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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/acb3c8ef_5e93_4260_af07_bdca6a2e3d97.jpeg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350: It's like Shakespeare. [[{{Dissimile}} But with lots more punching]].[[note]]From left to right: Elsa Bloodstone, Monica Rambeau, Boom-Boom, the Captain, and Machine Man.[[/note]]]]
3
4->''"It's an absolute distillation of the superhero genre. No plot lines, characters, emotions, nothing whatsoever. It's people posing in the street for no good reason. It is people getting kicked, and then exploding. It is a '''pure''' comic book, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. And afterwards, they will explode."''
5-->-- '''Creator/WarrenEllis'''
6
7''Nextwave'' (subtitled ''Agents of H.A.T.E.'') is a comic book from Creator/MarvelComics, an irreverent parody of {{Super Team}}s from writer Creator/WarrenEllis and artist Stuart Immonen.
8
9The series, drawing on characters from the shared Franchise/MarvelUniverse, featured five relatively obscure {{Super Hero}}es fighting the forces of H.A.T.E., a [[HeroesRUs S.H.I.E.L.D.-style organization]] who were discovered to be in league with the Beyond Corporation, the current incarnation of their former rivals, [[NebulousEvilOrganization S.I.L.E.N.T.]]. ([[FunWithAcronyms Who doesn't love a good acronym]]?)
10
11'''The team consisted of''':
12* [[Characters/MarvelComicsMarvels Monica Rambeau]] (formerly known as ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}} and Photon): The leader of the group. She used to lead ComicBook/TheAvengers and reminds her teammates of this fact at every available opportunity.
13* [[Characters/NewMutants Tabitha "Tabby" Smith (formerly known as Time Bomb, Boom-Boom, Boomer, Meltdown, Firecracker, and Mutate #35)]]: A trailer-trash klepto with the "mutant powers of blowing things up and stealing all your stuff" (actual description). Her theft of the Beyond Corporation's Marketing Plan provided the impetus for the team to leave the employ of H.A.T.E..
14* [[ComicBook/MachineMan Aaron Stack (formerly known as X-51 and Machine Man)]]: A surly, [[TheAlcoholic Alcoholic]], {{Do Anything Robot}}ic {{Jerkass}}. Ended up as EnsembleDarkhorse for precisely those reasons.
15* [[Characters/{{Bloodstone}} Elsa Bloodstone]]: Daughter of a famous monster hunter, she was the series' resident ActionGirl. [[NationalStereotypes She's British]].
16* The Captain (Formerly known as [[Series/CaptainPowerAndTheSoldiersOfTheFuture Captain Power]], Film/CaptainRon, [[ChurchOfHappyology Captain L. Ron]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsCaptainUniverse Captain Universe]], Captain Ultra, Captain Avenger, Captain Avalon, ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}, Captain ☠☠☠☠, and various others before finally giving up): [[IdiotHero An idiotic]] FlyingBrick from [[BrooklynRage Brooklyn]] who received his powers from benevolent aliens while drunkenly stumbling home. {{Subver|tedTrope}}sion of TheGoodCaptain and frequent victim of TheWorfEffect. The only member of Nextwave created specifically for the series.
17
18The series ran for twelve issues, with each story arc being two issues long (although a case can be made for the final arc actually being four issues long). Plot wasn't a high priority and served mostly as an excuse for the team to beat things up and cause things to explode.
19
20----
21!!''Nextwave'' kicks and 'splodes the ☠☠☠☠ out of the following tropes:
22* ActionGirl: Elsa Bloodstone is capable of kicking anything's ass. ''Anything''. Even if it doesn't have an ass. Monica and Tabby also apply.
23* AdaptationalVillainy: Played for laughs: [[spoiler: Devil Dinosaur is the true leader of S.I.L.E.N.T., and an OmnicidalManiac to boot.]] When ''Nextwave'' became part of mainstream continuity (see below), this character was revealed to be an evil clone of the real one.
24* AffectionateParody: Imagine every single comic book trope ever created subverted or lampshaded to hell, but adding in tons of RuleOfFunny and RuleOfCool to it.
25** There are also some elements of SelfDeprecation: there's a lot of spoofing of ''ComicBook/{{Planetary}}'', ''ComicBook/GlobalFrequency'', ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'' and other Ellis team books such as how every hero has a trenchcoat for no reason.
