History TearJerker / AtopTheFourthWall

* In the ''Black Panther, vol. 4 #1-6'' review, he reaches the part of the comic where a Wakandan councilor suggests that they could trade the cure for cancer for help in tracking down Klaw, but the other councilors object because the west doesn't deserve it. Linkara, ''who's lost friends and family to cancer'', does not take it well.

*** That also means she wasn’t invited to his wedding. Plus with their [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditing Judgment drift to different politics from each other]] over the years, what’s really the chance of them ever being friends again?

*** That also means she wasn’t invited to his wedding. Plus with their [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment drift to different politics from each other]] over the years, what’s really the chance of them ever being friends again?

*** That also means she wasn’t invited to his wedding. Plus with their [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement drift to different politics from each other]] over the years, what’s really the chance of them ever being friends again?

** Becomes even worse when the DC relaunch happened, where Lian Harper very ''existence'' was [[RetGone retconed]] along with Linkara's favorite Titans team. Even though his anger in The New Teen Titans Anti-Drug PSA about this was funny, you can tell that this whole thing has really upset him. Especially since in his Rise of Arsenal review, he stated that if they did not retcon Lian's death, he would lose more respect for DC than from the act itself. BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor indeed.

** Let's say you watched "The Wrath of Khan". Now, let's say you remember seeing it while watching Linkara's reviews of the comic adaptation. The ''second'' Pollo said "I have been, and always shall be, your friend.", just like Spock before him, you could tell right away how this would end. The worst thing? ''It changes nothing''; whether you saw it or not, Pollo's death is still a sad moment.

* In a way, Lewis' reflection on why he hates ''Holy Terror'' most of all the comics he's reviewed on ATFW. The book's message of hatred, paranoia and intolerance is the exact opposite of his own personal philosophy, and his admission that he himself is afraid of terrorism in his speech about the book's twisted moral message is genuinely tearjerking.

* Linkara's misery induced rant at the end of the Ghostbusters II review. Mentioning not only some real world issues with getting his videos out on time, but also different storyline issues including that his friends might be about to betray him.

* The Entity actually gets one in ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' #11-12. It is overcome by its own relative insignificance and chooses to die. It even asks if there's anything else after this world. It's hard to make someone feel bad for the death of an EldritchAbomination like the entity, but by God, here it is.

* The finale of the Clone Saga, ''Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth Comic'', has Mirrorkara point over to the posters of the Channel Awesome anniversary specials while [[EvilGloating giving a monologue]], questioning why Linkara still has them up. Meaning that the mass exodus of the site ''happened within the show's continuity''. Every horrible thing that happened in real-life occurred in-universe as well, and when Mirrorkara first brings it up, Linkara visibly turns away. That had to sting.

* From 2014 - 2018, there was a yellow hat on the shelves in honor of [=JewWario=]. Although following information coming out [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement in regards to actions Justin did behind the scenes]], Lewis has removed the hat from the shelf. It comes off as heartbreaking since Lewis was close to Justin and the removal of the hat seems to imply how disappointed (and more or less devastated) Lewis probably is after what came out.

** Though it only becomes so on a second viewing, as it doesn't sink in the first time due to spoilers, his desperate pleading with Linkara not to destroy his watch are heart wrenching afterwards.

* His general disappointment that the Brute Force series only had 4 issues in his final review of the series. In spite of how stupid it was, he wishes that it would be re-launched for the sake of it being CrazyAwesome.

** What really sold this scene was Mr. Lovhaug's delivery. The man chews the scenery every chance he gets, and now suddenly he sounds like he's about to ''cry''. [[HeReallyCanAct And who says he can't act?]]

** Also, he has left without saying good-bye to anyone but Pollo, because he knows they'll just try to talk him out of it.]

