History SaveTheVillain / ComicBooks

** In ''Batman: Devil's Advocate'', Batman saves the Joker from the death penalty. He went out of his way and [[[WhatTheHellHero against the advice of everybody]] to prove Joker [[NotMeThisTime innocent]] of the crime he was scheduled to be executed for. It ended with Batman saying something like "And from now on, whatever you do, you'll know that you only live because of me. What's the matter? Don't you appreciate the joke?" Seeing as this also means that the Joker is free to carry on ''murdering people'' due to Batman's intervention, [[NiceJobBreakingitHero the joke may be on him.]]

** In ''Batman: Devil's Advocate'', Batman saves the Joker from the death penalty. He went out of his way and against the advice of everybody to prove Joker [[NotMeThisTime innocent]] of the crime he was scheduled to be executed for. It ended with Batman saying something like "And from now on, whatever you do, you'll know that you only live because of me. What's the matter? Don't you appreciate the joke?" Seeing as this also means that the Joker is free to carry on ''murdering people'' due to Batman's intervention, [[WhatTheHellHero the joke may be on him.]]

** In ''Batman: Devil's Advocate'', Batman saves the Joker from the death penalty. He went out of his way and against the advice of everybody to prove Joker [[NotMeThisTime innocent]] of the crime he was scheduled to be executed for. It ended with Batman saying something like "And from now on, whatever you do, you'll know that you only live because of me. What's the matter? Don't you appreciate the joke?" Seeing as this also means that the Joker is free to carry on ''murdering people'' due to Batman's intervention, the joke may be on him.

** [[ComicBook/Batgirl2000 The third Batgirl, Cassandra Cain]], takes this to an impressive extreme, being willing to run straight into the line of fire of an automatic weapon to prevent a nameless {{Mook|s}} from getting hit with friendly fire. That's how much she sticks to ThouShaltNotKill.

* This is how ComicBook/TheFlash defeats [[EvilCounterpart Reverse-Flash]] once and for all ([[JokerImmunity for a time]]) in ''The Flash'' #762; since his ParadoxPerson powers make killing him effectively meaningless, Barry instead chooses to forgive him and uses [[SentientCosmicForce the Speed Force]] to ground him in reality, erasing his villainous past and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong making it so that he never became a villain in the first place, allowing him to live a peaceful, happy life]].

* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'':

** In ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #656, Peter adopts a "No One Dies" rule after the death of Jameson's wife at the hands of the Spider-Slayer and his resulting HeroicBSOD. This leads to him TakingTheBullet for [[TheSociopath Massacre]], and Jameson lampshading his HonorBeforeReason, calling him "a fucking idiot" and "bleeding heart half-wit". Peter tries saving Massacre's life ''again'' during ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' when Doc Ock has him at his mercy, but his efforts are in vain this time.

* Played straight in ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' when Daredevil drags the sociopathic Bullseye out of the path of a subway train, and then subverted in a later story when (under severe provocation) he lets go of Bullseye's hand while he's dangling over a long drop. JokerImmunity preserves Bullseye's life, but he winds up in a hospital bed, completely paralyzed. (...for a while.) In ''ComicBook/DaredevilBornAgain'', Daredevil also desperately tries to save the maniacal SuperSoldier Nuke after he realizes that he isn't even aware of his surroundings and needs all the help he can get.

