One of the comic book medium's unique features is the sound effect. Films and TV shows are filled with sound effects and novels have described sounds for centuries, but comic books write out their sound effects, making them a distinct aspect of their stories. However, comic book sounds aren't merely described, they're very much experienced.

There are many sound effects Marvel and DC frequently use in their comics. Among them, the most iconic sound effects have become famous for their connection to certain characters or certain moments in comic book history. As a result, some of these sound effects are very well known by fans of the medium.

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Updated November 4, 2023 by John Dodge: Comic book sound effects aren't always noticed by readers. They're often little more than set dressing, but they play a very important role in the medium's history. Some of them are known to every reader. Others slip under the radar, but readers would definitely know if they weren't there.

20 KTANG

Rick Jones turning into Captain Marvel after clainging the Nega-Bands with a K-TANG in Marvel Comics

One of the most famous words in all comics is "Shazam," the magic word used by Billy Batson to transform into the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel. Shazam, however, isn't a sound effect. The importance of Batson's transformation into Captain Marvel being accompanied by a signature sound wasn't lost on Roy Thomas when it came time for him to revamp Marvel's own Captain Marvel in 1969.

After a few lackluster years of Captain Marvel fighting the good fight on Earth as an exiled Kree military officer, Thomas and artist Gil Kane revamped Captain Marvel by giving him a stunning new costume. They also paired him with Rick Jones by doing a variation on Billy Batson transforming into Captain Marvel. This time, it was through special nega-bands that Rick would clang together to trigger a switch with Captain Marvel. The sound effect, "Ktang!" was their equivalent to "Shazam!"

19 PUM-SPAK

Scourge killing a villain with a pum-spak from Marvel Comics

Mark Gruenwald was an expert in Marvel Comics continuity. He was the leading force behind the creation of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. While working on the handbook, though, Gruenwald felt he was coming across far too many minor and/or pointless supervillains that no one was doing anything with.

Gruenwald's solution was to create the Scourge of the Underworld, a mysterious master of disguise. This new villain went around the Marvel Universe, killing off the lesser-known supervillains in the mid '80s. Whenever the Scourge killed someone, his special gun would give off the sound "Pum" when it fired and then the sound of the bullet made a "Spak" noise.

18 HH

"Desaad" reveals himself as Batman in DC Comics' JLA: Rock Of Ages

Every Time Spider-Man Turned Evil in Marvel ComicsWhen Grant Morrison took over JLA, they soon gained a bit of a reputation when it came to Batman. Morrison's take on the Caped Crusader has often been referred to as "Bat-God," as the Dark Knight acquits himself very well (to say the least) in Morrison's JLA issues. The key turning point in the first arc was that Batman figured out the weakness of the villainous Hyperclan before anyone else could figure out the dark truth behind the team.

During the epic "Rock of Ages" storyline, Darkseid conquered Earth, and Desaad had been torturing Batman for years. As it turned out, the Dark Knight eventually won out in their game of torture and took Desaad's place until he could make a move against Darkseid. This was accompanied by Batman's verbal tic, "Hh," which symbolized the almost nonchalant attitude that Morrison's Dark Knight had when he routinely pulled off incredible feats.

17 HURM

Rorschach investigating the Comedian's death in DC Comics' Watchmen

Morrison was likely inspired in their choice of verbal tic for Batman by a similar tool that Alan Moore used for Rorschach in his classic comic book series, Watchmen, alongside artist Dave Gibbons. Readers first meet Rorschach in the 1960s, when he was part of a new generation of superheroes.

In the present day, the verbal tics are key in depicting how Rorschach has devolved from his earlier years, when he spoke normally. By the time he investigates the murder of his former superhero colleague, the Comedian, he barely communicates with people, and his verbal tics, like "Hurm," are much more pronounced.

16 DOOM

A hammer striking an anvil with a "DOOM!"

When Walter Simonson took over writing and drawing duties on Thor, he made sure to make his first issue, Mighty Thor #337 (by Simonson, George Roussos, and John Workman), very memorable. Not only was the cover featuring Beta Ray Bill instantly a classic, but the comic opened up with a mysterious creature pounding on a sword, with every motion producing a "Doom" sound.

This kept up for several issues until it was finally revealed to be the first beast known as Surtur, and that he was on his way to wreak havoc on Asgard. Years later, when Simonson's wife, Louise, was one of the writers of the "Superman" titles, those books borrowed the "Doom" sound effect for the fearsome monster Doomsday gradually breaking out of his cell in the classic "Death of Superman" epic.

15 PING

Orion working with his Mother Box as it pings from DC Comics' New Gods

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When Jack Kirby migrated to DC Comics from Marvel in 1970, he debuted a brand-new line of interconnected comics called "The Fourth World" that told the story of the eternal battle between the New Gods of New Genesis and the evil beings of Apokolips, led by Darkseid. Kirby worked his magic on the series, telling titanic tales alongside a healthy portion of mythological pomp and circumstances.

