History AlternativeCharacterInterpretation / ComicBooks

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* The Trust from ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets'' can be regarded as [[AccidentalHero inadvertent heroes]]. Sure, they've [[spoiler:controlled all the crime in the country since before it was founded]]. But, by [[spoiler:keeping the kingdoms of Europe from dividing America up into lots of tiny territories]], they have made America remarkably free of war compared to Europe, and they have allowed it to act as the Arsenal of Democracy in both World Wars. True, they only did that great thing because [[spoiler: a united America is easier to exploit]]. But in the long run, the freedom from the devastation of war probably more than makes up for [[spoiler:all the stuff they've stolen.]]

* Franchise/{{Batman}} has been subject to numerous alternate {{canon}} interpretations. Some depict him as a noble crusader against crime; others make him a borderline psychopath barely removed from the lunatics he spends his life fighting.
** His relationships have also come under examination; debates about his sexuality rage wildly. There are tons of easy targets for jokes about that last part.
** The various interpretations of Batman are the inspiration behind [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_rL1Jjp1dMY8/Sw3vRWrzweI/AAAAAAAAAxs/fMIxw0lZLo8/s1600/batman-alignment.jpg this image]] merging Batman with TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Character Alignment.
** One of the most raging questions about Batman concern civilian identity Bruce Wayne. Is he simply a mask that Batman wears during the day, a popular interpretion since ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''? Or is Bruce a real person who's made the rational - within the DCU - decision to fight crime while dressed as a bat? The stories that most support the former view are those where Bruce most throws himself into the RichIdiotWithNoDayJob act. When he tries to take an active role and takes up civic involvement in Gotham's problems, it shores up the latter interpretation.
** This is strongly lampshaded in short story "Viewpoint", where newspaper publisher hires bunch of writers to give him their own interpretations of Batman in hope to make their common element - truth about Batman - more clear. He's very disappointed to find out that their visions have nothing in common.
** This is also played with in Creator/NeilGaiman's ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheCapedCrusader'' in which different characters tell stories that show ''their'' contradictory interpretations of Batman.
*** Through they all have one thing in common - in all the stories told Batman dies because he refuses to (or maybe cannot?) give up. [[spoiler: When he finally dies for real, he is reborn on another Earth, as infant Bruce Wayne, to one day become Batman once again.]]
** This is {{Lampshaded}} in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' [[TakeThat that was directed at]] the show's detractors. In it, Bat-Mite lectures a group of fanboys about how many character shifts Batman has gone through since the GoldenAge, and sums it all up by saying a Batman who goes on sci-fi adventures and cracks jokes is ''just as valid'' and true to the source material as a Batman who's [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries a grim vigilante]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy that slinks through alleyways while angrily screaming into the night]].
** From ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'', during his fight with Superman:
---> If Clark wanted to, he could use his superspeed and squish me into the cement. But I know how he thinks. Even more than the Kryptonite, he's got one big weakness. Deep down, Clark's essentially a good person...and deep down, I'm ''not''.
* ComicBook/BlackCanary: Her relationship with Oliver and her motivation for continuing to go back to him after their many break-ups. Either they're a genuinely loving couple who have both made mistakes and gone through a rough patch, or they're an incredibly destructive mess with both having massive issues that they've constantly failed to work on. In-canon, this has been shown with her having a stable relationship with Mid-Nite, only to abandon it to get back together with Oliver despite the fight they were having all the while.
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[[folder: D-F]]
* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: a HeroicComedicSociopath who tries to be a better person? Or a VillainProtagonist who can't change anything about himself?
** Deadpool may be emoting the three Freudian archetypes of the mind; Superego, Ego and Id. His white caption box is the most sensible one, and thus the Superego. The more out of touch yellow caption box is Ego, a less sensible one. His chaotic, random persona word balloons and occasional change to his POV are the Id, the no before or after thought.
** Or maybe, as ''Uncanny ComicBook/XForce'' writer Rick Remender suggests, is Wade a SadClown who just wants to be loved?
*** This theory is backed up by one story where Deadpool decides to kill off his entire fanbase so his comic can end and he can just die.
* ComicBook/DoctorDoom has been portrayed as everything from a WellIntentionedExtremist noble villain to a sadistic brutal CardCarryingVillain, [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on who was writing the story at the time.]]
** What kind of psychology is required to create so many [[ActuallyADoombot Doombots with so many conflicting personalities]]?
* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'' during his time as a surgeon is always shown as the biggest, most selfish jerk possible. But Creator/BrianKVaughan's ''the Oath'' miniseries implied that maybe he was this way because he couldn't cope with his inability to save everybody, and instead of getting emotionally invested, he had chosen to distance himself from his patients, becoming a greedy, uncaring jerk in the process.
** As it was [[http://sequart.org/magazine/17492/on-the-profoundly-rational-doctor-stephen-strange/ pointed out]] during his initial adventures Strange might have been the most rational of all Marvel superheroes, lacking the irresponsibility constantly shown by Reed Richards and Bruce Banner during those days and not sending kids to fight his war, like Charles Xavier.
* ComicBook/FantasticFour
** Is Reed Richards really such an arrogant, aloof guy? Or is he so superintelligent that he can't relate to other people? Or is he overcompensating for the guilt he still feels over getting his family transformed into freaks? Or, as suggested by Creator/GrantMorrison, does he have Asperger's syndrome?
* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Hunter Zolomon (Zoom/Reverse-Flash II) is a man who experienced repeated tragedy through his life, and after his spine is broken and Wally West refuses to use time travel to fix it, he accidentally gives himself superspeed (sort of). He resolves that the reason Wally didn't help him is that Wally has never experienced tragedy, and decides to become Wally's ArchNemesis in order to better Wally by attacking his friends and family and being the villain that will make Wally step up. Does Hunter truly believe that tragedy will make Wally better, and is merely too mentally unbalanced to realise that he himself could be a hero as he meets his own criteria for a great hero? Or is Hunter just a sad, broken man looking for an excuse to hurt Wally because Wally didn't help him? Or is it a mix of both?
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[[folder: G-I]]
* In ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'', Dr. Alchemy asks [[ComicBook/TheQuestion Det. Renee Montoya]] if she ever beats her girlfriend. Rather than immediately denying it, angrily or otherwise, she repeatedly avoids answering the question until he points out that she's evading the question, at which point she says, "Never in my life." Does she just refuse to answer at first because it's an outrageous and offensive question, or because she has in fact beaten her girlfriend, or maybe just thought about it? Or has she perhaps hit a different girlfriend? Later, in ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'', we see her trade hits with an ex-girlfriend, Kate Kane, although, to be fair, Kate hits her first.