* Franchise/{{Batman}}, himself, has taken this trope to ridiculous extremes - to the point of once performing CPR ''on The Joker''. Considering [[CPRCleanPrettyReliable how CPR actually is]], it's kind of a win-win situation: Joker lives to keep Batsy all heroic and stuff, and Batman gets to ensure this by more or less beating the shit out of him again. And in that case, it was less saving the Joker than saving ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} from the knowledge that he killed a man in cold blood.
** In ''Batman: Devil's Advocate'', Batman saved the Joker from the death penalty. He went out of his way and against the advice of everybody to prove Joker [[NotMeThisTime innocent]] of the crime he was scheduled to be executed for. It ended with Batman saying something like "And from now on, whatever you do, you'll know that you only live because of me. What's the matter? Don't you appreciate the joke?" Seeing as this also means that the Joker is free to carry on ''murdering people'' due to Batman's intervention, the joke may be on him.
** In ''Batman: Cacophony'', the SerialKiller Onomatopoeia (who targets superheroes, though he doesn't mind killing other people for fun either) stabbed ComicBook/TheJoker in the heart after their villain team-up failed and prepared to flee -- but waited a few seconds because he wanted to see whether Batman would save the Joker or let him die to pursue Onomatopoeia. Batman chooses the first option despite strong protests from Jim Gordon whose wife and daughter were [[ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand murdered]] and [[ComicBook/TheKillingJoke crippled]] by the Joker respectively. When the Joker asks him why he did it, Batman explains that due to One Bad Day he can't bear to see ''anyone'' die in front of him if he has the power to stop it.
** Played with multiple times in ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures''. In "With a Price on His Head," a grieving father puts a fifty-million-dollar bounty on [[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker's head]]. Suddenly, EVERYONE in Gotham wants to kill Joker. Batman ends up taking him to the Batcave for protection... and [[HilarityEnsues horrific hilarity ensues]]. Similarly, the "No Asylum" storyline deals with ComicBook/RasAlGhul's attempts to [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim murder his entire Rogues Gallery]] [[spoiler: as a gesture of good-will towards Batman, his daughter's 'beloved']] and Batman's attempts to save the villains.
** In a ''Detective'' issue called "The Executioner Wore Stiletto Heels," Batman risked his life to save an escaped prisoner who was condemned to death. He almost died in the process, but the criminal saved him.

** When Jason Todd, second short-lived Robin, [[FaceHeelTurn returns as]] the ComicBook/RedHood, he puts Batman in a situation that fits this trope intentionally: he takes the Joker hostage and uses him as a human shield, leaving Batman with only a kill-shot on Todd himself, then demands that Batman either kill Joker right then and there or save the villain by killing his former sidekick. Batman [[TakeAThirdOption takes a third option]] and uses a ricochet to disarm Todd with a batarang, SAVING BOTH VILLAINS.
--->'''The Joker''': (''Laughs maniacally'') I can't believe you got 'im! You expert, rootin' tootin', eagle-eyed, Goth-lovin' marksman. I love it! You managed to find [[ThouShaltNotKill a way to win]]. ''[[PyrrhicVictory And everybody still loses]]''!

** ''ComicBook/JLAAvengers'': Batman saves drug dealers from ''ComicBook/ThePunisher''. This should come as no surprise to anyone who read ''Deadly Knights,'' wherein Frank becomes yet another person Bruce has prevented from killing [[spoiler: The Joker]].

* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica to ComicBook/BaronZemo, lord knows how many times: "[[TakeMyHand Your HAND, man! Give me your hand!]]" Astonishingly, this [[spoiler: eventually pays off when Zemo surprisingly returns the favor at the cost of his face becoming scarred in a battle with Moonstone. He's still a villain though or more like an AntiVillain]].
* Played straight in ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' when Daredevil dragged the sociopathic ComicBook/{{Bullseye|MarvelComics}} out of the path of a subway train, and then subverted in a later story when (under severe provocation) he let go of Bullseye's hand when he was dangling over a long drop. JokerImmunity preserved Bullseye's life, but he wound up in a hospital bed, completely paralyzed. (...for a while.) Daredevil also desperately tried to save maniacal SuperSoldier Nuke after he realized that he wasn't even aware of his surroundings and needed all the help he could get.
* This is how ComicBook/TheFlash defeated [[EvilCounterpart Reverse Flash]] once and for all in ''The Flash'' #762; since his ParadoxPerson powers made killing him effectively meaningless, Barry instead chose to forgive him and used the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Speed Force]] to ground him in reality, erasing his villainous past and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong making it so that he never became a villain in the first place, allowing him to live a peaceful, happy life.]]
* ''Franchise/GreenLantern: ComicBook/BlackestNight'': In the end, the day is saved by Black Hand being brought back to life (although since Black Hand killed himself in the first place, this was very definitely an unwanted 'rescue').
* ''ComicBook/{{Hound|2014}}'': Near the end of the story, Cú Cullan saves Queen Maeve from King Connor and stops the warriors on both sides. Maeve agrees to end fighting and Cú Cullan proceeds to expose Morrigan as the true enemy.

