Top 5 Spaceships From Comics

Tuesday, it was all about spaceships from movies and tv, but as I was compiling my list, I kept thinking about great spaceships from comics. Instead of enlarging the criteria for tv/movie ships, I decided comic book ships deserved their own post. I mean, check these out!

5. XB 982 (Valérian) I don't know how many Yanks know about the adventures of Valerian, space-time agent, and his lovely assistant Laureline, but I've always been enchanted by Christin and Mézières' imaginative sci-fi series. The XB 982 is definitely in the Millenium Falcon mold, though it predates Star Wars by about 8 years, and thanks to its ability to jump through both space AND time, it's a TARDIS with style and a bay window.

4. Brainiac's skull ship (DC Comics)
You gotta respect Brainiac's massive ego. His ship is in the shape of his own HEAD. With tentacles. And there's nothing that can't be made better by tentacles (except Japanese romance comics).

3. Galactus' ship (Marvel Comics)
I quite like its moebius loop, "infinity" shape, but it's the fact it's the size of a solar system that does it for me. They say we can see the International Space Station from Earth with the naked eye. Well...

2. Scuttlebutt (Marvel Comics)
Beta Ray Bill, the alien goat version of Thor, has only one companion - this flying, talking warship. In the style of many an anime spaceship, it nonetheless distinguished itself by being drawn by Walt Simonson. So you know it usually comes accompanied by the bestest sound effects.

1. Lunar rocket (Tintin)
On the Moon a good 11 years before Apollo 11, the rocket that brought Tintin to our satellite and back is an iconic beauty. Not only does it have a great retro look and an awesome paint job, but it's the only lunar craft that comes with equipped with a spacesuit specifically designed for man's best friend. And after a good golf game, really, what else would man want to do on the Moon, but take a walk with his dog and cruelly perhaps, make him fetch.

Perhaps you have other sequential art favorites. You know how to leave a comment.

Comments

Jeff R. said…
Jor-El's experimental rocket leaps to mind...(I'm thinking the Byrne-era design on this one.)

And I've always liked the classic Legion cruiser design. (Presumably, the original HQ doesn't quite qualify for the list.)

Does WarWorld count as a spaceship? (Did the Death Star on the original list?)

And, of course, there's the Space Cabby's Space Cab.
Eric TF Bat said…
I'm shocked enough that the Authority's Carrier isn't #1 on your list; the fact that it isn't #2, #3, #4 or #5 either is just impossible to fathom.
Jeff R. said…
Oh...also, that living ship from Swamp Thing #60. [And, while on the topic of Moore, there's the ship from "Pog" (Find The Lady?), the Qys scoutship, numerous models in Halo Jones, and the one D.R. and Quinch used in their first story.]

And, apropos of nothing else, there's the Supermobile.
rob! said…
Hawkman and Hawkgirl's Thanagarian warship? I always wished someone had made a toy of that.
Siskoid said…
Eric: The most simple explanation is that I've never read The Authority.

Jeff: I thought about the Supermobile, but you know, a Top 5 can only hold so much, and I was too lazy for more.
chiasaur11 said…
I always liked Friday from Power Pack.

Of course, given my mistake last time, I probably missed someone mentioning it.

Scuttlebutt is pretty awesome too.
Anonymous said…
I've read Valerian histories and some are great!

One of my favourites are the Starman space ship showed in the James Robinson's series and the capsule the Fantastic Force used to travel to the Negative Zone.

Roger
Menshevik said…
No love for the Starjammer? It was one of the first that sprang to my mind when I read the title. (I also kinda dug Dave Cockrum's bug-like Shi'ar ships). But thank you so much for including both the XB 982 and Professor Calculus's lunar rocket. The latter still is one of the simplest yet most distinctive designs in comics.

@Chiasaur11: Ah yes, Friday the smartship!
I'm not sure I remember correctly. Scuttlebutt was the Space Battleship Yamato/Star Blazers knock-off (which in turn copied the design of the Japanese WW2 battleship), right?
Matthew E said…
Scanner One, from Atari Force.
Austin Gorton said…
I'm partial to the Starjammer, too. Or Ship, from X-Factor. Not that it had that cool of a design, but it did have a pretty neat personality.

And of course, there's tons of cool Star Wars ships created in the comics that never appeared in the movies.

I've always loved Galactus' ship.