History BreakThemByTalking / ComicBooks

* ''ComicBook/DaredevilEndOfDays'': During their final confrontation, right as Bullseye is about to finish off Daredevil, Daredevil speaks one word, "Mapone". While it's not initially clear why, Daredevil speaking this one word is [[VillainousBSOD what drives Bullseye over the edge]], culminating in [[spoiler: [[DrivenToSuicide his suicide]]]].

'''Batman:''' [[spoiler: To ''mock'' you.]]

** In the JLA arc ''Rock of Ages'', which depicts a BadFuture in which Darkseid has conquered Earth, Batman makes his way to the tyrant and with his last breath ''shatters'' him.
--->'''Batman''': You always say you're surrounded by these 'worthless maggots'. Well, that's because you won, and did exactly what you said you'd do. You've recreated the whole world in your image; and what we see in it is your own [[KilledMidSentence ugly fa...]]

* In ''ComicBook/TheEternals'' (or at least the Creator/NeilGaiman revival), part of Druig’s power is the ability to know just what to say to make a certain person break. When he first discovers this power, he manages to make a cop attempting to keep him in an embassy for questioning pass out with just a few words.
-->'''Druig:''' Yes. Tell me, is it the '''SLIME''' of the tentacles that upsets you, or the way they twine bonelessly, the faceless snaking of them... Does it remind you of the way your brother forced a rubber toy into your infant mouth, '''CHOKING''' you, the wet, the...
-->''(Cop faints)''
-->'''Druig:''' ''Interesting.''
** Druig’s ally Legba has a more AffablyEvil approach to this. He chats to an invulnerable foe over sushi, eventually dropping one line into conversation that causes her to doubt herself and makes her psychic powers waver. Just for a moment. But long enough for him to decapitate her with his EyeBeams. ''”Gotcha”''

* The Marvel Comics character [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Karnak]] has refined his powers to the point where he can do this. At first his power was just sensing the weak point in objects so he (or his stronger ally Gorgon) can smash it. Now he find personality flaws and verbally destroy an opponent.

* The Marvel Comics character [[ComicBook/TheInhumans Karnak]] has refined his powers to the point where he can do this. At first his power was just sensing the weak point in objects so he (or his stronger ally Gorgon) can smash it. Now he find personality flaws and verbally destroy an opponent.
* ComicBook/EmmaFrost of the ''ComicBook/XMen'' is incredibly good at this. A great example of this can be found when after finding Kimura sneaking around the X-Mansion getting ready to kill X-23, Emma goes up to her and says...
-->'''Emma:''' Do you ever wonder why you take such pleasure from abusing a little girl who can't hurt you, let alone defeat you? No, I thought not. You'll notice that you cannot move. I've shut down all your motor control so you can listen while I ''enlighten'' you. You are a bully, plain and simple. A product of your past. Being kicked around your whole life by an alcoholic father and an uncaring mother at home, only to find the same waiting for you from your peers in the schoolyard, day in and day out. You were born into a life you did not deserve... a life no child deserves... Someone needs to fill the role of victim and you played that part for so many... until your grandmother came to your rescue. But sadly she came too late. All the hope and good you held onto was beaten out of you long ago. After your grandmother's heart attack, you found your way to the Facility to the men that could give you what you wanted so badly... Revenge. A hollow prize, but one you begged for and once you'd gotten the best of those who wronged you, you became the very person you hated and feared growing up. And X-23 played the role of your victim. Like you, Laura didn't deserve that horrible life. No child does, remember? But you didn't care. Even though you know all too well the pain she suffered, you enjoyed inflicting it. You still enjoy it. That's why you're a bully.
-->'''Kimura:''' Why are you telling me this?\\
'''Emma:''' Because today you go back to being the victim. [[MindRape It's a shame that the people that perfected your body didn't do enough to safeguard your mind...]]