** As of 2018, Liz has confirmed that they've grown apart to where two of them rarely speak any more.

* Meta: After ten years on the site, Lewis announced he was leaving Website/ChannelAwesome. The heartbreaking part is him saying he stuck around as long as he did hoping he could enact some change with the management, but eventually realized that was fruitless.
** To make matters worse, when Lewis announced that he was leaving Channel Awesome, the site removed all of his videos and his sub page without even acknowledging that he left. Lewis was not only one of the Channel's oldest veterans, he was one of the most prolific contributors and one of the most prominent personalities. And Channel Awesome just pulled his work off the site without even a small farewell post.
** And to make matters even ''worse'', it ''then'' emerged that [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]], one of his close friends from Channel Awesome who he had defended and grieved for when he committed suicide, had been a sexual predator who attacked at least two women. Since Lewis is well-known for his feminist views and has often expressed that RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil in his videos, that news had to have been ''earth-shattering'' for him. Much like [[WebVideo/MarzGurl Kaylyn Saucedo]] and ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'', Lewis left up his ''Gameboy'' #3 review (a review he moved up to honor Justin), but edited the description (and disabled comments) in the Website/YouTube version making it clear the video no longer reflects his views of Justin, that he wouldn't done the video if he'd known the truth, and he's only leaving it up for historical purposes.

** And to make matters ''more'' worse, it ''then'' emerged that [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]], one of his close friends from Channel Awesome who he had defended and grieved for when he committed suicide, had been a sexual predator who attacked at least two women. Since Lewis is well-known for his feminist views and has often expressed that RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil in his videos, that news had to have been ''earth-shattering'' for him. Much like [[WebVideo/MarzGurl Kaylyn Saucedo]] and ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'', Lewis left up his ''Gameboy'' #3 review (a review he moved up to honor Justin), but edited the description (and disabled comments) in the Website/YouTube version making it clear the video no longer reflects his views of Justin, that he wouldn't done the video if he'd known the truth, and he's only leaving it up for historical purposes.

* His review of the episodes of the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' cartoon's adaptation of Terra's arc has a subtle one; many fans had noted that the Wario hat that was in the videos as a tribute to [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis JewWario]] is no longer there. As noted above, Lewis may have been very hurt by the relevations about a long-gone friend. To his credit, he doesn't mention it, and goes on with the review like normal, but it doesn't make it any less sad. Made a little bit worse when you realize the episodes he's reviewing are about a friend of the heroes doing something horrible.

* His review of the episodes of the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' cartoon's adaptation of Terra's arc has a subtle one; many fans had noted that the Wario hat that was in the videos as a tribute to [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis JewWario]] is no longer there. As noted above, Lewis may have been very hurt by the relevations about a long-gone friend. To his credit, he doesn't mention it, and goes on with the review like normal, but it doesn't make it any less sad. Made a little bit worst when you realize the episodes he's reviewing are about a friend of the heroes doing something horrible.

** At the end of the ComicBook/SilentHill Dead/Alive review, we learn the origins of the Magic Gun. [[spoiler:It is made of the soul of a tortured little girl. A girl ''tortured by her parents to revive an ancient god''. Upon learning of this, and how he has been using the Gun for so long, an already weakened Linkara is mind-raped to the point of believing that he was the girl's father and tries to shoot himself with the Gun. He only survives because the girl's spirit in the Gun sees he's worth saving, and doesn't shoot.]]
** [[spoiler:"They didn't love me." After Linkara goes through an ominous book full of scrawled angry text that sets up some ominous foreshadowing, of all things it's that one little line, written plaintively in the corner of the page that packs the biggest emotional gut punch.]]

* ActionGirl WebVideo/IronLiz seems unbreakable, doesn't she? Not according to her livestream discussion with [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis JewWario]]. [[spoiler: She grew up horribly depressed, and tried to kill herself ''on her eighteenth birthday''.]]