The "Fourth World" titles introduced several fascinating ideas including the Mother Box, which was a kind of super-computer that was paired with all the beings of New Genesis. It was essentially a sentient being that performed all kinds of functions for its owners, including repairing injuries. When it went into action, it emitted a distinctive "Ping Ping Ping" noise that is still being used in stories featuring the powerful device.

14 WHAAM

A jet pilot destroys his enemy with a thunderous "WHAM"

One of the most successful artists in pop culture was Roy Lichtenstein, who became a millionaire with his popular and critically acclaimed pieces art based on the worlds of comic books and popular advertising. The concept behind Lichtenstein's work is that he would take so-called "low art," like that found in comics and replicate it into a large painting.

In doing so, Roy Lichtenstein would parody the whole idea of "low" and "high" art. Naturally, the anonymous comic book artists whose work Roy used resented the high level of fame and fortune that Lichtenstein achieved based on their work. Likely Roy's most famous work is "Whaam," a gigantic diptych based on an Irv Novick panel from "All-American Men of War."

13 HA HA HA HA HA HA

The iconic Joker panel from DC Comics' Batman: The Killing Joke

Right from the start, Batman's arch-rival, the Joker, laughed his way into murderous infamy. As the character progressed from serial killer to general crook, the laughter remained a significant part of his characterization. This continued even as the Joker returned to his more violent roots in the 1970s.

In the classic graphic novel, Batman: The Killing Joke (by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland), readers see a possible origin for the Joker, which was based on the notion that a particularly bad day could break anyone. The Bolland depiction of the Joker emerging from the chemical process for the first time and busting into laughter is one of the most famous (and terrifying) moments in DC history.

12 SNAP

Spider-Man accidentally killing Gwen Stacy's neck

Spider-Man is no stranger to sadness, something proven in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, and John Romita). In the issue, the Green Goblin kidnapped Spider-Man's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, and threw her off a bridge, prompting the webslinger to leap to her rescue.

The infamous panel that follows includes a little sound effect that simply says "snap." That simple effect reveals that when Spider-Man tried to save Gwen with his webbing, he accidentally broke her neck as she fell. Thus, while Osborn was ultimately responsible for her death by throwing her off the bridge, Spider-Man's webbing was ultimately the inadvertent cause of his own girlfriend's death.

11 BWAH HA HA HA

Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and Black Canary from DC Comics' classic JLI years

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When Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis re-launched Justice League following the crossover "Legends", their initial idea for the team was to do something similar to what Grant Morrison later did with JLA. They wanted to have a big guns League to follow up the so-called Justice League Detroit era. However, one by one, they were turned down when it came to using most of the more famous superheroes.

Giffen and DeMatteis pivoted and famously turned Justice League International into something more akin to a sitcom revolving around a superhero team. This led to Blue Beetle and Booster Gold largely becoming comic relief. In Justice League International #8 (by Giffen, DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire), the League traveled the world setting up new embassies after cutting a deal with the United Nations. In this issue, readers first heard the laugh that would define this era of the League: "Bwah Ha Ha Ha."

10 BOOM

Metron Boom Tubing out of a situation from DC Comics

When Jack Kirby debuted the "Fourth World," he introduced many new ideas. One of them was the Mother Box, but perhaps his best known new invention was the teleportation device used by the New Gods called the "Boom Tube." The device was aptly titled, as every time the teleportation tunnel was activated, it came along with an ear-shattering "boom!"

The Fourth World also featured a pact between Darkseid and the brilliant New God known as Metron. The ruler of Apokolips supplied the New God with the materials required to make his special Mobius Chair in exchange for Boom Tube technology. Years later, Walter Simonson would also use several "boom" sound effects during his classic run on Thor.

9 BAMF

Nightcrawler teleporting around with his characteristic "BAMF"

When Nightcrawler was introduced in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum), everything about him screamed demon except for the man himself. Nightcrawler was a sweet, sensitive, and fun-loving guy, who was also a pious man of faith. However, he looked like a demon, complete with furry blue skin, fangs, and a prehensile tail with a sharpened point at the end.

When Nightcrawler teleported, there was a "bamf" sound, and the teleportation would be accompanied by the smell of sulfur. Basically, everything outside of Nightcrawler's personality was unpleasant. Over the years, "Bamf" also became the name of adorable little extradimensional creatures that looked like Nightcrawler and would often follow him around.

8 THWIP

Spider-Man shooting webs, which make a "thwip" sound in Marvel Comics

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Unlike other famous sound effects, Spider-Man's webs didn't always give off a "thwip" sound. In fact, before Steve Ditko left Amazing Spider-Man, the webs really didn't have a consistent sound at all. In the hero's earliest days, his webshooters didn't make any noise at all.

