History GenreDeconstruction / Comicbooks

** It also tries to cast the characters themselves in a more realistic light. [[FishOutOfTemporalWater Man out of time]] ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is a NobleBigot with horribly dated social views, spymaster ComicBook/NickFury is a ManipulativeBastard of the highest sort, [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]] is a psychotic cannibal, former Soviet spy Comicbook/BlackWidow is a [[spoiler: murderous traitor]], and troubled genius [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] is a Prozac-addled misogynist. There's a reason the book is such a BaseBreaker with classic superhero fans.

* ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' tries to answer the question "What if superheroes were real?" The answer? They'd basically be reality TV stars. The series deals with similar themes found in ''TigerAndBunny'', such as the use of corporate sponsors and the pressures of stardom that a hero might encounter in the real world. A shocking number of the "heroes" are also shown to be outright assholes, especially in later volumes that tried to comment on the NinetiesAntiHero tropes that the title initially played straight.

* Frank King's [[LongRunner long running]] comic strip ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'' was originally intended to be this; King believed that the idea of comic strip characters not aging was unrealistic, and set out to make a strip where they did. Unfortunately, adherence to the policy has made the strip even ''more'' unrealistic as a result due to its longevity; the original protagonist, Walt Wallet, is still included in the cast after it's run of just short of a century, and is almost 111 years old. To make that worse, a few characters are exempt from this rule, like the comic relief characters Joel and Rufus, who never age a day.

** It also showed that there would be far less 'costumed criminals' since they would either be in jail, killed, or even found redemption. Many criminals would go into more profitable and yet less showy pursuits, like drug trafficking.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and let's [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. The hastily-done destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny by the Superior Spider-Man]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of wack in a misgided attempt to set things right. The Illuminati secretive nature ends working against them in saving their universe with it basically stated had they told people instead of doing it themselves [[WeCouldHaveAvoidedAllThis they could have prevented it rather easily.]] And it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of the heroes' arrogance.

** Ozymandias, the "smartest man alive," and a Marvel-style super-genius in the mold of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] and [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Professor X]] taken to the trope's logical conclusions. He becomes a superhuman athlete [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower through sheer force of will]] and a training program he designed himself, and is also the world's wealthiest self-made businessman. He's driven by such ruthless consequentialism that certain actions of his can be... morally debated. Ozymandias also deconstructs SurroundedByIdiots by showing us how detached from humanity a true super genius would be. He feels right with himself being alone, but has rage about the whole world being so stupid to be engaged in a UsefulNotes/ColdWar that only will end in MutuallyAssuredDestruction. How would you feel if you were the smartest man alive and UsefulNotes/RichardNixon sent you his enforcer, the Comedian, to tell you not to mess in his business? How much of Ozymandias' actions are trying to save the world, and how much are nothing more than petty revenge?

* The ValiantComics flagship title, Harbinger, featured a groups of super powered teens ''on the run for their lives'' from an seemingly unbeatable business man who, at least at first, seems to be an {{Expy}} of [[ComicBook/{{X-Men}} Charles Xavier]]. While the man seemed to genuinely care for his subordinates, he never hesitated to mistreat them for the sake of what he felt was the greater good of humanity (which is to say, a better world that would be completely under his control). He was desperate the hunt down their protagonist because their team leader has the same powers as him - the near-unlimited telepathy and telekinesis and ability to ''activate superpowers in others''. The hero, incidentally, wasn't exactly pure either - early issues in particular showing him using powers in selfish and potentially dangerous ways. It also does a good job showing the mental and emotional toil this kind of thing would have a group of teens, constantly moving from town to town, and being the only thing keeping this guy from becoming dictator of the world.

** There's also a definite MovieSuperHeroesWearBlack vibe, with the Ultimates all wearing more realistic-looking outfits. These outfits ended up influencing some of the characters' depictions in the MarvelCinematicUniverse, with ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'s costume in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' being the best example.

* While ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' was part of the mid-90's wave of {{Reconstruction}}ist comics (made in response to the above-mentioned wave of deconstruction), its reconstruction of UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} was accomplished by deconstructing UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}, bringing it to its most extreme conclusion: the {{Nineties Anti Hero}}es, having killed all the villains, have become crazed KnightsTemplar and pretty much taken over the world.

* ''Comicbook/TheUltimates'' attempts to put a more realistic spin on the superhero genre, specifically by trying to show what would happen if a team like Comicbook/TheAvengers existed in real life. The Ultimates become used as a tool of the government and end up causing a group of foreign countries to attack America with a LegionOfDoom-type team consisting of superhumans from nations that the U.S. has attacked. Subsequent storylines deal with the idea of a [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke superhuman arms race]] between the U.S. and hostile nations.

