History GhostsOfThePast / TropesAToH

* CloneAgnst: [[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/ThePhantomMenace he is a person]] -- and a good one.

** Scott and [[spoiler: Gambit, his clone]], are foils to each other and to the above relationship. One is a straightforward, morally-upright and somewhat awkward team player with self-esteem issues. The other is smooth, charming, morally pragmatic loner who's about as straightforward as a pretzel and usually oozes self-confidence [[spoiler: outside of his CloningBlues]]. They're described as "studies in contrast who could use each other for shaving mirrors."

* AcademicAthlete: Harry's very athletic, as canon, but even though his main displays of intellectual prowess are in the form of his deductive intellect and GuileHero tendencies, he proves to be a very able student of Strange, Magneto, and Gorakhnath when he sets his mind to it.

* 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/ThePhantomMenace he is a person]] - and a good one.
* ClusterFBomb: Harry and Carol are both prone to this when extremely annoyed, often in multiple languages - in Harry's case, it's usually Russian and 'something vaguely Scandinavian' implied to be from Asgard. In Carol's, it includes Arabic, German, and Irish, as well as some Russian she's picked up from Harry. Both use French quite liberally (almost certainly thanks to Jean-Paul).

** The same arc also heavily implies that [[spoiler: Maddie/Rachel]] is either an ArtificialHuman or [[CloningBlues a clone]] of [[spoiler: Jean]]. As it turns out, she's just always been told that she's an ArtificialHuman as a means of dehumanisation and thus control. In reality, [[spoiler: she's Jean's stolen at birth twin sister.]]

* ExcaliburInTheStone: Played with. According to Loki, the name Excalibur was applied to both the sword Arthur pulled from the stone and the one the Lady in the Lake gave him, but that they are in fact different swords (the name was shared because it had importance and power). And the latter is the one wielded by [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles the Knights of the Cross and now known as]] ''[[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Amoracchius]]''.

* BladeOnAStick: In lieu of giving Dresden a proper Warden sword, due to him having a different fighting skill set, Luccio decides to instead create a new blasting rod that can fit into a socket on his staff - and function as a lightsabre.

** '''Brown''': In a setting where nearly ''everyone'' has strikingly significant, flamboyant, and[=/=]or outright unnatural eye colors, Joshua is a guy whose eyes are a completely mundane shade of average brown. Noting this is an ''inversion'' of the usual eye color trope - as when nearly ''everyone's eyes'' are significant, unlike in real life a warm ("kind") brown is very unusual by sheer contrast (much like [[Franchise/Discworld Captain Carrot's sword]] and for many of the same reasons) - so unusual that whenever someone is the [=POV=]-character who hasn't seen Joshua before his eyes are nearly the first thing they notice (just as it is with Harry's green ones). This inverted trope fits Joshua, who's the in-story embodiment of both HiddenDepths and DownplayedTrope to the point of it sometimes [[FridgeLogic covertly]] going over into awesome through roll-over-error. He fits the description on the trope's page as down-to-earth, kindly character, too.

** '''Brown''': In a setting where nearly ''everyone'' has strikingly significant and/or flamboyant eye colors (very vividly green, strikingly blue,...) Joshua is a guy whose eyes are an average shade of brown. Noting this is an ''inversion'' of the usual eye color trope - as when nearly ''everyone's eyes'' are significant, unlike in real life a warm ("kind") brown is very unusual by sheer contrast - so unusual that whenever someone is the [=POV=]-character who hasn't seen Joshua before his eyes are nearly the first thing they notice (just as it is with Harry's green ones). This inverted trope fits Joshua, who's the in-story embodiment of both HiddenDepths and DownplayedTrope to the point of it sometimes [[FridgeLogic covertly]] going over into awesome through roll-over-error. He fits the description on the trope's page as down-to-earth, kindly character, too.

** '''Yellow''': When a supernatural character connected to the Phoenix is very angry, upset, or especially when they are in danger of getting DrunkOnTheDarkSide, their eyes change color to "burn with golden fire".

