quasar is cooler than Reed Richards.)
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/InfinityGauntlet.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Infinity Gauntlet"></a>#4 The Infinity Gauntlet/Gems
First Appearance: (As Soul Gems) Avengers Annual #7; (As Infinity Gems/Gauntlet) Thanos Quest #2 (Marvel)
Created by: Jim Starlin
When Adam Warlock was given a Soul Gem by the High Evolutionary, it seemed simply to be another weapon or tool for the character. But when writer Jim Starlin took over Warlock’s adventures, he made the gem something more, a vampiric entity that stole the souls of others. And it was through Starlin’s other great character, Thanos of Titan, that the gem's true power was revealed. The six Infinity Gems, as Starlin dubbed them, were Soul, Time, Space, Power, Mind, and Reality and, when used in concert, the gems made the bearer a god. Thanos took the gems and created the potent Infinity Gauntlet. He used the Gauntlet to remake reality, and through this was crafted one of the greatest stories in Marvel Comics history. While others have possessed the Gauntlet, it is in that first story that it was used to its fullest. As the tale reaches its crescendo, the lesson learned is that the power of a god cannot be possessed by a mortal, and so the gems were separated. But it was as the Gauntlet that they proved most interesting, their power used to present a story of godhood found and lost, and what one can and must do with that great power.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/KeytoHell2.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Key to Hell"></a>#3 The Key to Hell
First Appearance: Sandman v.2 #22 (DC)
Created by: Neil Gaiman and Kelly Jones
Hell is a locale that has appeared in more than one comic book series, but in Neil Gaiman’s visionary tale, The Sandman, Hell is presented as something more than a place of torment. It is the home of Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil who gives up his throne. And when he does, he presents Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, with the one Key to Hell. The key, drawn by Kelly Jones, was a thing of gothic beauty, twisted and gnarled and deadly looking, but with a certain appeal. With the key in his possession, gods, demons, and angels came down on the castle of Dream, demanding, as the story addresses it, a prime piece of psychic real estate. Morpheus is faced with the question of who really deserves to be handed the key, and in the end it returns to the one who was its original owner, Yaweh, and the angel Duma takes up the burden. The key has appeared since, in Mike Carey’s Lucifer, and has passed through a couple of other hands, but it remains what it was originally, a symbol of dread responsibility that must be taken up and held by one who is willing to wield it.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/CosmicCube.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Cosmic Cube"></a>#2 The Cosmic Cube
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #79 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
The Red Skull used it to shape the Falcon into Captain America's ideal partner. Thanos used it to order reality to his whim. The Aquarian used it to mature his own mind. The Cube has been considered the premier object of power in the Marvel Universe since nearly its first appearance, when created by the scientists of AIM. Since then, the legend of the Cube has grown exponentially. Its energies came from a dimension of godlike beings known as the Beyonders (yes, related to that Beyonder....somehow). Funneled into this reality and stored in deceptively simple, cube-shaped containers, that energy has the power to grant its bearer whatever he or she imagines. Over time, other Cubes in the galaxy have evolved into sentient forms, their personalities formed by their bearers. The Skrull Cube became the Shaper of Worlds, and one of Earth's Cubes turned into Kubik. Lately, however, a Cube briefly returned into the hands of the Skull, who used its power to plague Cap, the X-Men, and a host of minor heroes. The Cube's present whereabouts are unknown, but so long as there is darkness and desire in the hearts of men, the ultimate power offered by the Cosmic Cube will only be a stray thought away...
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/LanternRing.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Green Lantern Ring"></a>#1 Green Lantern Ring/Battery
First Appearance: Showcase #22 (DC)
Created by: John Broome and Gil Kane
The most powerful weapon in the universe. Need I say more?
