Fourth Wall

The Fourth Wall exists as the invisible barrier separating reality from imagination. In the comic book medium, such characters are cognizant of the fact that they are characters in a comic book, and often speak directly to the reader. In the Golden and [[:Category:Silver Age

The Fourth Wall is the name commonly attributed to a writing convention wherein fictitious characters become aware of their own false existence.

History

Description

The Fourth Wall exists as the invisible barrier separating reality from imagination. In the comic book medium, such characters are cognizant of the fact that they are characters in a comic book, and often speak directly to the reader. In the Golden and Silver Age era of DC comics, such characters routinely broke the Fourth Wall, usually as a convenience for introducing a story. After the Crisis on Infinite Earths, comic storytelling took a more mature turn, and few characters demonstrated this ability.

DC Characters known to break the Fourth Wall

• Abel
• Ambush Bug
• Animal Man^[1]
• Batman^[2]
• Bat-Mite
• Black Hand^[3]
• Brother Power^[4]
• Butch Buchanan^[5]
• Cain
• Death
• Destiny
• Doctor Fate VIII^[6]
• Doctor Thirteen^{[citation needed]}
• Don Q^[7]
• Etrigan^[8]
• Eve
• Flash II^[9]
• Flash III^[10]
• Hairy Larry^[11]
• Harley Quinn
• Inkie^[12]
• Joker
• Kindly Ones
• Lobo^[13]
• Lucien
• Madame Xanadu^[14]
• Marie Leeds-Thirteen^{[citation needed]}
• Merryman^[15]
• Mister Mxyzptlk^[16]
• Miss America^[17]
• Phantom Stranger^[18]
• Pinky Butler^[19]
• Odd Man^[20]
• Stitch^[21]
• Superboy Prime
• Tex Thomson ^[22]

Related Articles

Recommended Reading

• Ghosts
• House of Mystery
• House of Secrets
• Phantom Stranger
• Plop
• Secrets of Haunted House
• The Witching Hour

See Also

• Appearances of Fourth Wall
  
  

Links and References

• Fourth wall at Wikipedia.org