Summary of the case of Iron Man

Summary of the case of Iron Man

According to the article about “The comic book as a symbolic environment the case of Iron man” by Jon Hogan in 2009. There is a secure link between the relationship between humanity and technology. Whenever there is an introduction to a new tool, many questions arise about how people interact with the device. According to the article, “Marshal McLuhan investigated the effects of technology on human consciousness. Jacques Ellul fretted about humankind’s eventual loss of autonomy to machines; Neil Postman lamented the lack of critical thinking about this issue.” The exploration of the relationship between technology and humanity is always done using the comic book. It is a medium where the true reflection of the relationship can be easily understood. The author says, “While poor special effects in a live-action movie stand out as glaring failures, a drawing of a fantastic machine in a comic book looks the same as the cartoon people with whom they interact and illustrate landscapes where they exist.” It merely implies that to avoid noticeable failures, comic books are the best medium for providing such stories. The art in the comic book appeals to people visually, since a cartoon drawing is a nondescript place to be filled with the reader’s empathy. The article also illustrates that according to McLuhan describes graphic storytelling as a “cool medium,” a medium that gives less information but allows for maximum audience participation.

Many scholars ignore superhero comic books even though they give the most considerable insight into society. The best way of analyzing culture is through the analysis of the superhero. They play a more significant role in sociological research since the hero provides a record of the values that are usually praised by society. According to the author, “Just like the works of Homer for the Greeks, superhero comic books are a social record of what our society sees as the most important aspirations one can hold.” The article gives an in-depth analysis of the Marvel comics’ Iron Man. It is a popular comic series in which the relationship between humanity and technology is dominant.

In the Marvel comic “Iron Man,” billionaire Tony Stark fights evildoers by using an armored superhero. The author states, “Iron Man’s many facets could help us better understand American culture in the 20[supth] and 21[supst] centuries”.  The technology used in the series is dominant as much as the person that is wearing the armor. “It is interesting to note that Stark has no special powers; he is a superhero because he knows how to build things.” Therefore, technology creates a superhero from Stark. It is also noticeable that the technology that is used in the comic is always evolving.

The suit that is used in the series makes the man and technology as an extension of self in Iron man’s origin story. The author states that for somebody to get a better understanding of the technology in Iron Man comics, there is a need for one to start with the character’s origin story. There is a brief description of the origin of the story of Iron Man. The reflection of comments on Postman’s writings through Stark that human life must find its meaning in machinery and techniques is considered as the motivation to the creation of the superhero. According to the article, “The proper operation of the knight depended on the sacrifices of individuals who did not directly use the technology. Similarly, the activation of the Iron Man armor was contingent on Yinsen’s sacrificing his own life”. Yinsen was as an assistant to Start who was a professor.

The article also gives an outlook on how the improvement of the armor inconsistent in the Iron Man comics. “It eventually gets to the point where Iron Man has a vast arsenal of armors at his disposal.” That displays the rate in which technology is improved to new sophisticated levels. The author also describes how technology is an assessor of self-worth in extremis. The parable of Iron Man’s dependency on technology is illustrated. They were, therefore, giving an insight into the relationship between humanity and technology. Being a subject that is studied and has many discussions done. “Extremis shows how humans depend on technological progress as an assessment of their progress.” A clear indication of the dependency levels humans have towards technology, according to the comic story.

Jon Hogan gives a piece of clear, detailed information about the link between technology and humanity. The reasons why comic superheroes should be impressed in comparison to watching movies, where you can quickly notice a mistake. The author well articulates the explanation of the humorous story of Iron Man. They are explaining how technology is an extension of self in Iron Man’s origin story and also giving us insights into the original stories—providing a detailed explanation of the armor wars and technology as a status symbol. And even Iron Man’s parable of technological dependency.  Generally, the author made sure that he links the main topics to scenarios that happened in different scenes in the series.

Work cited

Hogan, Jon. “The comic book as the symbolic environment: The case of Iron Man.” ETC: A Review of General Semantics 66.2 (2009)