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World Trade Center in popular culture

From Alfawiki
World Trade Center
IndustryReal estate, commercial office complex
Founded1973
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
ProductsOffice space, retail, observation decks

The original World Trade Center complex, renowned for its iconic Twin Towers (1 WTC and 2 WTC), was situated in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Each tower, the North and South, soared to 110 stories and held the distinction of being the world’s tallest buildings from 1971 until 1973. With its antenna included, 1 WTC maintained the record for the tallest building worldwide by pinnacle height until the towers were destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001. For nearly thirty years, these structures served as a defining element of the New York City skyline and have been prominently depicted across various media forms such as films, television shows, video games, and visual art.

Books

Richard Martin Stern’s 1973 novel The Tower features a dramatic rescue involving a breeches buoy line connecting a helicopter to the North Tower and a fictional taller adjacent building to evacuate numerous individuals trapped by fire. The Twin Towers also appear on the covers of several books, including Wilt Chamberlain’s 1991 reprint of A View From Above and Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben’s children’s book Lisa in New York (The Misadventures of Gaspard and Lisa) (2002), which was published following their destruction. In Godzilla: Monster Apocalypse, a giant mantis wreaks havoc on the World Trade Center, underscoring its cultural prominence.

The towers are featured on the paperback edition cover of Jay McInerney’s Bright Lights, Big City (1984), a novel emblematic of New York during the 1980s. Philippe Petit’s famous 1974 high-wire walk between the towers is fictionalized in Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin. The collapse of the towers is a pivotal theme in Ken Kalfus’ A Disorder Peculiar to the Country, which also depicts the September 11 attacks on its cover.

Comic books and graphic novels

Given that many Marvel Comics superheroes are based in New York City, the World Trade Center frequently serves as a setting. The Twin Towers have appeared in numerous comics:

  • The Uncanny X-Men #189 (1985) illustrated a dystopian future where the Twin Towers lie in ruins.
  • Pepe Moreno’s 1986 graphic novel Rebel portrayed their destruction within a post-apocalyptic vision set in 2002.
  • In Damage Control (1989), a giant robot inflicts damage on the towers, though they are restored by issue’s end.
  • The 1992 Mort & Phil comic El 35 aniversario depicted an airplane crashing into the World Trade Center.
  • Released one day after the September 11, 2001 attacks, Adventures of Superman #596 showed the towers damaged by an alien assault alongside other famous landmarks worldwide. DC Comics permitted returns due to its unintended real-world resemblance, making this issue rare and highly collectible.
  • Captain America vol. 4 #1 featured Steve Rogers searching for survivors before departing for Afghanistan.
  • Marvel’s Marvel Graphic Novel #17 presented the Living Monolith towering over and damaging one of the Twin Towers.
  • The 2004 series Ex Machina centers on Mitchell Hundred, a former superhero who becomes New York’s mayor after rescuing people during the North Tower collapse and averting the South Tower's fall.
  • In The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2 #36, Spider-Man witnesses the aftermath following the towers’ collapse.

The Twin Towers also appear within webcomics:

  • Volumes 2 and 3 of "Maddie in America" are set at the original World Trade Center in November 1985, showcasing locations such as Vista Hotel and Windows on the World restaurant.
  • The spin-off "Outsiders" follows Siobhan Pattinson working on the South Tower's 103rd floor beginning summer 1987.
  • Sebastian Utzni’s "M-Maybe" compiles pages from eighteen comics spanning 1973–2001 that depict scenes involving the destruction of the Twin Towers.