26* AlternateContinuity: Started out as one, but afterwards many references to it were made in the main titles, and the characters involved started displaying their personalities and costumes from the series in all their other appearances.
27** Dan Slott's ''ComicBook/SheHulk'' seemed to suggest that the series did take place, but that the Monica Rambeau present is actually from an alternate universe (explaining Captain America's JerkAss behavior and why Monica's mother is stated to be dead when a far as we know, 616!Monica's mother is still alive).
28** Officially in continuity, as of 2013 - Marvel's in-house document detailing the changes that would occur if [[spoiler:Hank Pym died before he created Ultron]] makes reference to the events of Nextwave. [[http://brianmichaelbendis.tumblr.com/post/49489930167/so-would-you-consider-sharing-those-ideas-as-to-how See it here]].
29** Creator/AlEwing's ''Captain America and the ComicBook/MightyAvengers'' revealed that the events of ''Nextwave'' were the result of the Beyond Corporation kidnapping Monica and the others, putting them in an alternate universe, and screwing with them ForTheEvulz. When Monica is told of the Beyond Corporation's [[spoiler: possession of Jason Quantrell]], she gets ''scary''. This is due to the fact that Monica, Elsa, and the others were never able to convince anyone that the Beyond Corporation existed, which led to the majority of them being perceived as insane while also being haunted by the horrible things they did.
30** During Sean Ryan’s run on Nova, The Captain shows up for a short team up with Sam Alexander and even gives the young hero some advice.
31** ''ComicBook/SpiderManBeyond'' muddles the issue further by introducing the Beyond Corporation, their zany MadScience including talking hamburgers, and that Monica used to work for them. They are, however, significantly less wacky and more believable.
32* AntiHeroTeam: The only reason why these idiots are considered 'heroes' is because they're fighting against people who are trying to destroy/take over the world. Outside of that, you wouldn't put your children within a 50-foot radius near them.
33* AssholeVictim: Officer Mac Mangel, a cop one week from retirement... who beats up drug dealers (when he doesn't get his cut), threatens prostitutes (when he doesn't get his cut), and beat up a mugging victim upon learning he still has some money left. He is transformed into some kind of robotic monster when trying to sell what he thinks is a stray cat, said robot body is blown up, and then Tabby and Aaron kick him for being a cop. Monica ends up being unwittingly bad help when she hands him over to his "friends" -- all the people he'd victimized in the beginning. They promptly haul him off into a back alley and perform a little vigilante charity via several rounds to the skull.
34* AssShove: The Captain swiftly got tired of dread Rorkannu's crap, and decided to reinsert it through the correct orifice. Via toilet brush. Like a real super hero.
35* BackFromTheDead: Beyond brings back [[spoiler: Dirk Anger]] as a zombie after [[spoiler:he accidentally hanged himself]].
36* BadassBoast:
37-->'''Reverend Guilt''': We are '''THE VESTRY!'''
38-->'''The Inquisitor''': Pay allegiance to God or get your robot face kicked in.
39-->'''Aaron''': My robot face is beautiful and will not be kicked by the likes of you fleshy ones. And I don't believe in your God. God is for fleshy ones. I am robot. ''And your God will throw up when he sees what I have done to you''.
40* BadassLongcoat: The "Nextwave outfit" consists ''only'' of a BadassLongcoat thrown over whatever superhero costume/civilian duds the team members happen to be wearing.
41* BarbieDollAnatomy: Fin Fang Foom has no genitals whatsoever.
42-->Oh, you cannot imagine how annoyed he is.
43* BerserkButton: Don't make fun of [[spoiler: [[LethalJokeCharacter Forbush Man]]]]'s hat.
44* {{BFG}}: the extremely... suggestive looking Armageddon Horn.
45** Also the ginormous suicide pistol nearly used by Dirk Anger. Cow sized rounds? Oh, Jesus...
46* BiggerOnTheInside: the team aircraft the Shockwave Rider, explicitly kept that way by AppliedPhlebotinum which is later damaged, forcing a hurried bail-out.
47** ItRunsOnNonsensium: The name would suggest the craft is ''propelled by the action of the comic itself''.
48* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Tabitha (blonde), Monica (brunette), and Elsa (redhead).
49* BottomlessMagazines: Averted surprisingly enough. During a fight with the Mindless Ones Elsa finds herself out of shotgun shells and has to resort to using kitchen appliances as weaponry.
50--> '''Caption box''': In the real world people do sometimes run out of shotgun shells. Hollywood lies to you constantly.
51* BroadStrokes: What the series eventually became in terms of canon to the mainstream 616 Marvel universe.
52* TheCaligula: Dirk Anger. [[AxCrazy Barking mad]], [[MommyIssues momma's dress-wearing]], [[CrazyConsumption sticking-baby-chicks-in-a-blender-and-ingesting-them-intravenously]], {{Russian Roulette}}-playing Dirk Anger.
53* CallingYourAttacks: Monica Rambeau has developed this somewhat {{Animesque}} habit.
54-->"MICROWAVE STORM!"
55** The Captain also has a special, ultimate attack. It's called [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Kick!"]].
56* CantHaveSexEver: Fin Fang Foom. No wonder he's pissed.
57* CaptainErsatz: Dirk Anger, H.A.T.E., and S.I.L.E.N.T. are stand-ins for Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Hydra, respectively. (Warren Ellis wanted to use the originals, but was shouted down. After seeing what he did with them, that's kind of a relief.)
58** Although Brian Bendis and Creator/JonathanHickman later recycled the idea, making both SHIELD and the goofier version of Hydra sub-divisions of a larger Hydra network; presumably, Marvel editors refused the earlier idea not because they were afraid of it... But afraid of Ellis.
59** In the script, Ellis describes H.A.T.E. as "What SHIELD would be if you were as drunk as I was when I wrote this," and Dirk Anger as "[[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Most definitely not Nick Fury]]. [[BlatantLies At all]]."
60* CaptainSuperhero: Parodied. The Captain has tried being "Captain ''Anything''" but it never sticks.
61* CatchPhrase: "Fleshy one." "Kick. 'Splode." "Tick tick tick boom." "My robot brain needs beer."
62* CharacterDevelopment: Played with in an issue.
63-->It had been a long, strange night for the Nextwave Squad. One of them [[ThrowTheDogABone finally had his turn at winning]]. One even [[CharacterDevelopment something approaching a Character Moment]].\
64[[StatusQuoIsGod You can be damn sure we won't let ☠☠☠☠ like]] '''[[StatusQuoIsGod that]]''' [[StatusQuoIsGod happen again]].
65* ClothingDamage: The Captain is indestructible. His clothing isn't. So when he gets shot by a giant gun, guess what happens.
66--> '''Monica''': I'm almost tempted to make you walk around like that all the time.\
67'''Captain''': Because I'm so hot?\
68'''Monica''': Because you look so damn stupid.
69* CombatStilettos: Elsa Bloodstone.
70* ContinuityNod: Some surprisingly obscure ones, too, all PlayedForLaughs.
71** Nearly every "Captain" character name mentioned really belonged to an obscure Marvel character, other than Film/CaptainRon, [[ChurchOfHappyology Captain L. Ron]], and Captain ☠☠☠☠. Even Captain Kerosene from Marvel UK's ''ComicBook/{{Plasmer}}'' gets a mention.
72** The New Paramounts are all characters from Marvel's 1960s parody comic ''Not Brand Ecch'', though Forbush-Man managed to turn up elsewhere over the years.
73** General Zo is a reference to Zo, an illusory character who appeared in a few issues of the late 1960s ''Captain Marvel'' series. Aside from the military uniform, he looks exactly like the original.
74** Delmar Insurance, seen in Machine Man's hallucination, was indeed where he worked back when he still used the SecretIdentity of Aaron Stack.
75** During the penultimate issue beatdown of the Beyond Corporation's army of genetic freaks, 1960's Marvel character Hidden Man can be seen fighting them. Also seen are copies of the Comicbook/FantasticFour's one-time adversary, The Infant Terrible.
76* CrisisCrossover: [[AvertedTrope "Not part of a Marvel comics event"]].
77** "We don't care."
78** And yet Monica appears in ''Civil War'' in her ''Nextwave'' attire...
