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During Thanos's snap, which was supposed to wipe away half the population, also all clothes were dusted away, including Bucky's arm, even though the gun he was holding at the time didn't dust away. Also the thing that Nick Fury was holding to call Captain Marvel didn't dust away. Why's that? Didn't Thanos only mean to dust the actual people?

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  • 16
    That's called a "pager", though I can understand you not knowing what that is.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Dec 28, 2020 at 1:09
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    Thanos may be an A-hole but he's not 100% a dick looking to out crossdressers.
    – Mazura
    Dec 28, 2020 at 2:16
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    because "pile of clothes collapsing on the ground" is a trope which usually generates a mild chuckle but distracts from the broader issue of the implications of people disappearing
    – user253751
    Dec 28, 2020 at 11:54
  • You imagine half of the population popping back naked? In some countries where nud***y (I had to star the word, it is so embarrassing) is worse than drugs and violence prisons would be overloaded. /s
    – WoJ
    Dec 28, 2020 at 13:58

2 Answers 2

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Whatever item is considered part of the person’s identity seems to get Snapped with them.

According to Joe Russo, the objects faded with the heroes and other victims of Thanos erasure because they are "part of their identity."

Anthony Russo chimed in: "Whatever was elemental to somebody’s presence went with them."

comicbook, Why The Clothes Also Disappear In 'Avengers: Infinity War' According To The Directors

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    it's pretty common in both fantasy and sci-fi for a person's clothes and embedded items (cybernetics and prosthetics, piercings and tattoos) to be considered part of them. A disintegration ray (or spell) will usually destroy clothing as well, while carried items are generally separate. Hulk's transformation doesn't include his clothes, but the magical nature of the Infinity Stones seems to.
    – gatherer818
    Dec 28, 2020 at 1:38
  • @gatherer818 Except Hulk's purple pants.
    – Michael Richardson
    Dec 28, 2020 at 17:48
  • actually, if you watch closely the parts where the snap is reversed, it seems that people disappear with whatever - e.g. the marching band that vanishes with its instruments, etc. - and I doubt they considered those items part of their identity.
    – Tom
    Jan 18, 2021 at 15:26
  • @Tom presumably identity is being used a bit loosely. I wouldn’t consider whatever random outfit I was wearing for the day to be a part of my identity. And I’d imagine for some people instruments are more of their identity than their clothes. I believe it’s more like what is “them” at that moment in time.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Jan 18, 2021 at 17:32
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The Snap is an interesting idea of Thanos that he thought through. His purpose is to save or relieve the universe of half of its population because overpopulation is causing so many problems. So in his mind, he is the good guy.

With that mindset, he would not want to cause problems for the people left behind. The other half. That is why people turn into dust instead of simply dropping dead - then you would have a lot of dead bodies, with all the consequences (diseases, cleanup work, aesthetics, etc.)

Leaving clothing behind would be a similar issue, on a smaller scale. There would be empty clothing everywhere, causing problems and inconveniences. Removing the half he is removing entirely - clothing and all - is simply cleaner, more beautiful in a way, in his twisted mind.

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  • Really cool idea
    – MBEllis
    Dec 28, 2020 at 20:47

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