* In Linkara's ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueCryForJustice'' review, the moment where he unleashes his fury at [[spoiler: Lian Harper's death]] wasn't funny in the slightest. Whereas normally, Linkara adds a bit of a dorky whine to his angry voice in order to convey a bit of comedy, even when he reviewed Countdown, there was NONE of that in Linkara's voice during that scene. Instead, there was nothing but pure, unmitigated fury toward James Robinson for killing off one of his favorite characters for nothing more than an unforeshadowed Shock Death that ALSO ruined the comic series that got him into comics, [[spoiler: the Titans]], because [[spoiler: Lian Harper's]] presence in the book helped [[spoiler: humanize Arsenal, her father]].
** Becomes even worse when the DC relaunch happened, where [[spoiler: Lian Harper]] very ''existence'' was [[RetGone retconed]] along with Linkara's favorite Titans team. Even though his anger in The New Teen Titans Anti-Drug PSA about this was funny, you can tell that this whole thing has really upset him. Especially since in his Rise of Arsenal review, he stated that if they did not retcon [[spoiler: Lian's death]], he would lose more respect for DC than from the act itself. BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor indeed.
* In Linkara's [=NBComics=] #1 review, when the magic kid tries to use a glove to wish for super powers, Linkara says "Don't waste your time with [[WebVideo/SuburbanKnights magic gloves]] kid, you'll only end up with [[spoiler: a dead Planeteer]]."
* In "The Grinning Man" Linkara really seems depressed that he doesn't even know [[spoiler: the name of the girl who was killed to make the Magic Gun]].
* In "Planet of the Symbiotes", the look on Linkara's face when he realizes [[spoiler: Liz was taken by the Entity]] is absolutely heartbreaking.
** Oh, hell, even right before that, when he [[spoiler: cries out "LIZ!" and rushes forward to save her, only to be blocked by the Entity...]] Lips will tremble and eyes will water.
* After reviewing Electric Tale of Pikachu, he [[spoiler: gives up as he sees no way to defeat the Entity]], stands up, and a sadder rendition of his theme song plays as he slowly takes off the Ash-esque outfit he wore all episode and replaces it with his own outfit- even replicating camera angles of putting on his coat and hat seen in his opening credits. He just looks so...''defeated''. The worst part, however, is [[spoiler: what he says to Nimue:]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Linkara''': Well, Nimue, it was nice knowing you... although brief.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Nimue''': The emotion... is shared.]]

*** However, if you stay for the credits, it says that [[spoiler:the Magic Gun also came back after the Entity's death]].

* The duplication of [[spoiler:Spock's death with Pollo. Particularly Iron Liz calling Linkara "Lewis" to snap him out of suicidally running in. Note that no one has ''ever'' referred to Linkara by his real name before this.]]
** Let's say you watched "The Wrath of Khan". Now, let's say you remember seeing it while watching Linkara's reviews of the comic adaptation. The ''second'' Pollo said [[spoiler: "I have been, and always shall be, your friend."]], just like Spock before him, [[spoiler: you could tell right away how this would end]]. The worst thing? ''It changes nothing''; whether you saw it or not, [[spoiler: Pollo's death]] is still a sad moment.
** This exchange between Pollo and Linkara [[spoiler: as the former slowly dies from radiation after saving Comicron-1 from Mechakara.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Pollo:''' I knew what I had to do. I stopped the other me.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Linkara:''' He's not you.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Pollo:''' You said you were afraid that I might become like him. I hope this proves otherwise.]]
--> [[spoiler: '''Linkara:''' You didn't have to prove anything. You're nothing like him, Pollo. You're my friend.]]
** Pollo never backed himself up, because he said he it wouldn't be "him"; it would be like a clone, a different person. You ever wonder why Linkara never tried to resurrect anyone via cloning after attempting it with Spoony [[spoiler: (and why he didn't offer it as an option when Ma-ti died?)]] ''That was Pollo's influence.''

** [[spoiler: Later reviews reveal that she voluntarily blocked Linkara's magic herself and that she was just fine. Still doesn't affect the fear and sorrow felt on her behalf up until then, though.]]