However, in the months leading up to his departure, Steve Ditko experimented with new sound effects, with one of them being "thwip" for Spider-Man's webshooters. After he departed the title, the effect he introduced became the official sound of the shooters. The effect has become so iconic that the Spider-Man movies also tried to replicate the noise on film.

7 BIFF! BAM! POW!

Adam West's Batman throwing a puncher with a POW!

Superheroes had been accompanied by sound effects for decades before Batman got his own TV series in 1966. However, it is interesting to note that punching sound effects really weren't used in the Batman comics from the mid-1960s. However, that didn't deter the producers from adopting the practice of accompanying a punch with a cut to a giant "Biff," "Bam," or "Pow" sound effect.

The result was very humorous, and for years, comic books became derisively associated with sound effects like "Biff! Bam! Pow!" No matter how much the medium matures, or how popular superheroes become, these sound effects will likely always be associated with the genre.

6 SNIKT

Wolverine popping his claws with their characteristic SNIKT from Marvel Comics

The sound Wolverine's claws make when they snap out of his fists first debuted in his second full appearance, Giant-Size X-Men #1. Since then, it's been an iconic feature of Wolverine most defining appendage.

Interestingly, "Snikt" isn't the only comic book sound effect to be trademarked by a comic book company, with "Thwip" receiving the same treatment. However, "Snikt" has the distinct privilege of having a comic book named after it, as "Wolverine: Snikt" was a miniseries released in 2003.

5 CH-CHAK/CLK

punisher 1 ch-chak

25 Scariest Versions of Spider-ManWhereas the majority of comic book sound effects are the result of explosive action or epic confrontations, CH-CHAK and CLK inform only that such events are immediately impending. Nearly every comic book that contains firearms is going to contain a number of BANGs or BLAMs, but the other sound effects create a sense of suspense that showcase the sounds that precede them.

This has led to CH-CHAK and CLK showing up throughout the thriller and crime genres on countless occasions. All the same, numerous superhero titles have made great use of these onomatopoeias when featuring assassins, mercenaries, or other similarly armed characters. Unsurprisingly, Frank Castle is most readily associated with these sounds in Marvel Comics, although Frank's successor as the Punisher, Joe Garrison, is already on track to become synonymous with them for the same reason.

4 BONK

spider-boy 1 bonk

For almost every superpowered confrontation that takes place, a myriad of strikes and blows are going to be traded between the combatants involved. Usually, these result in the BIFF! BAM! and POW!s that audiences have come to expect from fists and feet connecting with faces and torsos.

Every once in a while, however, superheroes strike something stronger than they are, and when that happens, there is more often than not a BONK! that follows. While this appears more often in daily strips or humor comics than they do in mainstream titles, almost every costumed crime-fighter has at least one embarrassing BONK! to their name.

3 ZRAK/ZACK/ZAP

spider-man electro zrak

Fist fights, gun shots, and explosions may be what make up most comic books in terms of action, but there are some superpowers that come with their own unique sound effects. This is especially true when it comes to electricity-based powers.

From the likes of iconic Marvel villains such as Electro and the Shocker to DC superheros such as Black Lightning or Static, most electrified figures in comics have had their abilities presented in the form of a ZAKK, ZRAK, or ZAP. Of course, these are merely the sound effects used when those powers are on display, whereas the most common onomatopoeia used when those powers connect with their intended targets are of a different variety.

2 BLAM/BANG

100 bullets 3 bring it on

Though BLAM and BANG aren't nearly as subtle as their sound effect cousins CH-CHAK or CLK, that doesn't mean they haven't been put to just as good use. This doesn't mean that they are solely relegated to the realm of unfolding action either, as the sound extends far beyond the obvious.

As with so many other concepts, context is key when it comes to comics. As such, titles like Brian Azarello's infamous 100 Bullets have turned BLAM and BANG into hallmarks of tragedy, vengeance, and even curiosity as much as they have ever been signs of wanton or carefully calculated violence.

1 AIEEEE

adventures in terror aieeee

There are plenty of good reasons to argue over whether dialogue can be considered a sound effect, even when the dialogue in question isn't so much words as it is sounds. That being said, there is no question as to whether AIEEE is a sound effect or not, especially when it is seen freely floating from an ominous background just as often as it is emanating from any given character in particular.

On the surface, AIEEE imparts a sense of immediate dread that few other sound effects can manage. At the same time, it has also been used on countless occasions as a misdirect for criminal, coercive, and even comedic purposes. Simply put, AIEEE is the Wilhelm Scream of literature, and in the comic book medium it has just as much versatility than its better known silver screen counterpart.