History WhamEpisode / Comicbooks

* ''Mélusine'':

*** Issue #13: The second major StoryArc is kicked off as it's shown that Dr. Eggman has developed a [[TheVirus virus]] that [[UnwillingRoboticization turns organics into machines]].
*** Issue #15: [[spoiler: Rough and Tumble are used as subjects for a field test of the Metal Virus. While Sonic and Amy manage to defeat them, Sonic ends up infected with the virus as a result.]]
*** Issue #17: [[spoiler: The Chaotix's city is hit by Eggman and his Metal Virus. Charmy ends up infected trying to save a civilian who got some of the virus on her.]]
*** Issue #18: [[spoiler: Cream's village is hit next. While Vanilla and she manage to escape, Cheese and Chocola are infected protecting them and break out of the jars Sonic tried to ground them in.]]
*** Issue #19: [[spoiler: Shadow gets infected when he refuses to listen to the advice of his comrades and fights barehanded against the Zombots.]]
*** Issue #20: [[spoiler: Omega's body is destroyed while trying to fight against the newly Zombot-ified Shadow. Tails barely managing to grab his head that houses his CPU so he isn't completely demolished and can be rebuilt later. At the same time Starline finds out about the Zeti and their robot controlling powers, hitting upon an idea to use them to control the Zombots.]]
*** Issue #22: [[spoiler: Restoration HQ falls when a ZombieInfectee gets into the base and fully changes. Vanilla and Vector end up get getting infected in the scuffle.]]
*** Issue #23: While Sonic is seemingly hovering close to the DespairEventHorizon, [[spoiler: [[TheStarscream Starline gets fed up with Eggman]]; as he's aware that the Zeti are planning to betray them, he concocts a plan to seize control of them first, positioning himself to take over as the BigBad.]]
*** Issue #24: [[spoiler: DespairEventHorizon personified in this issue. The remainder of Amy's team is seen evacuating Tagle's hometown, but they are all emotionally drained with each shred of hope leaving them (Restoration HQ, Tails' lab, and the data reader needed to find a cure to the Metal Virus all having been lost). Cream is completely devoid of her optimism due to losing Cheese, Chocola, and her mom. Espio blames Sonic for the events that transpired due to letting Eggman run free (during his "[[AmnesiacDissonance Mr. Tinker]]" phase). Sonic is especially tired after endless running, and slowly losing his ability to drive back the virus affecting him, as informed by Gemerl. And Whisper is distraught after learning Tangle is infected and staying behind to help them all escape. Starline, meanwhile prepares to bring the Deadly Six over to control the Zombots.]]
*** Issue #28: [[spoiler: The heroes have successfully recovered the Chaos Emeralds, but then the issue ends with a WhamShot cliffhanger as Zavok attacks Angel Island with the Zombots of their friends and loved ones.]]
*** Issue #29: [[spoiler: Super Sonic and Super Silver manage to use the Chaos Emeralds and Warp Topaz to destroy the Metal Virus for good, but the Topaz overloads and explodes, with Sonic disappearing afterwards.]]
*** Issue #30: [[spoiler: Zavok recovers from his defeat, with it being revealed that the other Zeti have likewise recovered from the Metal Virus and escaped. Meanwhile, Eggman and his minions escape, with Metal Sonic [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice stabbing Gemerl through the chest]] in the process; Orbot and Cubot also manage to steal Omega's head in the process, with Eggman planning to make use of it. And in the final scene, it's revealed that a banged up Sonic crash-landed in Blaze's dimension.]]
*** Issue #31: [[spoiler: The good news? Sonic is already back up on his feet again in the Sol Dimension. The bad news? His mind has been warped and he's [[AmnesiacHero lost all his memories]]. Meanwhile, Starline now plans to regain Eggman's respect by conquering the world himself then making the both of them work together, and Eggman takes Omega and integrates him into a giant mech which he then uses to assault the heroes during Tangle's celebration party.]]

** Related to [[spoiler:the Superman bit, ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn'' was one itself revealing that in truth both the pre-''Flashpoint'' Superman was actually split in two and one of the halves, is in fact, the ''New 52'' Superman.]]

* The [[DarkerAndEdgier soul crushingly]] [[DownerEnding bleak]] ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' #23 in [[ComicBook/{{New52}} The New 52]] has Kara [[spoiler: completely disintergrated ([[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath in a particularly traumatic way]]) by the amnesiac Cyborg Superman who uses her DNA to reconstitute himself into an organic being. He immediately discovers he is really Zor-El and has just ''[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone killed his daughter]]''. To top everything off a very angry Brainiac (who 'created' Cyborg Superman) has just arrived.]]

