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* EvenEvilHasStandards: Harry is a brutal and efficient killer in the [[BloodSport Killing Game]], but when he was called in to take out [[spoiler:Adele's father]] along with three other guys to punish the man for [[ResignationsNotAccepted trying to get out of the Game]], he refused on the basis that he's not some cheap thug for hire.
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* CarnivalOfKillers: When Harry's leverage on Senator Jacklin becomes useless after the latter's death, the Voices organize a massive game by sending thirteen other Button Men to go after Harry in a cross-country hunt.
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* CarnivalOfKillers: When Harry's leverage on Senator Jacklin becomes useless after the latter's death, the Voices organize a massive game by sending thirteen other Button Men to go after Harry in a cross-country hunt. They get into each other's way to get to Harry a bunch of times, which is handily exploited by him.
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* BadassLongcoat: Harry tends to wear a long black trenchcoat when participating in games in built up areas. It's likely that it makes concealment of weapons that much easier.
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* TheBladeAlwaysLandsPointyEndIn: Adele is rather proficient with throwing knives and shurikens in that ever edged weapon she throws hits something.
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* GunPorn: There's a serious amount of closeups on various weapons used by Button Men during the course of the strip. There's even a couple of RareGuns thrown in for good measure.
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* OffWithHisHead: Harry kills his first voice by decapitating him with a kitchen knife and dumping the head in his own fishtank.
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* RareGuns: Harry prefers a 10mm Smith & Wesson pistol, as evidenced by the boxes of 10mm Auto he's seen loading in books 2 and 3.
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* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: Subverted. Harry makes a token attempt to disguise one of his kills as a suicide, but one of the cops who were pursuing the two men exchanging gunshots in broad daylighy immediately notes that it doesn't explain multiple entry wounds all over the body and tells his men to keep looking for the other shooter.
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* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: Subverted. Harry makes a token attempt to disguise one of his kills as a suicide, but one of the cops who were pursuing the two men exchanging gunshots in broad daylighy daylight immediately notes that it doesn't explain multiple entry wounds all over the body and tells his men to keep looking for the other shooter.
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* FeelingTheirAge: When Harry faces Adele in a Game, the she manages to get the drop on him, much to his surprise. He quickly regains the upper hand as he's still the best Button Man alive despite his advancing age, but he notes that he would have easily dispatched her if he were a bit younger.
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* FeelingTheirAge: When Harry faces Adele in a Game, the she manages to get the drop on him, him much to his surprise. He quickly regains the upper hand as he's still the best Button Man alive despite his advancing age, but he notes that he would have easily dispatched her if he were a bit younger.
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* FeelingTheirAge: When Harry faces Adele in a Game, the she manages to get the drop on him, much to his surprise. He quickly regains the upper hand as he's still the best Button Man alive despite his advancing age, but he notes that he would have easily dispatched her if he were a bit younger.
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* HiredGuns: Harry and Carl are ex-mercenaries who fought in various conflicts in TheEighties. Turns out that the Game is much more lucrative.
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* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Subverted in book 2. One of Senator Jacklin's mooks fires at Harry with one, [[ShortRangeShotgun but hasn't a hope of hitting him]]. Harry notes that in the right situation, a shotgun is a good choice, just not the present moment.
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* VillainProtagonist: Harry's not exactly a pleasant chap to begin with, but his time in the game reveals much of [[BloodKnight his true nature]]. Even other Button Men [[TheDreaded are scared shitless of him]] due to his propensity to kill his opponents when taking their marker is sufficient.
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* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Harry has killed nearly all of the thirteen other Button Men sent against him, one of the last three decides to get the hell out of dodge and even tells his handler to stick it when he gets a call. Subverted when Harry immediately shoots him with a sniper rifle before he can even attempt to escape.
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* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Harry has killed nearly all of the thirteen other Button Men sent against him, one of the last three decides to get the hell out of dodge and even tells his handler to stick it when he gets a call. Subverted This is immediately subverted when Harry immediately shoots him with a sniper rifle before he can even attempt to escape.
