History EarlyInstallmentWeirdness / ComicBooks

*** Superman wasn't always the well meaning hero he's known as today. In fact, he caused more harm then good in his earlier comments, [[http://www.cracked.com/article_20069_5-classic-superman-comics-that-prove-he-used-to-be-dick.html and was unbelievably insane]]. Examples include deliberately trapping a party of rich people in a mine to demonstrate the mine's safety problems, and drugging a football player and taking his place on the team, so that an opposing coach, who is guilty of cheating, won't win. He resolved teenage delinquency by demolishing their slummy neighborhood, making sure that the residents had evacuated with their possessions, once learning that the government replaces demolished homes with modern ones.

* {{Tintin}}:

* While NeilGaiman's ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' has always taken place in the [[TheDCU DC Universe]], early issues were much less shy about depicting the title character interacting with other DC characters. Hell, the first story arc features Dr. Destiny as the BigBad, as well as [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]], [[NewGods Mr. Miracle]], MartianManhunter, {{Etrigan}}, and [[Franchise/{{Batman}} the Scarecrow]] in supporting roles and/or cameos. For the bulk of the series, the Endless and associated characters more or less exist in their own continuity.

* The first Asterix story, ''{{Asterix}} the Gaul'', had an single issue ArtEvolution (with plenty of OffModel drawings before Uderzo settled on the style he employed for years to come) and a plot unlike the ones that followed, in particular for having a relatively small role for Obelix (who also wears an axe on his belt in this first album.) Julius Caesar also looks completely different in this album. Compare the one on the first page with the one on the final pages! And even then he still doesn't resemble the later Caesar!

* In early issues of Marvel's ''{{Micronauts}}'' series, Commander Arcturus Rann seemed to be a less refined individual. He used slang, swear words, and occasionally uttered sexist comments toward Marionette. In this, he was much like Han Solo from StarWars. This was toned down immediately after the first three issues, and he started acting like a straight-laced hero.

* In early issues of Marvel's {{Micronauts}} series, Commander Arcturus Rann seemed to be a less refined individual. He used slang, swear words, and occasionally uttered sexist comments toward Marionette. In this, he was much like Han Solo from StarWars. This was toned down immediately after the first three issues, and he started acting like a straight-laced hero.

** The Thompson Twins actually tried to arrest Tintin for most of the early albums, and, in doing so, prove themselves much more competent than they would ever be as allies.

* The original incarnation of ''ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' from [[http://www.themarysue.com/archie-sabrina-50th/2/ the original five page comic]] was a VillainProtagonist. She also couldn't cry and would sink in water, which is old witch lore. Early comics had a witch head known as "Della" who disappeared randomly and Salem used to be a normal cat until they changed him into once being a human.

*** In part this is because Superman, Batman, and some of the others listed here were introduced before the genre was codified as they were the codifiers of many of its tropes. Their early adventures were the EarlyInstallmentWeirdness of the entire genre.

** When [[DennisTheMenaceUK Dennis the Menace]] first appeared in 1951 he lacked his red and black stripey jumper and instead wore a tie.

** A single drink of magic potion apparently makes one strong for several hours.

*** Superman wasn't always the well meaning hero he's known as today. In fact, he caused more harm then good in his earlier comments, and was unbelievably insane. Examples include deliberately trapping a party of rich people in a mine to demonstrate the mine's safety problems, and drugging a football player and taking his place on the team, so that an opposing coach, who is guilty of cheating, won't win. He resolved teenage delinquency by demolishing their slummy neighborhood, making sure that the residents had evacuated with their possessions, once learning that the government replaces demolished homes with modern ones.

* ''LuckyLuke''

*** For almost 40 years Lucky Luke was portrayed as a cigarette smoker, something Morris eventually changed under pressure of health groups and fear of children imitating the habit.

* First two ''NemesisTheWarlock'' stories - ''Terror Tube'' and ''Killer Watt'' - refers to Torquemada as chief of Tube Police, while later he is referred to as "Grand master Of Termight". Nemesis spends both stories inside his ship, with no clue about his identity or appearance, saying nothing but his CatchPhrase ''Credo!'', which he tends to use at odd moments. A lot implies it wasn't even established that Nemesis is even an alien back then, with narration referring to him as "not ordinary man" at best.

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** In "Tintin in the Land Of The Soviets" Tintin only gets his famous hairstyle several pages into the story when a car chase puts his hair into model.

** The Thompson Twins actually tried to arrest Tintin for most of the early albums! They are more a nuissance than the young journalist's friends.

* The early ''Comicbook/SonicTheHedgehog'' comics were very comedic and often even stranger than what we have today, with lots of [[NoFourthWall fourth wall demolition]], BetterThanABareBulb, and HurricaneOfPuns. This was more due to following ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'' and using a few video game stages in the early days, as well as the fact that Michael Gallagher was the head writer. Sally was seen with varying colors of fur (red fur with blonde hair in her first appearance, pink fur with black hair up until issue 16) and Rotor was known as "Boomer" until about issue 6. Roboticization was shown differently with people with hypnotized eyes instead of out and out robots. The series wouldn't reach the [=SatAM=] levels until Dulcy showed up in issue 28 and a few characters will still seem odd looking back at them (for instance, look at Metal Sonic in issue 25 and look at him today). Gallagher pretty much backed off as a writer in the mid 90s.

** Cacofonix' outfit is also different.

** Getafix originally lived in a cave. Fulliautomatix looked radically different, more a fat tall sort with a long nose who wrought iron with his bare hands.

** Getafix originally lived in a cave. Fulliautomatix looked radically different, more a fat tall sort with a long nose.

** Batman originally wore purple gloves, and his first story ends with the plot twist that Bruce Wayne IS Batman!

* In the first few isues of ''{{X-Men}}'', mutants weren't hated and feared, the X-Men were treated as celebrities (the second issue has Angel meet a bunch of fangirls), they had an official government liasion (Fred Duncan), Beast was DumbMuscle, Iceman was a JerkAss (mission briefing would sometimes lead to him attacking the rest of the team) and Jean's telekinesis was for some reason called teleportation, even in the second issue, in which they fought an actual teleporter. Xavier didn't hesitate to hit people who knew too much with LaserGuidedAmnesia, either.

** Batman originally wore purple gloves.

* The original incarnation of ''ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' from [[http://www.themarysue.com/archie-sabrina-50th/2/ the original five page comic]] was a VillainProtagonist. She also couldn't cry and would sink in water, which is old witch lore. There was a head with known as "Della" who disappeared randomly and Salem used to be a normal cat until they changed him into once being a human.

* The original incarnation of ''ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'' from [[http://www.themarysue.com/archie-sabrina-50th/2/ the original five page comic]] was a VillainProtagonist. She also couldn't cry and would sink in water, which is old witch lore.