** '''Brown''': In a setting where nearly ''everyone'' has strikingly significant and/or flamboyant eye colors (as noted often very vividly green or strikingly blue) Joshua is a [[ExpectingSomeoneTaller short]] guy with curly black hair, whose eyes are a warm shade of (what would in real life be) average brown. Noting the latter is an ''inversion'' of the usual eye color trope - as when nearly ''everyone's eyes'' are significant, unike in real life a warm ("kind") brown is very unusual by sheer contrast - so much so that whenever someone is the [=POV=]-character who hasn't seen Joshua before his eyes are nearly the first thing they notice (just as it is with the Phoenix' family's green). This inverted trope fits Joshua, who's the in-story embodiment of both HiddenDepths and DownplayedTrope to the point of sometimes going over into AwesomeByAnalysis through roll-over-error. He fits the description on the trope's page as down-to-earth, kindly character, too.

** '''Brown''': In a setting nearly ''everyone'' has strikingly significant and/or flamboyant eye colors (as noted often very vividly green or strikingly blue) Joshua is a [[ExpectingSomeoneTaller short]] guy with curly black hair, whose eyes are a warm shade of (what would in real life be) average brown. The latter is always noted first off by the naration (just as it is with the Phoenix' family), though here it's an ''inversion'' of the usual trope - as when nearly ''everyone's eyes'' are significant, unike in real life a warm ("kind") brown is very unusual by sheer contrast - so much so that whenever someone is the [=POV=]-character who hasn't seen Joshua before this is nearly the first thing they notice. It fits Joshua, who's the in-story embodiment of both DownplayedTrope and HiddenDepths in every way. He fits the description on the trope page as down-to-earth, kindly character, too.

* ColorCodedEyes: In the setting nearly ''everyone'' has strikingly significant and/or flamboyant eye colors, often very vividly green or strikingly blue. [[spoiler: Joshua,]] whose eyes are a warm shade of (what would in real life be) average brown is very unusual by sheer contrast - so much so that the narration specifically notes this first off whenever someone is the [=POV=]-character who hasn't seen it before. He fits the description on the trope page as down-to-earth, kindly character, too.

Tropes from ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'''s sequels (which are the two halves of one book), ''Ghosts of the Past'' and ''The Phoenix and the Serpent''.

* DarkerAndEdgier: ''Ghosts'' is this to ''Child of the Storm''. While it's mostly lower on the carnage and gets steadily lighter as time goes on, 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 as he struggles with his MentalHealthRecoveryArc and his conscience. ''The Phoenix and the Serpent'' may also end up as this, though so far it's too early to say.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil:
** Vampires, White Court excepted (they're mortal enough to have choice). Some are more Lawful than Chaotic, but they're all evil undead horrors. Some just have better manners than others.
** Discussed and Subverted with the Changing People a.k.a. the Deviants. When it comes up in the third book, one of the Eternals, Gilgamesh, says that he actually doesn't think that the Deviants are inherently evil - even though he almost exclusively faces the violent and, indeed, evil ones. As he explains, he thinks it has more to do with the fact that they're constantly mutating, which can kill them, alter their brain-chemistry, render them infertile, or transform them into an animalistic monstrosity without warning. As a result, they're desperate to a) breed fast and relatively young before it becomes impossible, b) are terrified of any conceivable threat, no matter how minor, and respond viciously because any losses are one less potential person capable of passing on their genes. It's also implied that they're jealous of ordinary humans, who're stable and, if they get powers, they only mutate once or twice.

** All the way back in ''Film/TheAvengers2012,'' the Catholic Steve Rogers (upon meeting Thor and Loki) noted that, "there's only one God, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." When said god finally appears, he indeed doesn't wear anything resembling robes or armor, instead rocking jeans and a T-shirt.

** Harry and Sunniva maintain this habit in ''The Phoenix and the Serpent'', though a fair amount of it is Harry complaining - and lampshading how his usual FlirtingUnderFire isn't an option because Carol is around and he can't [[YouFightLikeACow snark at his enemies because they're eldritch horrors that won't appreciate his remarks]].

** The Grandmaster in this setting is a mixture of his MCU self, his comics self, the Red King in ''ComicBook/PlanetHulk'', and most pertinently, [[spoiler: an evolution of Annihilus]].

