Follow TV Tropes

Following

Awesome / Heroes

Go To

The TV series

  • HRG turning the clichéd *Click* Hello into an awesome Kill Hello on Thompson.
    Thompson: What am I thinking now, Parkman?
    HRG: Your last thought...
    • HRG is one walking, talking, bespectacled Crowning Moment of Awesome:
      • Having Parkman fatally shoot Claire, his own daughter, because he knows she'll regenerate, so that Ted doesn't kill anyone else...
      • Having the Haitian erase his own memories about Claire leaving home just so The Company can't find her.
      • Staging an elaborate trap to reveal Mohinder's defection to The Company, simultaneously capturing Bob's lightning-tossing daughter...
      • Short-circuiting said lightning-tossing daughter to keep her under his control...
      • The entirety of the episode "Cautionary Tales," actually.
      • And "Company Man," for that matter.
      • Beating Parkman's telepathy by thinking in Japanese.
  • In the Season One finale, Claire jumps out a 10th-story window to get away from her grandmother. Five words: "I already have a family."
    • And crashing the rapist quarterback's car into a brick wall - with him in the passenger seat:
      Brody: Nothing you can do about it.
      Claire: I can do this! (smashes car full speed into solid wall)
    • The bastard's suffering wasn't over, however. Noah Bennet had some unfinished business with him, and the punishment is deliciously ironic. Brody had been raping the girls at his school and then spreading lies about them to discredit them, letting him get away with his crimes and leaving them as nothing more than memories in his victims' minds. In return, he has every memory he ever had, his entire life, even up to his own name, wiped clean from his own mind. He got away with it, all right.
      Bennet: You tried to rape my daughter. I should kill you. But instead, I'm gonna do you a favor. You already threw away this life. I'm gonna give you a second chance. And I'm gonna let you forget all the terrible things you've done. And maybe this time, when you wake up in your new life...you'll make something decent of it. *Beat* Hollow him out. Take everything...
    • Not to mention decking Jackie after she makes a nasty homophobic remark about Zack.
    • And in the same episode, Claire standing up and regenerating after being thrown against a locker by Sylar.
    • None of these Claire CMOAs holds a candle to the way she stepped up in "Company Man" and singlehandedly stopped a nuclear situation. She went from The Woobie to total badass.
    • She has two in "Dual":
      • First, she threatens to kill Sylar for putting them in a Saw-like death trap, to which he taunts from the phone—
        Sylar: From cheerleader to stone cold killer. Who's the monster now?
        Claire: (fires the phone with a shotgun) You are.
      • Towards the end, she jams a gigantic shard to glass into his brainstem while he was ranting to Angela. This is the only way to arrest a regenerator's power. Sadly, it doesn't stick.note 
    • Then there's the way she takes out Doyle. Amazingly enough, unlike most of the characters Claire actually became BETTER over the course of Season 3, finally becoming more badass and cool.
    • Stowing away on a plane and freeing all the other heroes in "A Clear & Present Danger." Claire's badass status is no longer in doubt.
    • "You can listen to me now, or I can tell you after you shoot me."
  • Adam and Hiro's duel at the end of the "Feudal Japan" storyline.
    • Speaking of Adam, the effortless way he dupes Peter, murders the creator of the Shanti Virus and then proceeds to massacre the guards at Primatech with effortless sword skill is a long crowning moment of awesome for the character. Not surprising he was one of only two that the audience really took to in season 2
  • Sylar gets plenty of these moments, but the absolute best comes from the episode "Parasite", where he's tied to a chair, his powers neutralized, Mohinder has a gun pointed at him, fires at point blank and he stops the bullet right in front of his face. "I wasn't begging for my life. I was offering you yours". Mohinder's Oh, Crap! expression that followed merely solidified how utterly screwed he was.
    • Another one is at the finale of Season Two, when Sylar gets this wonderful expression on his face right before he shoots Maya. Too bad she gets resurrected.
    • Dale, a one-shot character, to Sylar: "That sound, in your heart... What is it?" "Murder." Blackout.
    • How about Volume 3: "Aren't you going to eat my brain or something?" "Eat your brain? Claire, that's disgusting."