* This happened twice with the Spoiler in separate partnerships.
** Played straight in ''ComicBook/{{Huntress}}/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma'' when the Spoiler helps her father, the Cluemaster, escape when he tells that her temporary partner, the Huntress, is "not like [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} that overgrown ferret]] and his brat. She's gonna kill your old man if she gets the chance."
** In a ''ComicBook/Robin1993'' story, she and Robin are put in a building about to be demolished by [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain the Baffler.]] Except he knocks himself out, so he ends up there as well. The two manage to save themselves but Robin points out they need to save the villain as well, much to Steph's dismay. Yet when the Baffler says they could become a team, the duo beat him up and leave him for the police.

** ''ComicBook/LetMyPeopleGrow'': Subverted when Brainiac is hit by his own size-changing ray and begins shrinking uncontrollably. Brainiac begs Supergirl to save him, and even Superman pleads with her, but Kara puts her foot down: their enlarging ray has only two shots left to enlarge her cousin and Kandor, and she is not squandering one of them on Brainiac. Hence, the Coluan is out of luck.
--->'''Brainiac:''' ''"What...have...you...done...to...me...?"''\\
'''Supergirl:''' ''"I did nothing, Brainiac-- You've done this to yourself!"''\\
'''Brainiac:''' ''"Please, Supergirl-- You've got to help me!"''\\
'''Supergirl:''' (coldly) ''"I'm sorry, but there isn't enough energy left in the enlarging ray to save Superman-- Kandor-- and you!"''\\
'''Brainiac:''' ''"Can you be so callous-- So cruel? I beg you-- Don't let it end like this!"''\\
'''Superman:''' ''"Blast it, Kara-- He's right! We must try to save him!"''\\
'''Supergirl:''' ''"Cousin-- NO! We can't afford to waste the energy!"''

* A discussion of this concept is held between Chuck and the freedom fighters in [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Archie Sonic issue #74]]:
-->'''Chuck''': Of all the actions I regret most, it's saving Robotnik from [[HumansAreBastards his own kind]] that haunts me above all the others! And yet even if I knew then what I know now, I'd still save his miserable neck!\\
'''Tails and Amy''': You would?\\
'''Chuck''': Of course! I consider all life to be sacred! [[IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim Just because my enemies lack character is not excuse enough for me to stoop to their level!]]

* According to ''ComicBook/{{The Invaders|MarvelComics}}'', this is how UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler died. The Golden Age ComicBook/HumanTorch1939 broke into Hitler's bunker during the Seige of UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}}, offering to let Hitler surrender to the Americans rather than the Russians -- as in our reality, the Red Army had earned a reputation for PayEvilUntoEvil. Hitler refused and attacked the Torch, prompting the Torch to kill Hitler in self-defense.