Well, according to our editor, yes, I do. What's a cop without a gun? Apart from British, that is. The Green Lantern Corps are the universe's most successful police force and that is primarily due to their armaments. However, the ring and the battery are more than mere point and shoot tools. Powered by the user's will, these emerald trinkets can do literally anything the bearer chooses. As long as they're creative and strong enough to cope with it, of course. And that's what makes the ring so amazing. It is a great weapon, the best weapon, but it is only as good as its user. The way the person wields it makes it more or less useful. The ring has been used to make giant boxing gloves (apparently a staple attack) and to travel through time. It's everything you'd ever want. Of course, ultimate power leads to corruption, and the beauty of the ring is the stories of the people who've wielded it, and how they all seem to go loopy. But this isn't about them. It's about the world's most powerful bling. So, you've got an extremely powerful weapon, a plot device that leads to fantastic stories, a recognisable symbol that has made it into various other types of media. Anything else? Oh yeah, the coolest catchphrase in the history of comics. Repeat after me folks: "IN BRIGHTEST DAY..." Well, you know the rest...
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So there you have the Top 10 Cosmic Objects, those incredible items that can either give life, or snuff it out forever, but always bestow a memorable storyline on their readers. Though, as was emphasized here repeatedly, no amount of reality-defying raiments can ever take the place of solid characterization, and it is as much the power bearer as the power source that accounts for cosmic-levels of popularity. Of course, this is not the end of our journey through all things cosmic, so stay tuned to Comixfan throughout the month of March to continue your time/space trip, and keep your eyes peeled for our other Cosmic offerings (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38059).
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Ankh of Death, Book of Destiny, Lasso of Truth: Jordan T. Maxwell
Cosmic Cube, Mjolnir, Ultimate Nullifier: Gary Miller
Cosmic Surfboard, Infinity Gauntlet/Gems, Key to Hell: Matt Lazorwitz
Green Lantern Ring/Power Battery: Jon Hancock
Contributors: Will Carper, Tom Connolley, Nick Costanzo, Anthony Devlin, Raul Grau, James Groves, Magic Rabbit, T. Martin, Joel Phillips, Janne Pietikainen, Greg Reeves, Omar A. Safi, Tom Toner
Image Assistance: Zachary J. Morrison, Greg Reeves
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writers involved, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.
By: Jon Hancock, Matt Lazorwitz, Jordan T. Maxwell, Gary Miller
Editors: Raul Grau, Jordan T. Maxwell
Last week, Comixfan examined the alien landscape of our fictional universes by highlighting those Top Ten Alien Races (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38266) found amongst the great unknown, but now we begin our journey beyond mere extraterrestrial life, beyond conventional space, beyond the unknown, into the unknowable. There are powers far greater than healing factors and tall building bounding, where cosmic forces rend reality and test the limits of time. Of course, not every character can reach the cosmic realm unaided, but if you are fortunate enough to find a funny hat with a Lord of Order bound inside, then you too can clash with the gods (and goddesses... sexism is so very mortal).
From Nega Bands to Quantum Bands, from the Starbrand to the Starheart, the omniverse is literally littered with cosmic trinkets... any mystic with a sanctum has dozens of Orbs and Eyes to choose from... so how can you determine which otherworldly objects are gifts from the gods? The cosmic couch potatoes of Comixfan were willing to wade through the wands, all to determine which archetypal symbol was the most symbolic. Here are the ten objects that might not be sold at a store near you, but are certainly worth their warranty.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Lasso.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Lasso of Truth"></a>#10 Lasso of Truth
First Appearance: All Star Comics #8 (DC)
Created by: William Moulton Marston
Like Wonder Woman herself, the Lasso of Truth is an item right out of mythology. Not literally, mind you, but it is traditional in heroic cycles for the gods to bestow their chosen champion with divine gifts and tools for use in their coming trials and battles. Diana has been blessed with many such gifts, but her Lasso is the greatest and possibly the most iconic. And for good reason, as the Lasso is a perfect metaphor for Wonder Woman's character. Strong and unbreakable as steel, yet flexible and gentle. Even its greatest power, the ability to pull the truth from whomever it binds, is one that Diana herself innately possesses to some degree (one would have to in order to be the Goddess of Truth, for however short a time). While some maintain that the Lasso is a symbol of bondage, and makes Wonder Woman some kind of BDSM male fantasy, it is much more complex than that. If the truth shall set you free (as another divine champion once said), then through the bondage of the lasso one finds a kind of freedom. Like Wonder Woman's mission in the Patriarch's World...a fierce warrior teaching peace...the Lasso is a paradox, but there is power in that contradiction, if only symbolically. Also, the Lasso (and Wonder Woman)'s creator helped invent the lie detector machine. That kind of synchronicity has to earn you a few points.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Hammer.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Mjolnir"></a>#9 Mjolnir
