History GhostsOfThePast / TropesAToH

* AutobotsRockOut: In order to provide Harry with a suitable background music to strike at an Elder Wyrm, Strange has Tony hack the ''Valiant'' so its loudspeakers start to crank out "[[Music/{{ACDC}} Thunderstruck]]", much to Peter Wisdom's [[ParentheticalSwearing (very vocal)]] displeasure.

** After Alison was kidnapped by the Red Room and the Kree in the 50s, [[MamaBear Peggy Carter]] teamed up with Charles Xavier, Jor-El, Howard Stark, Mar-Vell, Piotr Rasputin, [[spoiler: Bra'tac, and Teal'c]] to get her back.

* BigDamnHeroes: The Avengers, Wanda, Bucky, Jean, Alison, and Jack O'Neill in chapter 10.
** [[spoiler: Maddie,]] Jono, Harry Dresden, Sir Fix, and [[spoiler: Doctor Strange]] pull this in chapters 14 and 15.

** In chapter 18, Hermione mentions having a brief chat with 'Ambrose Penn', a wandless wizard who made a cameo in ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' (the one reading 'A Brief History of Time' in the Leaky Cauldron while casually stirring his tea with a twiddle of his finger) regarding magic and magical theory. He also may or may not be [[spoiler: Merlin.]]

* CapturedSuperEntity: The canonical example of Dream is mentioned by the Gatekeeper, as is the attempt by the Clan Akkaba to capture and control the Phoenix in Vienna in 1897. [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge In neither case did it end well,]] though the latter has continued significance, as before breaking loose, the Phoenix did as the Clan desired and all but wiped out the Grey Court of Vampires (mainly because She really doesn't like vampires), and it's indicated repeatedly that Dracula might just have a grudge against Harry because of this. When he appears, he isn't particularly interested in fighting Harry, but when the latter rudely insists on being a SpannerInTheWorks, Dracula does attack him, [[{{Foreshadowing}} and seems to both recognise the Phoenix within him and fear it.]] [[spoiler: This gives Harry the idea to pretend to be the Dark Phoenix to scare Dracula and keep him from thinking straight for long enough to keep him on the back foot and rescue Carol. It works for long enough to get Carol away. Then Dracula figures it out and promptly goes berserk.]]
* CasualDangerDialogue: Harry and Carol continue this trend from ''Child of the Storm'', flirting[=/=]snarking at each other even when in the middle of an escape attempt from the Red Room. This is considered somewhat disturbing by most other people.

** It's mentioned in ''Child of the Storm'' that Brian Falsworth a.k.a. [[FlyingBrick Union Jack,]] and his partner ([[BattleCouple professionally and personally]]) Roger Aubrey, who were both killed by the Winter Soldier in the 1970s, mainly as a throwaway reference. In chapter 38 of this story, however, it's revealed that Brian was a close friend to Alison, and the nearest thing she had to a little brother - she even played TheBeard for him on a couple of occasions. Bearing in mind that the Winter Soldier turned out to be her long-lost father's brainwashed best friend, who she interacts with on a regular basis...

** Strange's reference to the traditional poem behind ForWantOfANail in the final chapter of ''Child of the Storm'', becomes this in chapter 20. He's rhetorically asking those calling him on his decisions if they felt that he would be better as a knight on the battlefield, or a blacksmith present to re-shoe the horse. In chapter 20, though, it's revealed that [[spoiler: the Battle of Camlann was very likely lost, Arthur killed, and Camelot doomed, because he was not there to confront Mordred, Arthur's killer and Strange's EvilCounterpart, on the battlefield.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Back in Chapter 69 of ''Child of the Storm'', Fury had an OhCrap reaction to an EurekaMoment he had after reading something in SHIELD's file on Jean. In Chapter 9, we learn what it was: [[spoiler: he's realised that her twin sister Rachel didn't actually die as an infant, but was in fact stolen and still alive. Sinister's involvement led him to figure out who was behind it]].

* ChekhovsGunman: In chapter 7, the mysterious voice in Draco's head is directly alluded to for the first time since chapter 21 of ''Child of the Storm'', with circumstantial hints as to who it might be: [[spoiler: Prospero Slytherin, ancestor of Salazar, hero of the Last Frost Giant War and wielder of the Phoenix associated Laevateinn.]]

* ClonesArePeopleToo: A repeated message is that no matter how they are created, people are people, a message directed at [[spoiler: Maddie]] (who isn't actually a clone to everyone's surprise), [[spoiler: Gambit]] (who is one, ''also'' to everyone's surprise), and later by [[MyGreatestFailure Harry]] in reference to [[SendInTheClones the Red Army]], which he destroyed, despite ''knowing'' this and that they were effectively innocents.