* Franchise/{{Superman}}:
** In the "Elseworlds" (out-of-continuity) comic from DC, ''ComicBook/SupermanRedSon'', where Superman's pod landed in the Soviet Union instead of the United States, Lex Luthor does this to Superman [[MagnificentBastard with one sentence, written down, and tucked into Lois Luthor (nee Lane)'s coat pocket]]. Stalingrad, which was shrunk and put in a "bottle" instead of Kandor, haunts Superman. Luthor, the president of the US, [[spoiler:takes advantage of this fact by questioning Superman's "perfect" totalitarian rule of most of Earth with the single written sentence, "Why don't you just put the whole world in a bottle, Superman?" He has Lois put the note in her pocket and, when his [[ThePlan plan finally spurs Superman to come to the White House personally]], she is to ask Superman to use his X-ray vision to read the note.]] Superman very nearly breaks down in despair.
** Actually Averted earlier in the same issue, Superman is perfectly willing to debate with Luthor as a way of peacefully addressing their problems (as opposed to the more violent way suggested by ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}). [[spoiler: Before Luthor can open his mouth, Brainiac wraps him up in tentacles and drags him away, pointing out how a man of Luthor's intellect could've conceivably pulled this.]]
** ''ComicBook/TheComingOfAtlas'' features a military-sponsored super-villain, Atlas, attempting to deliver such a lecture to ''ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog'', after having delivered an almighty smackdown to Superman and caused him to temporarily withdraw, leaving Krypto the only one left to make a stand. Unfortunately for Atlas it doesn't work, for the same reason that it probably wouldn't work if you tried to verbally undermine a dog's sense of self-confidence with a lecture in real life.

* ''ComicBook/SinCity'': Poor John Hartigan gets it twice. The first time comes from Senator Roark who explains that Hartigan will be framed for his son's crimes and there is not a thing he can do about it. The second is from Detective Liebowitcz who chides him on being a clean cop. Both of these lectures are so that Hartigan will sign a confession... which he doesn't.

* It's a popular tactic of the Black Lanterns in the ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' event, in an attempt to get their victim to show emotions so their heart can be ripped out and themselves added to the Black Lanterns. It's a brutal XanatosGambit whether the victim responds one way or the other: either they're swung in by the words, or grow enraged, which works just as well for the Black Lanterns.

* ''ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers''' #16 saw minor super-villain Whirlwind (David Cannon) attempt to escape Tigra and Hellcat, only to run into his old archnemesis [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]]. Pym, the former and original Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket, boasts that even though he's retired from active crimefighting, he's still directing the fight against Cannon, who in turn mocks Pym as a pathetic has-been who is so lily-livered that he not only gave up being a superhero, but allowed several other people to take up his identity, emphasizing what a loser and quitter that makes Pym. Hank, who'd been suffering extreme self-esteem issues for years, recklessly launches himself at Whirlwind, who uses his SuperSpeed to easily move out of the way, allowing Pym to fall to what would have been his death off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, averted only by the timely intervention of Hellcat. But Pym remains so traumatized by Cannon's words that he [[DrivenToSuicide actively tries to kill himself]] not long afterward.