79** Most recent appearances of Monica, Tabitha, or Aaron had them display connections with Nextwave, suggesting the miniseries was loved enough to be put in continuity anyway.
80** Aaron's first appearance in the Marvel Zombies series has him getting over some of his cynicism and readopting his Machine Man title after dismissing it as silly in this series. He also retains his drunk jerkass persona afterwards as he teams up with Deadpool and Howard the Duck. Although later appearances seem to have reverted his to Pre-Nextwave personality with his appearances varying.
81* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: The members of ''Nextwave'' may be appear to be neurotic, incompetent jerks, three of whom could barely operate a potato gun without shooting themselves and/or causing mass destruction, but they're dangerous fighters when pointed in the right direction.
82* CurbStompBattle: Done ''twice'' in issue #10. First, the villain [[spoiler:Forbush Man]] uses his mental powers to effortlessly incapacitate the team in illusionary realities... only to find that Tabitha {{No Sell}}s his attack because ''[[TooDumbToFool she has no mind]]'' to exploit. She then [[YourHeadASplode detonates his head]], freeing her teammates.
83* DeathIsCheap: DiscussedTrope
84-->'''Elsa''': Didn't Tabby also say that Magik was dead?
85-->'''Monica''': Like ''that'' matters. X-Men come back more than Jesus.
86** You may be interested to know that Magik ''did'' come BackFromTheDead after ''Nextwave'' turned out.
87* DespairSpeech: PlayedForLaughs with Dirk Anger.
88-->I have re-invented suicide as a group activity. Go me. We must all burn.
89* DisabilityImmunity: Tabby when she [[spoiler:defeats Forbush-Man and his mind control powers because she ''[[TooDumbToFool has no mind to control]]'']].
90* DirtyCop: Officer Mangel, ''very'' much so.
91-->"I AM THE LAW. GIMMIE YOUR WALLETS!"
92* DiscontinuityNod: Possibly the fastest on record occurs when, one issue after we get clever origin cutaways for [[spoiler: the New Paramounts]], it turns out that all the other superhero squads there are [[spoiler: just well-disguised [[{{Mooks}} Broccoli People]],]] suggesting that the origins we see are false.
93* TheDitz: Tabby Smith
94-->"I ''hate'' cops! Because, like, cops keep ''arresting'' me and stuff? For ''stealing?'' Like stealing's a ''crime'' or something?"
95* DoAnythingRobot: Aaron contains pretty much every conceivable sharp pointy object ever made within his body. Read the trope article and become enlightened.
96-->"I am full of very useful devices."
97* DramaticAmmoDepletion: Lampshaded when Elsa runs out of bullets. Hollywood lies to you constantly.
98* DrivenToSuicide: Dirk Anger makes repeated suicide attempts, but never quite manages to pull it off. [[spoiler:And on the one occasion where he succeeds, Beyond Corporation just brings him BackFromTheDead.]]
99* DumbMuscle: The Captain isn't a terribly bright guy, but at least he cops to the fact that, for instance, he "can barely speak English." He can also, you know, tear your head off with one hand.
100* EatMe: Machine Man, against Fin Fang Foom. He regrets this method strongly.
101* FacelessMooks: The humanoid broccoli clones who make up the Beyond Corporation's "Human Resource Department" all wear the same expressionless mask.
102* FacingTheBulletsOneLiner: "My name's [[spoiler:Dirk Anger]] and I say ☠☠☠☠ all of you."
103* FlashbackCut: Mostly used to illustrate childhood trauma, and almost all totally at odds with established Marvel [[{{Canon}} canon]].
104-->"...Special Bear?"\
105"Special Bear's dead."
106* FlyingBrick: The Captain's powers, which even he refers to as his "generic set of super-hero abilities".
107* {{Foreshadowing}}: Very subtle, but in issue #9, Elsa notes that the team should be seeing "[[spoiler:devil dinosaurs]] tearing up the landscape." Two issues later, [[spoiler: we learn that Devil Dinosaur is the mastermind behind S.I.L.E.N.T.]]
108* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: "'''Nextwave'''...are in your room and touching your stuff."
109* FunWithAcronyms
110* GagCensor: All swearwords are replaced with "☠☠☠☠". Including one of The Captain's previous codenames.
111* GiganticGulp: Aaron and his barrel full of beer.