* [[ComicBook/MisterFantastic Reed Richards]] of the ComicBook/FantasticFour saved the life of ComicBook/{{Galactus}}, even after the latter had almost killed him and tried to drain the lifeforce of the earth. This prompted [[PlanetEater Galactus]] to (temporarily) declare that he would not attack Earth again, out of gratitude. However, Reed later wound up on trial before an interstellar court and nearly executed for his actions after Galactus consumed the Skrulls' home planet, killing billions.
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** In ''ComicBook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'' #15, Spidey saves his long-time antagonist J. Jonah Jameson from being framed by the mob. And was neither the first nor last time. Spidey has saved Jonah's behind so many times - [[UngratefulBastard with absolutely no gratitude from Jonah after all of it]] - you have to wonder why he bothers.
** In ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #656, Peter adopted a "No One Dies" rule after the death of Jameson's wife at the hands of the Spider-Slayer and his resulting HeroicBSOD. This led to him TakingTheBullet for [[TheSociopath Massacre]], and Jameson lampshading his HonorBeforeReason calling him "a fucking idiot" and "bleeding heart half-wit". Peter tries saving Massacre's life ''again'' during ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' when Doc Ock has him at his mercy, but his efforts were in vain this time.
** Shortly before the Gathering of Five arc in the ComicBook/SpiderMan comics, Spidey actually had to rescue ComicBook/NormanOsborn, and this Trope can be combined with WhatYouAreInTheDark for that occasion. ComicBook/TheKingpin sent Nitro the Living Bomb to assassinate Osborn, which resulted in him, Spidey (in his civilian identity as Peter Parker) and Norman's little grandson Normie trapped in an elevator that was about to collapse, both of them pinned. Norman, being the MagnificentBastard he is, actually took this time to gloat a little, telling Peter that he had no idea whether or not the security cameras were still working, and telling him that any displays of SuperStrength by Peter could possibly give him away to anyone who was watching. Of course, Norman was just as strong but claimed he was unwilling for that very reason. (Or maybe he was waiting until the last second, or was ''actually'' unable to free himself, just too proud to ask for help. We may never know.) Eventually, Peter had to take the chance to save Normie (and found out quickly that the security cameras had been quite broken by the explosion) and might have considered leaving his enemy to fall. But when Normie begged him to save his grandfather, he relented and helped get Norman out. ''Even then'', Norman couldn't help but goad him a little, telling him that if he had done nothing he would have been victorious in their feud. (And this would be a ''very'' large turning point in it; Norman would perform the Gathering of Five to gain more power to prevent things like this again, would be driven far more insane, his identity of the Goblin would be revealed, and his enmity with Spider-Man would become ''much'' deadlier than before.)

* In the Archie Comics ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesAdventures'', the titular foursome are forced to save Shredder from being possessed by Krang. Shredder is PISSED that he now owes his life to the Turtles. He disappears for a long time (both in-universe and in real life), and when he re-appears to kidnap Splinter, Leonardo passionately reminds Shredder that he owes the Turtles his life. Shredder relents and releases Splinter, warning that they're now even...

* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': In Issue 34 an Autobot Scout team of First Aid, Trailcutter, Mainframe, and Bluestreak regard a battle scene, and find a single survivor with no marking. They're left wondering if he's an Autobot, Decepticon, or other robotic life-form, but they endeavor to save him by each donating four vials of Energon. The sentiment goes away when Bluestreak finds [[spoiler:that the person has a removable face with spikes on the underside]], seemingly confirming him to be a Decepticon, making him and Mainframe pull out and leaving Trailcutter and First Aid to compensate and revive the bot. First Aid's refusal to let him die is immediately drained when he finds [[spoiler:that he's Vos of the Decepticon Justice Division, vicious killer and sadist]], leaving Trailcutter to revive him on his own. [[spoiler:Upon doing so, Vos attacks him, and while Trailcutter manages to fend him off and send First-Aid off to help, a second DJD member reveals himself. The Autobots return to find Trailcutter in messy pieces and Kaon laughing in their faces for such compassion.]]
** Much later, despite Rodimus having vowed to kill Getaway for leading a mutiny against him, he proves unable to go through with it and rescues Getaway from a fire. For bonus symbolism points, the Spectralist paint job he was wearing - symbolic of his vow of revenge - gets burned away, dramatically exposing his true colours. [[spoiler:Getaway doesn't get to enjoy it for long, though; [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork the scraplet swarm]] that [[AndroclesLion Whirl had befriended]] kills him.]]

* Before being turned DarkerAndEdgier, ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' felt very strongly about the sanctity of life:

* A three-issue arc in ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor2015'' has Thor and Agent Roz Solomon rescuing evil executive Dario Agger from a pair of fellow villains, as his kidnapping had launched a failsafe that would cause his floating base Roxxon Island to fall and destroy New York. He is not at all grateful, probably because Roz still arrests him afterwards.

** In ''[[ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #656, Peter adopted a "No One Dies" rule after the death of Jameson's wife at the hands of the Spider-Slayer and his resulting HeroicBSOD. This led to him TakingTheBullet for TheSociopath and CompleteMonster Massacre, and Jameson lampshading his HonorBeforeReason calling him "a fucking idiot" and "bleeding heart half-wit". Peter tries saving Massacre's life ''again'' during ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' when Doc Ock has him at his mercy, but his efforts were in vain this time.