* Linkara [[spoiler: has decided to go on a quest to travel across the U.S. to find a sorcerer to help fix his magic- and he's going ''alone''. He has ''no'' true clue of where to start looking (the best lead he has are some magic hotspots to the north that Nimue picked up on her scanner) and no backup or weapons except for a ''single'' Mark 2 Cybermat and a wrist communicator to call for help. To top it all off, Harvey's pleading with him not to go and Holokara is to do the show in the real Linkara's absence. Linkara's family's breaking up over this, and even when he gets his magic back eventually (or at all) ''nothing'' will ever be the same again.]]
** [[spoiler: Also, he has left without saying good-bye to anyone but Pollo, because he knows they'll just try to talk him out of it.]]

* When he [[spoiler: meets Margeret]] and starts pressing [[spoiler: Margeret]] for answers, trying to figure out how to make things better, thinking it means he has to be a "goody two shoes" and thinking [[spoiler: Margaret should kill him so he can't get any worse]]. He really ''doesn't know what else to do''.

* ''The Thing from Another World #2''- [[spoiler: Harvey, Linkara, 90's Kid, and Linksano have turned on each other out of paranoia and fear - a shadow creature sent by the Gungslinger is screwing with their perceptions to make them believe they're trapped in the apartment with no way out, and enhancing their preexisting resentments towards each other so they fight. All this so Linkara gets angry enough that his Magic Gun's full potential will activate- and when that happens, the Gunslinger will come to claim it for his own collection. It's utterly heartbreaking to see their close friendship devolve into an ''explosion'' of bickering and unfounded accusations against one another, not ''one'' of them taking the time to stop and ''think'' rationally, or ''listen''- and the viewer's left watching this, knowing that if they don't trust each other again soon, they're all ''screwed.'']]
** [[spoiler: The fact that Harvey's the first one to snap makes it even worse. Both times Linkara went missing, Harvey was always there to keep everyone on track, looking out for the others, and yet here he's clearly losing it and being the most suspicious of all of them, accusing everyone of being either an imposter.]]
* ''Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #2'' - [[spoiler: The situation has been resolved, and everyone's fine. Everyone except Harvey. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone He's clearly torn up about what he said and what he was willing to do, regardless of whether his perceptions were skewed and preexisting resentment over the Holokara incident enhanced by the above mentioned shadow monster or not.]] Even though Linkara reassures him that it's okay, Harvey still says he needs some time and distance, so he's going on a concert tour across the US. Lewis hasn't turned in a performance so heartbreaking since the origin story of the Magic Gun.]]
* Harvey Finevoice gets his long-awaited backstory at the end of [[http://atopfourthwall.blogspot.com/2012/12/archie-giant-series-magazine-452.html Archie Giant Series Magazine #452]] ...and it's depressing as hell. [[spoiler:After his son Charlie died (he even says he doesn't remember what age he was--"It's always too young"), he became a drunken wreck, stopped singing, and drove his wife away. After his latest failed attempt to visit his son's grave, Linkara (who was filming his training montage for the Amazons Attack review) saw him pass out right next to him on the sidewalk and got him help- which Harvey credits with saving his life.]]
** Oh, it gets even more heart-rending, as revealed in ''Batman: Noel''. [[spoiler:Harvey thinks of Linkara as a replacement for Charlie. Future!Linkara tells him he has to let go of Charlie's memory, because he's been stuck there. Harvey has ''serious'' issues with this, still thinking of Linkara as his surrogate son. When Linkara left to find out what was wrong with his magic, Harvey was angry because it felt like Charlie was leaving all over again. All this is taking place in front of Charlie's grave, just to really hammer the nail home. Eventually, Harvey is able to say goodbye to the grave, and lets go of the memory. When he stands up, he's suddenly in Linkara's house, [[MoodWhiplash where Linkara is clearly overjoyed to see him, and invites him in for the Christmas celebrations.]] Harvey closes out the episode with a breathtaking rendition of '[[Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol Thankful Heart]]'. [[MoodWhiplash Then he realizes all of his belongings are still at the hotel he was plucked from two weeks ago.]]]]

