History GenreDeconstruction / ComicBooks

* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' is a deconstruction ''and'' a reconstruction; it focuses on the impact of superheroes on regular people, but also on the inner thoughts of heroes and villains. Even more so, it deals with those issues in ways that are not just negative or cynical as deconstructions often are. For example, one story deals with a parent bringing his children to Astro City, only to be greeted with a chaotic night full of angry weather elementals; yet despite the danger, he decides they should stay, as the strength and idealistic community of the city were values he wanted his children to have. Other stories deal with a hero trying to balance the needs of his neighborhood and the needs of his unborn child, or a lawyer leveraging superhero tropes to benefit his client but endangers his family. Kurt likes to keep his fans guessing.

** The party later learns something that deconstructs the isekai elements more directly.[[spoiler: When someone dies in their fantasies, they are reborn as Fallen on Die.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' tries to answer the question "What if superheroes were real?" The answer? They'd basically be reality TV stars. The series deals with similar themes found in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', such as the use of corporate sponsors and the pressures of stardom that a hero might encounter in the real world. A shocking number of the "heroes" are also shown to be outright assholes, especially in later volumes that tried to comment on the NinetiesAntiHero tropes that the title initially played straight.

* Already back in UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}}, when Creator/StanLee first pitched the idea of [[Franchise/SpiderMan a superhero with real life problems]] his editor replied "Don't you know what a superhero is?"

* ''ComicBook/{{Planetary}}'', as an archeological survey of comic books, pulp fiction, and B-Movies, deconstructs any sci-fi trope it doesn't reconstruct or parody. The Hulk was captured by the army after his first rampage and took decades to starve to death in a silo. The Narmy B-Movie monsters are the result of horrifying Cold War experiments in American concentration camps. The Comicbook/FantasticFour didn't just come back changed, they came back ''wrong.'' And [[ReedRichardsIsUseless Reed Richards isn't useless]]. He's the American Doctor Mengele.

* After all these superhero deconstructions, one might expect a super''villain'' deconstruction. ''Comicbook/{{Wanted}}'' (the comic book, not the movie) is about an UnluckyEverydude who gets invited to join a society of supervillains known as "The Fraternity." It's a world filled with eccentric, costumed renegades who spend their days doing just as they please, with nothing to fear from law enforcement - and what they please is [[MoralEventHorizon decidedly unpleasant]]. WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds with a DarkAndTroubledPast comes under fire as the VillainProtagonist goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against all the people who ever wronged him... including [[KickTheDog guys who made fun of him back in high school]], and culminating in [[spoiler:killing his own father]]. And looming over it all is the [[RedRightHand death's-head visage]] of Mister Rictus, who makes sure that we never forget the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin true face]] of NightmareFuel, or the consequences, both moral and aesthetic, of a life without concern for boundaries. In the end, it turns out that the only thing worse than ThisLoserIsYou is [[spoiler:This Loser Is Having Delusions Of Grandeur While Fucking You In The Ass]].

* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' is a deconstruction ''and'' a reconstruction. Like Marvels (by the same author), it focuses on the impact of superheroes on regular people, but also on the inner thoughts of heroes and villains. Even more so, it deals with those issues in ways that are not just negative or cynical as deconstructions often are. For example, one story dealt with a parent bringing his children to Astro City, and deciding that, after a chaotic night full of alien gods and life-threatening danger, the strength and idealism of the city's community was exactly the message he wanted to send his children. Other times, we see a woman spending decades blaming herself for driving off one of the world's most powerful heroes, or a lawyer's clever manipulation of super-hero tropes in a trial leading to deep danger for his entire family. And some stories switch gears midway...

* Pick a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII comic written by Creator/GarthEnnis. You will find: heroic if PTSD'ed grunts on both Allied and German sides, glaringly incompetent officers leading them on both sides, unflappable British soldiers who do most of the work compared to the Americans, and vastly superior German weapons and vehicles that only lost Germany the war because they were produced too little, too late.

