History IKnowYoureInThere / ComicBooks

* ''ComicBook/MsMarvel'': In ''ComicBook/MsMarvel2006 #15, Wonder Man gets mind controlled by M.O.D.O.K.. For a variation, Ms. Marvel manages to break it by planting a passionate kiss on him.

-->-- '''Franchise/{{Superman}}''', ''ComicBook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton2004''

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, the characters know not to bother trying it with victims of the Puppet Master because they're not being mind controlled, they're being body controlled and that's different.
* A variation when ComicBook/ShangChi fights "Dave Griffin", the corrupted and human embodiment of ''y Ddraig Goch'', the ancient, iconic, Welsh dragon. The dragon slowly regains his true form and power through the fight, but it's not until he actually wins that Shang-Chi really gets through to him (at which point he pulls a HeelFaceTurn and saves Shang-Chi's life).
* ComicBook/SpiderMan repeatedly tries reasoning with various mind-controlled opponents he faces, such as Venom. It never works, although his AlternateUniverse daughter, ComicBook/SpiderGirl, has a considerably better track record when it comes to such things.
* ''Franchise/XMen'':
** Rogue and Gambit have at least two of them during the period in which Gambit has been turned into Apocalypse's Horseman of Death.
** After Wolverine gets brainwashed by Apocalypse, the X-Men try this strategy... combined with beating the living hell out of him, blowing him through walls, and having Psylocke use her PsychicPowers to try to break the conditioning. Eventually his normal personality is restored by the power of Jubilee's love and Archangel's magic sparkly wings.
** This seems to happen often with Apocalypse's servants. The first chronological example occurs in the 1996 one-shot ''Black Knight: Exodus'', which focuses on Dane Whitman of the Avengers and X-villain Exodus's origin story. Turns out Exodus was best buddies with Dane's ancestor Eobar Garrington in the 12th century, and when Apocalypse abducted him and awakened his mutant powers, he decided it'd be a swell idea to pit Exodus against his closest friend. It was a close thing, but Garrington/Dane was able to get Exodus to snap out of it.
** Danielle Moonstar has a link with Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane) also of the ComicBook/NewMutants. When Wolfsbane was mind-controlled by the Shadow King (via Karma's possession power) it took a direct mind-to-mind appeal to break through Farouk's control.
* Happens with ComicBook/{{Rogue}} and ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' in ''ComicBook/UncannyAvengers'' after the former gets mind-controlled by the Red Skull. Rogue attacks Deadpool, who dodges and screams for her to snap out of it. He avoids attacking her, and trying to shoot for Red Skull again, but Rogue jumps in the way of the attack. Luckily, Deadpool has Magneto's helmet in his backpack, which he manages to get on Rogues head, blocking Red Skull from her mind. Sadly, this wasn't done before he was beaten half to death by Rogue, who felt terrible afterwards.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', Gert pulls this on Victor in order to snap him out of [[ComicBook/{{Ultron}} his dad's]] control. Fortunately, it works.
* Happens quite a lot during ''Comicbook/BlackestNight''. Sometimes, the fallen hero's friends are actually "in there somewhere", but most of the time words are useless and the possessed Black Lanterns are nothing more than mindless shells with super powers.

* Early in Ben Dunn's ''ComicBook/NinjaHighSchool'', OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Jeremy was brainwashed into being a sort of combination MadScientist and EvilOverlord (in a rather [[PuttingOnTheReich Nazi-looking]] uniform). On at least one later occasion, he relapsed. ("Using what I could salvage from your school's workshop, I was able to take control of every civilian satellite...." He'd also built a bunch of robot soldiers. All this in less than a day.) Ichi dragged him back to sanity by hugging him while tearfully saying, "Please. You're not this person. You're not this person."
* Inverted in ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'', in a team-up between the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. One of the [[spoiler:Sentinels from the future, patterned on Wolverine,]] insists that (paraphrased) "I didn't do it, I'm still you inside". So far it's unknown if it was telling the truth.
* In Franchise/TheDCU, brainwashed Teen Titan Kid Devil gets talked out of an UnstoppableRage by Miss Martian before he can kill a similarly brainwashed Hardrock.
-->'''M'gann:''' Eddie. No. Eddie, Please Listen... This isn't you. You're not a killer. What they did to you -- what Clock King said to you... None of it's true. You're not a monster. You're not alone. You're not unloved. You're a sweet boy who had a dream to be a superhero sidekick and got to live that dream. You're thoughtful, funny and earnest. You're a Teen Titan, Eddie. You're a '''good guy.'''
* A vicious subversion in ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''' ''ComicBook/TheJudasContract.'' Turned out Terra wasn't the [[AntiVillain confused-but-good type]] she became in [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans the animated series]]...
** To cap it off, when Gar desperately asks WasItAllALie. She not only cruelly laughs at him, but digs the knife in further by sneering that kissing him made her "want to puke."
* In ComicBook/MsMarvel's own series her fellow Avenger Wonder Man gets mind controlled by M.O.D.O.K.. For a variation she manages to break it by planting a passionate kiss on him.