* In ''ComicBook/{{Nikolai Dante}}'', Arkady having a weapons crest is a surprising plot twist. The wham moment comes when we find out that Dmitri lives on within it.

* ''Comicbook/TheDeathOfSuperman'': There is the title: [[TheHeroDies Superman dies!]] [[DeathIsCheap Then came back.]]

* The culmination of the infamous "ComicBook/TheJudasContract" arc of ''Comicbook/TeenTitans''. Terra, who saved them from Slade and has fought beside them for ages, is TheMole. She's always been The Mole. She's Slade's weapon and [[{{Squick}} lover]], and she's spent her entire time setting them up.
* ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'': Chapter 3. And arguably 9, and, [[spoiler: of course, 11]].

* ''Comicbook/TheAvengers'' tend to have fewers wham episodes than most, but this makes them all the more dramatic when they do happen:

* ''Comicbook/CaptainAmerica'':

* Ever since Creator/FrankMiller graced the pages of ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'' with his presence, this trope has become a defining element of the series and made NothingIsTheSameAnymore a recurring theme.

*** The ''other'' ''[[Comicbook/NewMutants New X-Men]]'' had one of its own, when the Purifiers blew up a bus loaded with depowered mutant children in the aftermath of M-Day.
* The ''Comicbook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' storyline might qualify as a Wham Issue ''IF'' the cover had not had TonightSomeoneDies in large letters on it. It was still pretty whammy, though, because [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt no one really thought they would kill]] ''her''.

* ComicBook/MarvelComics managed to do this with ''the very first issue'' of ''Comicbook/{{Thunderbolts}}''. TheReveal is considered one of the best in the industry. In case you're wondering: The Thunderbolts were a team who first showed up in ''Comicbook/IncredibleHulk'' after the whole ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} thing (long story short, the Comicbook/FantasticFour and Comicbook/TheAvengers are missing and no one knows how the rest of the superhero community can fill the vacuum), and made various miscellaneous appearances. They got their own book and their public debut by restoring order to the ruined Manhattan, defeat the Wrecking Crew and receive public approval even greater than even the Avengers themselves had after went public. And then we get to see Citizen V, the team leader, without his mask. And, perhaps more significantly, we get to see him with his ''real'' mask. The Thunderbolts are the Masters of Evil, the nemeses to the Avengers, led by Baron Zemo. Holy shit.

** ''Comicbook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'':

* In ''Comicbook/{{Nikolai Dante}}'', Arkady having a weapons crest is a surprising plot twist. The wham moment comes when we find out that Dmitri lives on within it.

* The first time Creator/AlanMoore became famous in the US, it was for a one-issue one of these in a comic that was all but canceled; word of mouth alone made it one of the most famous single issues that year. By the time of the Anatomy Lesson, Comicbook/SwampThing had spent nearly ten years trying to reverse the accident that transformed him so he could be plain ol' Alec Holland again. He never will be Alec Holland. He isn't Alec Holland. [[TomatoInTheMirror He never was Alec Holland.]]

* ''Comicbook/{{Cerebus}}'' has several. Most notably in issue 76 when Weisshaupt tells Cerebus that [[spoiler: there are two other Aardvarks.]]

* Volume 5 of ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}''. Willy Pete kills eight and a half super heroes, and blows up the Superhomeys space station. Mind F***, one of the very few decent supers in the world, dies in the process.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'' The Kindly Ones. You keep wondering how Morpheus will get out of this situation. [[spoiler: He doesn't. He didn't want to. [[ThanatosGambit He had planned this to happen all along.]]]]
* ''[[Comicbook/ScottPilgrim Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Universe]]''. After the previous volume ended on such a happy note, [[spoiler:Scott and Ramona's relationship shows signs of getting stale, [[WhamLine Knives reveals Ramona that Scott cheated on both of them]], [[TearJerker Ramona abandons Scott]] and [[TearJerker Kim leaves Toronto]]. Also ''Sex Bob-Omb'' ends]].

