View source for Mother Box

{{Short description|Fictional device used in Jack Kirby comics}}
{{Infobox comics elements
<!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
<!-- |name = Mother Box--> 
|image     = Mother Box info.png
|imagesize = <!-- default 250 -->
|caption   = 
|publisher = [[DC Comics]]
|debut     = ''[[The Forever People]]'' #1 (March 1971)
|creators  = [[Jack Kirby]]
|type      = 
|multitype = y
|comp      = first
|tech      = y
|supports  = [[New Gods]]
|subcat    = DC Comics
|sortkey   = Mother Box
}}
'''Mother Boxes''' are fictional devices in [[Jack Kirby]]'s [[Fourth World (comics)|Fourth World]] setting in the [[DC Universe]].

The Mother Boxes appeared in the feature films ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'' and ''[[Zack Snyder's Justice League]]'' of the [[DC Extended Universe]].

== History ==
[[Image:Mother Box.jpg|thumb|Superman uses a Mother Box to get to Apokolips in ''Superman/Doomsday Hunter/Prey'' #1.|left]]
Created by [[Apokolips|Apokoliptian]] scientist Himon using the mysterious Element X, they are generally thought to be sentient, miniaturized, portable [[supercomputers]], although their true nature and origins are unknown.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |last2=Pasko |first2=Martin |title=The Essential Superman Encyclopedia |date=2010 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=978-0-345-50108-0 |page=269}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |date=November 18, 2017 |title=''Justice League'' Mother Boxes Explained: What Are Those Things? |url=https://collider.com/justice-league-mother-boxes-explained/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=Collider |language=en}}</ref> They possess various powers, including teleportation via Boom Tubes, energy manipulation, and healing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Polo |first=Susana |date=March 18, 2021 |title=Darkseid, Anti-Life Equation, and the Mother Box, explained |url=https://www.polygon.com/movies/22338206/darkseid-justice-league-anti-life-mother-box-explained |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chigama |first=Kudzanai |date=May 9, 2020 |title=10 Things About DC's Mother Boxes That Make No Sense |url=https://www.cbr.com/dc-universe-mother-boxes-make-no-sense/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en}}</ref> Despite their name, Mother Boxes are not always box-shaped.<ref name="boom">{{Cite comic |Date=1994 |Title=Superman/Doomsday Hunter/Prey |Issue=#1 |Publisher=DC Comics |Writer=[[Dan Jurgens|Jurgens, Dan]] |Penciller=[[Dan Jurgens|Jurgens, Dan]] |Inker=[[Brett Breeding|Breeding, Brett]] |Page=44}}</ref><ref>{{Cite comic |Date=1994 |Title=Superman/Doomsday Hunter/Prey |Issue=#2 |Publisher=DC Comics |Writer=[[Dan Jurgens|Jurgens, Dan]] |Penciller=[[Dan Jurgens|Jurgens, Dan]] |Inker=[[Brett Breeding|Breeding, Brett]] |Page=11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite comic |Date=1994 |Title=Superman/Doomsday Hunter/Prey |Issue=#3 |Publisher=DC Comics |Writer=[[Dan Jurgens|Jurgens, Dan]] |Penciller=[[Dan Jurgens|Jurgens, Dan]] |Inker=[[Brett Breeding|Breeding, Brett]] |Page=4}}</ref><ref>''JLA'' #39</ref> In [[The New 52]] continuity reboot, [[Cyborg (DC Comics)|Cyborg]]'s cybernetic parts are derived from a Mother Box, giving him access to its database and teleportation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dyce |first=Andrew |date=December 7, 2017 |title=DC's Cyborg Gets a Major METAL Upgrade |url=https://screenrant.com/cyborg-justice-league-comic-metal-motherbox/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en}}</ref>

Additionally, the New Gods of [[Apokolips]] use equivalents of Mother Boxes called '''Father Boxes'''.

