(Remix Study)
Dear Readers,
Creation is, at its most immediate point, an incredible sensation. From the moment an idea infects the mind and said idea cannot be shaken, it feels as though the only peaceful escape is to follow through and complete a goal. Seen in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor is plagued by the prospect of creating life with his own hands; an extension of his identity. Victor sees his monster as his, and feels an incredible psychological connection to the creature that he cannot explain. I toiled with this idea, that the creation of organic matter entails an inexplicable psychological connection between creator and creation. Under what other mediums or in what other works was this concept present? Then it hit me, clear as day; Marvel’s Iron Man.
Tony Stark is a psychologically troubled billionaire, some may even say mad scientist. He is displeased with the level of national security and violence across the planet, an idea he truly cannot shake until he’s thought up a solution. His solution, drawing indisputable parallels to Shelley’s story, is too basically create an alter ego; an extension of his identity. Stark creates his patented Iron Man suits, mechanical super-suits designed to make him the ultimate fighting machine. Even more similar to Victor, Stark asserts that no one will ever be able to use the suits besides him, for they wouldn’t understand their properties. This is identical to Victor’s assertion that no one else would be able to understand his connection with his monster, simply because others did not create the creature.
Perhaps the clearest parallels between the two stories are the effects that each character’s creations have on their lives outside of “the lab”. For Victor, his monster literally attacks his family and closest friends, affecting him directly through those he loves, and Victor must eventually admit that he has lost control of his creation. For Stark, his machines nearly destroy his relationship with his wife, Pepper Potts, their creation destroys his home through an attack from jealous suitors of the technology, and ultimately he must surrender control of his vigilante persona after losing control of his “perfect system” to S.H.I.E.L.D., an organized and supervised national security agency.
While the stories are not perfect matches, the themes that bridge the two stories are clear. Both are haunted by a genuine desire to create. That initial idea is so overwhelming that the only way to quench their thirst is to carry out their respective visions. That initial passion ultimately blinds them to the greater world surrounding them, and must come to terms with resolving the havoc they have caused due to an insatiable desire to create.
Hope this made you think,
Lucas Johnson
Works Cited
“Iron Man (Anthony Stark) – Marvel Universe Wiki: The Definitive Online Source for Marvel Super Hero Bios.” Marvel Universe Wiki RSS. Marvel, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
“Frankenstein.” Literature.org – The Online Literature Library. Literature.org, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.
Memory and Identity 