* This [[Website/FourChan /co/]] [[http://24.media.tumblr.com/c9ab86ed11fb0bd78aa0291cb9ff1726/tumblr_mfww8nnSBr1qg8am1o1_1280.png post]] has suggested the idea of J. Jonah Jameson as a SecretSecretKeeper who is tough on Spider-Man in order to motivate him to keep working harder in defending the city. Other interpretations:
** Jameson is a huckster, and the ''Bugle'' is a borderline-tabloid, which he uses for his anti-Spidey crusade regardless of facts.
*** Or even the reverse: Jameson is a huckster, and the ''Bugle'' is a borderline-tabloid, ''but'' his feud with Spider-Man is greatly exaggerated just to sell a lot of papers.
** Jameson is the ButtMonkey, just there for comic relief.
** Jameson is a good, honest newspaperman, and the ''Bugle'' is a good paper, he just happens to have a bug up his butt about Spidey.
** Jameson is a psychopath who has commissioned the creation of lethal anti-Spidey robots, and he should be in jail.
** Jameson is a rugged idealist who believes that Spider-Man has a duty to protect the people of New York, and he runs his anti-Spidey crusade to ensure that he'll ''never'' be able to selfishly use his powers for wealth or fame.
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[[folder:J-L]]

* Speaking of Franchise/{{Batman}}, there's his main enemy, ComicBook/TheJoker. Though he started off as a dark and creepy serial killer, he spent most of the '40s, '50s, and '60s as a [[VillainousHarlequin mostly harmless lawbreaking jester.]] Then, after Batman was remade into a dark and brooding hero, the Joker returns to his [[MonsterClown homicidal maniac]] origins; then we get to "The Killing Joke," in which he shoots Barbara Gordon (formerly Batgirl) through the spine, and then kidnaps and tortures Commissioner Gordon more or less for the hell of it. And then there was "Death in the Family" and countless other stories in which the Joker gets darker as time goes on. In the movies, he has changed from one appearance to the next. TheMovie of the 1966 series portrayed him as the prankster crook. Creator/JackNicholson, famous creepy actor, portrayed him as a former gangster making the best of his deformities by incorporating them into a costume. ''Film/TheDarkKnight'''s Creator/HeathLedger appeared to be a suicidal nihilist out to cause chaos with a carefully orchestrated plan. His solo film portrays him as simply a clown with mental health issues who was taken off his medication and therapy just when he has very bad month of riots, beaten and harrassed, losing his job, and finally being mocked by his idol for his failure as a stand up comedian, push him gradually into more and more acceptance of his own violent impulses.
** Though he's traditionally portrayed as chaotic and capable of adapting on the fly to any situation, Creator/GrantMorrison's ''Batman & Robin'' run has suggested that, in fact, the opposite is true: as AxeCrazy as he is, he's been able to survive confrontations with Batman for so long because he's CrazyPrepared and ''already'' has a plan for ''everything''. And the MonsterClown persona is a facade that lets him channel his homicidal urges. At heart, he's not a MonsterClown....he's just a monster.
** Also, does the Joker [[BreakingTheFourthWall break the fourth wall]] for comedic effect at the whim of the writers, in which case anything he says while BreakingTheFourthWall is barely canon? Or is his suggested "super sanity" giving him [[MediumAwareness canonical awareness of the reality of comic books?]] In either case, does this extend to the other adaptations? Did Nicholson's mobster-Joker go insane because of his accident causing deformity or because it let him know that we're watching his misery for entertainment?
*** If he knows that he's in a comic book, then his behavior might have been hand-waved in his own mind because his victims only exist ''to be his victims''. Even the Gordon family and other named victims are not actual people in our level of reality. Maybe the only reason he keeps committing crimes and going up against Batman is because he doesn't want the comics to end. Because then it would be like he ceased to exist. And he doesn't want to die.
*** In fact, Joker might even be said to be committing horrible crimes to get Batman involved because otherwise ''the entire world he exists in would cease!'' Joker is forced to murder, rob and prank people to save the entire universe. He's not the hero Gotham wants, but he's the villain Gotham ''needs''.
** When the Joker expresses a personal philosophy, such as Ledger's nihilist with a plan, does the Joker believe in it? Or are they all meaningless words to him, another joke intended solely to screw with the minds of the sane?
** ''Batman: Black And White - Case Study'' by Paul Dini puts forth a particularly brilliant alternative; the Joker is completely sane. Back before the chemical vat incident, he was a crime boss who played his anonymity to the hilt in order to do whatever he wanted. Afterward, he knew that was no longer possible, so he created the "Clown Prince Of Crime" persona of ObfuscatingInsanity ''solely so he would be sent to Arkham whenever he was caught'' - he '''purposefully invented JokerImmunity!''' The doctors are ecstatic when they discover an old report claiming this - and then orderlies drag Harley Quinn past, and she comments that she wrote that report before she started counseling the Joker. The Joker drove Quinn insane to invalidate her findings once he realized that she had figured out his scheme. '''''And he left the report where it would be found just so he could YankTheDogsChain.''''' ...Or was that all wrong, maybe even made up recently by the Joker or Harley and back dated, either as a joke or as part of a scheme to help break out again (by getting declared sane and transferred to the more easily escaped facilities at Blackgate Penitentiary).
** Then in the reality of ComicBook/DCRebirth, it is revealed that there seem to be three Jokers for that version of the DC multiverse...

* The Franchise/{{Batman}} miniseries, ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'' has four interpretations regarding [[spoiler: Gilda Dent's confession]] about committing the first Holiday murders:
** [[spoiler: As Gilda believed, she committed the first murders, then - as she believes - a pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent committed the others until Labor Day, when Alberto Falcone, who publicly took credit for the murders, killed Sal Maroni.]]
** [[spoiler: Gilda committed the first murders, but starting with Alberto faking his own death on New Year's Day, he reapportioned the identity for himself and committed the other murders. Gilda stated she's read Harvey's files to get an idea of how to cover up her tracks.]] As [[http://overthinking-things.blogspot.com/2012/05/note-if-you-havent-read-long-halloween.html this points out]], [[spoiler: having Harvey commit the other murders takes away from his fall from grace and transformation into Two-Face.]]
** [[spoiler: Gilda snapped from Harvey's transformation into Two-Face and became delusional and started thinking she started the Holiday murders and the truth is Alberto really ''did'' commit all the murders.]] [[http://graphicontent.blogspot.com/2005/02/who-was-holiday.html People who support this theory point out]] [[spoiler: there's no switch in M.O., which given Batman is doing forensic tests in one issue, would been noticeable, and there aren't two murders on New Year's, which should've happened if Gilda quit, and someone else picked it up and Alberto would have no idea about another murder. Additionally, Gilda was in ICU during the Thanksgiving murder and a wheelchair in Christmas and the murders on Mother's Day, Independence Day, and Carmine Falcone's birthday were about covering up Holiday's identity, and even Alberto had motives the early murders as they're all people who'd turned on his father or could turn, and/or failed him. Also, despite Gilda saying she'd read Harvey's files, she reacts with surprise that he brought his files home with him shortly before Maroni threw acid in Harvey's face.]]
** [[spoiler: Gilda, Harvey, ''and'' Alberto committed some of the murders each.]]
** Related to these, [[spoiler: whether or not Calendar Man really did know anything about the murders or was just blowing smoke out of his ass to keep from being overshadowed. As the link in the third interpretation mentions, he was already switching the gender pronouns around ''before'' the possible change in killers happened.]]
** [[spoiler:There's the question on if Carmine Falcone truly knew about Alberto's actions. While Batman suspects he does and it seems like he made sure Sofia wouldn't see Alberto shoot at the Riddler, some of the murders aimed at members of Falcone's family and Alberto's cold behavior to his father raise doubts as to this. For what it's worth, though, Batman does suspect that the argument between the two is staged and despite Alberto saying Falcone didn't know he was born on Valentine's Day, Carmine did visit Alberto's "grave" on that exact day.]]
** [[spoiler:Did Sofia really love Sal Maroni or was she just using him? Depending on one reads it, it makes her killing Alberto in ''ComicBook/DarkVictory'' not just killing him for not being like Carmine, but also revenge for the one Holiday killing that is definitely Alberto's.]]
** Gordon spent a good portion of the story dragging his feet when Harvey discovers a connection between Thomas Wayne and Carmine Falcone (which turned out to be Thomas saving Falcone's life after Falcone's father swung by Wayne Manor). Was it due to a lack of evidence, because he feared Harvey was going off the deep end already, or because (much like what was implied in ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne'') he knew Bruce was Batman (which would explain some of Bruce's behavior) and didn't want to expose him?