* In an issue of ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'', the Hulk finds himself dueling with ComicBook/SheHulk, who is holding him at bay... until he horrifies her with a cutting observation about how their respective roles have changed, causing her to freeze up and giving him the opening he needs to punch her halfway across the state. It also works as a nice meta-commentary on why She-Hulk's fans disapprove of the recent changes made to her character.
-->'''Immortal Hulk:''' Now you're mad. And the madder you get... right? Funny how that works...\\
'''She-Hulk:''' Shut up! Hulk smash you--'''SMASH'''--\\
'''Immortal Hulk:''' See--'''I''' was everything that Banner wanted to '''hide'''. Everything he wanted to pretend he '''wasn't'''. '''You''' were everything that Walters wanted to show the world that she '''was'''. Only now that line between us is harder to see, isn't it? What do '''you''' think... Hulk?\\
'''She-Hulk:''' '''No'''--Hulk is '''not'''--'''I'm not like you'''--\\
'''Immortal Hulk:''' [[MegatonPunch Hnh. Gotcha]]
* In an issue of ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', Scourge attempts to ambush Sonic by sneaking into his house in the middle of the night, only to be confronted by Jules (Sonic's father) instead, who proceeds to tear Scourge a new one for being a lowly EvilDoppelganger that could never live to match up to his own son in strength, cunning, and leadership.
-->'''Jules:''' That's your answer to it all? Violent takeover and anarchy?\\
'''Scourge:''' Not really anarchy since everyone bows to me. Since you seem so hung up on the correlations, how do you like this one: Sonic's dad ins't really a mobian anymore. My dad simply isn't.\\
'''Jules:''' Are you trying to shock me? Intimidate? That falls short when the mighty world-conquering "king" has to sneak in during the middle of the night to get a leg up on my boy.\\
'''Scourge:''' ''(Gets in Jules's face threateningly)'' Sonic's good at smashing bots. Want to see what I can do?\\
'''Jules:''' ''(Stands up to make Scourge back off)'' I am not your father. I was on the front lines of the Great War. I won't go quietly. And while you may not care about the loss of your Jules, I'm certain my son will be very upset. Do you want that on your head too?\\
'''Scourge:''' Just a bunch of empty words. You're no different from my old man after all.

* In ''ComicBook/TheEternals'' (or at least the Creator/NeilGaiman revival), there is a character whose power is the ability to know just what to say to make a certain person break. When he first discovers this power, he manages to make a cop attempting to keep him in an embassy for questioning pass out with just a few words.

* In ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'', V does it to Lewis Prothero with elaborate props, reminding him of his role at the Larkhill concentration camp, revealing that he, V, was the man from room five, and finishing up by [[spoiler: driving him insane by burning up his precious collection of dolls in the ovens in his replica of the camp.]]

* In ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', the Comedian gives one to Dr. Manhattan, in a flashback scene in Chapter 2. The Comedian [[spoiler: [[MoralEventHorizon gunned down his pregnant Vietnamese girlfriend]] after she slashed his face]]. He points out how Dr. Manhattan did nothing to stop him, proving he no longer cares about humanity.

* In Creator/AlanMoore's ''Lost Girls'', Wendy is attacked and almost sexually assaulted by Captain Hook. She reduces him to a crying wreck by confronting him over his fears of ageing.
-->Children won't realise you're ''inadequate''. You can pretend you're still young, like them, like them, like the clock isn't ''ticking''. ''That's'' why you fuck children, why you dye your hair. You're afraid of ''women''. And you're afraid of getting ''old''.

'''Scourge:''' Just a bunch of empty words. You're no different from my old man after all.

** An issue of ''Superman'' features a military-sponsored super-villain, Atlas, attempting to deliver such a lecture to ''ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog'', after having delivered an almighty smackdown to Superman and caused him to temporarily withdraw, leaving Krypto the only one left to make a stand. Unfortunately for Atlas it doesn't work, for the same reason that it probably wouldn't work if you tried to verbally undermine a dog's sense of self-confidence with a lecture in real life.

* ComicBook/EmmaFrost of the ''Comicbook/XMen'' is incredibly good at this. A great example of this can be found when after finding Kimura sneaking around the X-Mansion getting ready to kill X-23, Emma goes up to her and says...

** Every one of Batman's enemies has tried it. As an action hero, he's immune, but some writers have played it as the villain being right. In [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries the animated series]], ComicBook/TheJoker, master manipulator that he is, convinces a meek psychoanalyst named Harleen Quinzel to go crazy and fall in love with him; she becomes Harley Quinn. During the [[{{Montages}} montage]] {{flashback}} that gives this backstory, they even trade places -- he in the chair, she on the couch -- in several of the analysis scenes.

** Actually Averted earlier in the same issue, Superman is perfectly willing to debate with Luthor as a way of peacefully addressing their problems (as opposed to the more violent way suggested by Comicbook/{{Brainiac}}). [[spoiler: Before Luthor can open his mouth, Brainiac wraps him up in tentacles and drags him away, pointing out how a man of Luthor's intellect could've conceivably pulled this.]]

