History OffscreenMomentOfAwesome / ComicBooks

* Parodied in one issue of the ''{{Simpsons}}'' comic when Krusty is pitching his own spy TV show. In the climax of the pilot episode, Krusty's character tells his secretary all of the things he did to stop the BigBad. (Krusty tells the irate studio heads that he couldn't actually show the action on-screen because he blew the show's budget on one scene involving helicopter shoes.)

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', all of the plot, flashbacks aside, is set after the SuperRegistrationAct, so a lot of the crime-fighting of The Minutemen and the Crimebusters is actually depicted offscreen, but some of the fights and acts are talked upon by lots of characters, and various events are retold by various points of view, and others are just mentioned a moment. Most of the flashbacks flesh out those events.

* SquirrelGirl does this all the time. In ComicBook/NewAvengers, for example, she took down a Nazi mech. She then runs into three more. She charges them as they open fire. We next see her at Avengers Mansion, battered and bleeding.
* In an ElfQuest miniseries, ''Rebels'', "The worst pile up in many years" during a futuristic race happens mostly off panel. We just see the aftermath.
* In BlueBeetle, Guy Gardner started a "really cool bar fight." We see what caused the fight, we are told that it was really cool, but the fight itself happens off panel.
* At the end of ''{{Preacher}}'', the Saint of Killers [[spoiler: took on the ENTIRE Heavenly Host when they got in his way]]. All we see of it is him standing there [[spoiler:surrounded by angel corpses awaiting God's return. [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu So that he can shoot him]]]]. Yeah.
** And even ''that'' happens off panel!
* Parodied in one issue of the ''{{Simpsons}}'' comic where Krusty is pitching his own spy TV show. The climax of the pilot episode has Krusty's character telling his secretary all of the things he did to stop the BigBad. Krusty tells the irate studio heads that he couldn't actually show the action on-screen because he blew the show's budget on one scene involving helicopter shoes.

* In the ''StrontiumDog'' story "The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha", Middenface and Precious have to burst Feral out of a high-security prison where, for the past three months, he has been force-fed in order to be fat enough for a ritual sacrifice. This certainly sounds like an awesome action scene, and indeed the cover implied this was what the strip would focus on... but instead, as soon as Feral is loose, he passes out, and we cut to a spaceship where Middenface is injured, and remarks that the escape wasn't easy. It's unclear if the sequence was skipped in order to keep the [[EvidenceScavengerHunt plot going]] or if Wagner and Ezquerra just couldn't figure out how to show it, but either way it went down poorly.
* ''CryForJustice'' has Green Lantern and Green Arrow defeating an army of super-villains single-handed and off-panel. The comic jumps from them leaping into battle, to another scene, then back to them after the battle is over. And in the final issue, Green Arrow brags about how he and the Jack Bauer League were able to shut down a notorious Somali pirate who was never seen or mentioned before that moment. Sure would've been nice to actually ''see'' them doing those things...
* GrantMorrison has some issues with endings, but how the "World War III" arc of his [[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]] run ended really took the cake. Every person on Earth gets powers (including [[ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey Oracle]] whom, if you'll remember, has been paralyzed from the waist down for years). They join the angelic choir in an assault on a horrifying EldritchAbomination-style-thing. We see the Earth's population and the angels going into space for one two-page thread... and then ''we never see any of the fight''. Okay, so thematically it was supposed to be about Superman's fight against Mageddon, but how can you tease such a gigantic fight and not show it?!
* ''TheThanosImperative'' uses this for effect. When the Cancerverse unleashes their Galactus Engine on the normal universe it is show to simply sit there doing nothing. ComicBook/SilverSurfer explains that the battle the Engine is involved with exists at a conceptual level (literally different abstract concepts trying to kill each other) so the fighting is impossible for mortals to see, only the consequences. Just as Nova is complaining about not being able to tell what is going on [[spoiler:one of the abstracts on their side explodes.]]
* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', all of the plot, flashbacks aside, is set after the SuperRegistrationAct, so a lot of the crime fighting of The Minutemen and the Crimebusters is actually depicted offscreen, but some of the fights and acts are talked upon by lots of characters, and various events are retold by various points of view, and others are just mentioned a moment. Most of the flashbacks flesh out those events.
* In ''{{Transformers}}'' Spotlight: Cliffjumper. When the Decepticons killed a humanoid female he befriended, he picks up his guns and kills all seven of them. It wasn't shown how he did it, but Cliff was hammering his friends tombstone with one of the Cons heads.
* A beautifully understated one from ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', in which Lucien, Dream's mild-mannered, polite and determinedly non-threatening librarian, mentions that Dream's prisoners -- all the dark monsters ''too horrific or dangerous to serve as nightmares'' -- have escaped, then adds:

* In ''[[DonRosa Life and Times]]'' series volume VIII Slick gave Scrooge [[YourMom the lamest insult ever.]] There was no battle; [[CurbStompBattle Scrooge was so full of pure wrath that it couldn't be called a fight.]] Shame that we saw only what the people outside the casino saw.
** Don Rosa deliberately did this with the intent of this incident being an example of American legends and how they are exaggerated over time. A later tie-in story has Scrooge telling Casey Coot that the whole incident wasn't nearly as awesome as stated and that the townspeople make it more ridiculous every time they tell it.
* In ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' Celestia (aided by Spike) had an ''epic'' fight defending Canterlot against a horde of giant Coacktrices. The bonus story shows it was a really, really ''hard'' battle, and Spike's aid was invaluable against the giant foes.
** Celestia also mentions [[{{Ghostbusters}} a giant marshmallow pony wreaking Manehattan]] ''and'' the rest of the conversation implies she had to take care of many other threats as well.
* Fantomex gets one in the ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' story arc "Nation X". A group of vicious mutant-hunting monsters known as Predator X attack the X-Men island of Utopia, each one requiring an entire team to narrowly defeat. One of them escapes to New York and the X-Men track it down...only to find that Fantomex has already killed it single-handedly. Without a scratch on him. In a sewer, without even getting his nice white costume dirty.

** In one story, Obelix is really into collecting Roman helmets as trophies, so we watch him wonder away from a fight to stack his helmets up, while the fight rages on.

** When Asterix sets Obelix loose in a Roman fort because he hasn't had anything to do in the story, we watch the chaos from a decent distance, where we can't make out any detail - only Asterix relaxing on a grassy hillside.
** ''The Roman Agent'' shows the most epic battle in the history of the village in the [[ArtShift style of a history book illustration]] where it's far too zoomed-out for us to clearly see what's happening. This also happens in-universe where the two {{Non Action Guy}}s are shown waiting in the middle of the village, one of whom is asking the other what's going on.

** ''The Roman Agent'' shows the most epic battle in the history of the village in the [[ArtShift style of a history book illustration]] where it's far too zoomed-out for us to clearly see what's happening. This also happens in-universe where the two NonActionGuys are shown waiting in the middle of the village, one of whom is asking the other what's going on.

** Celestia also mentions a giant marshmallow pony wreaking Manehattan ''and'' the rest of the conversation implies she had to take care of many other threats as well.

* Fantomex gets one in the ''XMen'' story arc "Nation X". A group of vicious mutant-hunting monsters known as Predator X attack the X-Men island of Utopia, each one requiring an entire team to narrowly defeat. One of them escapes to New York and the X-Men track it down...only to find that Fantomex has already killed it single-handedly. Without a scratch on him. In a sewer, without even getting his nice white costume dirty.

* ''TheThanosImperative'' uses this for effect. When the Cancerverse unleashes their Galactus Engine on the normal universe it is show to simply sit there doing nothing. SilverSurfer explains that the battle the Engine is involved with exists at a conceptual level (literally different abstract concepts trying to kill each other) so the fighting is impossible for mortals to see, only the consequences. Just as Nova is complaining about not being able to tell what is going on [[spoiler:one of the abstracts on their side explodes.]]

* Fntomex gets one in the ''XMen'' story arc "Nation X". A group of vicious mutant-hunting monsters known as Predator X attack the X-Men island of Utopia, each one requiring an entire team to narrowly defeat. One of them escapes to New York and the X-Men track it down...only to find that Fantomex has already killed it single-handedly. Without a scratch on him. In a sewer, without even getting his nice white costume dirty.

In ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' Celestia (aided by Spike) had an ''epic'' fight defending Canterlot against a horde of giant Coacktrices. The bonus story shows it was a really, really ''hard'' battle, and Spike's aid was invaluable against the giant foes.

* The {{Wolverine}}[=/=]Lobo fight in ''MarvelVsDC'' took place entirely behind a bar. Most likely because there was no plausible way the writers could think of to have Wolverine (who, at the time, had been stripped of his adamantium skeleton and claws) beat a {{Superman}}-class powerhouse like Lobo.

