Considering Captain America: Civil War has been deemed one of the most perfect superhero movies ever, it’s no surprise that it’s inspired a seriously daunting amount of tie-in products. We’ve seen everything from t-shirts to breakfast cereals. Well, now you can add “ridiculously fancy pen” to the list.
Cross Pens is the maker of some of the world’s most beautiful analog writing implements. You pick one up and the heft alone tells you that this is not some cheap Bic to be tossed in the bottom of a purse or laptop bag. They are meticulously crafted and inspire collectors of all ages.
Take the Century II Marvel Collection Iron Man pen. It would have been so simple to throw “Iron Man” on the side and be done with it. It still would have sold like candy amongst comic-loving pen collectors. But Cross did so much more. The colors are reminiscent of Tony’s armor, with a striking red body and 23k gold plated accents. The body of the pen is coated in translucent lacquer, drawing your eye to it whenever it catches the light. The cap of the pen features a stylized Iron Man torso. Those armor elements are repeated on the body of the pen, with an Iron Man helmet on the back and small logo on the front. It is undoubtably an in-your-face comic book pen, but it is very obviously not a cheap comic book pen.
Cross prides itself on the smoothness of writing that its able to create with its specially formulated rollerball cartridges (you can also purchase felt tip or fountain inserts). I had my doubts at first; but after writing with the included rollerball, I was impressed. The ink really does flow from the cartridge like it was a fountain pen. I left the pen resting point-down on a piece of paper when I was taking pictures for this article and ended up with a small puddle of ink – not just a spot, but an actual raised dot of ink. The takeaway is that the Marvel Collection Iron Man pen is the smoothest ballpoint pen I have ever had the pleasure of writing with.
With so many digital choices for writing available, it would be easy to dismiss Cross’ Iron Man pen as a novelty, something that only well-heeled Marvel fans will be interested in. But writing things down on actual, physical pieces of paper changes how your brain deals with them. It helps you make different connections between ideas, it engages different parts of your brain. Nothing derails that bit of magic quicker than a scratchy pen that stops working halfway through a word. Writing with a superior instrument helps your thoughts flow freely. And there’s no doubt that the Century II Marvel Collection Iron Man Pen is such a superior instrument.
If you’re Team Cap, Cross also makes a Captain America version in dark blue with the appropriate deco. There’s also a really cool Spider-Man version, though it reminds me more of the Sony costumes and less of Civil War Spidey. Whichever deco you choose, you’re getting an amazing pen with some serious geek cred. Unlike many high-end pens out there, there’s no mistaking the Century II Marvel Collection pens as anything other than the perfect pen for that special Venn Diagram that includes both Marvelphiles and Pen Aficionados. They’re available on Amazon, or drop by Cross and choose your side!
Disclosure: Cross provided an Iron Man pen for this review. The opinions in this article are my own.