First Appearance: Journey Into Mystery #83 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of... Thor!" So the inscription read when lame physician, Dr. Donald Blake, was first transformed into mighty Marvel's Norse God of Thunder. Forged by Eitri, Brok, and Buri, enchanted by Odin, Mjolnir (in English, "That Which Smashes") was first carried by Odin himself. Later, the elder Asgardian subjected his teen son Thor to a number of tests before he could carry the weapon. Since then, only a select few besides Thor have been able to heft the hammer: among them, the alien Beta Ray Bill, Earth's own Eric Masterson (the late Thunderstrike), Captain America, and Krypton's Superman! The hammer's powers are numerous, from interdimensional travel, to flight, to the now-lost power of time travel. Mjolnir can even be used as a conduit for the considerable cosmic power of its owner. Its most astonishing feats include shattering a Celestial's head, negating the Juggernaut's force field, and absorbing and redirecting a bomb set to obliterate an entire galaxy! Its cosmic storms even defeated the living planet, Ego. Its power great, its weaknesses few, all vile miscreants shouldst fear yon Uru mallet!
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Surfer_sboard.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Cosmic Surfboard"></a>#8 Cosmic Surfboard
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
The Silver Surfer is one of the most iconic figures from Marvel’s Silver Age (no pun intended), one of those legendary Lee & Kirby creations, and part of that iconic quality comes from his distinctive look. And that look, as well as his name, derive from his mode of transport: the Cosmic Surfboard. Soaring above Earth and alien worlds, looking upon humanity and other species with his unique detached perspective, the Surfer’s board is his trademark. His power flows through it, and it is as much a part of him as his own arm. It is so connected with the Surfer that when Doctor Doom stole his powers, the board was taken by Doom (who never struck me as much of a surfer). It is also a true sign of his alien nature. We view surfing as something intrinsically tied to the sea, and while the Surfer has talked of flying through the tides of space, there is something about seeing a surfboard coasting through the air that really shows the cosmic nature of the character; it is something that defies our expectations and our way of thinking.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/BookofDestiny.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Book of Destiny"></a>#7 Book of Destiny
First Appearance: Weird Mystery Tales #1 (DC)
Created by: Marv Wolfman and Berni Wrightson
Originally dubbed the Cosmic Log in Destiny's first appearances, the Book of Destiny contains every event that has happened, is happening, or ever will happen. Everything that happens to everyone, everywhere. It cannot be erased or altered. And it is not writing itself as it goes along. Every word has been there since the dawn of time. One could easily flip through its pages and see the future...if one were willing to carry such dangerous knowledge. For that is the power and the burden of Destiny's Book. Knowledge. The knowing of every event that will occur throughout the expanse of eternity, and the inability to change any of it. The chain that binds the Book to Destiny's arm is the chain that binds us all to our own fate. And yet, as all the Endless are defined by their opposites, Destiny and his Book represent freedom. Because we can choose whether we look at the Book or not, whether we know and accept our fate or continue to choose and explore, learn and grow. And perhaps it is not that we merely act out what the Book says, but that it chronicles that which we would have done regardless. The Endless serve humanity, not the other way around. And as Delirium says, there are things that the Book does not know. Mysteries and magic, the romance of WHY things occur, rather than just the fact that they did, have, or will. That is the joint power and beauty of Destiny's Book. The knowledge contained on its dry dusty pages and the mysteries that it speaks not of.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/Death_sAnkh2.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Ankh of Death"></a>#6 Ankh of Death
First Appearance: Sandman v.2 #8 (DC)
Created by: Neil Gaiman and Mike Dringenberg