* One more Harvey line: [[spoiler:"You have no goddamn idea what it's like!"]]
* A few times Harvey has talked about watching Linkara's back, notably when he [[spoiler:mistakenly called Linkara by his dead son's name ("That's why I'll always have Charlie's back")]]. It's a figure of speech, but it still makes it all the worse that [[spoiler: when The Gunslinger finally steals Linkara's gun, he does it by literally shooting him in the back, when he's apparently alone in the apartment]].
* The Gunslinger [[spoiler:getting drunk and watching ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' as he becomes permanently bonded to our universe.]]
** How broken he looked when [[spoiler: he was talking about all the people he gathered from other worlds dying when they came over to his. He even starts the segment of the log with a soft "They're all dead."]]
** Even if he was pissed at the time [[spoiler: his absolute change in body language and tone when he confronts Linkara, shouting "I can never go home because of you! I can never see my wife, my family, my friends!" while looking on the verge of tears.]]
** Though it only becomes so on a second viewing, as it doesn't sink in the first time due to spoilers, [[spoiler: his desperate pleading with Linkara not to destroy his watch are heart wrenching afterwards.]]
* Adding to that is the horrified MyGodWhatHaveIDone look on Linkara's face as he watches the video. Made even worse by the fact that only a few months ago he had been shown how close he was to [[spoiler: turning evil.]] after this, he was probably starting to see himself as a [[DesignatedHero Designated]] FailureHero.

* We finally see Jaeris again in ''The Culling, Part 1''. [[spoiler:He's let himself go, drinking away his sorrows, and he still blames Linkara for cutting him off from his homeworld. Pollo gives him [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a lecture on how what's happened to him is his own fault]], comparing him to the likes of [[MultiversalConqueror Lord Vyce]] and [[EldritchAbomination The Entity]]. After Pollo leaves, Sierra reassures Jaeris that it still believes in him. Jaeris is silent for a moment, before simply saying 'thanks'. It's clear that Jaeris is hurting badly, and time will not heal his wounds on its own.]]

* The October 2013 trailer. [[spoiler:"Help me."]]

* TheStinger for Cosmic Slam #1: [[spoiler: Jaeris and Pollo are looking for Jaeris's home dimension, but the lack of results is testing his patience, causing him to wonder if it's really worth the effort to get home. And then Sierra is infected by the King of Worms, knocks Jaeris out, and forces Pollo into an older body.]]

* The first trailer for the movie has [[spoiler:Linkara considering stopping the show.]]
** As of the actual first section, we discover it's because [[spoiler:all the shit that's happened to him over the course of the storylines seem to have provoked some traumatic stress.]]