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[[folder: M-P]]
* Canon Example: ComicBook/MoonKnight. Obsessive Abraham Van Helsing style werewolf hunter, [[BadassNormal Costumed vigilante]], [[CaptainErsatz Batman parody]], agent of a spirit of vengeance, [[TheCape super hero]], [[TheAtoner mercenary looking for redemption]], just a puppet of khonshu, and [[AxCrazy schizophrenic sadist]] are just some of his many possible variants, all of whom are canon personalities.

* ComicBook/ThePunisher. Many comics portray him as being just a jaded, cynical man who wants to make absolutely, positively sure that the criminals he stops aren't going to wind up in a CardboardPrison to break out again and commit crimes like the one that killed his family. Some other interpretations paint him closer to a SerialKiller who's using criminals as an acceptable target to vent his bloodlust; these see his actions as more like bloody murder than vigilantism. The second interpretation greatly pleases some fans and infuriates others to no end.
** He could be both. It's been over 30 years (which is about 7 years in ComicBookTime) since his family was killed. He might have been just cynical back then; but after so long, he's bound to be a little crazy.
** The Punisher presents a special problem: The arguments for his being in the moral right (killing some people to save many) require him to live in a world where his logic is true. Unfortunately, he lives in [[Creator/MarvelComics a world]] where other ways of solving things constantly show up. Naturally, he seems a little crazy.
*** Case in point - he's portrayed as a lunatic more commonly when he's co-starring with other heroes like Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}. In his own book, he's shown in a more positive light.
*** His more extreme stories in ''Comicbook/ThePunisherMAX'' are not canonical with the main Marvel Universe.
** Even writers started to pick sides in this one - Creator/GregRucka has repeatedly stated that he dislikes the interpretation of Frank as crazy.
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* ''ComicBook/RedHoodAndTheOutlaws'': Jason is trying too hard to copy Bruce by wearing his symbol and forming a team which is a knock-off of the Outsiders. At the same time, he's using an identity that belonged to the Joker, and his teammates are his surrogate brother's friend and ex-girlfriend. Jason is trying too hard to make up for, or rather, hide, the fact that he has absolutely nothing in his life except his rage and resentment by taking things and friends that belong to other people. Does he honestly give a damn about Starfire and Roy, or is just using them because he considers Roy to be nothing more than a pathetic hanger on and Starfire as an emotionally devoid alien powerhouse with a skewed sense of memory and a warped physical perception of human beings. The fact that he only included the two on his team because he washed up on Starfire's island and learned Roy was about to be executed adds to the credence that his team was only put together through half-assed improvisation.
* ComicBook/TheRiddler: InsufferableGenius who's obsessed with proving his superiority over Batman, or a seriously ill criminal whose compulsion to tell the truth is what drives him to leave riddles?
* ChasteHero ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}[=/=]ComicBook/RedRobin Tim Drake's indifference and avoidance of adding sex to his relationships, as well as him never falling for the HoneyPot has created a theory that he is the DC universe's first {{Asexual}} or Demisexual character (Demi fits better with canon as he and his long time girlfriend [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]] decide to have sex after years of dating in ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}'').
* Some people believe that [[ComicBook/TheSandman Death]] is a bitch. Sure, she is supposed to be kind, but there are hints of wanton cruelty and schadenfreude underneath it. Particularly striking is the scene in ''Endless Nights'' where she [[spoiler:casually strolls through a time-frozen party, telling everyone how they really died and watching them do so, including the children.]] Sure, it may have been an {{homage}} to [[spoiler:"Literature/TheMasqueOfTheRedDeath"]] but it did seem unnecessarily vindictive to do it in that way, especially considering her expression the whole time.
** This was from the distant past. All of the Endless' [[CharacterizationMarchesOn characterizations have moved on since then.]] How far in the past? Back then, [[spoiler: Dream still liked Desire, the first Despair was still alive, and Delirium was still Delight.]] It's possible that Death hadn't started her "one day as mortal a century" yet, either, which would explain why she was acting the way she did.
** Death doesn't decide when people die or how. She just states the fact to people who are trying to deny it and takes pleasure for a frustrating job finally getting done. Also, in [[Franchise/TheDCU this world]], death is not the end.
** The [[spoiler:party]] took place long, long after she changed her ways. And they were [[spoiler:dead already. They would have died ''anyway'' by the time she finally got in to take them]].
** Creator/NeilGaiman himself [[WordOfGod has said]] that there's a perfectly valid story to be told about how Dream was an insufferable jerk and Desire's actions were entirely justified. It's just not the one ''he'' told.