** Alison Carter is the former Deputy Director of SHIELD - and only missed out on the Directorship because of a mixture of politicking, HYDRA, and a very much justified desire for SHIELD and others not to pay too much attention to her family [[spoiler: or they might figure out that they're all descended from Peggy and Steve]]. In general, she is incredibly on the ball and very insightful. She also completely fails to recognise that she's pushing her daughter away until it's too late, and while they do make up, it has generational consequences for her grandchildren. She later admits that she was a "far better spy than a mother", and is mostly grateful she's learned from her mistakes.

** [[spoiler: Maddie]], who was taught/programmed to go for the quick and efficient solution - her EvilMentor, Essex, is the same when actually forced to fight.

** To everyone's surprise, while a MartialPacifist by inclination, when he ''is'' forced to fight, Clark Kent is described as both this and a ''brutal'' in-fighter. And that's by ''Harry's'' standards.
** Carol, best shown during the finale of ''Unfinished Business'' where she fights as dirty as possible in order to throw her enemy off her game.

* CulturedBadass: Loki, Natasha, Charles Xavier, Bruce and Tony are all stand-out examples. Since most of them are classically educated in one tradition or another, this isn't surprising.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Than ''Child of the Storm''. While it's lower on the carnage (at least so far), it explores the moral shades of grey in the good guys, and is far more physically and psychologically brutal towards the main characters, Harry in particular. The villains are also much more personal when it comes to going after Harry, something shown in their tactics, while [[TokenEvilTeammate Wisdom]] tightens his grip on Magical Britain and Harry's own darker side comes into play.

* DeadlyDoctor: [[spoiler: Sinister]], who though he rarely fights, is genuinely good at it, and uses his extensive medical knowledge for torture in ''Forever Red''. Additionally, his {{Archenemy}} Doctor Strange is a (mostly) benevolent variant on this trope, using his medical knowledge as part of creatively making [[spoiler: Sinister]] suffer when he finally catches up to him.

** Wanda, Thor, Steve, Carol, Jean, and Maddie ask [[spoiler: Jesus]] to pass one on to the Council Elite in chapter 34 regarding Harry (see Wanda's BadassBoast above), though it's somewhat subverted when he mentions quietly that, being JerkassGod {{Reality Warper}}s, they won't really care about most of the above.

* CloningBlues: [[spoiler: Gambit]], after finding out that he's a clone, later reveals that he avoided his 'brother' for so long because he felt like "a bad copy of a better man." [[spoiler: Scott]] firmly rebuts this, saying that his name is [[spoiler: Remy]] and [[Film/PhantomMenace he is a person]] - and a good one.

** Since Gambit taught [[spoiler: Maddie/Rachel]] the Robbie Burns poem and is a major badass in his own right, he also qualifies, while Dresden is at least familiar with the Burns quote (and is more cultured in his own series, though it's overshadowed by being a PopCulturedBadass). His mentor, [[BraveScot Ebenezar McCoy,]] was a drinking buddy of the poet himself, and therefore this can be assumed of him as well.

** While Strange is [[spoiler: pretending to be dead]], he cures Lea of her Nemesis infection in exchange for Mab freeing Dresden of his debt to her, and convinces her to give up on making him the new Winter Knight by pointing out that as a potential Sorcerer Supreme he'll be fighting the Outsiders anyway. He also kills Mavra, a Black Court vampire who had crossed swords with Dresden in the past and had indirect leverage on him. This essentially curtails a significant number of later ''Dresden Files'' plot points.

** Strange mentions being weary and "near the end of the line" a couple of times, and then [[spoiler: appears to die in chapter 29. However, it was faked, so he could do a few things on the quiet]].

** Monica Rambeau is introduced in this book as one of Carol's soccer friends and a ShipperOnDeck for her and Harry, with a penchant for EatingTheEyeCandy. She was briefly mentioned in the first book as a possible candidate for the Young Avengers Initiative. Just what makes her so extraordinary is yet to be seen.

* TheArchMage: In addition to all the examples established in the previous book (Strange, Wanda, Dumbledore, Arthur Langtry/The Merlin), in Chapter 62 Wanda reveals that the ''original'' Merlin is still around, and that while Strange may be more skilled, Merlin is more purely powerful. As she puts it, while other wizards wield magic, Merlin ''controls'' it.

** This group, minus Jean-Paul (at first) and including Bucky, Remus, Sirius, Gambit, and a [[spoiler: half-turned Peter Parker, later joined by Alison, and Doctor Doom]], work together quite effectively against [[spoiler: the Grey Court]].