The Endless are not gods. They are as far above gods as gods are above mere mortals. And yet, just as gods are brought into being by the dreams of men, so too do the Endless serve their functions among the mortal and immortal worlds. To facilitate this function, they each have their sigils. For Death, second eldest of the Endless, her sigil is a simple silver ankh...Egyptian symbol for life and immortality. At first glance, the notion of Death wearing a symbol of life may seem ironic. But once you begin to understand her full function, the irony fades and the truth is illuminated. Life and death are part of the same cycle. They define one another, because life loses some of its precious nature if it has no end. You can live for centuries, millennia even, from one end of eternity to the next...if there is no death, then life has no meaning. So when Death says her ankh is "the most important thing in the whole universe," she isn't being either boastful or glib. The ankh IS life because it brings death. It is not the source of Death's power. It is the embodiment of her function. There is no life without death there to define it.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/UltimateNullifier.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Ultimate Nullifier"></a>#5 The Ultimate Nullifier
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #50 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
What could be deadlier than a weapon that could wipe out virtually everything, including any who dare to use it? First found in Galactus' immense starbase, Taa II, the Nullifier is the ultimate weapon (it says so in the title). Few have even seen the object, still fewer have used it, and even fewer than that have survived its use. Among all things in the universe, it is the only object to scare the proverbial (not literal) pants off of Galactus. During the Infinity War, Quasar once used the Nullifier in an ill-fated attempt to rid the universe of the threat of the Magus, but instead found himself trapped beyond the veil in "The White Room" (with black curtains, near the station...) while Marvel Boy, an older Protector, stole his place in reality. From there, its wielders became progressively less cool. Morg, Galactus' renegade herald, succeeded in "nullifying" Galactus and Tyrant, without suffering ill effects. And the Fantastic Four's multidimensional nemesis Abraxas plotted to use the Nullifier to erase all of reality, but Reed Richards stopped his threat, using the Nullifier to destroy and reorder reality himself, giving life to those Abraxas had killed, also stripping his son Franklin of his cosmic powers and returning his then-teen daughter to her mother's womb. What more could you ask of a cosmic weapon? (And in case you were wondering, I stand by the assertion that Quasar is cooler than Reed Richards.)
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/InfinityGauntlet.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Infinity Gauntlet"></a>#4 The Infinity Gauntlet/Gems
First Appearance: (As Soul Gems) Avengers Annual #7; (As Infinity Gems/Gauntlet) Thanos Quest #2 (Marvel)
Created by: Jim Starlin
When Adam Warlock was given a Soul Gem by the High Evolutionary, it seemed simply to be another weapon or tool for the character. But when writer Jim Starlin took over Warlock’s adventures, he made the gem something more, a vampiric entity that stole the souls of others. And it was through Starlin’s other great character, Thanos of Titan, that the gem's true power was revealed. The six Infinity Gems, as Starlin dubbed them, were Soul, Time, Space, Power, Mind, and Reality and, when used in concert, the gems made the bearer a god. Thanos took the gems and created the potent Infinity Gauntlet. He used the Gauntlet to remake reality, and through this was crafted one of the greatest stories in Marvel Comics history. While others have possessed the Gauntlet, it is in that first story that it was used to its fullest. As the tale reaches its crescendo, the lesson learned is that the power of a god cannot be possessed by a mortal, and so the gems were separated. But it was as the Gauntlet that they proved most interesting, their power used to present a story of godhood found and lost, and what one can and must do with that great power.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/KeytoHell2.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Key to Hell"></a>#3 The Key to Hell
First Appearance: Sandman v.2 #22 (DC)
Created by: Neil Gaiman and Kelly Jones
Hell is a locale that has appeared in more than one comic book series, but in Neil Gaiman’s visionary tale, The Sandman, Hell is presented as something more than a place of torment. It is the home of Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil who gives up his throne. And when he does, he presents Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, with the one Key to Hell. The key, drawn by Kelly Jones, was a thing of gothic beauty, twisted and gnarled and deadly looking, but with a certain appeal. With the key in his possession, gods, demons, and angels came down on the castle of Dream, demanding, as the story addresses it, a prime piece of psychic real estate. Morpheus is faced with the question of who really deserves to be handed the key, and in the end it returns to the one who was its original owner, Yaweh, and the angel Duma takes up the burden. The key has appeared since, in Mike Carey’s Lucifer, and has passed through a couple of other hands, but it remains what it was originally, a symbol of dread responsibility that must be taken up and held by one who is willing to wield it.