* Franchise/SpiderMan: Battle-hardened self-taught warrior using a combination of wit, intelligence, strength, and bitter experience to become a dangerous foe? Or young, inexperienced, naive newbie who can't keep his mouth shut? Even the writers aren't sure.
** Granted, these ideas are not exclusive nor do they contradict each other. In fact, it would make the most sense for him to start as the latter and become the former over time.
** In his review of ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'', [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] paints a chilling picture of Spidey as an irresponsible hypocrite who suffers from a severe case of AesopAmnesia, hurts his friends and loved ones under the guise of "something more important came up as Spider-Man" and making excuses for himself, never taking the time to make any long term plans in life (he has no life insurance for starters) and never made any plans to help his family if the very real possibility of him getting killed in action were to occur. (In fairness, Linkara does bring up that a huge part of the problem stems from how the writers and [[ExecutiveMeddling Marvel editorial]] seem to adamantly refuse to [[NotAllowedToGrowUp let Peter Parker grow up and act his age]], and part of his rant is his own personal jaded perspective.)
* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
** The debate has raged for years over who is the ''real'' personality, Superman or Clark Kent? Sometimes the Superman persona is very much the real person, with Clark Kent as a mask he puts on in order to live a normal life. Other time it is the opposite and Clark is the real person, who is simply playing the role of "Superman". Other times, both are an integral part of who he is, equally, or neither one.
** One good story involved a pair of gambling aliens tried separating Clark and Superman. What actually happened was that there became two identical people, and that when one of them was Clark the other felt compelled to be Superman, and vice versa.
** ComicBook/LoisLane: Depending on who you ask, Lois was dumb enough to be fooled by a pair of glasses, or the only person whom Superman couldn't easily deceive during the Silver Age, to the point he needed to pull off ridiculous and overcomplicated stunts, often involving ''robots'' and ''Batman'', to divert her suspicions for a short while.
** ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}: Depending on the reader, Pre-Crisis Kara Zor-El is the nicest girl ever, a short-tempered sweetheart, her cousin's doormat, or an insecure and afraid teenager who grew up to be a confident, sassy, brave and self-reliant woman.
** ComicBook/LanaLang: Reliable and loyal childhood friend or obsessed lovesick idiot who keeps ruining relationships because she can't get over her childhood crush?
** ComicBook/LexLuthor: An evil, self-serving, hypocritical, egomaniac bastard whose rants about Superman holding back humanity are nothing but a mask for xenophoby and egotism? A hero striving to show the human race that it has some worth when set against the impossible, unreachable ideal that is Superman, rejecting no act that would prove his point as worth it to the greater good? A tragic hero, with every action ruled by obsession and hubris based in deep insecurities only unearthed by Superman's presence? A secular humanist who believes Superman is holding back social growth on Earth because people rely on him too much, preventing humanity from our grand destiny? A futurist who believes in the advancement of mankind no matter what the cost, sometimes resulting in him [[UtopiaJustifiestheMeans doing immoral things for the "greater good"?]] A petty dick who'll stoop down to any level of crime to prove he's superior to everyone else?
** Mr Mxyzptlk. Is he merely a {{Jerkass}} RealityWarper who tests the Man of Steel for fun, or a more benevolent [[TricksterMentor Trickster]] [[StealthMentor encouraging Superman to use his brain]] and to think and use his powers in unconventional ways? A big Superman fan who loves seeing what he can do? An EldritchAbomination looking for ways to kill time as seen in ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow''? A pranskter trying to keep Supes from taking everything so seriously?
** Superboy-Prime: An OmnicidalManiac who destroys anything he doesn't like, or a kid who's been given incredible power and thrust into a situation he was in no way ready to handle? Or a deliberate parody designed to screw with the fans heads with lines like "I'll kill you to death!"? Are his lines ''really'' that stupid or would anybody also scream the first thing that came to their mind, even if it made no sense, after having the equivalent of a nuke explode in their face? Maybe he kills people because He grew up in a world where all these people were fictional characters, and deep down, he still doesn't see them as real?
* The Tara Markov version of Terra from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''. A sociopath who could not be helped, or a [[StepfordSmiler broken]] little girl who got mixed up with the wrong people and let her emotions get the better of her? Did she truly think the Teen Titans were her friends, even a little bit? Did she have feelings for Garfield?

* ComicBook/TwoFace. Tradition states that the two halves of his face represent his split personality. Normally, they have the non-scarred side represent Harvey Dent and the scarred side represent Two-Face; they give us scenes where he has a perfectly reasonable dialogue shown only in his non-scarred profile, only to flip out into ultraviolence shot entirely from his scarred side. But some writers claim the opposite is true: the non-scarred side is Two-Face, the monster with a face of an angel. The scarred side represents Harvey Dent, the wounded hero who lies crushed beneath.
** Supported in spirit by the non-canon ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', in which Harvey has his face restored to full normal- and proceeds to go completely evil; scratching both sides of his coins as if he has been "consumed by his dark side." At least both sides match.
*** Additionally, an acid scar to the left side of his face would correspond to behavior on the right side of his body.
** Moreover, prior to the 1980s Two-Face was not portrayed as a man with multiple personalities, just as someone who rejected moral responsibility and let random chance in the form of his coin make his choices for him. The multiple personalities first showed up when he got a new ComicBook/PostCrisis origin. The idea of Dent having two personalities caught on so well it's completely erased the character's first 40 years. Ironically, [[spoiler:his appearance in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' caused some protest when it was closer to his original portrayal.]]
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[[folder: U-Z]]
* ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Is Red Skull lying about wanting a better life? Is he just trying to screw with Fury? Is he deluding himself? Is he just trying to justify his actions?
* ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'': Is V a freedom fighter looking to replace the NF regime with something better for humanity, or a man driven insane by medical experiments and willing to let the world burn to sate his desire for revenge? The most interesting thing is that while the creator personally sympathises with V, he has said that seeing V as a hero or villain are both fully valid interpretations, and encourages readers to discuss their perceptions of V and his actions.
* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Are the masks just self-gratifying lunatics, or misunderstood heroes who were then prosecuted for keeping the population safe? Or some of each?
** [[spoiler: Ozymandias]], the villain behind it all. Interpretations of him vary from a mass-murdering psychopath to the savior of the world and its best hope for the future.
** Rorschach. A sociopathic, alienated, serial killer? Or an intelligent, uncompromising man trying to save humanity from evil and corruption and bring loyalty and morality back into the world?
** Eddie Blake/The Comedian. Is he a really [[SociopathicHero dark antihero]]? A murderous lunatic? Did start out well-intentioned only for the relentless brutality he witnessed to grind him down into a government sponsored psychopath?
** Is Doctor Manhattan unable to alter the future or is he just so much of a fatalist that he won't even make the effort?
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
** Whether or not ComicBook/HerculesUnbound is actually Diana's father? Or is she actually a living statue?
** ComicBook/SteveTrevor's inability to tell Di and Wondy apart in the Golden Age causes readers to tend to think he may have been putting on a front and being willfully obtuse out of respect for her attempts to keep her ids separate ''or'' that he has face blindness. Diana didn't wear a mask, and only sometimes donned glasses as "Diana Prince", it wasn't much of a disguise even for the Golden Age. There's also the fact that his sexist "stay in the kitchen" attitude only really shows up when it would be better for Wonder Woman rather than Di to be around and when said attitude gives Diana a chance to leave and reappear as Wonder Woman, he doesn't have the same issues with Wonder Woman or Etta Candy and the Holliday Girls.
* ''Franchise/XMen'':
** Is ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} just a wuss who's occupying space until [[SpotlightStealingSquad Wolverine can save the day]], or is he the Creator/MarvelComics equivalent of Franchise/{{Batman}} with EyeBeams? Is his behavior since Creator/JossWhedon's run a case of finally getting rid of BadassDecay and living up the the reputation of leader he was supposed to be or did he simply [[TookALevelInJerkass take a level in jerkass]]? In a post AVX Marvel world, is he a tarnished hero seeking redemption, or just a big damn bigot who doesn't care who he hurts anymore?
** When Colossus took the lethal Legacy Virus antidote that would kill its host body while releasing a cure into the atmosphere, thus curing anyone with the Legacy virus anywhere in the world, was it a HeroicSacrifice to save the world? Or, given that he had lost his family and seen his former girlfriend move on with her life, was it a suicide gussied up to look noble? After Colossus became the new Juggernaut, a new alternate interpretation surfaced - that he has a self-destructive messiah complex that forces him to always bear all the pain and suffering there is to bear.
** ComicBook/{{Magneto}}: [[CardCarryingVillain A guy who wants to take over the world because he can]]? [[WellIntentionedExtremist A Holocaust survivor trying to protect his race]]? A mass murdering drug addict barely understanding what he does? [[HeWhoFightsMonsters An ironic echo]] of [[ThoseWackyNazis what he hates most?]] That's not even a full list of ''canonical'' interpretations.
** ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}}: A mutant tyrant that has no desire but to kill everyone he deems inferior to him? A misguided man with [[PhysicalGod incredible powers]] and a broken heart still using a creed that should've died out 5,000 years ago? [[VisionaryVillain A villain who wants to destroy society so that it can start over with strong leadership so that they can avert the ''real'' Apocalypse together?]]
[[/folder]]

* ChasteHero ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}[=/=]ComicBook/RedRobin Tim Drake's indifference and avoidance of adding sex to his relationships, as well as him never falling for the HoneyPot has created a theory that he is the DC universe's first {{Asexual}} or Demisexual character (Demi fits better with cannon as he and his long time girlfriend [[ComicBook/Batgirl2009 Stephanie Brown]] decide to have sex after years of dating in ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}'').

* ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' newspaper comics run on alternative interpretation of eloved Disney character. However, fans are divided as to whether they portray Pooh as a well-meaning idiot who doesn't realize things he says are rude, or a complete asshole.

* ''Franchise/WinnieThePooh'' newspaper comics run on alternative interpretation of eloved Disney character. However, fans are divided whenever they potray Pooh as well-meaning idiot who doesn't realize things he says are rude or a complete asshole.
** If you consider newspaper strips to be in one canon with infamous NintendoHard ''Winnie the Pooh Homerun Derby'' game, then you can use one to explain the other. Are everybody in game giving Pooh such hard time for his behavior in comics? Or is he acting the way he does in the strips, because events of the game broke him?

** Whether or not ComicBook/HerculesUnbound is actually Diana's father? Or is she actually a living statue

* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': Are the masks just self-gratifying vigilantes, or misunderstood heroes who were then prosecuted for keeping the population safe? Or some of each? That is not even starting on Rorschach... or the Comedian...
** [[spoiler: Ozymandias]]. Interpretations of him vary from a mass-murdering psychopath to the savior of the world and its best hope for the future. These depend largely on whether the person interpreting believes his plan would work.
*** Rorschach. A psychopathic, alienated, misogynistic killer? Or an intelligent, uncompromising man trying to save humanity from evil and corruption and bring loyalty and morality back into the world?
** Eddie Blake/The Comedian in particular. When he found out about Adrian's plan, he has such a breakdown he asked for forgiveness in front of his old enemy, Moloch, in tears and tried to justify what horrible things he did. But pretty much every other time we see him in the movie, he's cheerfully crossing the MoralEventHorizon and keeping on going - murdering a woman carrying his child, assassinating Kennedy, and attempting to rape one of his teammates. We never see him do anything remotely heroic, despite having been on a superhero team. So, is he a ''[[SociopathicHero really]]'' [[SociopathicHero dark antihero]]?
** Is Doctor Manhattan ''truly'' unable to alter the future or is he just so much of a fatalist that he won't even make the effort?

** Whether or not ComicBook/HerculesUnbound is actually Diana's traditionally unnamed father. This one no longer fits after her origin was mangled in the New 52, but used to be quite probable and was even given hints over the decades within canon.

** The debate has raged for years over who is the ''real'' personality, Superman or Clark Kent? Pre-Crisis Superman was very much the dominant personality, with Clark Kent as a mask he puts on in order to "hide." Post-Crisis is the opposite, Clark is the dominant personality with no knowledge or memories of Krypton until well into his adult years and ''after'' he started operating as a super hero. This means that Clark comes off as a far more assertive and aggressive person, and Superman comes off as stiff and artificial.
** Is Clark Kent an exaggerated disguise Superman takes to fake everyone out? Or is Superman a projection of Clark's desire to help others? ''Or,'' does Kal-El struggle to balance the nerdy reporter with the macho crimefighter? Before 1986, the answer was clearly the former, but between that point and about 2000, it was the later. From that point forward, it's been somewhat opened to interpretation, but in 2011, the New 52 pretty much got rid of the exaggerated nerd angle once again.
** While Superman was the dominant personality in UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks, several [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] stories, most notably ''ComicBook/WhoTookTheSuperOutOfSuperman'', came to the conclusion that he valued both identities equally, and felt miserable and stressed whenever he was forced to neglect either for an extended period of time. Without Clark, he had no way to ever relax; and without Superman, he couldn't help people in danger: "I tried to decide whether Clark or Superman is more important... and realized that to do away with one would be to ''kill'' half of myself - ''whoever'' I really am! So... I'd decided meek, mild-mannered Clark Kent will still walk the streets of the city - while up in the sky... the world will still watch and thrill to the sight of - a job for Superman!"
** One good story involved a pair of gambling aliens separating Clark and Superman. All that happened was that there was two Supermans, and that when one of them was Clark the other felt compelled to be Superman, and vice versa.
** Pre-Crisis Superman gaslighted women he loved, often mistreated his best friends, and dumped his only living relative in an orphanage: An abusive dick or a neurotic man whose fears, insecurities and lack of social skills manifest by keeping his loved ones at arm's length?

** ComicBook/LexLuthor: An evil, self-serving, hypocritical, egomaniac bastard whose rants about Superman holding back humanity are nothing but a mask for xenophoby and egotism? A hero striving to show the human race that it has some worth when set against the impossible, unreachable ideal that is Superman, rejecting no act that would prove his point as worth it to the greater good? A tragic figure whose actions are ruled by obsession and hubris based in deep insecurities unearthed by Superman's mere presence?A secular humanist who believes that Superman is holding back social growth on Earth because people rely on him too much and is preventing humanity from its grandest destiny? A futurist who believes in the advancement of mankind no matter what the cost, sometimes resulting in him [[UtopiaJustifiestheMeans doing TRULY horrifying stuff for the "greater good."]]? A petty dick who'll stoop down to any level of crime to prove he's superior to everyone else?
** Mr Mxyzptlk. Is he merely a {{Jerkass}} RealityWarper who tests the Man of Steel's patience, or a more benevolent [[TricksterMentor Trickster]] [[StealthMentor encouraging Superman to use his brain]] and to think and use his powers in unconventional ways? A big Superman fan who loves seeing what he can do? An EldritchAbomination looking for ways to kill time as seen in ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow''? A pranskter trying to keep Supes from taking everything so seriously?

* The Tara Markov version of Terra from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''. A sociopath who could not be helped, or a [[StepfordSmiler broken]] little girl who got mixed up with the wrong people and let her emotions get the better of her? Did she truly think the Teen Titans were her friends, even a little bit? Did she have feelings for Garfield? [[spoiler: [[DeathIsCheap Terra 2]]]], and her Black Lantern version, seems to have supported the alternate views. Also, was she [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hoisted by her own petard]] by accident, or did she [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide]] with the intention of doing so? Was she evil at heart, or did she just hate the hypocritical "goody two-shoes" nature of the Titans? Was her death fueled by drugs[[note]]Just prior to ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'', there was a one-shot published that seemed to insinuate that Terra's psychotic behavior was the result of being drugged by Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}} (ala his kidnapping and brainwashing of [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl 2000}} Cassandra Cain]]).[[/note]], contaminated drinking water, or was it natural? This is also another instance where the ambiguity only came later. Terra's evilness was the whole point of her character, and the narration during her death says, in no uncertain terms, that no one taught her to hate but herself. Due to ValuesDissonance, her original interpretation of "She's evil and canonically psychopathic just because" has been changed over the years in order to give her a FreudianExcuse and more depth. The "She was troubled and abused by Deathstroke" interpretation appears in the 2003 ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' cartoon, ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansTheJudasContract'' film, and most post-2000s comic references to her character.