** After Alison was kidnapped by [[spoiler: the Red Room,]] [[MamaBear Peggy Carter]] teamed up with [[spoiler: Charles Xavier, Jor-El, Howard Stark, Mar-Vell, Piotr Rasputin, Bra'tac, and Teal'c]] to get her back.

* BadFuture: It would seem that Strange can foresee these, and actively works to prevent them. For example, he tells Wanda that if he hadn't [[spoiler: led Gambit to the Red Room, setting in motion the first steps of Maddie's HeelFaceTurn]], the worst possible outcome of events would have been Earth and the rest of the Nine Realms being destroyed by [[spoiler: Dark Phoenix Maddie]], followed by a race between Chthon's ilk and an Infinity Stone-powered Thanos to control or destroy the universe. Most of the 'better' futures would still have had [[spoiler: Maddie]] dead and a death toll extending into the millions, if not the hundreds of millions - and while there were other, better futures that Strange could more easily have arranged, though they were few and far between, he felt he owed it to [[spoiler: Maddie.]]
** Harry's shown a number of possible futures in chapter 41, with the worst showing Harry as [[spoiler: the Dark Phoenix, having slaughtered his family, the Avengers, and set the Nine Realms aflame, and now just sitting on the melted throne in the ruins of Asgard and laughing like a maniac because he knows that Harry can see him]]. Harry, needless to say, freaks the hell out.

** To counter Dresden bringing in Sue [[spoiler: [[RaisingTheSteaks the reanimated T-Rex]]]], Selene transforms into a primordial dragon called a Long-Wyrm. To Sue's credit, she holds out for a fair while before Selene wins.

* BrandishmentBluff: Harry uses this - specifically, he pretends to [[spoiler: go Dark Phoenix]] against Dracula, who has a very understandable fear of [[spoiler: the Phoenix]], as part of his KansasCityShuffle at the end of the ''Bloody Hell'' arc. It works, for just about long enough.

** In chapter 32, after absorbing the best Harry and his allies can do and letting them pound him a little, the MonsterOfTheWeek catches Harry's strike and says, "Not bad. But not good enough." This exact situation occurred in chapter 60 of ''Child of the Storm'', with Zemo and HYDRA's Destroyer instead of Dracula.

* CaptainErsatz: The InvisiblePresident of Russia, Volodya, is one for Putin, or [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Putin himself]], considering that Volodya is one of his known nicknames and his characterisation fits Putin's background and displayed character.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

** [[spoiler: Nimue also turns Peter, Monica, and Gambit into a spider-monkey, eagle, and cat, respectively, but Strange fixes them in short order.]]* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Harry, eventually, forgives his grandfather for not rescuing him from the Dursleys due to understandable concerns (including not wanting to draw attention to Harry in the first place). However, as he notes, this is not the same as forgetting.

* BalefulPolymorph: Not uncommon, but against the White Council's Laws of Magic (in the long-term - a temporary case is indicated to be a grey area), as it eventually results in DeathOfPersonality.
** The twisted mystical forest now making up the heart of Project Pegasus is composed of trees that all used to be people. [[spoiler: Nimue ends up transforming Carol in the same way.]]
** [[spoiler: Nimue also turns Peter, Monica, and Gambit into a spider-monkey, eagle, and cat, respectively, but Strange fixes them in short order.]]

* BodyHorror: [[spoiler: Nimue]] is a one-woman vehicle of this in ''Unfinished Business'', in part because she favours various forms of BalefulPolymorph, and in part because she's exploiting the remains of Project Pegasus, which is a hellish nightmare that is absolutely ''full'' of this.

** After being mentioned in vague detail beforehand, ''Unfinished Business'' finally shows how Project Pegasus qualifies for this. The attempts by SHIELD to harness the local magic as a power source for creating SuperSoldiers and super weapons, the magic burst loose and warped the facility to [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor fulfill that desire]] -- the heart of the complex is now a forest made of trees that [[BalefulPolymorph used to be people]], inhabited by various monstrous creatures [[WasOnceAMan that also used to be people]].

* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Harry, eventually, forgives his grandfather for not rescuing him from the Dursleys due to understandable concerns (including not wanting to draw attention to Harry in the first place). However, as he notes, this is not the same as forgetting.

Tropes from ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'''s sequel, ''Ghosts of the Past''.

* FeaturelessPlaneOfDisembodiedDialogue: Done intentionally a few times with the "Between" - a kind of [[PurgatoryAndLimbo limbo]], usually when a point of view character converses with a supernatural entity (like [[spoiler: Carol]] with Death, [[spoiler: Jean Grey]] with Huginn and Muninn, or [[spoiler: Harry]] with [[spoiler: Jesus]]).