** The ''Following Yonder Star'' arc of ''The Phoenix and the Serpent'' serves as this for Sunniva, with most of the first 5 chapters being from her point of view as she tracks Harry (who she has not yet met) through the distant past.

** Sakaar qualifies as this in ''The Phoenix and the Serpent'', being a mish-mash pocket reality made of a mixture of reality and the Outside which has somehow not exploded, and ruled by a mad god. It both bends and outright defies logic and the laws of physics, with vari-coloured skies, countless differing layers of the world, stars on sticks that splinter into drifting comets, Dyson Spheres, Ringworlds, connections between worlds, with countless planets and civilisations literally fused together... and it's all the size of a dwarf galaxy. Oh, and even more than brushing it with cosmic senses makes Harry throw up. And it turns out that the whole place is an [[GeniusLoci extension of the Grandmaster]], with everyone trapped there slowly being drained of their life force to feed him.

** In ''The Phoenix and the Serpent'', several months of WalkingTheEarth in the distant past with no pressures other than very literal self-care, plus some extensive training and emotional purging with Shou-Lao, are noted to have worked wonders, with Harry being much lighter and easier than he was before.

* DestructiveSaviour: Both Bucky and Carol note Harry's tendency towards with this, with Carol describing the results of Harry losing his temper as being "like ''{{Film/Carrie}}'' as directed by Creator/MichaelBay." It's not an inaccurate description, either.

** Carol's flippant remark that Harry losing his temper is like "''{{Film/Carrie}}'' as directed by Creator/MichaelBay" at the start of the ''Forever Red'' arc takes on a dark twist at the end when Harry snaps just like the titular Carrie and [[spoiler: becomes the Dark Phoenix.]]

** In general, this trope applies to much of Harry's secret-keeping; some things aren't his to share, and dragging them further into the world of madness and danger will definitely have negative affects on Ron and Hermione; on the other hand, they have the right to choose.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Harry keeping his knowledge of 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 Wanda to confess.

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: [[DoomMagnet Harry]] at one point hopes for world peace, good weather, and a year to go by at school without someone trying to murder him. Unsurprisingly, he doesn't get his wish.

* GreenRooming: As per usual with this fic, due to the large cast. 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''.

** The Grandmaster in this setting is an evolution of Annihilus.
* TheConfidant: Carol develops into this for Harry. Usually she's with him for whatever insane scenario he's found himself in ''this'' time, so already has the context. Additionally, they have an increasingly relationship that eventually evolves into an AnchoredShip, and as a side-effect of some well-intentioned but inexpert psychic therapy, they wind up with a PsychicLink, meaning that he doesn't actually have to ''say'' things, as such. This only gets dialled up further in chapter 46, after [[spoiler: their RelationshipUpgrade.]]

** Sakaar qualifies as this in ''The Phoenix and the Serpent'', being a mish-mash pocket reality made of a mixture of reality and the Outside which has somehow not exploded, and ruled by a mad god. It both bends and outright defies logic and the laws of physics, with vari-coloured skies, countless differing layers of the world, stars on sticks that splinter into drifting comets, Dyson Spheres, Ringworlds, connections between worlds, with countless planets and civilisations literally fused together... and it's all the size of a dwarf galaxy. Oh, and even more than brushing it with cosmic senses makes Harry throw up.

** Wanda Maximoff seems to have picked up the habit from her boyfriend, and when she receives the [[spoiler: garb of the Sorceress Supreme]], it takes the form of one.

* HumanoidAbomination: The Dark Phoenix - it causes global scale nightmares, makes animals howl from hundreds of miles away, and leaves ''the entire planet'' feeling as if someone had just walked across their grave. And that's when it's still basically a ''fledgling'', its power still growing, with it being pointed out that the fully fledged Dark Phoenix would be much, much worse. Which makes it even more unsettling to realise that [[spoiler: it's Harry.]]

* HumanSubSpecies: In addition to the ones already established in ''Child of the Storm'' (mutants, magicals, Eternals, and Deviants), it's revealed that [[TheFairFolk the Fae]] were originally human - or at least, a prehistoric human relative - before they migrated to the Nevernever hundreds of thousands of years ago and adapted to it, with Frigga remarking that where magical humans learned to use magic, the proto-Fae ''became'' magic. Under the circumstances, this explains a ''lot.''