** [[http://www.spideykicksbutt.com/GreenwithEvil/goblinmysteries.html Just... take a look at this series of essays on Goblin...]]

*** However it was thanks to Scott they managed to perform against the twins in the first place since Stephen's nerves got to him and Scott had to double-slap sense back into him (that and the band consisted of Scott and people he met in various points in life.)

*** A big problem with this interpretation is it fails to take into account that the League were the instigators and provocateurs. Matthew Patel has usually been seen with a rather unsettling, possibly manic look in his eyes (even back as a middle schooler) and we know little else besides his ''mystic'' powers. Lucas Lee was admittingly pretty decent (although he was a Jerkass in the film) who's only problem was not letting Ramona go (that and probably overreacting to being called a 'sell-out'.) Todd Ingram is a bit complicated in that while he had a good relationship with Envy, he was cheating on her with the drummer (before he undergoes a VillainousBreakdown). Roxie seemed like a decent individual, but still participate and didn't hesitate to ''slice a bus''. The twins weren't exactly pleasant and their robots caused Scott some trouble before they performed successful kidnapping on Kim Pine. Gideon seemed like a crazier modern version of Charles Kane. Also, Pattel and the twins (least in the books) were not famous at all. Regardless, they still chose to attack first and could be prosecuted with multiple crimes while Scott was protecting himself and his friends.

* ComicBook/{{Preacher}} is full of this. The morality of almost everybody does have at least one alternate interpretation. God must be punished...or Jesse is just a JerkAss drunk who has suddenly been confirmation of God's existence and the power to do something about it. [[DesignatedVillain The Saint of Killers]] has been screwed over by God and Satan, only reluctantly hunting Jesse and [[spoiler:ends up siding with him, killing God and his angelic host, then replacing him as an ironically more benevolent God.]]
* ComicBook/ThePunisher. Older comics tend to portray him as being just a jaded, cynical man who wants to make absolutely, positively sure that the criminals he stops aren't going to wind up in a CardboardPrison to break out again and commit crimes like the one that killed his family. Some newer interpretations paint him closer to a SerialKiller who's using the death of his family as an excuse to vent his bloodlust; these see his actions as more like bloody murder than vigilantism. The second interpretation greatly pleases some fans and infuriates others to no end.

** Even writers started to pick ups sides in this one - Creator/GregRucka has repeatedly stated that he dislikes interpretation of Frank as crazy because somebody not sane in his situation would have break down long time ago.

** ''Batman: Black And White - Case Study'' by Paul Dini puts forth a particularly brilliant alternative; the Joker is completely sane. Back before the chemical vat incident, he was a crime boss who played his anonymity to the hilt in order to do whatever he wanted. Afterward, he knew that was no longer possible, so he created the "Clown Prince Of Crime" persona of ObfuscatingInsanity ''solely so he would be sent to Arkham whenever he was caught'' - he '''purposefully invented JokerImmunity!''' The doctors are ecstatic when they discover an old report claiming this - and then orderlies drag Harley Quinn past, and she comments that she wrote that report before she started counseling the Joker. The Joker drove Quinn insane to invalidate her findings once he realized that she had figured out his scheme. '''''And he left the report where it would be found just so he could YankTheDogsChain.''''' ...Or was that all wrong, maybe even made up recently by the Joker or Harley and back dated, either as a joke or as part of a scheme to help break out again (by getting declared sane and transferred to the more easily escaped facilities at Blackgate Prison).

** Does the Joker believe in the nihilist sayings he prattles on about every so often, or are they all meaningless words to him, another part of the joke intended solely to screw with the minds of the sane?
** ''Batman: Black And White - Case Study'' by Paul Dini puts forth a particularly brilliant alternative; the Joker is completely sane. Back before the chemical vat incident, he was a crime boss who played his anonymity to the hilt in order to do whatever he wanted. Afterward, he knew that was no longer possible, so he created the "Clown Prince Of Crime" persona of ObfuscatingInsanity ''solely so he would be sent to Arkham whenever he was caught'' - he '''purposefully invented JokerImmunity!''' The doctors are ecstatic when they discover an old report claiming this - and then orderlies drag Harley Quinn past, and she comments that she wrote that report before she started counseling the Joker. The Joker drove Quinn insane to invalidate her findings once he realized that she had figured out his scheme. '''''And he left the report where it would be found just so he could YankTheDogsChain.'''''
** Then ComicBook/DCRebirth revealed there to be three Jokers...

* Speaking of Franchise/{{Batman}}, there's his main enemy, ComicBook/TheJoker. Though he started off dark and creepy, he spent most of the '40s, '50s, and '60s as a [[VillainousHarlequin mostly harmless lawbreaking jester.]] Then, after Batman was remade into the dark and brooding hero he was originally, the Joker returns to his [[MonsterClown homicidal maniac]] origins; then we get to "The Killing Joke," in which he shoots Barbara Gordon (formerly Batgirl) through the spine, and then kidnaps and tortures Commissioner Gordon more or less for the hell of it. And then there was "Death in the Family" and countless other stories in which the Joker gets crazier as time goes on. Even in the movies, he has changed from one appearance to the next. TheMovie of the 1966 series portrayed him as the madman crook. Creator/JackNicholson, famous creepy maniac, portrayed him as a former gangster turned creepy maniac making the best of his deformities by incorporating them into a costume. ''Film/TheDarkKnight'''s Creator/HeathLedger appeared to be a suicidal nihilist out for nothing more thought out than causing chaos.

* ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: a ChaoticNeutral HeroicComedicSociopath who tries to be a better person? Or a ChaoticEvil VillainProtagonist who can't change anything about himself?

* In ''ComicBookj/JupitersCircle'', did Walter really [[spoiler:brainwash Sunny into loving him, or was he lying to provoke George to attack him?]]

** ComicBook/SuperboyPrime: An OmnicidalManiac who destroys anything he doesn't like, or a kid who's been given incredible power and thrust into a situation he was in no way ready to handle? Or a deliberate parody designed to screw with the fans heads with lines like "I'll kill you to death!"? Are his lines ''really'' that stupid or would anybody also scream the first thing that came to their mind, even if it made no sense, after having the equivalent of a nuke explode in their face? Maybe he kills people because He grew up in a world where all these people were fictional characters, and deep down, he still doesn't see them as real?

* What is the nature of Scrooge [=McDuck=]'s infamous "[[GettingCrapPastTheRadar between the legs]]" line in ''[[Comicbook/TheLifeAndTimesOfScroogeMcDuck The Prisoner of White Agony Creek]]''?