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/CosmicCube.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Cosmic Cube"></a>#2 The Cosmic Cube
First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #79 (Marvel)
Created by: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
The Red Skull used it to shape the Falcon into Captain America's ideal partner. Thanos used it to order reality to his whim. The Aquarian used it to mature his own mind. The Cube has been considered the premier object of power in the Marvel Universe since nearly its first appearance, when created by the scientists of AIM. Since then, the legend of the Cube has grown exponentially. Its energies came from a dimension of godlike beings known as the Beyonders (yes, related to that Beyonder....somehow). Funneled into this reality and stored in deceptively simple, cube-shaped containers, that energy has the power to grant its bearer whatever he or she imagines. Over time, other Cubes in the galaxy have evolved into sentient forms, their personalities formed by their bearers. The Skrull Cube became the Shaper of Worlds, and one of Earth's Cubes turned into Kubik. Lately, however, a Cube briefly returned into the hands of the Skull, who used its power to plague Cap, the X-Men, and a host of minor heroes. The Cube's present whereabouts are unknown, but so long as there is darkness and desire in the hearts of men, the ultimate power offered by the Cosmic Cube will only be a stray thought away...
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<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top10cosmicobjects/LanternRing.jpg" align=left hspace=10 alt="Green Lantern Ring"></a>#1 Green Lantern Ring/Battery
First Appearance: Showcase #22 (DC)
Created by: John Broome and Gil Kane
The most powerful weapon in the universe. Need I say more?
Well, according to our editor, yes, I do. What's a cop without a gun? Apart from British, that is. The Green Lantern Corps are the universe's most successful police force and that is primarily due to their armaments. However, the ring and the battery are more than mere point and shoot tools. Powered by the user's will, these emerald trinkets can do literally anything the bearer chooses. As long as they're creative and strong enough to cope with it, of course. And that's what makes the ring so amazing. It is a great weapon, the best weapon, but it is only as good as its user. The way the person wields it makes it more or less useful. The ring has been used to make giant boxing gloves (apparently a staple attack) and to travel through time. It's everything you'd ever want. Of course, ultimate power leads to corruption, and the beauty of the ring is the stories of the people who've wielded it, and how they all seem to go loopy. But this isn't about them. It's about the world's most powerful bling. So, you've got an extremely powerful weapon, a plot device that leads to fantastic stories, a recognisable symbol that has made it into various other types of media. Anything else? Oh yeah, the coolest catchphrase in the history of comics. Repeat after me folks: "IN BRIGHTEST DAY..." Well, you know the rest...
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So there you have the Top 10 Cosmic Objects, those incredible items that can either give life, or snuff it out forever, but always bestow a memorable storyline on their readers. Though, as was emphasized here repeatedly, no amount of reality-defying raiments can ever take the place of solid characterization, and it is as much the power bearer as the power source that accounts for cosmic-levels of popularity. Of course, this is not the end of our journey through all things cosmic, so stay tuned to Comixfan throughout the month of March to continue your time/space trip, and keep your eyes peeled for our other Cosmic offerings (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=38059).
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Ankh of Death, Book of Destiny, Lasso of Truth: Jordan T. Maxwell
Cosmic Cube, Mjolnir, Ultimate Nullifier: Gary Miller
Cosmic Surfboard, Infinity Gauntlet/Gems, Key to Hell: Matt Lazorwitz
Green Lantern Ring/Power Battery: Jon Hancock
Contributors: Will Carper, Tom Connolley, Nick Costanzo, Anthony Devlin, Raul Grau, James Groves, Magic Rabbit, T. Martin, Joel Phillips, Janne Pietikainen, Greg Reeves, Omar A. Safi, Tom Toner
Image Assistance: Zachary J. Morrison, Greg Reeves
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writers involved, and are not reflective of Comixfan or its other staff in general.