    • Hell, the entire first half of the episode where Sylar just stalked Claire from the shadows in her own house. I'm back Mother&%$/?!s
    • Perhaps the greatest of all, stopping Peter's bullet from killing Arthur, and then sending it in himself.
    You're not a killer, Peter, but I am.
    • And of course, killing him a way that prevents him from cracking his head open.
    • Following his latest Face–Heel Turn (Or was it Heel Heel Turn?), Sylar has been reinstated in his role as Mr Pure Awesome. For example, when he had the Human Lie Detector pinned to the wall...
      Sylar: Shh, it's not going to hurt a bit.
      SFX: Human Lie Detector tone.
      Sylar: [amused] Got me. That's a lie.
    • Right after that, the one word CMOA: "Cake?"
    • The elevator scene shortly later. Sylar is calmly wiping his completely bloody arms together as another man stares at him in horror. Earlier Sylar had asked a Human Lie Detector whether detecting lies feels like a tingle. Then in the elevator:
      Sylar: Is something wrong?
      Horrified Bystander: ...no.
      Sylar (to himself): heheh, it does kind of tingle.
    • In volume 4, his confrontation with his dying father gives him a CMOA toward the end. He elects not to kill his father, deciding that a slow death from cancer is a more fitting punishment.
    • Even better, Sylar feigns weakness in front of his father, dangling the carrot of immortality all to get his father to be honest about what HE would do in Sylar's position. Sylar knew there was only one way to get a straight answer from his psycho dad. Note, because of his regenerative abilities, Sylar could have easily given his father immortality without having to die.
    • The way he casually knocks Nathan's Nazi goons around like ragdolls throughout Volume 4, showing that while Danko may be a badass compared to some, against the real deal like Sylar, he's still a nobody.
    • How can we forget faking his death to become President of the United States with the goal of systematically slaughtering every other evolved human in the country so that he can become the undisputed single most powerful person on the planet?
    • In spirit form, pulling a Grand Theft Me on Parkman by spending a whole night making Parkman think he was getting Sylar out of his head by drinking.
    • An extremely elegant slam of Magnificent Bastard Mama Bear Angela Petrelli in "Thanksgiving":
    Sylar: And you...You have raised the evil incarnate bar to an entirely new level. Thank you for giving me something to strive for.
    • Tricking Claire into discussing a possible solution to Sylar's emotional issues with Gretchen.
    Now, was that so hard?
    • His ticking clocks Leitmotif add another layer of awesome to many of these moments. The clockwork escalates in complexity and speed when he's on his A-game in Xanatos Speed Chess or at his most insane... and suddenly fall into sync when his plans lock into place. When the clocks begin to ring, prepare for an Oh, Crap! moment.
  • Arthur had his own CMOA when he took Hiro's power AND the precious catalyst — just in time. Too bad he didn't get to enjoy that satisfaction long, as per above.
  • D.L. brain-punching Mr. Linderman.
  • Anything Matt Parkman does with relation to Maury. Especially during their confrontation in "Out of Time."
  • Isaac's death scene. He turned getting your head sliced open by a serial killer into an art form.
  • Hiro or Ando:
    • The scene where Sylar challenges Hiro to stop time before he can cut off Ando's head. And Hiro does.
    • Hiro stabbing Sylar through the chest later.
    • Ando knocking the security guard threatening Hiro unconscious.
    • Ando's ridiculous but incredibly courageous decision to go after Sylar on his own.
    • Ando's improvising of a new plan to take down the Haitian, knocking him out. Sure, it turned out terribly, but it was still awesome.
      Hiro: What are you doing?!
      Ando: I'm being awesome!
    • Subverted when Hiro tries to "be badass" by stabbing Ando in the chest. Though he's only doing it to gain the villains trust...but damn.
    • Actually, the above was turned into yet another crowning moment. Hiro and Ando manage Faking the Dead without Hiro's signature time-freeze, and with Hiro coming up with the entire plan in less than a minute and breaking his "no backwards Time Travel" rule to pull it off.