==Interpretation==
In a 2008 article, [[John Hodgman]] observed: "[[Mister Miracle]], a warrior of Apokolips who flees to Earth to become a 'super escape artist', keeps a 'Mother Box' up his sleeve — a small, living computer that can enable its user to do almost anything, so long as it is sufficiently loved. In Kirby's world, all machines are totems: weapons and strange vehicles fuse technology and magic, and the Mother Box in particular uncannily anticipates the gadget fetishism that infects our lives today. The [[Bluetooth]] headset may well be a Kirby creation".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hodgman |first1=John |title=Comics |work=[[The New York Times Book Review]] |date=June 1, 2008 |page=30}} — via ProQuest.</ref> Similarly, Mike Cecchini of ''[[Den of Geek]]'' described the Mother Box as "an alien smartphone that can do anything from heal the injured to teleport you across time and space",<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cecchini |first1=Mike |title=Justice League New Trailer Breakdown and Analysis |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/justice-league-new-trailer-breakdown-and-analysis/ |access-date=14 August 2020 |work=[[Den of Geek]] |date=March 27, 2017}}</ref> and Christian Holub in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called it "basically a smartphone, as designed by gods".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Holub |first1=Christian |title=Jack Kirby at 100: Celebrating the king of comic books |url=https://ew.com/books/2017/10/27/jack-kirby-king-of-comic-books/ |access-date=14 August 2020 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=October 27, 2017}}</ref> Mother Boxes have also been interpreted as a symbol of the "ideal mother" and an example of the role of motherhood in Kirby's Fourth World stories.<ref>O'Brien, Annamarie. "'How Can I Refuse You, Mother Box?!' Abjection and Objectification of Motherhood in Jack Kirby's Fourth World". ''ImageText'' 7, no. 4. (2014)</ref>

==In other media==
===Television===
* Mother Boxes appear in series set in the [[DC Animated Universe]] (DCAU).
* Mother Boxes and Father Boxes appear in ''[[Young Justice (TV series)|Young Justice]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dar |first=Taimur |date=July 24, 2019 |title=SDCC '19: Greg Weisman & Brandon Vietti wage social media war in ''Young Justice: Outsiders'' |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/sdcc-19-greg-weisman-brandon-vietti-wage-social-media-war-in-young-justice-outsiders/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=ComicsBeat |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Weekes |first=Princess |date=August 29, 2019 |title=''Young Justice'' EPs Say DC Universe Allowed for Bi Aquaman |url=https://www.themarysue.com/dc-universe-young-justice-queer/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=The Mary Sue}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Matadeen |first=Renaldo |date=July 31, 2019 |title=''Young Justice: Outsiders'' Just Gave a Key Member A New God Upgrade |url=https://www.cbr.com/young-justice-outsiders-cyborg-new-gods-upgrade/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en}}</ref>
* Mother Boxes appear in ''[[Justice League Action]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lax |first=Marc |date=August 27, 2017 |title=''Justice League Action'' Episode Review – S01E33 "Best Day Ever" |url=https://www.supermanhomepage.com/justice-league-action-episode-review-s01e33-best-day-ever/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=Superman Homepage |language=en-US}}</ref>
* A Mother Box appears in ''[[DC Super Hero Girls: Super Hero High]]''.
* A Mother Box appears in the ''[[Harley Quinn (TV series)|Harley Quinn]]'' episode "Inner (Para) Demons".