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* AssShove: In the climax of "The Killing Game", the rules state that Harry can only carry eight rounds in a single handgun. This is checked before the match, while his opponents get automatic weaponry. His opponents [[CountingBullets note how many times he's fired]] and one of them believes that they have him dead to rights after Harry has fired eight times. He's very surprised when Harry shoots him. Harry explains that he's kept a couple of extra rounds "where the sun don't shine" [[CrazyPrepared just in case]].
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* ChronicVillainy: After years of trying to get away from the Killing Game and living in peace, Harry finds himself drawn back when he runs out of funds, plus the simple fact that he enjoys these duels to the death and is [[BecauseImGoodAtIt damn good at it]].
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* YouKilledMyFather: As a young girl, Adele witnesses a group of men murder her father while she hid in the closet, apparently including a man named "Harry X". She grows up swearing to get revenge for her father's killers and Harry in particular.
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* YouKilledMyFather: As a young girl, Adele witnesses a group of men murder her father while she hid in the closet, apparently including a man named "Harry X". She grows up swearing to get revenge for against her father's killers and Harry in particular.
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* GanglandDriveBy: Ugly John tries to kill Harry several times, at one point by driving up to him in a car and firing a machine gun at him.
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* GanglandDriveBy: Ugly John tries to kill Harry several times, at one point by driving up to him in a car and firing a machine gun at him.him in a city street.
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* YouKilledMyFather: As a young girl, Adele witnesses a group of men murdering her father while she hid in the closet, apparently including a man named "Harry X". She grows up swearing to get revenge for her father's killers and Harry in particular.
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* YouKilledMyFather: As a young girl, Adele witnesses a group of men murdering murder her father while she hid in the closet, apparently including a man named "Harry X". She grows up swearing to get revenge for her father's killers and Harry in particular.
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* BoobyTrap: Harry is prety adept at making them, setting various traps in the forest near his home turf to take out all the other Button Men who are after him. Unfortunately however, [[spoiler:his best friend Wiley walks into one by mistake.]]
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* ContractOnTheHitman: Button Men are promised huge sums at the end of their "careers", but none of them are supposed to exit the Killing Game alive.
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* ContractOnTheHitman: Harry has found himself unwittingly becoming the target of hired guns or other Button Men are promised huge sums at on occasion after he [[ResignationsNotAccepted tries to get out of the end of their "careers", but none of them are supposed to exit the Killing Game alive.Game]].
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* TheDreaded: Harry survives so many Games at such incredible odds that he eventually becomes feared as a walking incarnation of death, to the point that even the Voices are terrified of him.
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* GanglandDriveBy: Ugly John tries to kill Harry several times, at one point by driving up to him in a car and firing a machine gun at him.
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* ResignationsNotAccepted: Button Men are promised huge sums at the end of their "careers", but none of them are supposed to exit the Killing Game alive.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Adele systematically hunts down the men who killed her father, which includes a man she knows only as "Harry X", but who is most likely already dead. [[spoiler:She eventually agrees to a one-one-one match against Harry Exton after he turns up alive, but he reveals that he opted out when he was called in to take out her father, so they team up against the Voices instead.]]
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Adele systematically hunts down the men who killed her father, which includes a man she knows only as "Harry X", but who is most likely already dead. [[spoiler:She eventually agrees to a one-one-one match against Harry Exton after he turns up alive, but he reveals that he opted out when he was called in to take out her father, so they team up against the Voices instead.]]
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* YouKilledMyFather: As a young girl, Adele witnesses a group of men murdering her father while she hid in the closet, apparently including a man named "Harry X". She grows up swearing to get revenge for her father's killers and Harry in particular.
* YourCheatingHeart: Harry has an affair with a dentist's wife for about a year. Comes into play later when [[spoiler:Harry realizes that the man has been working with the Voices to get revenge on Harry.]]
* YourCheatingHeart: Harry has an affair with a dentist's wife for about a year. Comes into play later when [[spoiler:Harry realizes that the man has been working with the Voices to get revenge on Harry.]]
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* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Millions of pounds are bet on every single Game. It's explicitly mentioned that a modestly wealthy person who becomes Voice for a talented button man can become ''obscenely'' rich.
