History Main / CommLinks

* The [[BodySurf body-surfing]] AI O'Malley from ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' uses radio waves to hop from host to host. Shutting off the helmet radios everyone uses is a frequent plot point for the Blue team.

** The ''idea'' of a handheld, video-capable personal phone existed as early as 1956, and Bell Labs even had [[http://blog.modernmechanix.com/your-telephone-of-tomorrow/ a mockup]] to show off. The ''technology'' to actually make it happen was what took so long.

* ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'' features a Comm Link with an effective range of one light year that also triples as a translation device and an impromptu but powerful explosive.[[note]]Any device powerful enough to broadcast over one light year would have to put several kilowatts into its signal, and thus would need correspondingly powerful batteries. Ever heard of cell phone batteries bursting into flames? The exploding communicator would be the same thing turned UpToEleven.[[/note]]

* ''Anime/DragonballZ'' has scouters, shown not only to measure a person's power level, but also acting as a communicator. In fact, it's this lesser-known function that leads to a major story arc, when the BigBad overhears the heroes talking about the MacGuffin and tries to beat them to obtaining the Dragonballs on Namek.

* [[Anime/YuGiOh Seto Kaiba]] has that thing on his collar he's always talking to.

* ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman'' (AKA ''Anime/BattleOfThePlanets''). G-Force had wrist band communications devices which also allowed them to [[InstantCostumeChange change between their team uniforms and civilian clothing]].
** Anime/GatchamanCrowds changed this so that the TransformationTrinket is a notebook (called a Note) that the Gatchamen can write into to communicate with one another.

* ComicBook/{{Green Lantern}}s can use their rings to communicate with each other.
* DC's ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' has several variants, most notably the omnicom, which is essentially an [=iPhone=] on steroids and which was introduced decades before cellular phones were developed. Various incarnations of the Legion have also incorporated hyperspace communications into their flight rings, and "telepathic earplugs" which serve as a combination comlink and UniversalTranslator.
* The members of ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'' communicate by using nanomachinery to send each other messages through the Carrier.
* Comicbook/TheAvengers' Identicard is essentially a smartphone the size and shape of a credit card, which also serves as Avengers ID. When in use, the image of the person you're talking to replaces your ID photo.
* The 1980's British ''Starblazer'' had the Wrist Vis-Phone. With some engineering creativity it could [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries create a nerve torturing blast of sonic vibrations]].
* Franchise/{{Batman}} has a communicator built into his cowl with a high gain antenna installed in one of the ears.
* ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'' has 'phone trait,' a pill full of nanomachines that grow a cellphone and antenna in your skull.

* ComicStrip/DickTracy had a [[GadgetWatches radio wristwatch]] in an era when real radios still had vacuum tubes. Later upgraded to a two-way wrist TV. Later still upgraded to a two-way wrist computer which includes additional functions like forensic scanners and a LieDetector function.

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* Used in the climactic battle in ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', [[spoiler:despite the main location being incredibly bad for all ''other'' electronics.]]
* Each of the main characters in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' seem to have in-ear communicators that we never see. This includes Thor, who met up with the group separately, and Cap, who at one point gestures to his clearly empty ear.

* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension''. Buckaroo and Rawhide have small communicators that can transmit across New Jersey.
* The ''Film/MissionImpossible'' movies had camera-radios built into eyeglasses.

* ''Film/TheyLive''. The aliens use wrist radios to communicate with each other. They can also be used to make short-range teleports.
* ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. Commander Adams and the other officers have a command mike attached to their belts, with a small camera that they can pan around to confirm they're not speaking under duress (when the camera pans across the MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter, a loud WolfWhistle ensues). There's also a detachable handset used for communication on the ship.
* ''Film/{{Elysium}}''. Secretary of Defense Jessica Delacourt has a communication unit attached to her wrist that has been made by [[ProductPlacement Bvlgari]] (or will be in TheFuture).

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E8SilenceInTheLibrary "Silence in the Library"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E9ForestOfTheDead "Forest of the Dead"]]: River and her team have these built into their spacesuits. They happen to be capable of picking up their users' last thoughts, resulting in a BrokenRecord.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E15PlanetOfTheDead "Planet of the Dead"]]: The Doctor finds a pair of "internal comms" lying around, one of which he gives to the ClassyCatBurglar before she does her MissionImpossibleCableDrop sequence into the depths of the ship. [[FridgeLogic Comms that fit perfectly into the humanoid ear, despite being owned by insectoid aliens with the heads of flies.]]
** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E5TheTsurangaConundrum "The Tsuranga Conundrum"]], the Doctor is given a "comm-dot" which is a button-like communicator worn behind her ear. In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E6Praxeus "Praxeus"]] she uses it to communicate with Team TARDIS while they're seperated across the Earth investigating this week's crisis.