* HurricaneOfPuns: The list of streets off Diagon Alley - the canonical Knockturn Alley, Internation Alley (embassies, foreign businesses and travel agents), Theatric Alley (magic West End/Broadway), Alchemic Alley (alchemists), Aesthetic Alley (jewellers and clothes shops), and Gastronomic Alley (food district). The terrible nature of these puns is lampshaded by Carol: [[DeadpanSnarker "Well. So much for the famous British sense of humour, then."]]

--->'''[[spoiler: Doom]]''': They have failed to rest in peace, so now they [[IncrediblyLamePun rest in pieces]].

* EmpathicWeapon: The Green Lantern Ring is mentioned again as being semi-sentient, enough to form opinions on people.

* EmptyPilesOfClothing: PlayedForLaughs in chapter 32 after a Grey Court vampire's body is charged and turned to ash by Gambit, and what's left of the vampire is apparently thrown down a hospital laundry chute.
* EnemyMine: Strange recruits [[spoiler: Doctor Doom]] to help Harry's group fight the Grey Court, on the grounds that Dracula's victory would threaten his own power base.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Dracula gets one in chapter 24. He's sitting and listening to Voldemort's proposal for mutual advantage, having remarked that he doesn't particularly want to play games... then Voldemort finishes his proposal, saying that he'll elaborate on the details of what information he has to offer once Dracula accepts. In a blurred instant, Dracula is on his feet and has lifted Voldemort out of his chair like it's nothing, coldly remarking that he doesn't appreciate being manipulated into a war with the Avengers or Asgard which would be 'tiresome'. So, it's going to be the other way around - Voldemort's going to cough up his information, and if, and only if, it is sufficient, then Dracula will accept his proposal. Oh, and any attempt to use his magical or psychic powers won't work because Dracula's suppressing them with a mere effort of will. [[EvilerThanThou Voldemort promptly coughs up.]]

** In chapter 60 of the sequel, Jean and [[spoiler: Maddie]] appear in Harry's mindscape wearing pure white dresses (their psychic forms having previously merged into a pure white gestalt), emphasising both their [[PsychicPowers unearthly nature]] and purity. Here, they're unambiguously benevolent, doing their best to help heal Harry

** Yelena indulges in some when confronting Natasha again in Chapter 13, specifically, about [[{{Squick}} molesting]] [[spoiler: the Red Son]], because she saw him as being Natasha's. An unimpressed Natasha asks if she wants a [[RightHandCat white cat]] to stroke while she does it, snarkily offering [[RussianFashion a white ushanka (the famous Russian furry hat)]] as a substitute, before coldly deconstructing what she's doing.

** Harry's 'apology' to Snape in chapter 28 ("I'm sorry, Professor. What I said hurt you.") is explicitly noted by the narration as being very carefully structured to carry an undertone of total insincerity and subtext of 'and I'm glad it did, because it was meant to.' Dumbledore later somewhat dourly remarks that trying to make Harry apologise to Snape publicly would be pointless, as Harry's budding talent at this (by implication, developed by watching his uncle and Doctor Strange at work) means that he would just structure his 'apology' to be as insincere and humiliating (for Snape) as possible. Harry tries (and fails) not to look pleased.

** In chapter 45, Harry uses this to very carefully and [[ConsummateLiar skilfully]] dance around the point of [[spoiler: the Winter Soldier still being alive]], with [[spoiler: 'Dave' the Elder Wyrm]] having hinted to Ron that this was the case. Afterwards, he feels distinctly unhappy about it.

* ExcuseMeComingThrough: Carol pulls this in chapter 29, when making an escape attempt from [[spoiler: Dracula's vampire]] strike team, through Lexington-63rd subway station. The narration notes that the fact that she's most of six feet tall, well built, moving fast enough to break several local speed limits (whilst carrying her younger brother under one arm to boot) helps, as does the fact that she's apparently inherited her great-grandfather's "I-am-Captain-America-and-shit-is-getting-real-so-do-as-I-say" voice.