* FantasticLegalWeirdness: The fallout from the [[spoiler: Dark Phoenix]] incident is ''made'' of this trope. In the end, the [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness Council of]][[spoiler: Skyfathers and Earthmothers]] ratifies a ruling suggested by a faction led by [[spoiler: [[JudgeOfTheDead Jesus and Hades]]]] (among others) after being bullied into it by [[spoiler: [[TheDreaded Doctor Strange]]]]. That whirring is the separation of powers spinning in its shallow grave.

* FantasticLegalWeirdness: The fallout from the [[spoiler: Dark Phoenix]] incident is ''made'' of this trope. In the end, the {{TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness Council of]][[spoiler: Skyfathers and Earthmothers]] ratifies a ruling suggested by a faction led by [[spoiler: {{JudgeOfTheDead Jesus and Hades]]]] (among others) after being bullied into it by [[spoiler: [[TheDreaded Doctor Strange]]]]. That whirring is the separation of powers spinning in its shallow grave.

* FeaturelessPlaneOfDisembodiedDialogue: Done intentionally a few times with the "Between" - a kind of [[PurgatoryAnLimbo limbo]], usually when a point of view character converses with a supernatural entity (like [[spoiler: Carol]] with Death, [[spoiler: Jean Grey]] with Huginn and Muninn, or [[spoiler: Harry]] with [[spoiler: Jesus]]).

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Harry keeping his knowledge of [[spoiler:Wanda being Hermione's mother]] a secret. On one side, it is not his secret to share, but on the other side, [[spoiler:Hermione]] points out, he didn't even try to get [[spoiler:Wanda]] to tell her.

* ButtMonkey: Cornelius Fudge. The only reason he's still Minister is for lack of better alternatives, or anyone willing to take the job while it means dealing with Peter Wisdom. Additionally, Wisdom regards terrorizing Fudge as one of his few pleasures in life. And that's not even getting into the Hogwarts breakfast food-fight, wherein he's engulfed by a tidal wave of jam, which, [[BlatantLies of course, had nothing to do with Dumbledore whatsoever]].

* ButtMonkey: Cornelius Fudge. The only reason he's still Minister is for lack of better alternatives, or anyone willing to take the job while it means dealing with Peter Wisdom. Additionally, Wisdom regards terrorising Fudge as one of his few pleasures in life. And that's not even getting into the Hogwarts breakfast food-fight, wherein he's engulfed by a tidal wave of jam, which, [[BlatantLies of course, had nothing to do with Dumbledore whatsoever.]]
* CallBack: When Voldemort first reveals himself to Harry by turning [[spoiler: Carol and Uhtred]] into PeoplePuppets, he has them reiterate his comments to Harry from ''Philosopher's Stone'' about power and morality. This is actually what clues Harry into what's happening.

** Professor Bach [[spoiler: a.k.a. Strange]] references [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone Ron's creative usage of a Levitation Charm on a troll's club.]]

** In chapter 32, after absorbing the best Harry and his allies can do and letting them pound him a little, the MonsterOfTheWeek catches Harry's strike and says, "Not bad. But not good enough." This exact situation occurred in chapter 60 of ''Child of the Storm,'' with Zemo and HYDRA's Destroyer instead of Dracula.

** [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Arnim Zola's remark]] that the sanity of the Red Skull's plans is immaterial, because he can do it, is referenced by Dumbledore. Strange later says exactly the same thing about [[TheDreaded Thanos.]]

** It's mentioned in ''Child of the Storm'' that Brian Falsworth a.k.a. [[FlyingBrick Union Jack,]] and his partner ([[BattleCouple professionally and personally]]) Roger Aubrey, who were both killed by the Winter Soldier in the 1970s, mainly as a throwaway reference. In chapter 38 of this story, however, it's revealed that Brian was a close friend to Alison, and the nearest thing she had to a little brother - she even played TheBeard for him on a couple of occasions. Bearing in mind that the Winter Soldier turned out to be her long lost father's brainwashed best friend, who she interacts with on a regular basis...

** A triple one, no less: Chapter 13 has Belova molest the Red Son as a way to get on Natasha's nerves. In Chapter 46, Harry reveals to Carol that it had happened once or twice before. Then, in Chapter 60, the reader gets to see exactly what happened. It is '''[[RapeAsDrama brutal.]]'''

* TheChampion: Harry serve as this, as in the first book. Later, he becomes this less platonically to Carol, with it being made clear that he will do ''anything'' for her - she generally serves as a MoralityChain during those periods when he needs one, and if something were to happen to her, [[TheUnfettered it's made clear that the consequences could be downright horrifying.]]

