Five Famous Comics Skyscrapers
September 3rd was National Skyscraper Day, that one day a year where we celebrate the marvels of [...]
September 3rd was National Skyscraper Day, that one day a year where we celebrate the marvels of modern architecture that make up the skylines of our largest cities. Skyscrapers are monuments to human ingenuity and perseverance, a standing testament to what people can accomplish when they have a few hundred million dollars to spend. While buildings such as the Empire State Building, the Willis Tower (you might know it better as Sears Tower) and the Chrysler Building all exist in the DC and Marvel Universe, there are a few other iconic skyscrapers that only exist in the comics. Let's take a look at some of the most famous buildings to tower over the Marvel and DC Universes:
The Baxter Building
The Baxter Building is a 35 story skyscraper standing in the middle of Manhattan. While most of the building contain normal offices and apartments, the top five floors contain the headquarters of the Fantastic Four. With space for Reed Richards' various experiments and laboratories, a rocket launcher, a hangar for the Fantasticar and plenty of living space for the Fantastic Four and their family, the Baxter Building has served the Fantastic Four well for years and also serves as a popular tourist destination for those hoping to catch a glimpse of Marvel's First Family. Unfortunately, the building has suffered several attacks over the years, with enemies shooting the building into space, sending it into the Negative Zone or simply attacking the building and overwhelming Reed Richard's nearly impenetrable defenses. The Fantastic Four's original landlord wasn't too pleased with the constant supervillain attacks, forcing Reed Richards to buy the building outright to prevent getting evicted.
prevnextAvengers Tower
Originally the headquarters for Stark Enterprises, Tony Stark moved the New Avengers into the upper three floors after Captain America restarted the superhero team, as the Avengers Mansion was still in ruins in the aftermath of Avengers: Dissembled. After the Sentry joined the Avengers, he moved his bizarre otherworldly headquarters on top of the skyscraper, making the building stand out even more amidst the New York skyline. Like other famous superhero headquarters, Avengers Tower was a frequent target of supervillain attacks and has collapsed several times after taking heavy damage. In fact, Tony Stark has rebuilt Avengers Towers twice in the last 8 years and Secret Wars saw the building fall for a third time. Avengers Tower has also made an appearance in both Avengers movies, where the building serves as both a temporary headquarters for the team and Tony Stark's New York home.
prevnextThe Daily Planet Building
With a large golden globe sitting on top of its roof, the Daily Planet Building is probably the most recognizable building in all of comics. Home to the Daily Planet newspaper and media conglomerate, the building is where Clark Kent met many of his longtime friends and coworkers, including his longtime love interest Lois Lane. Notable owners of the Daily Planet Building have included Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor, who once bought the building and dumped its globe into a landfill in revenge for an unflattering story published by the newspaper.
prevnextOld Wayne Tower
One of Gotham's tallest building, Old Wayne Tower was the original headquarters for Wayne Enterprises and the unofficial heart of Batman's hometown. Built in the 1880s, Gotham's elite built Wayne Tower to greet newcomers who entered the city via the railway lines that connected at the base of the towers. An observation desk with a glass dome crowned the skyscraper, giving the building a unique art deco look. While Wayne Enterprises moved into more modern facilities, Wayne kept the building Recently, Bruce Wayne used his intimate knowledge of the skyscraper to defeat a Talon, an undead assassin from the secret Court of Owls, by using a secret gargoyle installed on the side of the building to cushion his fall while sending the Talon plummeting to his doom.
prevnextThe Triskelion
The newest building on the list, the Triskelion is home to the Ultimate Universe's version of SHIELD and the Avengers (known as the Ultimates). Built in New York City, the Triskelion was part office building, part laboratory, part military base and part prison. Destroyed several times during various attacks and invasions, SHIELD later built duplicates of the Triskelion in cities like Bangkok to give the peacekeeping agency a global presence. The Triskelion was a key setting in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the Washington DC headquarters of SHIELD and the site of a climactic battle between the forces of SHIELD and Hydra. Like every other building on the list, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Triskelion met a fiery fate when a rogue Helicarrier crashed into the building.
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