** There's also a definite MovieSuperHeroesWearBlack vibe, with the Ultimates all wearing more realistic-looking outfits. These outfits ended up influencing some of the characters' depictions in the MarvelCinematicUniverse, with ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'s costume in ''Film/TheAvengers'' being the best example.
* Even before ''The Ultimates'', the ''CaptainAmerica'' character William Burnside (the [[LegacyCharacter Captain America of the 50's]]) was created as a deliberate response to the use of PoliticallyCorrectHistory for [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superheroes. He and his sidekick Jack Monroe (the 50's [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky]]) were depicted as being just as racist, sexist, and xenophobic as the average white male from the 1950's would likely have been.

* While ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' was part of the mid-90's wave of {{Reconstruction}}ist comics (made in response to the above-mentioned wave of deconstruction), its reconstruction of the SilverAge was accomplished by deconstructing UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}, bringing it to its most extreme conclusion: the {{Nineties Anti Hero}}es, having killed all the villains, have become crazed KnightsTemplar and pretty much taken over the world.

** Its sequel, ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'', tries to deconstruct the AuthorOnBoard Political superheroes by turning ComicBook/GreenArrow into a Marxist, and ComicBook/TheQuestion into a hardcore libertarian who believes that "Creator/AynRand didn't go far enough".

** The Illuminati is in itself a deconstruction of large hero collaborations (and how they lead to failure i.e. WorldWarHulk & [[SecretInvasion the Secret Invasion]]) and its counterpart "The Cabal" showed just how incapable a society of villains would be at functioning.

* ''{{Youngblood}}'' tries to answer the question "What if superheroes were real?" The answer? They'd basically be reality TV stars. The series deals with similar themes found in ''TigerAndBunny'', such as the use of corporate sponsors and the pressures of stardom that a hero might encounter in the real world. A shocking number of the "heroes" are also shown to be outright assholes, especially in later volumes that tried to comment on the NinetiesAntiHero tropes that the title initially played straight.
** Creator/AlanMoore's ''YoungbloodJudgmentDay'' is a pretty brutal evisceration of 90's superhero comics (including ''Youngblood'' itself!), as well as concepts like the AuthorAvatar and the MarySue.
** Does anyone remember what kicked off the Marvel {{ComicBook/Civil War}}? A group of superhero reality TV Stars.

** All this is paralleled by the {{ComicBook/Annihilation}} and WarOfKings series depicting exactly what kind of galaxy is filled with empires that invade and blow up planets on a daily basis and exactly how disillusioned it makes characters. Seeing [[spoiler:[[ComicBook/TheInhumans Black Bolt]]]] turn to insanity was just further reconfirmation of what a world Cosmic Marvel is. The Nova Corps pretty much deconstructed all Space Cop tropes with its nigh-omnipotent run band of non sanctioned super soldiers and exactly how that would affect any political situation.
** The Decimation arcs in ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' show exactly how humans would react to mutants if the odds were evened. And [[ComicBook/SecretWarriors The Secret arcs]] show how exactly what being a ''real'' spy means and all the details it entails.

** Rorschach embodies morally absolutist vigilante SuperHero characters like TheQuestion. He is so morally absolutist that he will stop at nothing to enforce his view of justice and will commit heinous acts as a means to an end; ultimately it turns out he is a StrawNihilist with a {{Woobie}}-worthy past.

** Its sequel, ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'', tries to deconstruct the AuthorOnBoard Political superheroes by turning ComicBook/GreenArrow into a Marxist, and TheQuestion into a hardcore libertarian who believes that "Creator/AynRand didn't go far enough".

* A 70's storyline in ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' tried to deconstruct the concept of the TokenMinority. TheFalcon is forced into the team in order to fill a diversity quota, which not only leads to friction with ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, but causes Falcon to doubt his own worth as a hero. He eventually quits after growing to resent being thought of as the Avengers' token black guy.

* FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' takes straightforward superhero action and makes it look absurd by having real-world politics interfere. Batman's work becomes a tool for debates about "toughness on crime," while ComicBook/{{Superman}}'s idealism makes him an easy dupe for the US government's plans for nuclear war. It also asked the question: "What sort of a man would dress up in a bat outfit and fight crime?" The answer: "A man who isn't very pleasant or sane." Though, it's not really clear the work is intended or often taken to be a deconstruction.
** Its sequel, ''TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'', tries to deconstruct the AuthorOnBoard Political superheroes by turning ComicBook/GreenArrow into a Marxist, and TheQuestion into a hardcore libertarian who believes that "Creator/AynRand didn't go far enough".
* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' deconstructs the entire SilverAge SuperHero genre. The premise of the comic is exactly like any other SuperHero comic; some people put on strange costumes in order [[TheyFightCrime to fight crime]]. However, it didn't start with [[{{Superman}} an alien child coming to earth]], but rather, with a bunch of off-duty cops wearing masks to counter mask-wearing criminals. Along the way, every trope associated with SuperHero comics of the time is {{deconstructed}}: ImpossiblyCoolClothes turn out to be fatally impractical, [[AmericanPoliticalSystem politicians]] get involved and deputize and weaponize superheroes, these superheroes end up changing the course of history, and the main cast of SuperHero characters are all rather screwed up. Specifically...

