J – 8 Jetpacks in Movies and TV [List]

J is for Jetpack. This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012.

The jetpack is an icon of the future, alongside flying cars and spaceships. It’s shown up in a lot of different movies and TV shows. Here are eight that stand out as iconic moments for this ultra-cool transport.

8. Jeffrey King (King of the Rocketmen) – One of the first in a long line of pulp heroes, Jeffrey King is a propulsion expert who creates a jetpack and battles the evil Dr. Vulcan. King was responsible for ushering in a wave of rocket-powered heroes in serials including Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe and Radar Men from the Moon. These series set up generations eagerly awaiting the jetpack of the future.

7. The Robinsons (Lost in Space) – The sixties TV show about a family wandering the universe in a flying saucer had a lot of cool gear. One of them was the ubiquitous jetpack. It was used frequently and briefly throughout the series, but always made a lasting impression.

6. The Rocketeer (The Rocketeer) – This movie inspired by a comic book based on the pulp heroes of the thirties (everybody got that?), the Rocketeer was a regular guy and pilot who stumbles across a jetpack and becomes a superhero. He defeated the Nazis and got the girl, but more importantly, he had his own jetpack. Awesome.

5. James Bond (Thunderball) – James Bond is the king of fancy futuristic gadgets, so of course he has to have a jetpack. Its most memorable appearance was in the opening for the movie, Thunderball, where Bond makes a smooth escape.

4. Fireball (The Running Man) – In the futuristic reality show The Running Man, warriors with themed weapons chased condemned criminals for entertainment. Fireball was one of them, and he not only carried a flamethrower, but also flew on a jetpack. The hero managed to blow up the jetpack, but it was fun while it lasted.

3. Spock (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) – Spock sets out into the alien craft V’Ger to uncover its secrets. Not only does he perform a mind meld with an enormous alien entity, but he goes without a spacecraft, instead riding in a jetpack. Interesting trivia, in the year 2012, space travel is pretty much the only aspect of life where we routinely use jetpacks.

2. Boba Fett (Return of the Jedi) – He was the toughest and smartest bounty hunter in the Galaxy, armed with an arsenal of weapons including a laser gun, missile, tow cable, and spring-loaded blades. But his coolest tech was his jetpack. We only saw it briefly, but the jetpack made Boba Fett a double-threat. We could give an honorable mention to Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones. But it’s technically the same thing, so we won’t.

1. Elroy Jetson (The Jetsons) – Probably one of the most iconic images of the jetpack is of Elroy floating around in his jetpack. I’m one of many kids who dreamed of having Elroy’s jetpack when I grew up.

Any other famous jetpacks you can add to the list?

This post is part of the month long “A-Z Challenge.” For 27 days, we’ll be choosing a letter from the alphabet and crafting a post around it. To read more of the posts in the series click here. To find out more about the challenge go here.

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