    • Hiro gets one more in "The Eclipse" while Sylar and Elle has the Bennett family cornered. Just when Sylar is about to kill Noah, Hiro suddenly appears and teleports both villains elsewhere, all the while believing he's only ten years old because of a mindwipe.
      • And of course, he just adds that extra dash of badass by smirking at Sylar and quipping, "Bad man." right before taking him away.
    • Toying with Sylar even while dying of a tumor whose pain gets worse every time he uses his power. He eventually even gets Sylar to save Charlie's life.
  • Twisted, admittedly, but there was something cool about Mohinder shooting Noah in the eye, simply because he had the courage to actually take a life, even if said life got given back.
  • Claude, much like HRG, is a walking Moment of Awesome. One example:
    • Peter tells Claude, after some Training from Hell, that "[he doesn't] have to do anything that [Claude says]". Claude's reply? "Except fly." Peter is then shoved off a skyscraper.
    • And then punching him to keep him from exploding.
  • Peter himself does get one glorious turn in the spotlight: after struggling for some time to utlize the full extent of his powers under Claude's tutelage, the two of them are on a rooftop when Claude is shot with a taser by HRG from the next building over. HRG shoots at Peter, only for him to stop the prongs an inch from his body. After they fall harmlessly to the ground, he picks up the barely conscious Claude, who asks what he's doing. Peter replies "Something unexpected," and throws Claude off the roof, jumps off himself, catches Claude, and flies off with him.
  • When Nathan is kidnapped and cornered by HRG and the Haitian. HRG: "You've got nowhere to run." Nathan's response? He takes off into the sky (doubly awesome because Nathan had been trying to pretend not to have have powers).
  • First season finale. Five words: "I'm not leaving you, Peter."
  • Monica taking down the burglar at her restaurant. She saw a Wrestlemania match on TV (particularly Wrestlemania 22's Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton vs Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship) and she immediately replicates Rey Mysterio's 619 to knock a burglar out.
  • Eden killing herself rather than letting Sylar take her powers.
  • Pretty much the entirety of the showdown in Kirby Plaza from the Season One finale.
    • Special mention goes to Niki grabbing the parking meter from Sylar before he can use it on Peter and slamming it right into Sylar's gut.
      • Peter adds to this, absorbing Niki's strength and all but pounding the SOB to the a bloody pulp. At least he would have, if his explosive powers hadn't kicked in...
  • Season 3.4 Future-Sylar Gabriel literally beating Knox to a pulp and becoming so enraged that he goes nuclear after Knox kills lil' Noah. This after it is implied that he has achieved a level of self control that would put most zen masters to shame. Beware the quiet ones indeed.
  • Sylar, a wanted serial killer pulls a Bavarian Fire Drill against the police in season three. Zachary Quinto is one of the only actors that can avoid being typecast without changing roles. It also doubles as a Funny Moment.
    Sylar: "And get me some coffee. Decaff, no sugar."
  • Peter had three of these in "Homecoming":
    • Lacking any power other than being able to do what other powered people can do (not as well and only when they are close), he travels half-way across the country in order to risk his life to save a complete stranger, knowing full well that he'll die in the attempt.
    • The entire talk he has with Claire, before he realizes she's the girl he came to save and basically tells her - as she is angsting over High School life - that things get better once you grow up and that the best is yet to come. It's a small thing but it neatly sums up Peter's character - even in the midst of a big epic quest, he'll do little things to try and make other people feel better.
    • Not pissing his pants when Sylar sent locker doors at him. The guy has telekinesis and Peter's reaction was to try and hold him off so Claire could escape.
    • Another was when Claire was escaping, Peter turned and found Sylar right there next to him. Instead of running or being paralyzed with fear, Peter ends up fighting him in a contest of pure strength on top of the bleachers. Without the aid of any powers, Peter manages to take Sylar down with him and crash into the ground. His healing as she went to see if he was okay just adds to the moment.
  • Sandra got one in "Dying In The Light", when she built up the nerve to not only accompany Claire after a rather scary villain, but to shoot Claire in order to defeat said villain. Even when you know your daughter is invincible, that takes courage.