* In ''Comicbook/VForVendetta'', V does it to Lewis Prothero with elaborate props, reminding him of his role at the Larkhill concentration camp, revealing that he, V, was the man from room five, and finishing up by [[spoiler: driving him insane by burning up his precious collection of dolls in the ovens in his replica of the camp.]]
* ''Comicbook/MoonKnight'' villain "The Profile" is a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin profiler]] who uses his mutant [[SherlockScan observation]] powers to instantly size people up. He is also a JerkAss who likes to give Breaking Speeches to people for fun.

* Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}:
** In ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'', super-villain Rebel tries to harass Kara after trying to kill her and Linda Danvers. Supergirl proceeds to tell him that he is a pathetic, insignificant nuisance with delusions of grandeur and she is a very busy and very angry PhysicalGod. He runs away.

* In an issue of ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'', Scourge attempts to ambush Sonic by sneaking into his house in the middle of the night, only to be confronted by Jules (Sonic's father) instead, who proceeds to tear Scourge a new one for being a lowly EvilDoppelganger that could never live to match up to his own son in strength, cunning, and leadership.

--->'''Immortal Hulk:''' Now you're mad. And the madder you get... right? Funny how that works...\\

'''Immortal Hulk:''' [[MegatonPunch Hnh. Gotcha]]

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': ComicBook/{{Artemis}} does this by accident. Due to her inexperience with the Lasso of Truth and her very coarse personality when she orders a hired gun wrapped in the thing to look at what he's done and how pointless and cruel he is he turns his gun on himself and commits suicide before she can stop him.

* More than one villain has tried this on ThePunisher. Emphasis on ''[[ShutUpHannibal tried]]''.

* ''ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers''' #16 saw minor super-villain Whirlwind (David Cannon) attempt to escape Tigra and Hellcat, only to run into his old archnemesis [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]]. Pym, the former and original Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket, boasts that even though he's retired from active crimefighting, he's still directing the fight against Cannon, who in turn mocks Pym as a pathetic has-been who is so lily-livered that he not only gave up being a superhero, but allowed several other people to take up his identity, emphasizing what a loser and quitter that makes Pym. Hank, who'd been suffering extreme self-esteem issues for years, recklessly launches himself at Whirlwind, who uses his SuperSpeed to easily move out of the way, allowing Pym to fall to what would have been his death off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, averted only by the timely intervention of Hellcat. But Pym remains so traumatized by Cannon's words that he [[DrivenToSuicide actively tries to kill himself]] not long afterward.

* ''ComicBook/WestCoastAvengers''' #16 saw minor super-villain Whirlwind (David Cannon) attempt to escape Tigra and Hellcat, only to run into his old archnemesis Hank Pym. Pym, the former and original Ant-Man, Giant-Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket, boasts that even though he's retired from active crimefighting, he's still directing the fight against Cannon, who mocks Pym as a pathetic has-been who is so lily-livered that he not only gave up being a superhero, but allowed several other people to take up his identity, emphasizing what a loser and quitter that makes Pym. Hank, who'd been suffering extreme self-esteem issues for years, recklessly launches himself at Whirlwind, who uses his SuperSpeed to easily move out of the way, allowing Pym to fall to what would have been his death off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA, averted only by the timely intervention of Hellcat. But Pym remains so traumatized by Cannon's words that he [[DrivenToSuicide actively tries to kill himself]] not long afterward.

* In one issue of his comic, ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} has been imprisoned by the unusual method of throwing him in a pit and shooting him constantly so he'll be too busy healing to escape and he ''still'' manages to verbally break down the guy with the gun, who eventually lets Wolverine escape in the expectation that Wolverine will ''kill him''.

* It's a popular tactic of the Black Lanterns in the ''ComicBook/BlackestNight'' event, in an attempt to get their victim to show emotions so their heart can be ripped out and themselves added to the Black Lanterns.