* {{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; the morally ambiguous mentor(s); 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.]]
** There are also elements of [[ComicBook/XMan Nate Grey]] in there too. Ludicrously strong PsychicPowers thanks to being part of the Grey family that might end up screwing him over? Check. Dark hair with skunk stripe in the fringe? Check. Miserable childhood with [[spoiler: Sinister]] heavily involved? Check. MommasBoy? ''Definite'' check. HotBlooded [[DeadpanSnarker snarker]] with ChronicHeroSyndrome? Check. GuileHero prone to the IndyPloy, a tendency that evolves into XanatosSpeedChess? Check. Mutually intrigued by [[spoiler: Maddie Pryor]]? Check. Occasionally frighteningly ruthless? Check. In chapter 8, he even briefly gets Nate's ''New Mutants'' era outfit when he slices up the black leather [[spoiler:containment suit the Red Room put him in,]] leaving him in, effectively, a NoShirtLongJacket. Carol, predictably, mocks him mercilessly.

*** In chapter 41, an older alternate counterpart of Harry turns up, is heavily designed after both Shaman era Nate and the 'Brother Nathan' version of Cable, and when Harry snarks that he'd call him 'Other Harry' but [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles that name is spoken for]], casually refers to himself as Nathan.

** The fairy tales themselves are discussed in chapter 12, which reveals that [[spoiler: Sinister]] used a number of them, twisting their meanings, to underline his MoreThanMindControl hold on [[spoiler: Maddie.]]

* FightingTheLancer: A simmering subplot through the book is the slowly developing friction between Harry and Ron, primarily thanks to Harry keeping Ron LockedOutOfTheLoop through a mixture of protectiveness, an unwillingness to talk about traumatic experiences, a desire to keep Ron and Hermione as his 'normal' friends, and keeping a number of secrets that aren't his to share. This, combined with Harry's CharacterDevelopment (secretive, manipulative, pragmatic, and [[ShellShockedVeteran shell-shocked]]) and Ron's own (largely normal, but increasingly obsessive about training to hunt down HYDRA and avenge his father's death), makes their friendship more difficult. Then there's the small fact that Harry's hiding Arthur Weasley's killer (even if it was a MercyKill) right under Ron's nose. Neither is happy about this, and they eventually come to adapt... then [[spoiler:Hermione's heritage, and the fact that Harry a) knew about it, b) kept it from them]] comes out.
* {{Fingore}}: The unfortunate [[spoiler: Remus]] gets splinched in chapter 32 by some rather nasty wards. Thankfully, the fingers are reattached by [[spoiler: Sirius]].

** Carol and Strange in ''Unfinished Business'' exploit [[spoiler: Nimue's]] overconfidence, single-mindedness, and tendency towards UnstoppableRage in order to draw her off the battlefield, drain her dry, and [[spoiler: imprison her]].

* FlowerMotifs: At Betsy's suggestion (what with her knowing these things thanks to her training as a ProperLady), [[spoiler: Harry]] gives [[spoiler: Carol]] a Viscaria (meaning "will you dance with me?") when asking her to the Yule Ball.
* FlowersOfRomance: [[spoiler: Harry]] giving [[spoiler: Carol]] a Viscaria [[FlowerMotifs (meaning "will you dance with me?")]] to ask her to the Yule Ball, especially since [[spoiler: it results in a RelationshipUpgrade]]. It is widely deemed to be adorable. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Even if the flower does get squashed]] in the resultant [[spoiler: kiss]].

*** And in chapter 52, Strange takes another hammer to ''Dresden Files'' canon by [[spoiler: wiping out the Red Court]] long before Dresden himself is put in a situation to do that same thing in ''Changes''.

** In Chapter 61, Strange makes another change to ''The Dresden Files'' by exposing [[spoiler: Peabody]] as the Black Council mole on the White Council long before this was discovered in canon and executing him, thereby preventing his scheme which resulted in [[spoiler: the deaths of [=LaFortier=] and Morgan]]. He also notes that he's eliminated the rest of the Black Council.

