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There are numerous ways to engage with the fourth wall, from interacting with the spaces between panels to speaking directly to the audience. These are the times in comics where DC and Marvel characters left the fourth wall in shambles.
10) Deadpool Roasts the Readers
Deadpool is the most famous fourth wall breaker in comics. When the Merc with the Mouth acquires the Infinity Gauntlet, he uses its power to orchestrate a roast battle against everyone in the Marvel Universe. Once Deadpool’s done making fun of all of Marvel’s most iconic heroes and villains, he takes the opportunity to talk to the reader directly. He says that his knowledge that he’s a comic book character fills him with deep depression. He accuses the reader of using his suffering as a source of entertainment. It’s a bizarre yet nuanced portrayal of the character that shows his internal suffering.
9) Ultra Comics Creates Meta Horror
As part of DC’s Multiversity series, which explores the DC Multiverse, “Ultra Comics” takes place on Earth-33, a world without superpowers. However, with just paper and ink, the people of this Earth created a living comic book that evolved into the superhero known as Ultra Comics. The newly born hero set out into an apocalyptic world to discover why he was created. On almost every page, he screams at the reader and begs them not to turn the page, as it will bring about new horrors. Unfortunately, Ultra Comics’ pleas fall on deaf ears, and monsters and cannibals devour him. The comic ends with the reveal that it was all a trap set up by the eldritch monster known as the Gentry to infect the readers’ minds.
8) Gwenpool’s “The End”
Introduced as a character from the “real world,” Gwenpool’s entire identity is built on the foundation that she knows that she’s in a comic book. One of her most significant fourth wall-breaking moments is when she discovered that her series, Unbelievable Gwenpool, was to be canceled. The last few issues are dedicated to Gwenpool’s fear and acceptance of her “death.” However, before Gwenpool and her series end, a future version of Gwenpool appears. She tells the present-day Gwenpool that, as a comic book character, she can never really die. She says that even though the series is ending, Gwenpool will continue to live on as people write about her and read her comics. It’s a poignant moment that highlights how writers and readers carry on the legacies of fictional characters.
7) The Readers Save the Flash and Doctor Fate
Readers typically act as uninvolved observers of the character’s adventures. However, in The Flash #776, we are intrinsic to the hero’s survival. The issue sees the Flash and Doctor Fate chasing after the villain Eclipso in a strange realm of magic and monsters. Doctor Fate then yells at the reader that they need their help to survive the realm. Throughout the story, Doctor Fate asks the reader to help them avoid and defeat various monsters. Like an interactive story, the reader can shift gravity by flipping the comic upside down or snuff out torches by blowing on the pages. Thanks to us, Doctor Fate and the Flash manage to escape the realm with their lives.
6) Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite Fight in the Real World
DC Comics’ fifth-dimensional imps Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite are chaotic pranksters from a higher dimension that can warp reality however they see fit. Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite always argue over who’s better: Superman or Batman. In Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest, the two interdimensional imps engage in a clash that sends them traveling across the Multiverse. Their clash destroys several universes, ultimately bringing them to the real world. Real-life photographs of New York City and the DC editor’s room are used, contrasting the two imp’s illustrated designs. Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite are freaked out by how weird everything looks in the real world, and they quickly leave. The use of real-life images in a comic book format is a unique approach that few other artists have implemented.