Cartoons and anime

  • The 1985 animated series M.A.S.K. includes an episode titled "Attack on Liberty," which centers around a storyline involving the North Tower and the Statue of Liberty.
  • In the 1986 cartoon The Real Ghostbusters, the episode "The Boogeyman is Back" portrays a confrontation occurring at the Twin Towers.
  • The Twin Towers are featured in several episodes of the 1987 TMNT show, notably in the season three finale where they serve as a gateway to Dimension X, and in season two's "Enter: The Fly," where antagonists appear atop the buildings.
  • The 2000 MTV animated show Spy Groove showcases the towers in the episode "Manhattan Glam Chowder," although this episode was not broadcast in the United States.
  • In the 1994 Fantastic Four episode "Incursion of the Skrull," alien laser weapons destroy the towers, depicted through a handheld video game perspective.
  • A futuristic version of the World Trade Center resembling the original towers but with altered skybridges is depicted in Futurama.
  • The 1994 animated series Gargoyles features the towers in multiple episodes, including "The Mirror," which aired on September 11, 1995.
  • The 1995 cartoon Fantomcat presents a storyline involving a rocket bomb launched from the North Tower.
  • The 1998 show Godzilla: The Series depicts a future timeline where the Twin Towers have been destroyed.
  • The towers briefly appear during a dream sequence in Hey Arnold!.
  • In the 1994 Iron Man episode "The Grim Reaper Wears a Teflon Coat," an assault on the towers is portrayed years before 9/11.
  • Several episodes of The Simpsons prominently feature the towers, including the banned season 9 episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" and others that reference or display the buildings both before and after their destruction.
  • Additional cartoons showing the towers include The Tick, Mike, Lu, and Og, Downtown, Digimon Adventure 02, Read or Die, and the pilot of The Critic.
  • In The Penguins of Madagascar, New York’s skyline includes One World Trade Center and Battery Park.
  • An episode from season two of The Transformers depicts New York City with the towers intact during an invasion by Decepticons.
  • Multiple episodes of Family Guy reference or depict the towers both before and after 9/11, with some instances digitally altered or removed following the attacks.

Live action television

Televised advertisements

  • Budweiser commercials by Anheuser-Busch have honored the World Trade Center site, notably broadcasting during Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 and on various 9/11 anniversaries.
  • The Twin Towers once appeared in cityscape visuals for brands such as Chock full o'Nuts, which were later modified after the events of 9/11.

Music

  • Before their collapse, the Twin Towers were prominently showcased in numerous music videos, including Lil' Kim's 1996 "No Time," Limp Bizkit's acclaimed "Rollin'" (2000), Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence," Rod Stewart's "Sailing," Spice Girls' "2 Become 1," Blondie's "Heart of Glass," Bananarama's "Cruel Summer," Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It," Madonna's "Like a Virgin," Jennifer Rush's "The Power of Love," Billy Squier featuring Freddie Mercury's "Love Is the Hero," Lady Pank's "Minus zero," Emilia's "Big Big World," Demi Lovato’s lyric video for "I Love Me," Guns N' Roses' videos for "Paradise City" and "Don't Cry," Bruce Springsteen’s “Darlington County,” Ryan Adams' “New York, New York” filmed days before 9/11, Glenn Frey's “You Belong to the City,” Corona’s “The Rhythm of the Night,” Oasis’s 'Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' album cover, Crowded House’s “It's Only Natural,” Sash!’s “Move Mania,” and Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman’s “I Like to Move It.”
  • These appearances emphasize the World Trade Center’s importance as a symbolic New York landmark prior to its destruction.

Video games

  • From the mid-1980s through the early 2000s, the Twin Towers were frequently depicted in video games, often integrated into New York City skylines or featured within game levels:
    • Classic arcade games such as Cobra Command, City Connection, and Vigilante included visual or interactive representations of the towers.
    • Titles like Manhunter: New York, Ninja Gaiden, and beat 'em ups including Buster Bros., Streets of Rage, and its sequel displayed the towers during gameplay or cinematic sequences.
    • Racing games such as Cruis'n World, arcade shooters like Gunblade NY, and fighting games including Tekken 2 incorporated stages set near or featuring the towers.
    • Games like Rampage World Tour, its follow-up, as well as ‘‘Cadillacs and Dinosaurs,’’ ‘‘Parasite Eve,’’ and ‘‘Rush 2’’ presented detailed renditions of the complex.
    • Simulation titles such as ‘‘Midnight Club: Street Racing’’ allowed players to explore areas surrounding the complex, including Austin Tobin Plaza.
    • The strategy game ‘‘Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2’’ initially showed assaults on New York involving the WTC but was revised post-9/11 for sensitivity concerns.
    • Several games altered or removed tower imagery following September 11, including ‘‘Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro,’’ console versions of ‘‘Max Payne,’’ ‘‘Smashing Drive,’’ ‘‘18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker,’’ and ‘‘Microsoft Flight Simulator.’’
    • The controversial flash game ‘‘Trade Center Defender’’ was pulled shortly after release due to its sensitive nature but was later reissued with modified visuals.
    • Additional mentions include cancelled projects like ‘‘Propeller Arena’’ featuring similar structures, along with references in ‘‘Grand Theft Auto III,’’ which adjusted content related to terrorism after 9/11 despite not originally including actual WTC buildings.

This widespread inclusion across gaming platforms reflects both commercial fascination with iconic landmarks and industry adaptations following real-world tragedies.

Additional reading

External resources

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