Animate Objects – The ability to give some semblance of life to objects. Animate Objects is also known as Animation, Life to the Lifeless, and Motion to the Motionless.
Literary Critique of Animate Objects
This power is almost always found in stories with a supernatural bent. The Basanos are a living tarot deck (Lucifer #25, Vertigo).
In the case of Brother Power the Geek (DC), the object animated became a hippie (Brother Power the Geek #1)!
Brother Power the Geek reappears decades later in the Swamp Thing along with an explanation of his origin. Apparently, Brother Power the Geek is an elemental like the Swamp Thing gone wrong as explained in Annual Swamp Thing V2 #5.
Danny the Street (DC) is a living transvestite street (Who’s Who in the DC Universe #15).
The Adversary, actually Geppetto, in Fables (Vertigo) creates a wooden army after creating Pinocchio (Fables #40).
Action Lab added a brand new evil animated object to its line of titles (Gingerdead Man #1).
Merv Pumpkinhead (Vertigo) is killed in the story arc entitled The Kindly Ones and resurrected in The Wake. However, if you are an object then you are technically reanimated not resurrected!
The Puppet Master is in a living puppet who is in charge of a gang of evil puppets (Puppet Master #1, Eternity).
Action Lab has decided to add the Puppet Master to its line of titles (Puppet Master #1).
Sargon the Sorcerer (DC) has the Ruby of Life that allows him to animate objects.
Selene (Marvel) uses an animated floor as a weapon below.
In Superman V1 #173, a piece of green kryptonite decides to tell his sad story (Tales of Green Kryptonite).
Some crazy Silver Age animated object action in Wonder Woman V1 #239 (DC), World of Fantasy V1 #13 (Atlas), and Worlds Unknown #06 (Marvel).
Quislet (DC) can animate an object but the object then explodes (DC Who’s Who #19).
Nancy the Crap Fairy turns toys into deadly warriors in Toxic! #25 (Apocalypse).
The Inhabiter does not have a physical form but can inhabit inanimate objects in the Savage Dragon Universe.
Scarecrows come alive in the Silver Age (Strange Adventures V1 #192).
Darzz the Dictator (DC) is a disembodied intelligence that can inhabit and animate objects in Metal Men V1 #31.
Captain America (Marvel) fights the Abraham Lincoln (1920 statue) in Captain America V1 #222.
The D&D universe has constructs that is a type of creature, or “creature type“. Constructs are either animated objects, or any artificially constructed creature. Constructs include Slaughterstones, Scarecrows, Colossuses, Golems and Guardians.
The Slaughterstone Eviscerator and Slaughterstone Slicer are a particularly fearsome constructs (D&D 4th Edition – Monster Manual 2).
The Scarecrow Shambler is a lot scarier than the DC comic book one (D&D 4th Edition – Monster Manual 3).
Dungeons and Dragons have the Colossus as a construct and include the Godforged Colossus and the Primordial Colossus (D&D 4th Edition – Monster Manual 1).
The Guardian is yet another type of D&D construct (D&D 4th Edition – Monster Manual).
The D&D universe has the homunculus construct that includes the Iron Cobra (D&D 4th Edition – Monster Manual).
Warforged are constructs specifically built for war (D&D 4th Edition – Monster Manual 1).
Splice (Marvel) of the Young Gods can animate objects in the Marvel universe (Spectacular Spider-Man Annual V1 #8.
Alabaster Sentinel – Creature Collection III. Savage Bestiary
Animated Object – D&D 3.5 – Monster Manual I
Cadaver Collector – D&D 3.5 – Monster Manual III
Hollow Knight – Creature Collection I
Inevitable – D&D 3.5 – Monster Manual I
Joun Beholder – Creature Collection II. Dark Menagerie
Living House – Journey into Mystery V2 #1
Mamu’s Marionette – Creature Collection III. Savage Bestiary
Marble Sentinel – Creature Collection III. Savage Bestiary
Marvelous Marmaduke – Madhouse #100 (Archie)
Rembrances – Creature Collection III. Savage Bestiary
Scaladar Automaton – TSR 2158 Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume 2
Thunder Orb – Creature Collection I
Thunderbones – Creature Collection III. Savage Bestiary
Totem of Mormo – Creature Collection II. Dark Menagerie
Triobrands Automaton – TSR 2158 Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume 2
Warforged Charger – D&D 3.5 – Monster Manual III
Warforged Scout – D&D 3.5 – Monster Manual III
The mannequins are alive in “When Darkness Falls”, Journey into Mystery V1 #69.
Mannequins are alive again in “The After Hours“, The Twilight Zone, Season 1, Episode 34.
Talking statues in Slaine’s adventure the Name of the Sword – 2000 AD #952
Dollface (Action Lab) – Danger Doll Squad #3
Christine (1983 film) is a car that is alive via supernatural means.
Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005 film) features yet another living car!
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