The most iconic scene in Planet of the Apes lore is getting new meaning in the next issue of the Marvel Comics series. The scene in question dates back to the first movie that came out in 1968. After the final twist reveals that the planet ruled by apes has actually been Earth this whole time, audiences get to see what’s left of the Statue of Liberty, only partially intact after the fall of mankind, and the rise of apes.
The scene is directly referenced and recontextualized in Planet of the Apes #5 by David Walker, Dave Wachter, Andy Macdonald, Bryan Valenza, and Joe Caramagna. In a preview of the issue from Marvel Comics, scientists Juliana and Omatete continue their mission to get their ape charges to the CDC, and out of the crosshairs of the human supremacist group the Exercitus Viri – the villains of this new series. On the trip, the apes notice the Statue of Liberty and ask its meaning.
The Apes Know What the Statue of Liberty Symbolizes
The comic is a prequel of sorts, showcasing what happens when the ALZ-113 virus first materializes and begins to wreak havoc on the world. As seen in the panels above, taking place in the New York Harbor, the apes are being educated as to what the Statue of Liberty is, at a time when none of them had seen such a sight before. One signs the question, “Who is woman?” They’re told of how the statue is a symbol of freedom for the country, though one which may now have lost its meaning. Thinking about where this scene fits in the franchise manages to add a new context to the first movie’s ending.
Ape Freedom Began with the Statue of Liberty
Some audiences may watch the first Planet of the Apes movie and wonder why the partially destroyed Statue of Liberty is still even somewhat intact. One would think that thousands of years after the fall of man and the rise of the apes who overthrew them, nature or the apes would destroy everything that humanity created. Most signs of human history have been eradicated completely, except for this statue. If the apes knew the meaning of the statue – or the apes who went on to populate the Earth knew it as a sign of safety – then it makes sense they’d keep it around, even as just a fallen monument to how humanity failed.
In this new context, it makes sense as to why the apes would leave the statue where it fell rather than destroy it or fix it. Audiences can now see this moment as more of a philosophical statement, one where the apes can relate to this symbol of freedom shortly after gaining their own freedom on a global level. While Planet of the Apes‘ different timelines don’t exactly match up, fans have yet to see as far into the current canon’s future as the original movie depicted, and so it’s easy to tie the two together, and highly unlikely the new canon will ignore such a potent image in its own post-human future. Planet of the Apes just complicated the idea of the Statue of Liberty as the final monument to humankind, having it represent the first step of the apes’ freedom and the last gasp of humanity’s best attributes.
Planet of the Apes #5 will be going on sale August 23, from Marvel Comics.