* ''{{Franchise/Godzilla}}'':
** In the Dark Horse comics, it's revealed that the lead commander is really [[spoiler: a Simeon]].
** IDW comics has issue 6 of the Duane Swierczynski/Simon Gane comic which has Claire getting a vision from Mothra of [[spoiler: the Space Monsters coming to Earth]]. In issue 8, [[spoiler: we finally see their arrival]].
** In Rulers of Earth, we are shown SEVERAL Wham Episodes. In issue 1, we are given the implied revelation that the Cryog sent the Space Monsters. Issue 6 introduced Jet Jaguar, issue 8 has the Devonians betray the Cryog, in issue 9, it's revealed that this is not the first time the Kaiju have appeared, nor is it the first time humanity interacted with them and issue 12 [[spoiler: the Cryog Emperor was revealed to have survived]].

* Album 22 of ''Mélusine''. The StatusQuoIsGod is forever broken when [[spoiler:Cancrelune died by suicide. Even a rescue journey through hell fails to bring her back. Easily the most shocking and darkest moment of the series who is primarily known for comedy.]]
** Album 26. [[spoiler:Mélusine and Mélisande are revealed to be twin sisters, not cousins. Their mother is also [[OurFairiesAreDifferent a Fairie]] in disguise, not a [[WitchSpecies Witch]]. This leads to war between Witches and Fairies.]]

*** Issue #7 [[spoiler: We find out the "Eggman" who's been running things is really Metal Sonic in his "Neo" mode.]]

** His ''ComicBook/YoungbloodJudgmentDay'' was this for ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' - Knightstrike is acussed of killing Riptide, team is disbanded and [[spoiler: entire Universe turns out to be plunged into DarkerAndEdgier setting by magic book]]. Same with his ''ComicBook/{{Supreme}}'' - the very first issue is this for the previous series, revealing that Supreme is only one of many versions of Superman-esque character and now reality rewrites itself, giving him new life and new memories.

** Issue 72-75: Shockwave launches his coup just as Primus possesses Xaaron and forcibly summons the Autobots and Decepticons to Cybertron to force them into battle with Unicron. An incredible battle ensues, during which numerous castmembers are killed, including '''[[HolyShitQuotient Primus himself]]'''.
* ComicBook/MarvelComics managed to do this with ''the very first issue'' of ''Comicbook/{{Thunderbolts}}''. TheReveal is considered one of the best in the industry. In case you're wondering: The Thunderbolts were a team who first showed up in ''Comicbook/IncredibleHulk'' after the whole ComicBook/{{Onslaught}} thing (long story short, the Comicbook/FantasticFour and Comicbook/TheAvengers are missing and no one knows how the rest of the superhero community can fill the vacuum), and made various miscellaneous appearances. They got their own book and their public debut by restoring order to the ruined Manhattan, defeat the Wrecking Crew and receive public approval even greater than even the Avengers themselves had after went public. And then we get to see Citizen V, the team leader, without his mask. And, perhaps more significantly, we get to see him with his ''real'' mask. The Thunderbolts are the Masters of Evil, the nemeses to the Avengers, led by Baron Zemo. [[HolyShitQuotient Holy shit]].

*** Issue #13, which reveals that Eggman has developed a [[TheVirus virus]] that [[UnwillingRoboticization turns organics into machines]].
*** Issue #15: [[spoiler: [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Rough and Tumble]] are used as subjects for a field test of the Metal Virus. While Sonic and Amy manage to defeat them, Sonic ends up infected with the virus as a result.]]
*** Issue #17: The [[ZombieApocalypse Zombots]] overrun the Chaotix's hometown, and in the process [[spoiler: Charmy is infected by the Metal Virus and becomes a Zombot himself]].