** The crew of Moya have small badge-like communicators which are threaded through Moya. It also fits the "patch into other networks" as, in the ([[WrapItUp pre-miniseries]]) GrandFinale, John uses his to talk to his dad through the phone...''from the Moon''.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had cell phone-like devices which from ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' onwards were built into the Starfleet badges. In "How Creator/WilliamShatner Changed the World", Motorola chief engineer and inventor of the cell phone Martin Cooper states that he invented the cell phone because he wanted a [[TruthInTelevision real life Star Trek communicator.]] ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' reveals that combadges were already in use in the 23rd century, but were restricted to Section 31. By the 32nd century, combadges are, basically, the smartphones of the future, since they combine communication, tricorder, PADD, and transporter functionality, all in a tiny badge form, by projecting interactive holoscreens in front of the wearer.
* The ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' team has Bluetooth-like devices in their ears, with Jack wearing a custom-made device with glowing [=LEDs=]. It is not made clear whether they are regular Bluetooth attachments (i.e., they keep their cell phones hidden), slightly modified Earth technology, or completely ImportedAlienPhlebotinum made to look like Earth tech. Any or all of which would be perfectly plausible in the [[Series/DoctorWho Whoniverse]]. In Series 2, the crew is said to have implanted communicators, removing the need for the actors to wear anything on screen.
* ''Series/{{UFO}}'' episode "Computer Affair". When a team of SHADO troops is sent in on foot to attack a UFO, the leader communicates with his superiors with a "wrist radio" version, complete with extendable antenna.

* The Franchise/{{DCAU}} ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' have their own communicators as well--ultra-slick tech that fits in the ear. In the comics, on the other hand, J'onn usually just keeps everyone telepathically networked.
* The ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' have hand-held clamshell devices that function as communicators. [[spoiler: In the final season of the cartoon, the Brotherhood of Evil managed to capture one and used it to track down all the heroes and capture them one by one. Robin had to re-wire his so it could detonate a secret explosive inside each one]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/XMen'', the X symbols on the suits were communicators.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' has her "Kimmunicator", which is shaped like a compact. It's like a PDA with {{Everything Sensor}}s built in, not to mention a seriously powerful battery, extendable robot arms and whatever else might come in handy. Late in the run, she gets a new [[GadgetWatches wrist-mounted version]].
** In one episode, Drakken locked Kim in a vault and threw the vault into a deep water-filled pit after confiscating her Kimmunicator. Kim then remembered that her class ring had a back-up Kimmunicator that also doubled as a laser torch and emergency rebreather!
* ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'' The girls use a Compowder to communicate (so called because it looks like a make-up kit, which often contain powder puffs).

* Static and Richie (later {{G|adgeteerGenius}}ear) in ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' make gadgets called Shock Boxes, which work like walkie talkies. In one episode, Static managed to use his powers to [[TimTaylorTechnology boost their range to across the planet]], somehow.

* ''WesternAnimation/FantasticVoyage''. The team members have small radio devices that they sometimes use to communicate with each other when separated.
* The ''WesternAnimation/BionicSix'' all have "wristcomms" hard-wired into their wrists (a side-effect of the EmergencyTransformation that turned most of them into cyborgs); it serves as one half of the TransformationTrinket (the other half is a ring they slam into a port of the wristcomm).

* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'': The [[MechanicalLifeforms bots]] in this series seem to have comm links built into their heads and can be seen pressing on their ears (or where ears would be on a human) to communicate.

* ''Film/{{Elysium}}''. Secretary of Defense Jessica Delacourt has a communication unit attached to her wrist made by [[ProductPlacement Bvlgari]] (or will be in TheFuture).

*** Although at no point is it explained how you're viewing the video feed being transmitted to your inner ear, or how it's more secure to talk to someone a few feet away from you using codec (see ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'') than just face-to-face. I guess it's just [[AWizardDidIt magic]].

** In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E5TheTsurangaConundrum "The Tsuranga Conundrum"]], the Doctor gets a "comm-dot" which is a button-like device put behind her ear. In [["Recap/DoctorWhoS38E6Praxeus Praxeus"]] she used it to communicate with Team TARDIS when they're spread across the Earth.