===Film===
====DC Extended Universe====
{{main|DC Extended Universe}}
* In ''[[Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice]]'', a Mother Box appears briefly in footage that [[Bruce Wayne (DC Extended Universe)|Batman]] obtained from [[Lex Luthor (DC Extended Universe)|Lex Luthor]]. The Box is the final component that transforms Victor Stone into [[Cyborg (DC Comics)|Cyborg]], thus saving his life in the process. Additionally, [[Steppenwolf (character)|Steppenwolf]] and his Mother Boxes appear in a post-credits scene in the Ultimate Edition of the film.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |date=March 28, 2016 |title=''Batman v Superman'' Cyborg scene explained |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/28/batman-v-superman-cyborg-scene-explained/2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331073216/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/28/batman-v-superman-cyborg-scene-explained/2 |archive-date=March 31, 2016 |access-date=March 28, 2016 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Valentine |first=Evan |date=July 3, 2016 |title=''Batman vs Superman'' Ultimate Edition Differences |url=http://collider.com/batman-vs-superman-ultimate-edition-differences/ |access-date=July 3, 2016 |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
* In ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'', Steppenwolf is in search of three Mother Boxes hidden away on Earth. Two are located in [[Themyscira (DC Comics)|Themyscira]] and [[Atlantis (DC Comics)|Atlantis]], while the third is the one that had been seen in ''Batman v Superman''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/set-visit-everything-you-need-to-know-about-zack-snyders-justice-league-228|title=SET VISIT: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE|publisher=Joblo|last=Bumbray|first=Chris|date=June 21, 2016}}</ref> Previously, Steppenwolf had used the Boxes in his original invasion of Earth, intending to use them to terraform the planet before being driven off. After the war, the boxes were left on Earth, and the [[Amazons (DC Comics)|Amazons]], [[Atlantis (Aquaman)|Atlanteans]], and humans each took custody of one of them. When all three boxes awaken after years of dormancy, Steppenwolf returns seeking to use them to finish what he had started. Eventually, after the Justice League defeat Steppenwolf, the first two boxes are each returned to their respective custodies, while [[Silas Stone]] begins researching the third box with his son.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dyce |first=Andrew |date=June 23, 2016 |title=''Justice League'': Ancient Prologue & Mother Boxes Explained |url=https://screenrant.com/justice-league-movie-ancient-mother-boxes/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=[[Screen Rant]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bankhurst |first=Adam |date=February 27, 2021 |title=Justice League Snyder Cut: All the Hidden Easter Eggs and Clues in the Mother Box Origins Clip |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/justice-league-snyder-cut-easter-eggs-clues-mother-box-origins |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
* ''[[Zack Snyder's Justice League]]'' depicts the Mother Boxes generally the same as in the theatrical version. After a failed invasion of Earth by Darkseid thousands of years ago, the Mother Boxes are separated and hidden away as in the theatrical release. The Amazonian Mother Box "awakens" upon Superman's death at the end of ''Batman v Superman'', and alerts Steppenwolf to its location. He escapes with it after a short battle with the Amazonians and proceeds to search for the other two by capturing and interrogating Atlanteans and S.T.A.R. Labs scientists. Steppenwolf seizes the Atlantean Mother Box after a fight with [[Arthur Curry (DC Extended Universe)|Aquaman]] and [[Mera (character)|Mera]]. The protagonists resurrect Superman with the third Mother Box, and Steppenwolf is able to claim it after an amnesiac Superman attacks the other superheroes. The superheroes locate Steppenwolf's fortress in Russia thanks to [[Silas Stone]]'s self-sacrifice which allows them to detect the third Mother Box's location. They launch an attack on the fortress so Cyborg can interface with the Boxes and prevent the Unity. After they fail and Earth is destroyed, the [[Barry Allen (DC Extended Universe)|Flash]] travels back in time to enable Cyborg to successfully deactivate the Boxes, preventing the Unity and defeating Steppenwolf, who is subsequently killed through the combined efforts of Aquaman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. In the aftermath, [[DeSaad]] informs Darkseid that the Mother Boxes are now destroyed, forcing Darkseid to conquer Earth through military conquest.
* In the [[Blu-ray]] release of ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]'', the epilogue ''Etta's Mission'' is included as an additional detailing of the events that transpired after the events of the film's story. [[Etta Candy]]'s titular mission involves her, [[Diana Prince (DC Extended Universe)|Diana Prince]], and [[Steve Trevor]] retrieving one of the three Mother Boxes.

====Animation====
* Two Mother Boxes appear in ''[[Superman/Batman: Apocalypse]]''.
* Numerous Mother Boxes appear in ''[[Justice League: War]]''.
* A Mother Box appears in ''[[Reign of the Supermen (film)|Reign of the Supermen]]'', where it is used by [[Lex Luthor]].

===Video games===
* A Mother Box is central in the plot of ''[[Justice League Heroes]]'' as it is coveted by [[Brainiac (character)|Brainiac]] and used as a way to transform Earth into a "New Apokolips" by Darkseid.
* In ''[[Injustice 2]]'', Mother Boxes serve as the game's [[loot box]] rewards system, offering differing rewards depending on the rarity. Additionally, Cyborg utilizes Mother Boxes in gameplay to create drones that can target the opponent from multiple directions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Connolly |first=Denny |date=May 23, 2017 |title=''Injustice 2'': How To Get Diamond Mother Boxes |url=https://gamerant.com/injustice-2-get-diamond-motherbox/ |access-date=March 1, 2025 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref>
* In ''[[Lego DC Super-Villains]]'', a Mother Box is stolen from [[Waynetech|Wayne Tech]] and owned by [[Harley Quinn]], who names it "Boxy". It is also revealed that the Mother Box contains a fragment of the [[Anti-Life Equation]], which is absorbed by the player character, the Rookie.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{New Gods}}
{{Jack Kirby}}
[[Category:Fictional computers]]
[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1971]]
[[Category:Fourth World (comics)]]