[[AC:ComicStrips]]

* ComicStrip/{{Marmaduke}} [[http://marmadukeexplained.blogspot.com/ is an asshole]]. Or is he just a big dog that was not properly trained by his owners?

** ComicBook/LexLuthor: An evil, self-serving, hypocritical, egomaniac bastard whose rants about Superman holding back humanity are nothing but a mask for xenophoby and egotism? A hero striving to show the human race that it has some worth when set against the impossible, unreachable ideal that is Superman, rejecting no act that would prove his point as worth it to the greater good? A tragic figure whose actions are ruled by obsession and hubris based in deep insecurities unearthed by Superman's mere presence? A petty dick who'll stoop down to any level of crime to prove he's superior to everyone else?

* The Tara Markov version of Terra from ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''. A sociopath who could not be helped, or a [[StepfordSmiler broken]] little girl who got mixed up with the wrong people and let her emotions get the better of her? Did she truly think the Teen Titans were her friends, even a little bit? Did she have feelings for Garfield? [spoiler:[[DeathIsCheap Terra 2]]]], and her Black Lantern version, seems to have supported the alternate views. Also, was she [[HoistByHisOwnPetard hoisted by her own petard]] by accident, or did she [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide]] with the intention of doing so? Was she evil at heart, or did she just hate the hypocritical "goody two-shoes" nature of the Titans? Was her death fueled by drugs[[note]]Just prior to ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'', there was a one-shot published that seemed to insinuate that Terra's psychotic behavior was the result of being drugged by Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}} (ala his kidnapping and brainwashing of [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl 2000}} Cassandra Cain]]).[[/note]], contaminated drinking water, or was it natural? This is also another instance where the ambiguity only came later. Terra's evilness was the whole point of her character, and the narration during her death says, in no uncertain terms, that no one taught her to hate but herself. Due to ValuesDissonance, her original interpretation of "She's evil and canonically psychopathic just because" has been changed over the years in order to give her a FreudianExcuse and more depth. The "She was troubled and abused by Deathstroke" interpretation appears in the 2003 ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' cartoon, ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansTheJudasContract'' film, and most post-2000s comic references to her character.

* ComicBook/{{Apocalypse}}: A mutant tyrant that has no desire but to kill everyone he deems inferior to him? A misguided man with [[PhysicalGod incredible powers]] and a broken heart still using a creed that should've died out 5,000 years ago? [[VisionaryVillain A villain who wants to destroy society so that it can start over with strong leadership so that they can avert the ''real'' Apocalypse together?]]

* When Colossus took the lethal Legacy Virus antidote that would kill its host body while releasing a cure into the atmosphere, thus curing anyone with the Legacy virus anywhere in the world, was it a HeroicSacrifice to save the world? Or, given that he had lost his family and seen his former girlfriend move on with her life, was it a suicide gussied up to look noble?
** And now, after Colossus has become the new Juggernaut, a new alternate interpretation surfaced - that he has a self-destructive messiah complex that forces him to always bear all the pain and suffering there is to bear.
* Is ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} just a wuss who's occupying space until [[SpotlightStealingSquad Wolverine can save the day]], or is he the Creator/MarvelComics equivalent of Franchise/{{Batman}} with EyeBeams? Is his behavior since Creator/JossWhedon's run a case of finally getting rid of BadassDecay and living up the the reputation of leader he was supposed to be or did he simply [[TookALevelInJerkass take a level in jerkass]]? In a post AVX Marvel world, is he a tarnished hero seeking redemption, or just a big damn bigot who doesn't care who he hurts anymore?

* ComicBook/LexLuthor: Pure evil? A hero striving to show the human race that it has some worth when set against the impossible, unreachable ideal that is Superman, rejecting no act that would prove his point as worth it to the greater good? A tragic figure whose actions are ruled by obsession based in deep insecurities unearthed by Superman's mere presence? A titan of industry and politics driven mad by a world that truly can't appreciate his genius nor see the threat Superman poses? A futurist who believes in the advancement of mankind no matter what the cost, sometimes resulting in him [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans doing TRULY horrifying stuff for the "greater good"]]? A petty dick who'll stoop to any level of crime, including stealing forty cakes, which is as many as four tens AndThatsTerrible? A secular humanist who believes that Superman holding humanity back from it's true potential?

* ComicBook/{{Magneto}}: [[CardCarryingVillain A guy who wants to take over the world because he can]]? [[WellIntentionedExtremist A Holocaust survivor trying to protect his race]]? A mass murdering drug addict barely understanding what he does? [[HeWhoFightsMonsters An ironic echo]] of [[ThoseWackyNazis what he hates most?]] That's not even a full list of ''canonical'' interpretations.

*** A big problem with this interpretation is it fails to take into account that the League were the instigators and provocateurs. Matthew Patel has usually been seen with a rather unsettling, possibly manic look in his eyes (even back as a middle schooler) and we know little else besides his ''mystic'' powers. Lucas Lee was admittingly pretty decent (although he was a Jerkass in the film) who's only problem was not letting Ramona go (that and probably overreacting to being called a 'sell-out'.) Todd Ingram is a bit complicated in that while he had a good relationship with Envy, he was cheating on her with the drummer (before he undergoes a VillanousBreakdown). Roxie seemed like a decent individual, but still participate and didn't hesitate to ''slice a bus''. The twins weren't exactly pleasant and their robots caused Scott some trouble before they performed successful kidnapping on Kim Pine. Gideon seemed like a crazier modern version of Charles Kane. Also, Pattel and the twins (least in the books) were not famous at all. Regardless, they still chose to attack first and could be prosecuted with multiple crimes while Scott was protecting himself and his friends.

