ILLUSTRATION BY DOMINIC BUGATTO; GRAPHIC BY H. HOPP-BRUCE/GLOBE STAFF
If you grew up with Dick Tracy comics, the awesomeness of wearing a sophisticated communications device on your wrist might seem self-evident. “I have been wanting to do this since I was 5 years old,” said CEO Tim Cook, 54, as he described the new Apple Watch’s ability to make and receive telephone calls. Apple Inc. isn’t building this new franchise on nostalgia alone; the company also created blingy luxury versions aimed at the rich and fashionable. Still, the power that childhood fantasies exert over even the world’s most valuable corporation is striking. Imagine Apple’s take on Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, or at least Green Lantern’s power ring.
Dante Ramos can be reached at dante.ramos@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @danteramos.