** Played with multiple times in ''ComicBook/TheBatmanAdventures''. In "With a Price on His Head," a grieving father puts a fifty-million-dollar bounty on [[ComicBook/TheJoker the Joker's head]]. Suddenly, [[UptoEleven EVERYONE]] in Gotham wants to kill Joker. Batman ends up taking him to the Batcave for protection... and [[HilarityEnsues horrific hilarity ensues]]. Similarly, the "No Asylum" storyline deals with ComicBook/RasAlGhul's attempts to [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim murder his entire Rogues Gallery]] [[spoiler: as a gesture of good-will towards Batman, his daughter's 'beloved']] and Batman's attempts to save the villains.

* Subversion: ComicBook/MarshalLaw, seeing the thoroughly horrible Franchise/{{Batman}} parody Private Eye dangling over a meat grinder, deliberately walks too slowly to save him and calls out from several meters away, "Here, take my hand." Then he pretends (very briefly) to be sorry when the villain gets ground. Marshal Law is the very model (or, depending on your interpretation, {{parody}}) of a NinetiesAntiHero. Although he does this after realizing that his hero worship of Private Eye got his partner and only real friend killed and that Private Eye was much worse than any real criminal.

** Played straight in ''ComicBook/{{Huntress}}/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma'' when the Spoiler helps her father, the Cluemaster, escape when he tells that her temporary partner, the Huntress, is "not like [[Franchise/{{Batman}} that overgrown ferret]] and his brat. She's gonna kill your old man if she gets the chance."
** In a ''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'' story, she and Robin are put in a building about to be demolished by [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain the Baffler.]] Except he knocks himself out, so he ends up there as well. The two manage to save themselves but Robin points out they need to save the villain as well, much to Steph's dismay. Yet when the Baffler says they could become a team, the duo beat him up and leave him for the police.

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

** In ''[[ComicBook/DanSlottSpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #656, Peter adopted a "No One Dies" rule after the death of Jameson's wife at the hands of the Spider-Slayer and his resulting HeroicBSOD. This led to him TakingTheBullet for TheSociopath and CompleteMonster Massacre, and Jameson lampshading his HonorBeforeReason calling him "a fucking idiot" and "bleeding heart half-wit". Peter tries saving Massacre's life ''again'' during ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' when Doc Ock has him at his mercy, but his efforts were in vain this time.

* Not a physical fight that led to it, but in the first ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' graphic novel there's a dramatic moment when Rayek falls off a stone bridge and is dangling by his fingertips... Cutter thinks what will soon become a CatchPhrase of his ("[[ApeShallNeverKillApe No elf must die]]!") and crawls out to help him. Rayek isn't grateful, but blasts Cutter with the full fury of his hate before backing off the bridge, leaving the acrophobic Cutter there to figure his own way off. (It gives Cutter the resolve to pass the test he'd been unable to do before, winning the final battle between him and Rayek. Way to go, Rayek.)

* This is how ComicBook/TheFlash defeated [[EvilCounterpart Reverse Flash]] once and for all in ''The Flash'' #762; since his TemporalParadox powers made killing him effectively meaningless, Barry instead chose to forgive him and used the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Speed Force]] to ground him in reality, erasing his villainous past and [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong making it so that he never became a villain in the first place, allowing him to live a peaceful, happy life.]]

* According to ''ComicBook/TheInvadersMarvel'', this is how UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler died. The Golden Age ComicBook/HumanTorch1939 broke into Hitler's bunker during the Seige of UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}}, offering to let Hitler surrender to the Americans rather than the Russians -- as in our reality, the Red Army had earned a reputation for PayEvilUntoEvil. Hitler refused and attacked the Torch, prompting the Torch to kill Hitler in self-defense.

* In the Archie Comics version of ''ComicBook/MegaMan'', Mega Man saves Wily, and the rest of the world, from Ra Moon after he caused a massive global blackout. Even as far back as the first story arc, Mega Man saved Wily from being crushed by his own machine after he defeated him. Mega Man's tendency of saving Wily from himself is actually {{lampshade|Hanging}}d in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide Sonic/Mega Man crossover]] by Dr. Light.