    • Her awesomeness continues into Volume 4, when she helps Claire and a random fugitive Hero named Alex escape from federal agents during the episode "Exposed". After chiding Claire for lying to protect her, she makes a fake ID for Alex, hides him in a air vent, lies absolutely straightfaced to the agents, then creates a pretty daring distraction to buy the dude enough time to escape from their house. Obfuscating Stupidity? Not really, it's just no one gives her a chance to show that she's just as Badass Normal as her husband to begin with.
  • Hiro Nakamura set a new standard in pure awesomeness when he "allegedly" committed murder.
  • Dying of the Light":
  • Peter tackles Sylar, flies him down a hallway into a wall, and beats the ever living crap out of him, knocking him out and attaching him to the machine that had just earlier kept Peter in an induced coma.
    • Hiro walks into Usutu's hut and sees a painting of Usutu hitting him over the head with a shovel. A few seconds later the Usutu does just that. When Hiro wakes up, he goes back in time to try to sneak up on Usutu when Usutu hits past-Hiro. While waiting behind a rock, he sees another painting of Hiro getting hit over the head with a shovel by the Usutu. Sure enough, Usutu appears behind him moments later and knocks Hiro out cold. This could also be a great example of Funny Moment.
  • Sylar has a brief one when he saves Peter from an injection by flinging Mohinder and a scientist into the wall with his telekinesis and frees him.
    Peter:"You came for me!"
  • Mohinder, in Volume 1, figures out that the "Zane Taylor" he's been traveling with is actually Sylar, his father's murderer. So how does a non-powered scientist fight a multi-powered psychopath? By pretending he's still clueless, drugging Sylar's chai, tying him to a chair, and hooking him up to an IV of brain-numbing curare so he can't use his powers. Then, so he can decode his father's research, Mohinder jams a huge frickin' needle into Sylar's spine, telling him:
    Mohinder: You might actually do some good before you die.
  • "It's Coming":
    • Arthur Petrelli, possibly the most powerful man on the planet, has his hands on Hiro's head, making him scream. Non-badass normal Ando shouts "Leave my friend alone!" and jumps at him.
      • Not to mention pulling an escape by using Hiro's teleportation power for him, by manually changing his catatonic friend's facial expression.
    • Peter, who's been stripped of his powers, rescues Claire through sheer cleverness and guts.
      Peter:"I don't need an army to kick your ass, Flint!"
  • Noah, during "The Eclipse": While everybody's powers are gone, he takes on Sylar and Elle, knocks them both out, and dislocates Sylar's arm by ripping it out of its socket!
    • Not to mention slitting Sylar's throat.
  • Mohinder beating the tar out of Flint during the Eclipse, with only a microscope and his rapier wit.
    Flint: "Did you really think I was that stupid?"
    Mohinder: "Actually, I did." WHACK!
  • Peter single-handedly storming a Haitian warlord's camp with an AK-47.
  • Hiro, after being dismissively insulted one too many times, apologizes—but in advance, for punching ice queen Tracy in the face and stealing the formula.
  • From way back in 1.4: "Niki's not here right now."
  • In "A Clear And Present Danger", the hunter gets in Mohinder's cab, pulls a gun and says "Just drive." Mohinder coolly responds "It's your dime." Then, when they get to where the hunter's team was waiting for them on the top of a car park's roof, well... when Mohinder put his hand on the cab door, he rips it off and smacks the crap out of the guy with it, followed by using it as a shield against gunfire before hauling ass. Whoa!
  • Agent Simmons—a random Red Shirt—gets one in "Trust and Blood": Sylar's been horrifically torturing him for a day, including sticking his hands to a chair by impaling them with screwdrivers, and he still refuses to talk—even after Sylar starts going after innocents. And then, when Sylar's distracted, comes the real awesome: he frees himself by pulling the screwdrivers up, probably ruining his hands in the process, and still manages to grab his gun and, had Luke not intervened, would have killed Sylar.
  • In "Building 26", Sylar tells Luke a sob story about his Daddy Issues, and Luke gives up the address of Sylar's father's place, believing that he and Sylar have connected, and that now Sylar won't kill him per his usual style. Then the diner they are in is swarmed with the guys who are hunting Sylar, and Luke does some brilliant improv to get himself and Sylar out...and Sylar leaves him behind! Cold, heartless badass, you might think, but it gets better. Sylar then comes back and kills a van full of guys, escaping with a briefcase in hand and Luke over his shoulder. Didn't See That Coming. Thankfully, Sylar fights back the hunger and, while angry at Luke for lying to him, spares his life.