** Sirius shows the Room of Requirement to Harry in Chapter 66, a full year before he found it in canon.

** In Chapter 11, Wanda mentions Zatanna Zatara, a prodigy at combining wandless and wanded magic, and that her parents managed to create a hybridized style of magic before dying in the war against Voldemort. Not long after, Zatanna becomes the new DADA teacher at Hogwarts, and [[spoiler: the deaths of her parents and Constantine's part in it are established as the reason why Wanda hates Constantine.]]

** In chapter 19, Jean briefly reflects that Remy has a striking resemblance to [[spoiler: Scott Summers.]] Fifteen chapters later, she and the audience discover that there's a ''very'' good reason for this. [[spoiler: He's a clone of Scott]].
** All the way back to the beginning of ''Child of the Storm'' [[ChekhovsGun (again, as per usual)]], when discussing how Harry had provided a MercyKill to Sally the Basilisk, Loki commented that perhaps they should call him "Harry the Just." Fast-forward to ''Ghosts'' chapter 35, and Harry is discussing the justice or otherwise of another MercyKill, and resolves to bring some justice and mercy to the universe. Looks like Loki was more accurate than even he realised.

* TheGlomp: Carol gives Harry one in chapter 1 after the psychic therapy scene, when they both got a good look at each other's minds and stirred up a lot of emotions. It led to a SleepCute, but nothing more.
** In chapter 16, he gives her one in return, though this time it's more of a SecurityCling.
** Jean gives Harry and [[spoiler: Maddie]] one in chapter 15 after [[spoiler: Harry's cooled down from the Dark Phoenix just after breaking loose of the Red Son programming]] and [[spoiler: Maddie executed her HeelFaceTurn and discovered that she was Jean's SeparatedAtBirth twin sister]], being described as hugging them both so tightly that it almost seems as if she's trying to merge with them.

* GuileHero: While Harry's power now means that he can usually rely on a strategy that leaves a trail of destruction visible from space, these tendencies resurface when he's faced with someone more powerful than he is. This is demonstrated in chapters 9 and 10, with an IndyPloy that involves [[spoiler: getting into a psychic duel with Maddie/Rachel to buy the others time to escape and cause enough psychic upheaval that the Avengers won't possibly be able to miss it, while never directly taking Maddie on in a contest of power and skill because he knew she'd crush him, doing enough to keep her occupied and all the while peppering her with little memory fragments of Jean, confusing her, before eventually having an extended psychic chat with her, all in aid of hopefully getting her to switch sides.]] While it doesn't all pan out as he'd hoped, the vast majority does. Not bad for a plan he made up on the spot.

* HealTheCutie: Harry is partially broken in the extended finale of the first book - [[spoiler: seeing a friend you've tried to protect get killed and then get killed yourself will do that]] - before being partially healed. Then, the brutal TraumaCongaLine of the ''Forever Red'' arc drives him to the brink of complete insanity as [[spoiler: the Dark Phoenix]]. He is talked down by the PowerOfLove, and the rest of the book has him slowly healing with therapy, time, and affection - falling head over heels in reciprocated love with [[spoiler: Carol]] certainly doesn't hurt - going from someone who's barely stable, to a KnightInSourArmour, to a KnightInShiningArmour once more (if a more cynical and pragmatic one than before) who believes that RousseauWasRight (mostly).
* HeartbreakAndIceCream: Steve comfort Carol [[spoiler: his great-granddaughter]] with a 'Thor-sized' tub of Rocky Road ice cream in chapter 45 after she's upset and angry (enraged, in fact, to the point where she breaks a punching bag and busts her wrist [[WorkingOutTheirEmotions trying to work it out]]) because of what [[spoiler: Yelena Belova]] [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil did]] to Harry.

* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Maddie]] pulls one towards the end of chapter 11, then completes it in chapter 12.
* HegemonicEmpire: Asgard has this in respect to the Nine Realms, albeit with a light touch since they don't actually want or need anything from the rest of the universe. As a result, they only really get involved if someone's mucking around with one of the other Realms, or one of the other Realms is mucking around with another (Jotunheim screwing with Earth led to the Asgard-Frost Giant Wars), with a general policy best summed of 'don't make us come down there'. However, it's also noted that this attitude hasn't been entirely consistent over time, with some periods, like Bor's rule, where Asgard ignored various realms and dominated others, and others hinted at when it ruled a much more conventional (and huge) empire. Under Odin, however, Asgard tends to keep a gimlet eye on the affairs of the Nine Realms and make a statement where required. This is pretty much the only reason that the likes of the Kree, the Skrulls, the Shi'ar and other would-be powers have left Earth alone, because messing with Earth means messing with Asgard, and that just isn't worth it.