112* GlobalIgnorance: Tabby. She thinks Europe is a country and is shocked to learn that the French are in Canada.
113* GloryDays: [[BrokenRecord Did you know Monica Rambeau used to lead]] ComicBook/TheAvengers?
114* TheGoodCaptain: Naturally, The Captain is a spoof of this.
115* GunsVSSwords: Elsa uses both, but upon facing an army of samurai robots, she declares that swords beat guns, and faces them with a shovel.
116* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: Elsa Bloodstone. Her father forced her into a pit to fight ancient monsters with a spoon. Elsa was an infant at the time, but she somehow succeeded, and her father immediately forced her to [[{{Squick}} circumcise another monster with the broken shards of her spoon]]. Later on, unbeknownst to her mother, he forced Elsa to study monsters under the tutelage of a robotic iron maiden named Hate Mother.
117* HumongousMecha: Beyond Corporation's Ultra Samurai Seed turns people into one.
118* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Subverted.
119-->[[spoiler: '''Aaron Stack:''' Excuse me. Have you really ever met a robot you could kill by stabbing it through the chest? My beer-deprived robot brain says: No, pusbag, you haven't.]]
120* ImprobableInfantSurvival: Elsa, who somehow survived fighting at least two monsters ''before even being able to talk''.
121* KickTheDog: "Flash-fry the Dog" in Monica's case.
122* KillerRabbit: Drop bears. "Widdle cuddly bears of DEATH!?"
123* KleptomaniacHero: Tabitha.
124* LawyerFriendlyCameo: Nextwave fights a group of superpowered Creator/StephenHawking clones who are all suspiciously either facing away from the reader of have their face obscured by energy from their eyes. He gets directly namedropped during this, though.
125* LeetLingo: Tabby often uses Net acronyms when speaking out loud. "'Zomg'?"
126-->'''The Captain:''' Beats the pus out of me.
127* LethalJokeCharacter: Meet Forbush Man. He wears a pot on his head and red jammies, and is capable of shattering your mind by trapping it in a horrible alternate reality with a different art style.
128** Pretty much the entire Nextwave team. It's a miracle that most of them can put their pants on the right way, but they are just about as effective a team as ComicBook/TheAvengers
129* LighterAndSofter: Ellis' earlier ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'' was basically the JLA without all that pesky ThouShallNotKill nonsense. As indicated by the page quote, Nextwave is pretty much that, except with lots more irreverent parodies of the Marvel universe and many more explosions.
130
131* MadeOfExplodium: "Oh my God, they '''explode'''. My life has taken on new meaning."
132* MaleGaze: The scene mentioned below under ShoutOut where Elsa shouts angrily about the letter on her chest (in a parody of an infamous scene from ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'') is a full page splash of Elsa pointing directly at the centre of the gap-top shirt she's wearing stretched over her large chest, which also draws attention to her ImpossibleHourglassFigure.
133* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:Number None, really a baby M.O.D.O.K. in disguise, was the Giant Floating Head Behind The Man for Dirk Anger... And then he turned out to be an underling of Devil Dinosaur]].
134* MisfitMobilizationMoment: Done '''very''' bluntly for laughs in issue #12:
135-->"You people will by God act like a team, or at least like people who know each other, or I'll incinerate the bunch of you here and now."
136* MonsterModesty: Fin Fang Foom's shorts are a subject of extensive derision.
137* MsFanservice: Elsa and Tabby. ''Especially'' Elsa.
138* {{Narrator}}: The captions served mostly to [[LampshadeHanging hang a lampshade]] on the tropes being employed here. The captions also have NoFourthWall -- at one point, they pop up to indicate that the current panel showing the Shockwave Rider was inserted precisely so people could crop it out and use it as signature/avatar images on message boards. Ironically, it's remarkably difficult to find a scan of.
139** "Unless you stole it off the internet."
140* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: The third story features such wonderful creations as the man-eating drop bears and samurai robots. Elsa Bloodstone destroys an army of the latter with ''a shovel''.
141** The second-to-last issue's splash pages feature a cavalcade of nonsensical monstrosities, such as Elvis Impersonator [=MODOKs=] and chimpanzees dressed as Wolverine.
142* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Forbush Man, originally a mascot for Marvel's [[AffectionateParody Not Brand Echh Comics]], eventually becomes a significant threat to [[spoiler: most of]] the Nextwave squad and (if his speech is legitimate) one of the most powerful entities in Marvel continuity.
143* PainMistakenForSex: When Dirk Anger accidentally hanged himself in his private chamber on the H.A.T.E. Aeromarine, two female attendants listening to his strangled grunts thought he was looking at pornographic websites.
144* PlantMooks: The Beyond Corporation's "Human Resources" are genetically-modified kelp, grown in gardens, and driven by software. Their level of sentience is left ambiguous, and the Nextwave squad actually debate this.
145-->'''Monica''': But they're alive, right?\
146'''Aaron''': Depends on your definition of alive. They have more in common with broccoli than they do with you. Or me.\
147'''Monica''': I hate broccoli. Let's kill 'em.
148** Also, [[spoiler: the superhero squads summoned by Number None]] turn out to be disguised broccoli people.
149* PsychopathicManchild: Dirk Anger.
150* QuirkyMinibossSquad: Number None assembles ''several'' teams of second-rate supers to fight Nextwave.
151** One's a collection of characters formerly featured in ''Not Brand Ecch'', Marvel's first self-spoofing comic (''What The--?!'' was the second). Several are just bizarre. The one that doesn't show up is a squad composed of notable gay superheroes ([[{{Expy}} given different names, of course]]): [[ComicBook/TheAuthority Sun-King, Midniteman]], [[ComicBook/AlphaFlight Polestar]] and [[ComicBook/TheQuestion Slightly Creepy Policewoman]]. They're busy marching in a Pride Parade.
152* RenegadeSplinterFaction: Nextwave, once they discovered H.A.T.E. was working for the Beyond Corporation.
153* {{Retirony}}: Subverted. Officer Mangel is introduced just a few days from retirement... and then proves to be such a colossal asshole and CorruptCop that the harm he experiences is [[AssholeVictim clearly deserved]], rather than a fate designed to gain audience sympathy.
154* RobotBuddy: Aaron would be a subversion.
155--> '''Aaron''': I could make you pregnant.\
156'''Elsa''': Not unless you could do it from over there, Clanky.\
157'''Aaron''': I am full of very useful devices.
158* RuleOfCool: When the aforementioned samurai robots appear, Elsa Bloodstone realizes that her handguns aren't ''nearly'' cool enough to defeat them, so she drops them and fights with only a shovel. [[GunsAreWorthless Samurai robots beat guns, no question]].
159* RuleOfFunny: The comic runs on this.
160* RuleOfSymbolism: [[TruthInTelevision All the time, and usually hitting the bullseye]]. To get an idea, the opening definition of the superhero genre is: [[CassandraTruth "HEALING AMERICA BY BEATING PEOPLE UP!"]]
161* SanityBall: Usually juggled between Monica and Elsa, with Aaron taking some occasional turns. The Captain and Tabby, not so much.
162* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: One of the Broccoli Men had a very intelligent reaction to Elsa Bloodstone.
163-->No no no not doing this this is my special run away song so I do not get killed by scary girl.
164* SecondLawMyAss: ''Aaron Stack.''
165-->"Biological systems are hideous. I can't believe they have all this garbage inside them and not want to kill themselves."
166* SecretIdentity: Averted with a vengeance. Except for The Captain, none of Nextwave really use their code-names at all; in Monica's case, this is probably a blessing, since as they point out, there's been ''way'' too many Captain Marvels. And The Captain only uses his code name because ''he can't remember his real name''.
167* SelfParody: Done on a meta level -- at its core, ''Nextwave'' is a parody of Ellis' own previous comics like ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'', which makes the whole thing feel a little less mean-spirited than it otherwise could have been.
168* SerialEscalation: Put it this way: if a ''Nextwave'' animated series were to be made, it would be Western animation's answer to ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. Except funnier.
169** RELEASE THE HOMICIDE CRABS!!!
170** As it turns out, Hiroyuki Imaishi, director of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' actually ''is'' [[https://twitter.com/MinovskyArticle/status/636357674234421248/photo/2 a big fan of Nextwave]]. This should surprise no one.