* Creator/WarrenEllis did a "thematic trilogy" for Creator/AvatarPress in which he deconstructs the superhero genre ([[AuthorAppeal yes, again]]). The first part, ''ComicBook/BlackSummer'', shows us what would happen if superheroes were too human. The second part, ''ComicBook/NoHero'', shows what would happen if they put themselves above human laws. The third part, ''{{Supergod}}'', shows would happen if superheroes weren't even remotely human.

* ''{{Planetary}}'', as an archeological survey of comic books, pulp fiction, and B-Movies, deconstructs any sci-fi trope it doesn't reconstruct or parody. The Hulk was captured by the army after his first rampage and took decades to starve to death in a silo. The Narmy B-Movie monsters are the result of horrifying Cold War experiments in American concentration camps. The Comicbook/FantasticFour didn't just come back changed, they came back ''wrong.'' And [[ReedRichardsIsUseless Reed Richards isn't useless]]. He's the American Doctor Mengele.

* A 70's storyline in ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' tried to deconstruct the concept of the TokenMinority. TheFalcon is forced into the team in order to fill a diversity quota, which not only leads to friction with {{Hawkeye}}, but causes Falcon to doubt his own worth as a hero. He eventually quits after growing to resent being thought of as the Avengers' token black guy.

** There's also a definite MovieSuperHeroesWearBlack vibe, with the Ultimates all wearing more realistic-looking outfits. These outfits ended up influencing some of the characters' depictions in the MarvelCinematicUniverse, with {{Hawkeye}}'s costume in ''Film/TheAvengers'' being the best example.

* Deconstruction in comics is even older than that, dating at least back to UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}. In TheSeventies, DC came out with ''Franchise/GreenLantern[=/=]GreenArrow'', in which the title characters do superhero stuff while at the same time arguing about the morality and political implications. As a result, the more lawful GreenLantern and the more chaotic GreenArrow butted heads many, MANY times.
* Hell! You could even argue that it dates back to the SilverAge! When Creator/StanLee first pitched the idea of [[ComicBook/SpiderMan a superhero with real life problems]] his editor replied "Don't you know what a superhero is?"

* Even before ''The Ultimates'', the ''CaptainAmerica'' character William Burnside (the [[LegacyCharacter Captain America of the 50's]]) was created as a deliberate response to the use of PoliticallyCorrectHistory for [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superheroes. He and his sidekick Jack Monroe (the 50's [[BuckyBarnes Bucky]]) were depicted as being just as racist, sexist, and xenophobic as the average white male from the 1950's would likely have been.

** It also tries to cast the characters themselves in a more realistic light. [[FishOutOfTemporalWater Man out of time]] CaptainAmerica is a NobleBigot with horribly dated social views, spymaster NickFury is a ManipulativeBastard of the highest sort, [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]] is a psychotic cannibal, former Soviet spy Comicbook/BlackWidow is a [[spoiler: murderous traitor]], and troubled genius [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] is a Prozac-addled misogynist. There's a reason the book is such a BaseBreaker with classic superhero fans.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and let's [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. As the destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny by the Superior Spider-Man]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of wack. The Illuminati secretive nature ends working against them in saving their universe with it basically stated had they told people instead of doing it themselves [[WeCouldHaveAvoidedAllThis they could have prevented it rather easily.]] And it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of the heroes' arrogance.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and let's [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. As the destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of wack, and with the Avengers secretive nature preventing them from stopping the the Multiverse, it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of Earth's arrogance.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and let's [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. As the destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of wack, and with the Avengers secretive nature preventing them from stopping the the Multiverse, it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of Earth's arrogance.

* Frank King's [[LongRunner long running]] comic strip ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'' was originally intended to be this; King believed that the idea of comic strip characters not aging was unrealistic, and set out to make a strip where they did. Unfortunately, adherence to the policy has made the strip even ''more'' unrealistic as a result due to its longevity; the original protagonist, Walt Wallet, is still included in the cast after it's run of just short of a century, and is almost 111 years old. To make that worse, a few characters are exempt from this rule, like the comic relief characters Joel and Rufus, who never age a day.

* Marvel comics ''{{Marvels}}'' and its EvilTwin ''{{Ruins}}'' similarly focus on the impact of superheroes on an "average" person.