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* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Millions of pounds are bet on every single Game. It's explicitly mentioned that a modestly wealthy person who becomes a Voice for a talented button man can become ''obscenely'' rich.
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* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Harry has killed nearly all of the thirteen other Button Men sent against him, one of the last three decides to get the hell out of dodge and even tells his handler to stick it when he gets a call. Subverted when Harry immediately shoots him with a sniper rifle before he can even attempt to escape.
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* TrackingDevice: When the Voices organize a thirteen-on-one game against Harry, they plant a tracking device on Harry so that their own Button Men can stay on top of him at all times. [[spoiler:It turns out to be inside a tooth that he had recently had fixed.]]
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* BloodKnight: Harry Exton becomes a pretty notorious Button Man because he prefers to kill all his opponents, whereas wounding them is considered sufficicient to win a match and actualy preferred as it leaves the Button Man available for further matches.
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* BloodKnight: Harry Exton becomes a pretty notorious Button Man because he prefers to kill all his opponents, whereas wounding them is considered sufficicient sufficient to win a match and actualy preferred as it leaves the Button Man available for further matches.
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* NotWorthKilling: After Cora implores Harry to leave at least some of his targets alive so as not to discourage sponsors from sending their own champions against him, he disposes of a relative newcomer by remarking that he's "not worth killing", but still cuts off his finger with an industrial meat saw.
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* NotWorthKilling: After Cora implores Harry to leave at least some of his targets alive so as not to discourage sponsors from sending their own champions against him, he disposes of a relative newcomer by remarking that he's "not worth killing", but still cuts off his finger with an industrial meat saw. [[spoiler:The same man faces him again in a later game. Harry isn't as merciful that time around.]]
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* CarnivalOfKillers: When Harry's leverage on Senator Jacklin becomes useless after the latter's death, the Voices organize a massive game by sending thirteen other Button Men to go after Harry in a cross-country hunt.
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* DwindlingParty: When Harry is pursued by a CarnivalOfKillers, he proceeds to off them one by one. Especially the last eight who unite at his cabin in Montana are killed in alarmingly fast order.
* FakingTheDead: Convinced that the Voices will never stop following him unless they think he's already dead, Harry arranges his own "death" by cutting of his finger to a Button Man that is required to confirm a kill. He later kills the other for real just to be sure he wouldn't talk either.
* FakingTheDead: Convinced that the Voices will never stop following him unless they think he's already dead, Harry arranges his own "death" by cutting of his finger to a Button Man that is required to confirm a kill. He later kills the other for real just to be sure he wouldn't talk either.
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* HeKnowsTooMuch: Offing is standard procedure of dealing with anyone who knows too much about the killing game. Even Harry himself has tied up some loose ends of his own.
* IHaveAFamily: One Button Woman, Jackie, tries to use this excuse with Harry by showing him a picture of her children. It doesn't work.
* ImpersonatingAnOfficer: At least one Button Man posed as an FBI officer during the killing game.
* IHaveAFamily: One Button Woman, Jackie, tries to use this excuse with Harry by showing him a picture of her children. It doesn't work.
* ImpersonatingAnOfficer: At least one Button Man posed as an FBI officer during the killing game.
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* TakingYouWithMe: After Harry fatally wounds another Button Man, he tries to kill them both with a grenade, but Harry jumps out of the way in time.
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* SpitefulSpit: Before a four-way match in he desert, an opponent by the name of "Crow" spits at Harry's feet when he notes that the guy is late.
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* SpitefulSpit: Before a four-way match in he the desert, an opponent by the name of "Crow" spits at Harry's feet when he notes that the guy is late.
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* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Harry infiltrates Senator Jackson's heavily guarded mansion in Florida by sneaking in through the swamps. He feeds several security guards to the alligators.
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* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Harry infiltrates Senator Jackson's Jacklin's heavily guarded mansion in Florida by sneaking in through the swamps. He feeds several security guards to the alligators.