  • When Noah is in the bar at the end of "Cold Wars", passes out because of some drug put into his drink, and then Peter, Mohinder, and Parkman casually walk up and take him away.
  • Matt and Peter using tag-team Jedi Mind Trick-ery to force their way into the government headquarters during "Exposed". Made even more awesome with Matt's smug nod to the security camera; the people on the other end can't do much about it because he's brainwashed two armed agents to hold the entire Mission Control at gunpoint inside their command center.
  • Linderman gets one of these along with a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming when he heals Angela's mind, showing her Arthur's true colours.
  • After straddling the morality line for her entire time on the show, Tracy finally makes her choice by buying time for Micah to escape and help everyone... by freezing a whole parking lot full of soldiers and herself in the process.
    • Ah, to Hell with it, the entire episode of "Cold Snap" was a CMoA. Angela eluding The Men in Black with only her wits and help from a son that she thought had estranged her long ago? Awesome. Ando finally getting an offensive power and Hadoken'ing a group of soldiers trying to capture them? Awesome. Hiro getting (at least part) of his powers back and carting his best friend and new ward twelve miles to escape? Awesome.
      • To say nothing of Matt and how he used his powers to give Daphne a fairy-tale ending just before she died. CMoA for him. Heartwarming Moments for the whole scene.
      • And of course, the Tear Jerker episode is Bryan Fuller's triumphant return to the show's writing staff after Pushing Daisies was cancelled.
      • Tracy's CMoA isn't complete until you mention the final close up on her shattered face and she blinks.
  • In "1961", in a flashback set in, well, 1961, the teenage Charles Deveaux and Angela Petrelli are dancing in a diner. The manager stops - they don't allow interracial dancing. Deveaux (who is black) uses his powers to make him forget about it. Telepathy beats racism, every time.
  • Speaking of telepathy, in "Turn and Face the Strange", Matt uses his powers to find the one person Danko actually cares about and force him to admit everything he's done to her. Then, he proves who the better man is by refusing to shoot Danko's girlfriend.
  • Danko's supreme Oh, Crap! face right after he stabs Sylar in the back of the head (the one place that could previously kill him permanently ) and he REGENERATES ANYWAYS.
  • In the season finale, Peter completely owning Sylar in the very moment of his victory, and then striking a smug pose that was utterly perfect after three seasons of fighting Sylar without a clear winner.
    • "You didn't think I took that one from you, did you?"
  • Elle's personal moment: electrocuting Sylar in "The Butterfly Effect" when he tries to cut her head open. Never mind that she also busted Level Five wide open and let all the other bad guys escape to wreak havoc and pain.
  • Eric Doyle's Crowning Moment: "Dilman... we need to talk."
  • Peter tags along with Noah to take on Edgar, a new speedster. After Peter initially gets the drop on Edgar, he gets right back up and throws a knife at Noah's face, only for Peter to grab it right before it hits, revealing he now has the same power. He proceeds to take on Edgar in a super speed fight, and forces him to retreat.
    • What makes it even more awesome is that he basically challenged Ray Park to a sword fight and won.
  • Being played by Robert Knepper already had people anticipating awesomeness, and Samuel delivers when he's snubbed at the estate where his parents were servants. His response: create a sinkhole to destroy the house, dinner party and all.
  • Matt forcing Sylar, who's controlling his body at the time, to get shot by a bunch of cops, fully aware that it will cause his own death too.
  • Claire, in "Thanksgiving": Do you think that THIS is going to blow over?
  • Peter blocks all of Sylar's powers, and crucifies him with a nail gun before putting another nail into what's implied to be his groin, all to let Nathan's personality emerge again. This lets Sylar get his own when he's able to resist the pain, forcing Peter to bring Nathan out the hard way.
