Line #6 Heartwarming/AstroCity


1	* From ''The Nearness of You'', a story about a man who's haunted by memories of a woman he's never met. It turns out that woman is his wife, but she was one of many casualties in some CrisisCrossover event that {{RetGone}}d her from existence. The Hanged Man offers to erase the memories for him, but he declines. Before The Hanged Man leaves he asks if anyone else chose to forget:
2	---> For a moment, he thinks he sees the twitch of a '''smile''' under that burlap hood --
3	--->'''The Hanged Man:''' [[AC:No one forgets. No one. Good night, Michael Tenicek. Sleep well.]]
4	** It's worth noting that "The Nearness of You" is Kurt Busiek's own favorite, because [[WordOfGod it's the one story idea that looked just as good as a finished comic as it did in his head]].
5	** Much later, in issues 50-52, it turns out that the same man has started up a support group for people who have been affected/harmed by superpowered events, trying to support them while still keeping the memory of his retconned wife fresh in his mind. He later talks to the Hanged Man for the first time in decades, who reveals to him that not only do many of the supers know of what he's doing, but that they've subtly guided people to him that needed his groups. And that despite leaving his job to found the group, a foundation created by the Black Rapier not only gives him sizeable deposits in his accounts routinely, but all of his bills are paid off, completely gratis. Because they know that Michael is doing a job that needs doing, and that they're grateful.
6	* At the conclusion of Winged Victory's arc in issue 10 of the ''Creator/VertigoComics'' series, W.V., Samaritan, and the Confessor were able to locate [[spoiler: Karnazon, the villain behind her FrameUp]] through Joey Lacroix. Joey was a young boy who ran away from an abusive home and sought refuge in Samothrace, the main headquarters for Winged Victory's school, after hearing from his aunt (one of W.V.'s first students) about how wonderful it was. Throughout the whole arc Joey was told that Winged Victory couldn't take him on as a student because he was a boy and her schools are for women only. Despite this and still being badly bruised from what is implied to have been a beating from his father, Joey somehow worked up the nerve to [[spoiler: follow after Karnazon's Iron Legion and activate his aunt's old signal device (Winged Victory gives those to all former students) to contact Winged Victory. When all was said and done, Winged Victory stopped and asked Joey why he went to so much trouble for someone he never met before, and he explained that, on the night he arrived to Samothrace he overheard Winged Victory discussing with her ally Delphi about her doubts and fears over this current situation. Joey said that she looked the way that he felt inside, and no one should ''ever'' have to feel that way, so he just did what he could to help her.]]
7	** [[spoiler: As a result of his actions, Samothrace takes on its first male student, unnamed but heavily implied to be Joey.]]
8	* Vertigo issue 16. Especially the part where Starbright manages to convince his main enemy, Simon Says, into reforming, by sheer dint of who he was: the richest kid in town and high-school quarterback, the sort of person Simon hated, was in fact the super-hero who never stopped believing Simon could be so much more. And then, when he dies in a HeroicSacrifice, it's enough to convince Simon not only to give up super-villainy, but become the next Starbright [[spoiler:herself]].
9	* Starfighter's story. The story has a slight ominous tone, as the elderly hero is losing connection to the source of his power. But it's revealed that it's simply because the power believes he has earned a peaceful retirement, and it has found five suitable successors to him, including his daughter. The last pages show Starfighter simply relaxing on his palace's balcony, watching his wife fly, drinking a beer, and writing.
10	* Caplinville. ''Everyone'' knows the local superhero's identity. And there's a large reward out for him as a fugitive from justice. Their reaction? Faced with a CoverBlowingSuperPower use, they blandly tell the most improbable stories to explain it away. And they come to his aid when he's overwhelmed by a ZergRush of enemies.
11	* The "Tarnished Angel" arc had Steeljack meet Quarrel II, and accidentally piss her off trying to tell her that her father, the first Quarrel, would be proud of the life she's made. Flash-forward to the Vertigo series, and Steeljack mentions she helped him start up his private detective agency.
12	** At the end of "Tarnished Angel", Ruiz, who'd previously been extremely hostile toward Steeljack, thanks him for stopping the fallen El Hombre.
13	* In "Confession", it's revealed that the Crossbreed (a superteam composed of evangelical Christians) is fully aware that the Confessor is a vampire, but keep his secret because they believe (correctly) that he is a true hero.
14	* In "Reflections" Steeljack is hired by his old ally Cutlass to find out who's framing her after she's gotten out of the business. Long story short, he ends up on trial for the death of the VillainWithGoodPublicity. Despite his certainty that Cutlass was in the wind, since she had no reason to stick around and every reason to stay away, she not only turns up in the courtroom, but hires a big-shot lawyer with a history of defending superheroes to represent him. And on top of that, she brings in pretty much everyone from Steeljack's home neighborhood as character witnesses.
15	* The story of G-Dog is filled with these, even though it's mixed with a good deal of Tearjerking moments near the end. Andy, a petty thief who's never helped another person in his life, ends up with a Corgi he took as collateral from a drug addict who owed him money (and who stole the dog himself from a breeder). He ends up bonding with the dog instead, naming him Hank, and slowly becomes a better person just for having the dog in his life. It's especially heartwarming to see just how much Hank adores his master, even before they gain the power to fuse together as G-Dog.
16	--> '''Hank''': ''Good. Is good. The Him is good.''
17	** Andy stops stealing completely afterwards, thanks to Hank's influence. Even the idea of using the G-Dog form to scout out locations to burgle himself later isn't acceptable, simply because he knows it would upset Hank.
18	** Hank's final words, right before he passes away.
19	--> '''Hank''': ''We protect? Protect pack?''
20	--> '''Andy''': Yeah... yeah, we did, buddy...
21	--> '''Hank''': ''Is good...''

Context Heartwarming / AstroCity