** [[spoiler:Harvey admits he doesn't believe in God, mainly because of him having lost his son.]]
** [[spoiler: The death of Allen and Linkara's reaction to it.]]
** [[spoiler: Linkara admitting that he feels like he's just waiting to die.]]
** [[spoiler: Linkara's conversation with Allen's corpse about how he feels like his life is a comic book sometimes, adding in how he may just go through a reboot, do something like Spider-Man did in One More Day or have something like what happened to Arsenal in Cry for Justice. Given how much Linkara hates those books...]]
** [[spoiler: Linkara reflecting too late ([[BackFromTheDead except not]]) on what an asshole he's been to Allen.]]
* [[spoiler: The crashing of [=ComiCron1=].]]
* Linkara's misery induced rant at the end of the Ghostbusters II review. Mentioning not only some real world issues with getting his videos out on time, but also different storyline issues including that [[spoiler: his friends might be about to betray him.]]
** And one of them actually did betray him: [[spoiler: [[BewareTheSillyOnes 90's Kid]]]].
* The end of the review of ''ComicBook/RoboCopVersusTheTerminator'' #2 where [[spoiler: Harvey, the Ninja-Style Dancer, Pollo, and Dr. Linksano have a WhatTheHellHero intervention about Linkara's recent actions and results in them deciding to leave rather than support Linkara's current course.]]
* [[spoiler:As one comment points out, the Magic Gun ending up under the control of the Entity is partially this. She finally managed to end up with somebody who cares about her and then she's controlled by the very thing her parents killed her and made her into a gun for.]]
* [[spoiler: Vyce's]] speech at the end of Comic Book Quickies #7 [[spoiler: really brings home on how much he's lost in his quest to kill The Enitiy. His home planet, the allies who fought by his side, the ship he called home, it's clear that the only thing that drives him is finally defeating the very thing he's lost everything to, [[AndThenWhat and he's afraid he doesn't know what to do after that.]]]]
** On top of that [[spoiler: the fact that Comicron One had a function that allows self repair of the ship and fabrication of things meant that all the trouble and pain Linkara and everyone went though to make Comicron Two was not only pointless, but drives even more to the point on how entirely lucky they were beating Vyce.]]
* [[spoiler: The Entity]] actually gets one in ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' #11-12. [[spoiler: It is overcome by its own relative insignificance and chooses to die. It even asks if there's anything else after this world. It's hard to make someone feel bad for the death of an EldritchAbomination like the entity, but by God, here it is.]]

** And to make matters ''more'' worse, it ''then'' emerged that [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]], one of his close friends from Channel Awesome who he had defended and grieved for when he committed suicide, had been a sexual predator who attacked at least two women. Since Lewis is well-known for his feminist views and has often expressed that RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil in his videos, that news had to have been ''earth-shattering'' for him. Much like [[WebVideo/MarzGurl Kaylyn Saucedo]] and ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'', Lewis left up his ''Gameboy'' #3 review (a review he moved up to honor Justin), but edited the description in the Website/YouTube version making it clear the video no longer reflects his views of Justin, that he wouldn't done the video if he'd known the truth, and he's only leaving it up for historical purposes.

* His review of the episodes of the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' cartoon's adaptation of Terra's arc has a subtle one; many fans had noted that the Wario hat that was in the videos as a tribute to [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis JewWario]] is no longer there. As noted above, Lewis may have been very hurt by the relevations about a long-gone friend. To his credit, he doesn't mention it, and goes on with the review like normal, but it doesn't make it any less sad.

** And to make matters ''more'' worse, it ''then'' emerged that [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]], one of his close friends from Channel Awesome who he had defended and grieved for when he committed suicide, had been a sexual predator who attacked at least two women. Since Lewis is well-known for his feminist views and has often expressed that RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil in his videos, that news had to have been ''earth-shattering'' for him. Much like [[WebVideo/MarzGurl Kaylyn Saucedo]] and ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'', Lewis is leaving up his ''Gameboy'' #3 review (a review he moved up to honor Justin), but edited the description in the Website/YouTube version so that it noted it no longer reflects his views of Justin, that he wouldn't done it if he'd known the truth, and he's only leaving it up for historical purposes.

** And to make matters ''more'' worse, it ''then'' emerged that [[WebVideo/YouCanPlayThis Justin "JewWario" Carmical]], one of his close friends from Channel Awesome who he had defended and grieved for when he committed suicide, had been a sexual predator who attacked at least two women. Since Lewis is well-known for his feminist views and has often expressed that RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil in his videos, that news had to have been ''earth-shattering'' for him. Much like [[WebVideo/MarzGurl Kaylyn Saucedo]] and ''Film/FarewellFamiKamenRider'', Lewis is leaving up his ''Gameboy'' #3 review (a review he moved up to honor Justin), but edited the description in the YouTube version so that it noted it no longer reflects his views of Justin, that he wouldn't done it if he'd known the truth, and he's only leaving it up for historical purposes.