* In ''ComicBook/Strange2022'', when Clea takes on Stephen Strange's role as Sorcerer Supreme, her first threat is a series of heroes reanimated as undead monsters. While she doesn't use this exact line in her confrontations with the reanimated Thunderstrike, Clea reflects in hindsight that she only defeated him because a part of Thunderstrike's true heroic self was still in there holding back from going all-out against her. She explicitly acknowledges that she doesn't have this advantage when pitted against the second such reanimated superhuman, the ruthless "Shadowknight", who is nothing but a killer.
* Attempted over and over again in ''ComicBook/WorldWarHulk'' -- only for those who try it to discover that Bruce Banner is as angry as the Hulk, ''agrees'' with the Hulk, and is working with him.
* In ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'', members of the Pantheon try to reach out to [[spoiler:Pronto]] this way. They don't quite succeed.
* [[TheHero Danael]] tries this on [[spoiler:[[UnluckyChildhoodFriend Saryn]]]] after [[spoiler:she was stung by a Darkhellion and turned into a Chaos Shade]] in ''ComicBook/LesLegendaires: [[OriginsEpisode Origines]]''. It's horribly subverted, as turns out it's too late, and [[spoiler:Jadina has to kill her to save Danael.]]
* This is attempted with [[spoiler:Nightmare Rarity]] in ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' #7. Nightmare Moon II insists she's in control, though Spike seems to momentarily get through.
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW'':
** In a flashback in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'', Orion Pax meets with his friend [[spoiler: Senator Shockwave]]. He's had his body disfigured and his head messed with so much, he's lost all emotions and empathy. He no longer sees any reason to have scruples and feels free from the experience. Orion tries to appeal to who he once was, a noble bot who fought for equality for all. It is a doomed effort.
-->'''Pax:''' I know the '''real''' you -- you can overcome what they '''did! I believe in you!'''\\
'''[[spoiler:Shockwave]]:''' (''narrating'') One day Orion Pax would '''stop''' believing...
** During ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'', Optimus gets another chat with [[spoiler:Shockwave]]. This time, it works - because [[spoiler:Megatron has already rattled Shockwave's control by doing something he couldn't have predicted: a HeelFaceTurn]]. While [[spoiler:Shockwave]] is struggling, Optimus reminds him of their old friendship - simple things, like a bench with a busted leg. [[spoiler:It works and the good Shockwave attempts DyingAsYourself by asking Optimus and Megatron to shoot him, but the resultant explosion throws him back in time, where he ends up reconciling his mental mess and ending up ''worse''.]]
** An undead Nightbeat shows up during ''ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron'', under the control of Nova Prime. Rodimus snaps him out of it by appealing to Nightbeat's strongest trait: ''solving mysteries''. After noticing that Nightbeat seemed the most like himself when doing a SherlockScan on Cyclonus, Rodimus deliberately presents Nightbeat with a curious piece of information - that Rodimus has the numbers "89/101" engraved on his hand - and allows him to ask only one question to find out what it means. [[spoiler:The question that Nightbeat asks, which frees him from the mind control, is "How many people are on your ship?" It's 190 - but 89 of them voted for Rodimus to no longer be captain after a string of screwups on his part, and Rodimus is keeping the tally as a reminder that he needs to win back their trust.]]
** Brainstorm tries this on a sparkeater-ified [[spoiler:Perceptor]] late in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye''. It doesn't work, and Brainstorm gets hurt trying - but at least he doesn't get killed, [[spoiler:and Perceptor is subsequently cured by an experimental, slightly insane medical treatment cooked up by First Aid]].
* In issue #2 of the DC run of ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'', Him gives a boy whose affections to Buttercup were spurned a belt with a buckle that shoots out beams that make people hate. The beam hits Bubbles, but she's filled with so much love that the beam short-circuits her and knocks her unconscious. Blossom and Buttercup use ThePowerOfLove to revive Bubbles.
* Averted in ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' when Lady Blackhawk gets brainwashed. ComicBook/{{Huntress}} attempts this but pulls her punches since she doesn't want to hurt her friend, and gets beat up for it.
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* ''ComicBook/StarTrekIDW'':
** Kirk says this to try to stop the mutated Gary Mitchell, but he only regains his sanity long enough to tell him [[ICannotSelfTerminate he can't kill himself]] before his eyes begin to glow again.
** When Spock is consumed by the Pon Farr, Uhura attempts to calm him down by invoking this trope.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''ComicBook/StarWarsKanan'': Caleb reminds Grey of how the clones originally would have followed the Jedi wherever they went, and questions how Grey could have turned on and murdered Billaba after spending years as her loyal friend. He also points out that the Jedi died with the Republic, so the accusations that they betrayed it fall rather flat. [[spoiler: This causes Grey's conscience to get the better of him, and he winds up performing a HeroicSacrifice that enables Caleb and his friends to escape]].
** Cay Qel-Droma tries this on his brother Ulic in ''ComicBook/TalesOfTheJedi''. He tries to reach Ulic verbally numerous times, but Ulic is too invested in his plan to "pretend" turning to the dark side, and then genuinely the ally of a Sith Lord. Cay finally confronts him on Ossus, first in a starfighter dogfight in which Ulic shoots him down, and then a lightsaber duel. [[spoiler:Ulic kills him in a rage, but the sight of Cay dead at his feet does finally snap him out of it.]]
* In the first part of ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfTheChaosGod'' [[WesternAnimation/TaleSpin Rebecca]] ends up pulling one on herself against Solego's possession because her daughter ended up in danger. Solego later lampshades that this is why he's beginning to prefer possessing technology, since they ''can't'' fight him, lacking souls and all.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Diana has to fight a Circe brainwashed Superman without her lasso. She tries throughout the fight to get him to come to his senses but nothing works until she gets her lasso back and wraps him in it.
* ''ComicBook/NewAvengers'': Subverted in the opening arc of vol 2. Luke Cage gets possessed by a demon, Jessica Jones tries appealing to him, and it apparently works... only it turns out the demon's just screwing with her.
* ''ComicBook/MightyAvengers2013'': The team tries doing this to White Tiger when she's fully taken over by the Tiger God. Unfortunately, since the Tiger God's taken over because Ava ''let'' it (to kill the man who killed her family), it's not very successful. Though it does transpire afterward that Ava was FightingFromTheInside after all.
* ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': in the issue ''Cross Fire'', one of the four aliens who came to Earth to escape the Evronians is secretly a mind-controlled mole of the Evronians themselves, who unleash him on his companions at the climax. However, he stops attacking when his best friend puts himself in the way and begs him to remember him.
* ''ComicBook/RatQueens'': in the Underpit a predator turns the Queens into PeoplePuppets against each other, having this effect against the uncontrolled.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise'': In a flashback, Orion Pax meets with his friend [[spoiler: Senator Shockwave]]. He's had his body disfigured and his head messed with so much, he's lost all emotions and empathy. He no longer sees any reason to have scruples and feels free from the experience. Orion tries to appeal to who he once was, a noble bot who fought for equality for all. It is a doomed effort.