* In ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager'', the TechnologyMarchesOn aspect of the communicator is explained by spacers preferring the '[[BoringButPractical bare bones]]' model: a voice-only unit with the strength to transmit a signal to an orbiting rocketship, without the AwesomeButImpractical VideoPhone and other gadgets used by civilians on Earth.

* The ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' team has Bluetooth-like devices in their ears. It is not made clear whether they are regular Bluetooth attachments (i.e., they keep their cell phones hidden), slightly modified Earth technology, or completely ImportedAlienPhlebotinum made to look like Earth tech. Any or all of which would be perfectly plausible in the [[Series/DoctorWho Whoniverse]].

Sometimes cell-phone-like (and indeed, in works set in {{the present|Day}}, cell phones [[SuperCellReception usually fill this role]]), sometimes small enough to be worn on the shirt or in the ear. In older fiction, they were originally inspired by the walkie-talkie, or handheld radio transceiver, which was itself the predecessor to the modern cell phone in many ways.

Sometimes cell-phone-like (and indeed, in works set in {{the present|Day}}, cell phones [[SuperCellReception usually fill this role]]), sometimes small enough to be worn on the shirt or in the ear. In older fiction, they were first inspired by the walkie-talkie, or handheld radio transceiver, which was itself the predecessor to the modern cell phone in many ways.

Sometimes cell-phone-like (and indeed, in works set in {{the present|Day}}, cell phones [[SuperCellReception usually fill this role]]), sometimes small enough to be worn on the shirt or in the ear.

* In ''Literature/{{Magic 2.0}}'', the wizards use the so-called "hand phone" macro to communicate with one another. They raise their hands as if they're about to give the [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Yorick]] speech and say "Komuniki kun [name]", which is [[UsefulNotes/EsperantoTheUniversalLanguage Esperanto]] for "communicate with". The other person's hand rings like an old-fashioned telephone, until they raise their hand and answer. A personalized GIF image floats over the hand to let you know who's calling. Closing the fist ends the call.

* In ''Literature/{{Magic 2.0}}'', the wizards use the so-called "hand phone" macro to communicate with one another. They raise their hands as if they're about to give the [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Yorick]] speech and say "Komuniki kun [name]", which is [[UsefulNotes/EsperantoTheUniversalLanguage Esperanto]] for "communicate with". The other person's hand rings like an old-fashioned telephone, until they raise their hand and answer. A GIF image floats over the hand to let you know who's calling.

* The ''Literature/AxisOfTime'' trilogy by John Birmingham has portable net-enabled laptops from TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture transported back to UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo, where they function much like a wrist radio or Star Trek communicator. Notable in that, thanks to no satellites floating in orbit, the connections are often crappy, but work, thanks to a side feature of bouncing communications off the atmosphere... or something like that.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had cell phone-like devices which from ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration The Next Generation]]'' onwards were built into the Starfleet badges. In "How Creator/WilliamShatner Changed the World", Motorola chief engineer and inventor of the cell phone Martin Cooper states that he invented the cell phone because he wanted a [[TruthInTelevision real life Star Trek communicator.]]

* ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. Commander Adams and the other officers have a command mike attached to their belts, with a small camera that they can pan around to confirm they're not speaking under duress (when the camera pans it across the MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter, a loud WolfWhistle ensues). There's also a detachable handset used for communication on the ship.

* ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. Commander Adams and the other officers have a command mike attached to his belt, with a small camera that he can pan around to confirm he's not speaking under duress (when he pans it across the MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter, a loud WolfWhistle ensues). There's also a detachable handset used for communication on the ship.

* In ''Fanfic/RocketshipVoyager'', the TechnologyMarchesOn aspect of the communicator is explained by spacers preferring the 'bare bones' model--a voice-only unit with the strength to transmit a signal to an orbiting rocketship, without the AwesomeButImpractical VideoPhone and other gadgets used by civilians on Earth.

* ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. Commander Adams and the other officers have a command mike attached to his belt, with a small camera that he can pan around to confirm he's not speaking under duress (when he pans it across the MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter, a loud WolfWhistle ensues). There's also a detachable handset used for communication on the ship.

* In ''Rocketship Voyager'', the TechnologyMarchesOn aspect of the communicator is explained by spacers preferring the 'bare bones' model--a voice-only unit with the strength to transmit a signal to an orbiting rocketship, without the AwesomeButImpractical VideoPhone and other gadgets used by civilians on Earth.

* ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. Commander Adams and the other officers have a command mike attached to his belt, with a small camera that he can pan around to confirm he's not speaking under duress (when he pans it across the MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter, a loud WolfWhistle ensues). There's also a detachable handset used for communication on the ship.