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* NotWorthKilling: After Cora implores Harry to leave at least some of his targets alive so as not to discourage sponsors from sending their own champions against him, he disposes of a relative newcomer by remarking that he's "not worth killing", but still cuts off his arm with an industrial meat saw.
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* NotWorthKilling: After Cora implores Harry to leave at least some of his targets alive so as not to discourage sponsors from sending their own champions against him, he disposes of a relative newcomer by remarking that he's "not worth killing", but still cuts off his arm finger with an industrial meat saw.
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* TheHandler: The Voices are this to the Button Men.
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* SpitefulSpit: Before a four-way match in he desert, an opponent by the name of "Crow" spits at Harry's feet when he notes that the guys is late.
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* SpitefulSpit: Before a four-way match in he desert, an opponent by the name of "Crow" spits at Harry's feet when he notes that the guys guy is late.
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* ProfessionalKiller: Button Man are trained to take part in "The Game", a BloodSport where they take on other Button Men on behalf of their sponsors.
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* ProfessionalKiller: Button Man Men are trained to take part in "The Game", a BloodSport where they take on other Button Men on behalf of their sponsors.
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* ContractOnTheHitman: Button Man are promised huge sums at the end of their "careers", but none of them are supposed to exit the Killing Game alive.
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* ContractOnTheHitman: Button Man Men are promised huge sums at the end of their "careers", but none of them are supposed to exit the Killing Game alive.
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* BaitAndSwitchGunshot: After Harry blackmails Senator Jacklin, his former handler Cora offers to run away with Harry after she already tried to have him killed. When he tells her to go to hell, [[WomanScorned she prepares to shoot him]], but the Senator shoots her first to protect his own interests.
* BloodKnight: Harry Exton becomes a pretty notorious Button Man because he prefers to kill all his opponents, whereas wounding them is considered sufficicient to win a match and actualy preferred as it leaves the Button Man available for further matches.
* BloodKnight: Harry Exton becomes a pretty notorious Button Man because he prefers to kill all his opponents, whereas wounding them is considered sufficicient to win a match and actualy preferred as it leaves the Button Man available for further matches.
* ContractOnTheHitman: Button Man are promised huge sums at the end of their "careers", but none of them are supposed to exit the Killing Game alive.
* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: Subverted. Harry makes a token attempt to disguise one of his kills as a suicide, but one of the cops who were pursuing the two men exchanging gunshots in broad daylighy immediately notes that it doesn't explain multiple entry wounds all over the body and tells his men to keep looking for the other shooter.
* TheCoronerDothProtestTooMuch: Subverted. Harry makes a token attempt to disguise one of his kills as a suicide, but one of the cops who were pursuing the two men exchanging gunshots in broad daylighy immediately notes that it doesn't explain multiple entry wounds all over the body and tells his men to keep looking for the other shooter.
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* TheVoice: The handlers are referred to as "Voices" because they are only heard over the telephone, never seen. [[spoiler: After Harry turns the tables and begins to hunt the Voices, they are given faces and names.]]
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* NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Harry infiltrates Senator Jackson's heavily guarded mansion in Florida by sneaking in through the swamps. He feeds several security guards to the alligators.
* NotGoodWithPeople: Harry takes in a stray dog one night and becomes best buddies with it. Cora remarks that he's better with animals than with people.
* NotWorthKilling: After Cora implores Harry to leave at least some of his targets alive so as not to discourage sponsors from sending their own champions against him, he disposes of a relative newcomer by remarking that he's "not worth killing", but still cuts off his arm with an industrial meat saw.
* ProfessionalKiller: Button Man are trained to take part in "The Game", a BloodSport where they take on other Button Men on behalf of their sponsors.
* SpitefulSpit: Before a four-way match in he desert, an opponent by the name of "Crow" spits at Harry's feet when he notes that the guys is late.
-->'''Crow:''' Sorry about that.\\
'''Harry:''' [[ImpliedDeathThreat You will be.]]
* TheVoice: The handlers are referred to as "Voices" because they are only heard over the telephone, never seen. [[spoiler: After Harry turns the tables and begins to hunt the Voices, they are given faces and names.]]]]