** After Wolverine gets brainwashed by Apocalypse, the /X-Men try this strategy... combined with beating the living hell out of him, blowing him through walls, and having Psylocke use her PsychicPowers to try to break the conditioning. Eventually his normal personality is restored by the power of Jubilee's love and Archangel's magic sparkly wings.

* ComicBook/SpiderMan repeatedly tries this with various opponents he faces, such as Venom. It never works, although his AlternateUniverse daughter, ComicBook/SpiderGirl, has a considerably better track record when it comes to such things.

* Occurs in an old Franchise/DCUniverse comic book. Superboy has somehow been given the personality of Adolf Hitler by the Psycho Changer, Alaktor. A fellow superhero tries to talk him out of it. Read it [[http://superdickery.com/images/stories/dick/lsh3.jpg here]].
-->'''Mon-El:''' Superboy, you can't be Hitler in personality! You've got to remember who you are...fight this off...

** In ''ComicBook/Supergirl1982'' #23, when Supergirl realizes the psychic mutant she is fighting is her professor Barry Metzner, she tries to reach him out:

* ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics''

* ''ComicBook/PowerGirl'':
** Simultaneously played straight and lampshaded in "Power Girl" issue 10. When Terra was [[spoiler: [[GrandTheftMe taken over by the Ultra-Humanite]]]] and fighting Power Girl she kept taunting PG.

* ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'' has done this or this has been done to her several times during her career:
** In ''[[Comicbook/{{Supergirl 1982}} Supergirl Volume 2]]'' #23, when Supergirl realizes the psychic mutant she is fighting is her professor Barry Metzner, she tries to reach him out:

** In ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 2010]]'' story arc ''ComicBook/DeahAndTheFamily'', super-villain Insect Queen took over Supergirl's friend Lana Lang's body. While Kara beat her up, she tried to reach out to Lana.