  • Samuel gets a big one in "Let It Bleed". Sylar comes to the circus to feast on its inhabitants. He first goes after Samuel. After pinning Samuel to the trailer and about to cut his head open, Samuel single-handedly stops the attack and defeats Sylar in a cyclone of sand, ripping his flesh apart.
  • Samuel gets another one in "Strange Attractors" where he gets revenge to the two cops for killing Jeremy Greer, by leveling an entire police station!
  • HRG resolidifies his badassness by executing a textbook Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique on Edgar: "If it were up to me, you'd be down six fingers by now."
  • From "Pass/Fail":
    • Claire stabbing Sylar in the eye with a pencil.
    • After Hiro decides to change his plea in the trial to "Guilty", Kaito hands him his sword, everyone steps aside to reveal Adam standing between Hiro and the way back to life holding the same sword. Awesome sword fight ensues.
    • "I'm done trying to change myself for you. Trying to fit into your world. Play by your rules. From now on, you’re all gonna play by mine".
  • From "The Art of Deception", Parkman reading Sylar's mind to find out what his worst nightmare is, trapping him in it, and if not for Peter showing up, he would have sealed the comatose Sylar behind a brick wall in his basement.
  • Hiro teleporting for the first time in the first season.
  • The Volume Five season finale, "Brave New World", is positively rife with CMOA's.
    • Tracy's Big Damn Heroes comeback as she saves Noah and Claire from the buried trailer.
    • Both Sylar and Eli making a legitimate Heel–Face Turn.
      • It should be noted that Eli's Heel–Face Turn was mostly due to Parkman, after hearing what Samuel planned to do from Peter reading Eli's mind.
    • Emma gets one in conjunction with Sylar's Heel–Face Turn as he distracts Doyle enough for her to realize that her hands are free; she then knocks Doyle out with a blast of sound and light. Sylar proceeds to tie him up like a Christmas tree.
      • Ando showing that his supercharging power has not been forgotten as he and Hiro perform a mass teleportation.
    • Peter and Samuel engaging in a terrakinetic battle.
    • When Samuel loses his power due to the carnies leaving, he pathetically tries to punch Peter, who casually blocks it and punches back.
    • Samuel finally losing his cool after eighteen straight episodes of Magnificent Bastardry.
    • And best of all: Claire reveals the existence of specials by demonstrating her power on national TV, making what would have been the perfect cliffhanger for Volume 6 if the series had continued.
  • When breaking into Pinehearst, Sylar finds a recently empowered Mohinder and is completely taken by surprised when Mohinder leaps through the air and beats the crap out of him.
  • Sandra finally standing up to Noah about all that he'd put the family through. Even though it turned out to be Sylar in disguise.

The comics

  • In "Trial by Fire", Nathan uses his power to rescue a woman from a burning building. This from the man who scoffed at using his powers for such a thing.
    To think I was gonna vote for the other guy.
  • In "Fathers and Daughters", he visits Eden McCain's father to inform him of her death. When the neglectful drunken asshole reacts with apathy, Noah slams him into a wall and verbally crucifies him:
    She may not have been worth much when I found her. But she overcame her past...Her terrible childhood...Her drunk parents...The father who abandoned her. She gave her life to stop a depraved and dangerous man from gaining her gift. Her sacrifice will prevent countless deaths. Your daughter was a goddamn hero. No thanks to you.
    • And when the man breaks down crying, Noah instructs the Haitian:
    Don't erase everything. Leave the guilt.
  • Micah forms his very own Super Hero team! He, Sparrow Redhouse, West and Abigail easily take down the government goons after them and from there continue protecting specials from Nathan's Nazis.
    • Micah is kidnapped and tied to a chair by Thompson Jr, son of Noah's old boss, whose gone utterly crazy since his partner in the company died. He has Micah at gunpoint and wants to know where the woman who helped bring about his partners death is. Does Micah crack? NO: he commandeers a remote control crane and proceeds to smash it into the building, summons his team mates who kick Thompson's ass and then, just for an encore he puts Thompson's name on the worlds top ten most wanted lists. And he does it all without even flinching. It's not surprising that he's formed the Heroes universe first official super team...
  • Candice destroying an asshole jock's mind with illusions. And her holographic high school holocaust at the end of her origin story.

Top