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* NotGoodWithPeople: Harry takes in a stray dog one night and becomes best buddies with it. Cora remarks that he's better with animals than with people.
* NotWorthKilling: After Cora implores Harry to leave at least some of his targets alive so as not to discourage sponsors from sending their own champions against him, he disposes of a relative newcomer by remarking that he's "not worth killing", but still cuts off his arm with an industrial meat saw.
* ProfessionalKiller: Button Man are trained to take part in "The Game", a BloodSport where they take on other Button Men on behalf of their sponsors.
* SpitefulSpit: Before a four-way match in he desert, an opponent by the name of "Crow" spits at Harry's feet when he notes that the guys is late.
-->'''Crow:''' Sorry about that.\\
'''Harry:''' [[ImpliedDeathThreat You will be.]]
* TheVoice: The handlers are referred to as "Voices" because they are only heard over the telephone, never seen. [[spoiler: After Harry turns the tables and begins to hunt the Voices, they are given faces and names.
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[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/button_man_get_harry_ex_1_43054.png]]
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* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Hunts in wooded areas are not an uncommon type of event.
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* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Hunts in wooded areas are not an uncommon type of event.event.
* TheVoice: The handlers are referred to as "Voices" because they are only heard over the telephone, never seen. [[spoiler: After Harry turns the tables and begins to hunt the Voices, they are given faces and names.]]
* TheVoice: The handlers are referred to as "Voices" because they are only heard over the telephone, never seen. [[spoiler: After Harry turns the tables and begins to hunt the Voices, they are given faces and names.]]
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A man breaks into a psychologist's home late at night. He tearfully tells the doctor that he is a murderer, that the voices tell him to kill and that he can't stop....
However, the man is not insane. He is Harry Exton, former soldier and one of the titular "button men". A modern-day gladiator, pitted against other career killers like himself by a handler known as a "Voice" in battles, sometimes to death, Harry now wants out. But the Voices have other ideas.
''Button Man'' was co-created by John Wagner and Arthur Ranson, and ran in ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' in four separate series in 1992, 1994, 2001 and 2007. A film is currently in DevelopmentHell.
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!!''Button Man'' contains examples of the following tropes:
* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Millions of pounds are bet on every single Game. It's explicitly mentioned that a modestly wealthy person who becomes Voice for a talented button man can become ''obscenely'' rich.
* BadassPreacher: One of Harry's early opponents is a shotgun-toting button man in a vicar's robe.
* {{Bloodsport}}: The events in "The Game" are essentially gladiatorial combats, usually with firearms in remote areas, and the rules decided by the Voices.
* FedToPigs: Well, chickens, but the principle is the same. A wood-chipper is involved.
* {{Fingore}}: A disgraced button man can leave a "marker", i.e. a finger, in lieu of being killed. However, you only have three markers, the next time you lose, you die.
* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Hunts in wooded areas are not an uncommon type of event.
However, the man is not insane. He is Harry Exton, former soldier and one of the titular "button men". A modern-day gladiator, pitted against other career killers like himself by a handler known as a "Voice" in battles, sometimes to death, Harry now wants out. But the Voices have other ideas.
''Button Man'' was co-created by John Wagner and Arthur Ranson, and ran in ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'' in four separate series in 1992, 1994, 2001 and 2007. A film is currently in DevelopmentHell.
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!!''Button Man'' contains examples of the following tropes:
* AbsurdlyHighStakesGame: Millions of pounds are bet on every single Game. It's explicitly mentioned that a modestly wealthy person who becomes Voice for a talented button man can become ''obscenely'' rich.
* BadassPreacher: One of Harry's early opponents is a shotgun-toting button man in a vicar's robe.
* {{Bloodsport}}: The events in "The Game" are essentially gladiatorial combats, usually with firearms in remote areas, and the rules decided by the Voices.
* FedToPigs: Well, chickens, but the principle is the same. A wood-chipper is involved.
* {{Fingore}}: A disgraced button man can leave a "marker", i.e. a finger, in lieu of being killed. However, you only have three markers, the next time you lose, you die.
* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame: Hunts in wooded areas are not an uncommon type of event.