171* SenselessViolins: Elsa Bloodstone keeps her arsenal of guns in a guitar case.
172* ShoutOut:
173** The art styles in the alternate realities are based on the art of Paul Pope (Monica's), Daniel Clowes (Aaron's), Gene Colan (The Captain's) and Mike Mignola (Elsa's).
174*** A lot of Monica's alternate reality, especially "General Zo" and the odd spelling of "Qrii", evokes ''ComicBook/MarvelBoy''.
175** The giant revolver that Dirk Anger is sitting on is directly based on a panel from ''Elektra: Assassin'' by Bill Sienkiewicz and Creator/{{Frank Miller}} where ComicBook/NickFury is doing target practice in a very similar weapon; the major difference is that AxCrazy Anger's uber-revolver has its barrel bent back towards him so he can use in a very over-the-top game of Russian Roulette.
176** [[Anime/{{FLCL}} The Ultra Samurai Seed takes the form of a small housepet-sized animal that eats metal and eventually forms a giant, gun-wielding robot who at one point attacks a protagonist by catching them inside the gun's barrel, then firing it.]]
177** Number None's rant before he introduces the enemy super-teams is a reference to ''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}}''.
178** The Captain's origin is a hilariously drunk and stupid version of the origin of Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner.
179** At one point, the team ends up fighting a slew of enemies for multiple panels. One group of enemies consists of a gaggle of [[Film/SnakesOnAPlane snakes, piloting planes.]]
180** The team's vehicle, the Shockwave Rider, shares its name with a Creator/JohnBrunner [[Literature/TheShockwaveRider novel]].
181** The Mindless Ones engage in various wacky shenanigans, like [[Film/WestSideStory1961 fingersnap-heavy dance routines in the middle of the street]].
182** During Monica's hallucination in issue #10, she mentions becoming [[WesternAnimation/SpaceGhost "a Ghost of Space."]]
183** The names of the aliens that empower the Captain -- Spa-Fon and Squa-Tront -- are references to EC's 1950s science fiction comics by Harvey Kurtzman and Wally Wood.
184** The Captain's internal monologue about learning to hate "the hissing" is a reference to Creator/PeterDavid's story and later comic book ''Comicbook/HulkTheEnd''.
185** The Dread Rorkannu is a note-perfect send-up of classic Dr Strange villain Dread Dormammu, right down to the hammy, nonsensical EvilGloating.
186** The six consecutive splash pages (along with the box saying people need to buy six issues to line them all together) is a nod to Jim Steranko's ComicBook/NickFury story where he did a similiar thing with two splash pages and telling the reader to buy two copies to put the full image together.
187%%* SignatureStyle
188* SmallReferencePools: Played with when Elsa makes a reference to Andrea Dworkin, and Tabby doesn't get it.
189* SoapPunishment: The Captain relates an incident back when he went by "Captain ☠☠☠☠" and introduced himself to Captain America. He later woke up in a dumpster with a bar of soap in his mouth.
190* SplashPanel: Six pages from the penultimate issue is used as an example of the trope, showing Nextwave fighting through The Beyond Corporation's forces. Every one of them as magnificently absurd as the one before it.
191* SpoofAesop:
192** "No good can come of a robot in a bra."
193** "When [Monica Rambeau's] mother died, she went to Hell and is used as a bucket by giant weasels dressed as cheerleaders. And that's what happens when you tell your kids to get a proper job."
194* SquirrelsInMyPants: Attempted invocation by Fin Fang Foom when he tries to put Tabby in his pants.
195* StayInTheKitchen: In a quick flashback to Monica's [[RunningGag Avengers days]], a bunch of nude minotaur {{Mooks}} appear, causing Captain America to tell Monica to...
196-->'''Captain America:''' Cover your eyes, go back to Avengers Mansion, and make my dinner.
197* SternChase: Most of the story arcs are variations of this trope -- Nextwave goes somewhere to foil a Beyond Corporation scheme while Dirk Anger and H.A.T.E. are in pursuit.
198* StuffBlowingUp: This is the job description of the Nextwave squad, and they love it.
199-->'''Elsa Bloodstone''':"They ''explode!'' My life has taken on new meaning!"
200** This is exactly the author's description of the comic, too.