* ''{{Runaways}}'' doesn't show Karolina and [[spoiler: Xavin's wedding, or the Skrulls and Majesdanians blowing up each other's planets shortly after]]. Instead of [[spoiler: extra-terrestrial lesbian weddings, intergalactic war and explosions]], we get the rest of the Runaways whining at each other and falling to pieces.

** Don Rosa deliberately did this with the intent of this incident being an example of American legends and how they are exaggerated over time. A later tie-in story has Scrooge telling Cornelius Coot that the whole incident wasn't nearly as awesome as stated and that the townspeople make it more ridiculous every time they tell it.

* ''FunkyWinkerbean'' set up a meeting between Les and a formerly homeless woman who somehow became a big publisher thanks to Les' manuscript, which she found and possibly plagiarized. You'd think that Les would look up the woman and what books she's written/published, discover she became rich off his stolen book and angrily confront her over plagiarism charges, but nothing happens. They meet, decide to do business, the manuscript isn't brought up, and that's it. The next week's plot is new, and it hasn't been brought up again.

* In {{Watchmen}}, all of the plot, flashbacks aside, is set after the SuperRegistrationAct, so a lot of the crime fighting of The Minutemen and the Crimebusters is actually depicted offscreen, but some of the fights and acts are talked upon by lots of characters, and various events are retold by various points of view, and others are just mentioned a moment. Most of the flashbacks flesh out those events.

* GrantMorrison has some issues with endings, but how the "World War III" arc of his [[JusticeLeagueOfAmerica JLA]] run ended really took the cake. Every person on Earth gets powers (including [[BirdsOfPrey Oracle]] whom, if you'll remember, has been paralyzed from the waist down for years). They join the angelic choir in an assault on a horrifying EldritchAbomination-style-thing. We see the Earth's population and the angels going into space for one two-page thread... and then ''we never see any of the fight''. Okay, so thematically it was supposed to be about Superman's fight against Mageddon, but how can you tease such a gigantic fight and not show it?!

* Done deliberately in ''Comicbook/TooMuchCoffeeMan.'' After studiously avoiding any even vaguely superheroic content in a superhero comic, we finally get an alien coming to Earth and begging the hero for help. The two of them make small talk as they get ready for the adventure ... then the story jumps ahead to show them coming home, since the small talk was the [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome real point]].
* SquirrelGirl does this all the time.
** Most recently, in ComicBook/NewAvengers, she took down a Nazi mech. She then runs into three more. She charges them as they open fire. We next see her at Avengers Mansion, battered and bleeding.

* In an [[ElfQuest ElfQuest]] miniseries, ''Rebels'', "The worst pile up in many years" during a futuristic race happens mostly off panel. We just see the aftermath.

* In ''{{Transformers}}'' Spotlight: Cliffjumper. When the Decepticons killed a humanoid female he befriended, he picks up his guns and kills all seven of them. It wasn't shown how he did it, but Cliff was hammering his friends tombstone with one of the Cons heads.
* A beautifully understated one from ''TheSandman'', in which Lucien, Dream's mild-mannered, polite and determinedly non-threatening librarian, mentions that Dream's prisoners -- all the dark monsters ''too horrific or dangerous to serve as nightmares'' -- have escaped, then adds:

** Most recently, in NewAvengers, she took down a Nazi mech. She then runs into three more. She charges them as they open fire. We next see her at Avengers Mansion, battered and bleeding.

* While {{Watchmen}} is an entire CrowningMomentOfAwesome, all of the plot, flashbacks aside, is set on after the SuperRegistrationAct, so a lot of the crime fighting of The Minutemen and the Crimebusters is actually depicted offscreen, but some of the fights and acts are talked upon by lots of characters, and various events are retold by various points of view, and others are just mentioned a moment. Most of the flashbacks flesh out those events.

A beautifully understated one from ''TheSandman'', in which Lucien, Dream's mild-mannered, polite and determinedly non-threatening librarian, mentions that Dream's prisoners -- all the dark monsters ''too horrific or dangerous to serve as nightmares'' -- have escaped, then adds:

* Done deliberately in ''TooMuchCoffeeMan.'' After studiously avoiding any even vaguely superheroic content in a superhero comic, we finally get an alien coming to Earth and begging the hero for help. The two of them make small talk as they get ready for the adventure ... then the story jumps ahead to show them coming home, since the small talk was the [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome real point]].

* While {{Watchmen}} is an entire CrowningMomentOfAwesome, all of the plot, flashbacks aside, is set on after the SuperRegistrationAct, so a lot of the crime fighting of The Minutemen and the Crimebusters is actually depicted offscreen.