* For the ''Comicbook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' comic series, the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin appropriately titled]] "Endgame" storyline was a four-part string of wham episodes. Starting in issue 47, during another routine Robotropolis invasion, Sally took a near-fatal fall from a high ledge, which was done by a Sonic look-a-like. [[FromBadToWorse Things got very bad really fast]] for the real Sonic when he returned to Knothole. Sally was presumed dead from the fall, Sonic was arrested for treason, murder, and was transported to the Alcatraz-like Devil's Gulag. [[BerserkButton Sonic was not happy with any of this]]. Meanwhile, Robotnik plotted to take over Knothole (which he finally discovered) and use his Ultimate Annihilator device over the place (which would [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill phase the village out of existence instead of merely destroying it]]). Needless to say, the stakes were raised to a level unparalleled to [[AdaptationDisplacement even the SatAM cartoon]]. In the end, Sonic managed to stop Robotnik's plan [[BittersweetEnding with mixed results]]. While Robotnik was killed by his own doomsday device, it also permanently jumped Knothole [[YearInsideHourOutside three hours ahead in time from the rest of Mobius]], and Sonic almost died himself, trying to save everyone. But at least for consolation, Sally didn't die. She was stuck in a coma, and in a nice homage to Sleeping Beauty, Sonic kissed Sally to wake her up. Robotnik's demise certainly changed things, but whether it was for the better...[[BrokenBase let's not even discuss it]].
** For those who stuck with the comic after "[=EndGame=]", current head writer Ian Flynn likes to do these. At first, it was for "cleaning house" (Killing Tommy Turtle, fusing all the Chaos Emeralds in the universe into a set of seven, etc.) then, came the Destruction of Knothole arc, arguably one of the defining arcs of his run. Robotnik gets dead serious for possibly the first time since the [=EndGame=], sics a FLEET of floating fortresses on the Kingdom of Knothole, destroying it effortlessly, confronts Sonic one on one (again, for the first time since [=EndGame=]), and OWNS him. Brutally. For better or worse, THIS is the arc to base your opinion of Ian Flynn around.
** And Flynn's had a few other wham episodes since then. The "Enerjak Reborn" arc had [[MadScientist Doctor Finitevus]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwash]] Knuckles into becoming the new [[PhysicalGod Enerjak]], which leads to the destruction of the [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Dingo Regime]], the death of Knuckles' father Locke, and the remnants of the Dark Legion joining with Eggman. And then a little while after that, we get issue 200 - Sonic defeats Eggman so epically, the doctor has a huge VillainousBreakdown, which allows his position as BigBad to be usurped by the Iron Dominion, who spend the next dozen or so issues [[CurbStompBattle curb stomping]] the heroes all over the place.
** Archie Sonic is generally good for a WhamEpisode every milestone issue. Once 225 hit, there was a rapid fire of them even:

** Meta Example: The now infamous lawsuit between Archie and the comic’s former head writer Ken Penders ended with a swift removal of anything the writer had created during his tenure at Archie, which was a majority of the non-Sega original cast, and a number of whom were crucial to ongoing story lines at the time. The shift is most clearly seen in the Endangered Species Arc, which suffered huge last minute rewrites and resulted in several major characters and an ''entire civilization'' being PutOnABus '''off screen.'''
** Issue 250, the first part of the final arc in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide Worlds Collide]] crossover with ComicBook/MegaMan ended with [[spoiler: Eggman throwing Dr. Light out of the Wily Egg to fall to his death. Mercifully, Shadow saves him next issue.]]
** The Worlds Collide crossover ended on a hell of a wham in issue #251 with Eggman’s attempt to [[spoiler: stop Super Sonic from undoing his CosmicRetcon resulting in reality literally ''shattering'' around them.]] However the full weight of what happened isn’t shown until #256, when it is revealed that said actions caused [[spoiler: the ''multiverse to collapse'', just as the planet shatters from the energy backlash.]] For perspective: that’s a Class X-5 case of ''ApocalypseHow'' InUniverse, and a ''Class Z'' for any characters/events/places that were lost from the Penders Lawsuit.
* Many of the ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'' {{Wham Episode}}s involved [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Super Sonic]], like when he separated from Sonic or when he got amnesia. Some {{Wham Episode}}s unrelated to him were Knuckles being Really700YearsOld or the early reveal that Sonic "created" Robotnik.
** Johnny, a prominent member of the Freedom Fighters, being killed early in the ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' arc really changed things.
* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'':
** Issue #13, which reveals that Eggman has developed a [[TheVirus virus]] that [[UnwillingRoboticization turns organics into machines]].
** Issue #15: [[spoiler: [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Rough and Tumble]] are used as subjects for a field test of the Metal Virus. While Sonic and Amy manage to defeat them, Sonic ends up infected with the virus as a result.]]
** Issue #17: The [[ZombieApocalypse Zombots]] overrun the Chaotix's hometown, and in the process [[spoiler: Charmy is infected by the Metal Virus and becomes a Zombot himself]].

* {{Franchise/Godzilla}}:

** They made another in the next comic line at 2016, whereas at the end of the first volume... [[spoiler:Cap is revealed to be a HYDRA double agent by normally proclaiming 'Hail HYDRA'. This renders 75 years of story time about the patriotic Captain America either annulled or going to be very awkward.]]