** Jean is left practically catatonic in Chapter 11 after [[spoiler: Harry being recaptured by the Red Room and learning Maddie is her long-lost twin sister]].

** Dresden has one in chapter 54 upon finding out the extent to which his life has been shaped and manipulated by Doctor Strange, wondering if he's nothing but a weapon the latter forged.

** Strange sadly admits that this has happened with him in his struggles to save the world, especially when facing off with [[spoiler: Sinister]].

* HolyHandGrenade: Even when he's not consciously tapping into it, Harry's Phoenix fragment burns vampires on contact with his blood and gives his fire magic a bit of an edge against evil. And, to be fair, more or less everything else too.

* HorrifyingTheHorror: Dracula completely freaks out when he scents Phoenix fire (or even [[spoiler: what he thinks is Phoenix fire]].

* HotWings: [[spoiler: Harry]] as the Dark Phoenix.

* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler: The Dark Phoenix]] - it causes global scale nightmares, makes animals howl from hundreds of miles away, and leaves ''the entire planet'' feeling as if someone had just walked across their grave. And that's when it's still basically a ''fledgling'', its power still growing, with it being pointed out that the fully fledged [[spoiler: Dark Phoenix]] would be much, much worse. Which makes it even more unsettling to realise that [[spoiler: it's Harry.]]

** The climax of ''Unfinished Business'' features the Battle of New Orleans, in which [[spoiler: Nimue]] unleashes all of Project Pegasus' trapped magical experiments on the city, only to be confronted by S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and the White Council.

** Bucky also serves as this for Harry after ''Forever Red.'' While the latter is capable of taking on just about anyone up to and including a fellow PersonOfMassDestruction, his primary reaction is to KillItWithFire, and subtlety, espionage, and being a planning are skills he has yet to master. Furthermore, because of his [[FamedInStory growing legend]], most enemies aren't going to just flat-out attack him, but instead strike from the shadows - and who better to watch his back and teach him how to fight in the shadows than [[TheDreaded the undisputed master]] [[ProfessionalKiller of those skills?]]

** In chapter 73 of ''Ghosts'', Harry nods back to his obliteration of [[SendInTheClones the Red Army]], and reveals that he considers it to be [[MyGreatestFailure his greatest regret]] because [[spoiler: while they were programmed {{Human Weapon}}s]], they were ''[[ClonesArePeopleToo people]]'' (which he ''knew'') and they never got the chance to live - a chance that he very easily could have given them, if he hadn't just treated them as something in his way.

* CentralTheme: '''Family.''' In this book, pretty much everyone's family issues come to light and become relevant. Harry begins to understand what it means both to inherit the legacy of Frey (on his father's side), and his mother being the Phoenix plays a huge role throughout the story. He is partially able to connect with [[spoiler: Maddie through their familial link]]. Ron's having lost his father at the end of the last book fuels CharacterDevelopment that leads him on quite a different track from canon. Hermione's being the daughter of Wanda Maximoff becomes important as her chaos magic begins to develop, and [[spoiler: when she learns the truth about her family, she is ''not'' pleased, though happy to meet her grandfather]]. Carol's issues with both her parents come to light, and Steve connects with his daughter (and becomes his great-granddaughter's real dad). Tony becomes a father as well, leading to some emotional development. Clark Kent comes to grips with his Kryptonian heritage. Scott Summers meets [[spoiler: his clone]], and Harry Dresden his [[spoiler: daughter]].

* ClusterFBomb: Harry and Carol are both prone to this when extremely annoyed, often in multiple languages - in Harry's case, it's usually Russian and 'something vaguely Scandinavian' implied to be from Asgard. In Carol's, it includes Arabic, German, and Irish, as well as some Russian she's picked up from Harry. Both use French quite liberally.