--> '''Strange:''' [...]you sired ''that'' hero,[...] but[...] in many cases the mother of the hero was hardly in any position to consent and siring a hero was more of a convenient byproduct than a matter of intent,[...]

** Chapter 61 elaborates on just what happened, and it is depicted as utterly horrific.

** Despite his ChronicHeroSyndrome and tendency to IndyPloy his way in and out of trouble, Harry's actual fighting style heavily reflects this, particularly after ''[[TraumaCongaLine Forever Red]]''. In the next major arc, he explicitly states, "when it comes to monsters attacking my friends, I have absolutely no interest in fair fights". This involves using every single dirty trick in the book.

* EvilerThanThou: As far as Strange is concerned, Thanos is far, ''far'' worse than Surtur, as while the latter is at least operating under InsaneTrollLogic on how to "improve" the universe, Thanos just wants to render it a barren void and has no illusions otherwise.

* {{Expy}}: What with his possessing a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics; the faintly ominous prophecies about him; his vast and only barely trained power which he's initially scared stiff of, leading him to make stuff up as he goes along; the royal[=/=]pseudo-royal status that he's reluctant to embrace; the association with fire and light, as well as reincarnation[=/=]rebirth; the red and gold colour scheme complete with a legendary creature that scares the pants off a lot of people; the number of truly ancient bad guys out for his blood before he can grow up and crush them; plus [[spoiler: the vast power he has access to that could quite easily drive him insane and destroy the world]]; plus references to a 'sword of fire' that waits specifically for him, Harry has a definite resemblance to [[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Rand al'Thor.]]

** And then there's [[DeadpanSnarker this]] reaction to the PrecisionFStrike lampshading a surprise cameo by an unexpected character:

* BodyguardingABadass: This was [[spoiler: Maddie's job for Sinister,]] since he MinoredInAsskicking, but regards combat as beneath him.

* CoolCrown: Harry gets one in chapter 47, for the Yule Ball, a circlet of golden ivy branches and leaves (symbolic of life, rebirth, and love), set with a gem of pure starlight. He's a bit uncomfortable with how fancy it is, but it is generally acknowledged that he wears it well.

* GreenRooming: As per usual with this fic, due to the LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters. One notable example is that of Peter Parker, who appears in the ''Bloody Hell'' arc for the first time since the early chapters of the previous book, briefly becomes [[spoiler: part-Grey Court vampire]], helps the heroes FightDracula, and... a few name-drops aside, promptly disappears again, before reappearing as the {{Deuteragonist}} and other POV character of ''Unfinished Business''.

** And then there's [[DeadpanSnarker this]] reaction to a surprise cameo by an unexpected character being lampshaded by a PrecisionFStrike :

** And then there's this reaction to a surprise cameo by an unexpected character being lampshaded by a PrecisionFStrike :

* FollowInMyFootsteps: most of the dysfunction in the Carter-Rogers-Danvers family comes from here; Alison followed in Peggy's and Steve's footsteps as a LadyOfWar and LivingLegend at SHIELD, and her son, Jack O'Neill, followed in hers (as did his daughter, [[ComicBook/Agent13 Sharon]]), but her daughter, Marie Danvers, didn't (she preferred "making good" to fighting evil). Cue a mother-daughter split that took a while to heal. Then Carol showed every sign of following in her grandmother's footsteps, and her mother's AdultFear (driven by Jack's [[ColdBloodedTorture experiences]] in the Gulf) meant she tried to avert this. Cue another rift, though one that was bridged before it got too far by Marie [[SoProudOfYou choosing to support and be proud of her daughter]].

* {{Housewife}}: Carol thinks of her mother as the ExtremeDoormat variant and her father as a StepfordSmiler version of the StandardFiftiesFather, describing her as such. While she's dead right about her father, as Harry realises as soon as they meet, her mother is a considerably more nuanced case (and much more like Carol than she wants to admit). Her RefusalOfTheCall was driven by a desire to "make good" not fight evil, plus her own [[LadyOfWar mother's]] ParentalNeglect, and cemented by [[ColdBloodedTorture what happened to her brother, Jack]]. This drives her AdultFear of what Carol might be getting into (though she ultimately avoids making her mother's mistakes, explains why she was afraid, and [[SoProudOfYou accepts her daughter's choice and being proud of her]]). She also clicks to what her husband is becoming after finding out [[MindRape what he was willing to do]] to Carol to get her to be a ProperLady and [[MamaBear effectively kicks him out]] while her mother arranges for him to be KickedUpstairs and out of state (and per Alison, would have done much worse if she'd found out directly).