** In ''Comicbook/DemonSpawn'' as Nightflame and her minions try to take over Supergirl's mind and body, [[TemporaryLoveInterest Geoff]] cradles her lifeless body, trying to wake her up.

* In the Marvel universe, even the characters know this. And they know not to bother trying it with victims of the Puppet Master because they're not being mind controlled, they're being body controlled and that's different.

* ''ComicBook/XMen''

** After Wolverine gets brainwashed by Apocalypse, the Comicbook/XMen try this strategy... combined with beating the living hell out of him, blowing him through walls, and having Psylocke use her PsychicPowers to try to break the conditioning. Eventually his normal personality is restored by the power of Jubilee's love and Archangel's magic sparkly wings.

* Early in Ben Dunn's ''Comicbook/NinjaHighSchool'', OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent Jeremy was brainwashed into being a sort of combination MadScientist and EvilOverlord (in a rather [[PuttingOnTheReich Nazi-looking]] uniform). On at least one later occasion, he relapsed. ("Using what I could salvage from your school's workshop, I was able to take control of every civilian satellite...." He'd also built a bunch of robot soldiers. All this in less than a day.) Ichi dragged him back to sanity by hugging him while tearfully saying, "Please. You're not this person. You're not this person."

** In Power Girl's {{crossover}} with ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueGenerationLost'' Power Girl has been {{brainwashed}} into believing that the members of the Justice League International are other heroes planning to conquer and rule humanity. The members of JLI, dreading the destruction and loss of life that would come from fighting Power Girl in earnest (Assuming they could ''survive'' such a fight), try to get through the brainwashing and have her recognize them.

** In ''[[Comicbook/{{Supergirl 2005}} Supergirl vol. 5]]'' #50, super-villain Insect Queen took over Supergirl's friend Comicbook/LanaLang's body. While Kara beat her up, she tried to reach out to Lana.

** In ''Comicbook/TheSupergirlFromKrypton'' Superman tries to reach Kara out when she is brainwashed by Darkseid. It doesn't work and he has to knock her down.

* ''ComicBook/MegaMan''

** In ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'' Shioban runs into Supergirl right after her transformation when Kara is overwhelmed with rage. Shioban wonders what turned her best friend into that rage monster (she suspects drugs or poison) and she tries to reach her out.
--->'''Shioban:''' Kara...? I'm your friend, remember? Whatever's happened, you don't have to hurt anyone.

* ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': in the issue ''Cross Fire'', one of the four aliens who came to Earth to escape the Evronians is secretly a mind-controlled mole of the Evronians themselves, who unleash him on his companions at the climax. However, he stops attacking when his best friend puts himself in the way and begs him to remember him.

* ''ComicBook/MightyAvengers2013'': The team tries doing this to White Tiger when she's fully taken over by the Tiger God. Unfortunately, since the Tiger God's taken over because Ava ''let'' it (to kill the man who killed her family), it's not very successful. Though it does transpire afterward that Ava was FightingFromTheInside after all.

* Happens with ComicBook/{{Rogue}} and ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' in ''{{Uncanny Avengers}}'' after the former gets mind-controlled by the Red Skull. Rogue attacks Deadpool, who dodges and screams for her to snap out of it. He avoids attacking her, and trying to shoot for Red Skull again, but Rogue jumps in the way of the attack. Luckily, Deadpool has Magneto's helmet in his backpack, which he manages to get on Rogues head, blocking Red Skull from her mind. Sadly, this wasn't done before he was beaten half to death by Rogue, who felt terrible afterwards.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': Diana has to fight a Circe brainwashed Superman without her lasso. She tries throughout the fight to get him to come to his senses but nothing works until she gets her lasso back and wraps him in it.

* In the first part of ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfTheChaosGod'' [[WesternAnimation/TaleSpin Rebecca]] ends up pulling one on herself against Solego's possession because her daughter ended up in danger. Solego later lampshades that this is why he's beginning to prefer possessing technology, since they ''can't'' fight him, lacking souls and all.

* Cay Qel-Droma tries this on his brother Ulic in ''ComicBook/TalesOfTheJedi''. He tries to reach Ulic verbally numerous times, but Ulic is too invested in his plan to "pretend" turning to the dark side, and then genuinely the ally of a Sith Lord. Cay finally confronts him on Ossus, first in a starfighter dogfight in which Ulic shoots him down, and then a lightsaber duel. [[spoiler:Ulic kills him in a rage, but the sight of Cay dead at his feet does finally snap him out of it.]]