The 9/11 Catalyst: How Gerard Way's Witness Account Of The World Trade Center Collapse Created My Chemical Romance

The story of My Chemical Romance’s formation is one of profound tragedy and artistic rebirth, a narrative inextricably linked to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. While many pop culture origins are rooted in chance meetings or shared musical tastes, the seminal New Jersey rock band was born from a moment of national trauma, specifically the World Trade Center collapse.

As of today, December 17, 2025, the band's connection to the 9/11 event remains a cornerstone of their legacy, providing a raw, emotional context to their early work, particularly their first song, "Skylines and Turnstiles." Frontman Gerard Way, a witness to the attacks, channeled his grief, existential dread, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) into a creative outlet that would define the emo and alternative rock movements for a generation.

The Architects of the Black Parade: My Chemical Romance Biography and Profiles

My Chemical Romance (often abbreviated as MCR) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey, founded in 2001. The band's current lineup, which reunited in 2019, consists of four core members whose personal and familial connections form the emotional backbone of the group.

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• Gerard Way (Lead Vocalist)
  • Born: April 9, 1977, in Summit, New Jersey.
  • Role: Lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and co-founder.
  • Background: A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City with a BFA in cartooning. He was working as an intern for Cartoon Network on 9/11. He is also a successful comic book writer, notably the creator of The Umbrella Academy.
• Mikey Way (Bassist)
  • Born: September 10, 1980, in Newark, New Jersey.
  • Role: Bassist and co-founder.
  • Background: Gerard Way’s younger brother. He is credited with coining the band's name, which was inspired by the Irvine Welsh novel Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.
• Ray Toro (Lead Guitarist)
  • Born: July 15, 1977, in Kearny, New Jersey.
  • Role: Lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and co-founder.
  • Background: Known for his signature afro and complex, melodic guitar solos. He was instrumental in helping Gerard Way transform his poetic ideas into structured songs.
• Frank Iero (Rhythm Guitarist)
  • Born: October 31, 1981, in Belleville, New Jersey.
  • Role: Rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist.
  • Background: He joined the band just before the recording of their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, solidifying the four-piece lineup. He is the youngest member and also leads his own projects, including Frank Iero and The Future Violents.

The Day That Changed Everything: Gerard Way’s 9/11 Witness Account

On September 11, 2001, Gerard Way was in New York City, working as an intern for Cartoon Network, specifically in the action figure design department. His life was centered on pursuing a career as a comic book artist, a dream he had nurtured since childhood. However, his daily commute placed him in a position to witness one of the most devastating events in American history.

Way was reportedly on his way to work when the attacks began, viewing the World Trade Center towers from a close vantage point. He saw the second plane strike and the subsequent collapse of the towers. The sheer scale of the human tragedy and the feeling of helplessness in that moment became a profound, life-altering experience. The event forced a radical shift in his perspective on life, mortality, and purpose.

In interviews, Way has consistently stated that witnessing 9/11 was "one of the biggest reasons" he started the band. He realized he needed to do something meaningful with his life, something that could provide an emotional outlet and a connection to others. This feeling of urgency—that life is short and art is essential—provided the catalyst for him to quit his job and call Ray Toro to start a band.

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The experience left him dealing with significant emotional turmoil, which he later identified as symptoms of PTSD. My Chemical Romance, therefore, began not as a commercial venture but as a form of therapy, a way to process the trauma and the existential crisis brought on by the attacks.

"Skylines and Turnstiles": The Immediate Artistic Response

The first song ever written by My Chemical Romance, "Skylines and Turnstiles," is the direct musical manifestation of Gerard Way's 9/11 experience. Written shortly after the attacks, the song captures the chaos, fear, and somber reflection of the day.

The Lyrics and Imagery of Trauma

The title itself, "Skylines and Turnstiles," is highly evocative of the New York City setting. "Skylines" refers to the iconic cityscape that was violently altered, while "turnstiles" references the subway system and the mundane, day-to-day life that was abruptly interrupted.

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The lyrics are filled with vivid, dark imagery that reflects the horror Way witnessed, including lines that speak to the struggle to make sense of the tragedy. It is a raw, unpolished piece of hardcore punk and pop-punk that served as the blueprint for the band's signature sound—a blend of aggression, melody, and deeply personal, narrative-driven storytelling.

The song was recorded in the attic of drummer Matt Pelissier (an early member) and eventually appeared on their 2002 debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. It stands as a powerful testament to the band’s origin, cementing the 9/11 tragedy as the foundational event in the My Chemical Romance universe.

The 9/11 Domino Effect: MCR's Unforeseen Cultural Impact

The formation of My Chemical Romance following 9/11 has been cited as the initial point of a bizarre and far-reaching cultural chain reaction, often referred to as the "9/11 Domino Effect." This theory highlights the band's massive influence on subsequent pop culture phenomena, demonstrating the ripple effect of a single, traumatic event.

• My Chemical Romance (MCR): The band is formed directly because of Gerard Way witnessing the 9/11 attacks.
• Twilight: Author Stephenie Meyer has publicly stated that she was heavily influenced by My Chemical Romance's music, particularly the song "Famous Last Words," when writing her vampire romance saga. The dark, romantic aesthetic of the band’s albums, like The Black Parade, provided a major creative spark for the series.
• Fifty Shades of Grey: The massively popular erotic novel series began as *Twilight* fan fiction. E.L. James originally published the story online under the title Master of the Universe, featuring characters from the *Twilight* universe before rewriting it as original fiction.

This cultural lineage—from the World Trade Center collapse to My Chemical Romance, then to *Twilight*, and finally to *Fifty Shades of Grey*—is a compelling, if unexpected, narrative of how a single, devastating historical event could indirectly shape the landscape of 21st-century popular entertainment. The band's initial impulse, driven by the desire to deal with trauma and mortality, ultimately led to a global shift in music, literature, and film, proving the profound and often unpredictable power of art born from crisis.