201-->'''Creator/WarrenEllis''': "It is people getting kicked, and then exploding. It is a pure comic book, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. And afterwards, they will explode."
202** In the first issue, this is used word-for-word to define Tabby's mutant superpower.
203* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Dread ''Rorkannu'', Lord of the ''Dank'' Dimension, is summoned by the Beyond Corporation to supply them with Mindless Ones. As opposed to Dread Dormammu, Lord of the Dark Dimension.
204* TakeThat:
205** Spoofing a previous bit in ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'' by Mark Millar that insulted the French for being CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys, the British Elsa Bloodstone at one point yells "VICTIM? ''VICTIM?!'' DO YOU THINK THIS LETTER[[note]]The Euro "€" symbol[[/note]] ON MY CHEST STANDS FOR '''AMERICA?!'''"
206** Also the memorable "[[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 Mark Millar licks goats]]."
207** [[Creator/PattonOswalt "Huh. I thought when you hit leprechauns on the head they turned into gold coins. What a rip."]]
208* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler: Zombie]] Dirk Anger attempts to kill the Nextwave squad by [[RammingAlwaysWorks crashing the Aeromarine into them]]. [[spoiler: He destroys the Shockwave Rider, but fails to kill Nextwave themselves]].
209-->'''H.A.T.E. Agent:''' Sir, we're too close! We'll crash!\
210'''Dirk''': What do I care? I have re-invented suicide as a group activity. Go me. We must all burn.
211* TeamPowerWalk: The Nextwave team does this at the end of one comic.
212* ToiletHumor:
213** Captain America's urine.
214** Also, the check on the Captain's health:
215-->'''Monica''': Is Cap dead?
216-->'''Tabby''': He's farting.
217-->'''Monica''': Okay.
218* TooDumbToFool: In issue #10, [[spoiler:Forbush Man]] traps the team in illusionary realities that exist entirely within their own minds... only to realize too late that Tabitha escaped the ploy because ''she has no mind'' to exploit. She proceeds to [[YourHeadASplode explode his head]].
219* TrainingFromHell: Elsa Bloodstone's monster-hunter training, which includes being thrown into monster pits while she's an ''infant'' with only a spoon and an adorable pink hair ribbon to her name.
220-->''"Now, in honour of your newfound skills ... circumcise the Hideous Felch-Monster of Bihar Province."''
221* TheUndead: [[spoiler:Dirk Anger's suicidal retirement is not accepted by H.A.T.E.]]
222* UnreliableNarrator: The characters have several flashbacks which totally violate everything we know about the characters (like Monica flash-frying an annoying yappy dog as a kid; she wasn't even supposed to have superpowers then) but they're all so funny we don't really care.
223* UnsoundEffect
224-->'''Monica''': Aaron, help them.\
225''< burst of white noise as Monica turns into 120 pounds of photons >''
226* VillainousBreakdown: Dirk Anger has one that lasts for the ''entire series''.
227* VillainsOutShopping: The Mindless Ones. Once they've taken over town they mostly do normal things like taking public transportation, hanging out at the bar, or going for joyrides.
228* VitriolicBestBuds: The whole team tolerate each other at best, and at worst are half a hair away from tearing each other's faces off, but are united in their enmity with H.A.T.E., and they work pretty well together (it's also likely that no other team will touch them with a 10-foot pole).
229* WhatMeasureIsAMook: State 51 is explained to cloak itself by refracting 70% of the light around it, but the result is that the entire thing is under constant nighttime, making it a particularly harder time for all personnel on it who are already working their asses off to maintain it. But the narration assures us that they're all bad guys so you don't have to care about their work conditions.
230* WillNotBeAVictim: Elsa Bloodstone gets ''very'' irate when [[spoiler:Charlie America]] tells her to lie back and allow him to defeat her.
231* WithholdingTheirName: Due to "The Captain"'s abusive childhood, depression, and alcoholism, he refuses to divulge his real name; his teammates theorize that [[NameAmnesia he may not even remember it]].
232* WriterOnBoard: Writer Warren Ellis' well known distaste for the [[MediaNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]] of comics and MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks is evident, but is funny rather than annoying. It helps that he's deliberately going for humor.
233* YourHeadASplode: This is how Tabitha defeats [[spoiler:Forbush Man]].

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