* For the ''Comicbook/SonicTheHedgehog'' comic series, the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin appropriately titled]] "Endgame" storyline was a four-part string of wham episodes. Starting in issue 47, during another routine Robotropolis invasion, Sally took a near-fatal fall from a high ledge, which was done by a Sonic look-a-like. [[FromBadToWorse Things got very bad really fast]] for the real Sonic when he returned to Knothole. Sally was presumed dead from the fall, Sonic was arrested for treason, murder, and was transported to the Alcatraz-like Devil's Gulag. [[BerserkButton Sonic was not happy with any of this]]. Meanwhile, Robotnik plotted to take over Knothole (which he finally discovered) and use his Ultimate Annihilator device over the place (which would [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill phase the village out of existence instead of merely destroying it]]). Needless to say, the stakes were raised to a level unparalleled to [[AdaptationDisplacement even the SatAM cartoon]]. In the end, Sonic managed to stop Robotnik's plan [[BittersweetEnding with mixed results]]. While Robotnik was killed by his own doomsday device, it also permanently jumped Knothole [[YearInsideHourOutside three hours ahead in time from the rest of Mobius]], and Sonic almost died himself, trying to save everyone. But at least for consolation, Sally didn't die. She was stuck in a coma, and in a nice homage to Sleeping Beauty, Sonic kissed Sally to wake her up. Robotnik's demise certainly changed things, but whether it was for the better...[[BrokenBase let's not even discuss it]].

* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' has these semi-regularly due to it's heavy use of plot twists:

* ''ComicBook/{{Habibi}}'' by Craig Thompson features a monster of a middle chapter (approximately 130 pages long) depicting Habibi's adolescence after being separated from Dodola. An epic and turbulent ComingOfAgeStory in it's own right, the wham moments are [[spoiler:his choosing to be castrated out of guilt for lusting over his caregiver]] and the conclusion in which [[spoiler:he finds Dodola in the sultan's palace at long last, and stages their escape]], at once uniting the TwoLinesNoWaiting and resolving what was up till now the main conflict in a single CrowningMomentOfAwesome.

* Comicbook/TheDeathOfSuperman: There is the title: [[TheHeroDies Superman dies!]] [[DeathIsCheap Then came back.]]

** His classic story ''ComicBook/BatmanTheKillingJoke'' is one for the Batman franchise. Joker shoots Barbara Gordon in the spine, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down, and since she isn't able to fight crime as Batgirl anymore she goes on to be MissionControl for the Batman family and the Justice League. Joker also gets a tragic backstory that he hints may be fabricated, making him even more mysterious than he was before.

* Album 22 of ''Mélusine''. The StatusQuoIsGod is forever broken when [[spoiler:Cancrelune died by suicide. Even a rescue journey through hell fails to bring her back. Easily the most shocking and darkest moment of the series who is primarily known for comedy.]]

* Album 22 of ''Mélusine''. The StatusQuoIsGod is forever broken when [[spoiler:Cancrelune died by suicide. Even a rescue journey through hell fails to bring her back. Easily the most shocking and darkest moment in the series who is primarily known for comedy.]]

* Album 22 of ''Mélusine''. This StatusQuoIsGod is forever broken when [[spoiler:Cancrelune died by suicide. Even a rescue journey through hell fails to bring her back. Easily the most shocking and darkest moment in the series. ]]

* ''[[Comicbook/ScottPilgrim Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Universe]]''. After the previous volume ended on such a happy note, [[spoiler:Scott and Ramona's relationship shows signs of getting stale, [[WhamLine Knives reveals Ramona that Scott cheated on both of them]], [[TearJerker Ramona abandons Scott]] and [[TearJerker Kim leaves Toronto]]. Also ''Sex Bob-Omb'' ends]].

* The ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'' event was a big WHAM for the entire ComicBook/UltimateMarvel line. We knew that a huge disaster would prompt a line-wide ReTool, but we didn't know how bad it would get. Half the X-Men died. B-list heroes (in this 'verse) Daredevil and Dr. Strange died. Spider-Man... ''looked'' like he died. ''Xavier and Magneto'' died. ''Dr. Doom'' died. '''''Wolverine''''', whose mainstream version is patron saint of FromASingleCell, died. And the Fantastic Four and surviving X-Men disbanded.

** And then they [[spoiler: [[TheHeroDies killed off Peter Parker himself in issue #160.]] [[DeathIsCheap He later came back.]]]]

* ''ComicBook/MightyMorphinPowerRangersBoomStudios'' has issue #25, the first part of ''ComicBook/MightyMorphinPowerRangersShatteredGrid'' ends with [[spoiler:Lord Drakkon, an evil universal counterpart of Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, ''murdering his heroic counterpart''.]]