function Component(options) {
      var opts = _.clone(options);

      /**
       * The Components' options Object, passed to its constructor.
       * TODO: Add explanation of how options are set from HTML API + which default options are
       * set during the Component initialization.
       *
       * @property {Object} options
       */
      this.options    = _.defaults(opts || {}, this.options || {});

      /**
       * Internal, unique reference for a Component instance
       *
       * @property {String} _ref
       */
      this._ref       = opts._ref;

      /**
       * A cached jQuery object for the Components's element.
       *
       * @property {Object} $el
       */
      this.$el        = core.dom.find(opts.el);

      this.invokeWithCallbacks('initialize', this.options);
      return this;
    }
The base Component constructor...
@class  Component
@constructor
@param {Object} options the options to init the component...