* Superboy Prime: An OmnicidalManiac who destroys anything he doesn't like, or a kid who's been given incredible power and thrust into a situation he was in no way ready to handle? Or a deliberate parody designed to screw with the fans heads with lines like "I'll kill you to death!" [[WhatAnIdiot Or maybe he's just dumb]]?
** Fanwank personified?
** Incidentally, are his lines ''really'' that stupid? Could ''you'' do better after having the equivalent of a nuke explode in your face? Or would you also scream the first thing that came to your mind, even if it made no sense?
** Superboy Prime is us. That's all. People on all of the other earths are just different from people on Earth-Prime. When someone on New Earth or somewhere gets random superpowers, they run around, fight evil, and make more or less the right decisions for the big picture. Because of their superpowers, they are essentially good people. There are another caste, supervillians, that have excuses such as WellIntentionedExtremist or insanity. Whatever their reason, they are evil. [[HeelFaceTurn Permanent Heel Face Turns]] are uncommon. But what happens when you give a normal, Earth Prime kid the powers of a god? Consult your psychology textbook: He doesn't know what to do with himself. He has problems, he makes stupid decisions thinking they're the right ones, and he says random things in the middle of a fight. Other superheroes have no problem making big flowery speeches beating somebody up. Other superheroes will be able to make the right decision. Supervillians will always know what they want. But Superboy Prime? He just wants to go home.
** Another way of looking at Superboy-Prime: He grew up in a world where all these people were fictional characters. Deep down, he still doesn't see them as real. If he kills them all and then creates a world where he didn't, he hasn't ''really'' killed anyone, any more than Creator/GeoffJohns has. To him, the whole thing is no different from playing Grand Theft Auto, he's not killing anyone because nobody's really alive. And so long as nobody's getting hurt, isn't it much more fun to play the villain than the hero? After all, EvilIsCool.
** [[MindScrew Maybe he never killed anyone.]] No really, In the real world (Earth-Prime) its been implied that the DC team controls ''everything!'' So who's to say that they couldn't just write everything Superboy's done away? If they wanted to, they could simply teleport him back here, bring back everyone he killed and reset the mind of all the DC characters that hate him. Prime's not even the real threat to DC, it's the Writers.
*** In fact several of the people he's killed ''have'' come back since then. Given that he's seen them do that time and again from his prison, it's possible he's at least subconsciously aware none of his victims will stay dead forever.
* The debate has raged for years over who is the ''real'' personality, ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' or Clark Kent?
** Pre-Crisis Superman was very much the dominant personality, with Clark Kent as mask he puts on in order to "hide." He noticeably wasn't very committed to it, as the ClarkKenting trope is quick to point out, and several times tried to just give up on the persona and be Superman 24/7
** The idea that Superman was the dominant personality was theorized by Jules Feiffer, whose words were paraphrased by Bill the Snakecharmer in ''Film/KillBillVol2''.
*** While that was the case in UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks, several [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] stories, most notably the "Mr. Xavier Saga" [[ComicBook/XMen (no relation)]], came to the conclusion that he valued both identities equally, and felt miserable and stressed whenever he was forced to neglect either for an extended period of time. Without Clark, he had no way to ever relax; and without Superman, he couldn't help people in danger.[[note]]"I tried to decide whether Clark or Superman is more important... and realized that to do away with one would be to ''kill'' half of myself - ''whoever'' I really am! So... I'd decided meek, mild-mannered Clark Kent will still walk the streets of the city - while up in the sky... the world will still watch and thrill to the sight of - a job for Superman!"[[/note]].
*** One good story involved a pair of gambling aliens separating Clark and Superman. All that happened was that there was two Supermans, and that when one of them was Clark the other felt compelled to be Superman, and vice versa.
** Michael Fleischer once suggested that if Krypton had not exploded and Kal-El had grown up there, he might have been so overshadowed by his brilliant father that he might have ''been'' more like shy, mild-mannered Clark.
** Post-Crisis is the opposite, Clark is the dominant personality with no knowledge or memories of Krypton until well into his adult years and ''after'' he started operating as a super hero. This means that Clark comes off as a far more assertive and aggressive person than the Pre-Crisis "wimp." This makes Superman come off as stiff and artificial because, as Clark puts it, "Clark is who I ''am,'' Superman is what I can ''do.''"
*** To a certain extent this is how George Reeves played Clark. He was easygoing, but could be assertive if there was an emergency. There were times when Reeves' Clark seemed to forget he wasn't supposed to be Superman.
** Modern writers now suggest that there are actually three personalities, the first is Clark at home, who is a decent, normal guy like any other. Then there is Clark at the Daily Planet, still a nice guy if occasionally clumsy and a little goofy, likes to play things safe but also an ace reporter and DeadpanSnarker par excellence. Finally there is Superman, who is every inch TheCape and honestly believes in Truth and Justice, almost to a fault. He sees Krypton as his birthright, but not his home and tries to bring the best of that society to Earth while trying to steer away from its shortcomings.
*** It has been implied that, similarly, there are three personalities; Clark Kent, the mild mannered, calm and somewhat geeky dude. Superman, the superhero, who fights for Justice and Freedom and wants to inspire the world to be good. And Kal-El, a merge of both personalities and who he really is for those who are closest to him.
** Superman is typically portrayed as an eager hero, happy to save everyone else. Five For Fighting's song about him, also called "Superman," portrays him as "a man in a silly red sheet" who's aware that he's not as special or heroic as everyone else thinks he is, and who struggles under the pressure of being the person everyone looks up to.
** More importantly, Superman was originally a hard-nosed bruiser who went after not just criminals, but businessmen and lawmakers who he perceived as screwing people over.
** Is Clark Kent an exaggerated disguise Superman takes to fake everyone out? Or is Superman a projection of Clark's desire to help others? ''Or,'' does Kal-El struggle to balance the nerdy reporter with the macho crimefighter? Before 1986, the answer was clearly the former, but between that point and about 2003, it was the later. From that point forward, it's been somewhat opened to interpretation, but in 2011, the New 52 pretty much got rid of the exaggerated nerd angle once again.
*** This is NOT counting appearances in {{Film}}, WesternAnimation or LiveActionTV, but only ComicBooks. For the record, the exaggerated nerd appeared in most cinematic interpretations, but not ''Man of Steel'' or ''Superman & the Mole Men'' whereas of the four live-action shows, he only played the exaggerated nerd in ''Superboy''. Animation has tended to follow whatever interpretation the comics were going with at the time.
** The writer of The Screamsheet has had a love/hate relationship with Superman over many years, resulting in a number of different interpretations, from [[http://screamsheet.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/what-would-superman-do/ a cynical dick]] to [[http://screamsheet.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/the-why-of-superman/ a desperate outcast wanting acceptance]] to [[http://screamsheet.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/im-sorry-superman/ a straight-up awesome guy]].
* Speaking of Franchise/{{Superman}}'s RoguesGallery, consider Mr Mxyzptlk. Is he merely a {{Jerkass}} RealityWarper who tests the Man of Steel's patience, or a more benevolent [[TricksterMentor Trickster]] [[StealthMentor encouraging Superman to use his brain]] and to think and use his powers in unconventional ways? He may well be a big Superman fan who loves seeing what he can do!
** Mr Mxyzptlk in Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'' implies that he is an EldritchAbomination - which is fitting for a person from the fifth dimension. Not much in canon to support it, but still...
** Another interpretation for Mxyzptlk's motives is that he's trying to keep Supes from taking everything so seriously.

*** Rorschach . A psychopathic, alienated, misogynistic killer? Or an intelligent, uncompromising man trying to save humanity from evil and corruption and bring loyalty and morality back into the world?

[[AC:NewspaperComics]]

* ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'': Is V a freedom fighter looking to replace the NF regime with something better for humanity, or a man driven insane by medical experiments and his desire for revenge? The most interesting thing is that while the creator personally sympathises with V, he has said that both interpretations are fully valid, and encourages readers to discuss their perceptions of V and his actions.

** Deadpool may be emoting the three Freudian archetypes of the mind; Superego, Ego and ID. His white caption box is the most sensible one, and thus the Superego. The more out of touch yellow caption box is Ego, a less sensible one. His chaotic, random persona word balloons and occasional change to his POV are the ID, the no before or after thought.

** This is {{Lampshaded}} in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' [[TakeThat that was directed at]] the show's detractors. In it, Bat-Mite lectures a group of fanboys about how many character shifts Batman has gone through since the GoldenAge, and sums it all up by saying a Batman who goes on sci-fi adventures and cracks jokes is ''just as valid'' and true to the source material as a Batman who's [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries a grim vigilante]] [[Film/TheDarkKnightSaga that slinks through alleyways while angrily screaming into the night]].