* Although not quite the stated goal of the comic or anything, ''ComicBook/{{Crossed}}'' deconstructs the idea of a ZombieApocalypse, or more specifically, the idea of a zombie apocalypse portrayed as a fantasy world for armchair survivalists. Part of this is done by showing that zombies as we know them are a fictional entity, and if something like a zombie apocalypse actually happened in real life, there would be no guarantees on how they would work or what they would act like. The Crossed themselves seem to have been designed, at least in part, to show this off, by cranking the danger zombies present UpToEleven, to the point that no amount of preparation could possibly prepare a real person for them. In this case, TheVirus is a HatePlague that removes all of the infected's inhibitions and turns them into a CombatSadomasochist [[spoiler: and is heavily implied to be something akin to a Biblical plague]], and not only can they [[ItCanThink think]], they actually frequently outsmart humans by taking routes a normal human's physical and moral limitations prevent them from even seeing as viable options.

* Hell! You could even argue that it dates back to UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}}! When Creator/StanLee first pitched the idea of [[Franchise/SpiderMan a superhero with real life problems]] his editor replied "Don't you know what a superhero is?"
* Pick a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII comic written by Creator/GarthEnnis. You will find: heroic if PTSD'ed grunts on both Allied and German sides, glaringly incompetent OfficersAtTheRear who couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map on both Allied and German sides, unflappable British soldiers who do most of the work compared to the Americans, and vastly superior German weapons and vehicles that only lost Germany the war because they were produced too little, too late.

** ''Tintin and the Picaros:'' Tintin, formerly a classical GentlemanAdventurer, no longer enjoys adventure and [[RefusalOfTheCall refuses the call]] for several days, and [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks now wears a pair of quite ungentlemanly bell bottoms instead of his iconic plus fours]]. Reality really hits the tale in the second to last panel of the album, in which [[BananaRepublic San Theodoros]] is shown [[FullCircleRevolution to be no better off]] [[ShaggyDogStory than it was when the story started.]]

* ''ComicBook/BlackScience'' is a deconstruction of pulp WeirdScience adventure series like ''Series/LostInSpace'' or ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest''. The father who leads his family into adventure is an [[ItsAllAboutMe insufferably arrogant]] MadScientist, the strange worlds the heroes visit are more terrifying than fun, the fact that [[KidHero kids are brought along]] is criticized as blatant child endangerment, the Dr. Smith {{Expy}} is an AntiVillain trying to SaveBothWorlds, the TokenNonHuman is a BloodKnight, and the method the heroes use to explore the multiverse [[spoiler:is also threatening to [[ApocalypseHow destroy it]] and is arguably more of a threat than the actual villains]].

* Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' takes straightforward superhero action and makes it look absurd by having real-world politics interfere. Batman's work becomes a tool for debates about "toughness on crime," while Franchise/{{Superman}}'s idealism makes him an easy dupe for the US government's plans for nuclear war. It also asked the question: "What sort of a man would dress up in a bat outfit and fight crime?" The answer: "A man who isn't very pleasant or sane." Though, it's not really clear the work is intended or often taken to be a deconstruction.
** Its sequel, ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'', tries to deconstruct the WriterOnBoard Political superheroes by turning ComicBook/GreenArrow into a Marxist, and ComicBook/TheQuestion into a hardcore libertarian who believes that "Creator/AynRand didn't go far enough". This is HilariousInHindsight considering Miller's ''ComicBook/HolyTerror''...
* ''ComicBook/BratPack'': Think it would be fun to be a KidSidekick? Wrong. Daily crime-fighting would take serious toll on the physical and mental health of teenagers, turning them into emotional wrecks and/or some type of addict. Furthermore, any superhero who takes an underage child into that life would have to be a complete psychopath who only uses said child to keep a wholesome public image.
* ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'' tries to answer the question "What if superheroes were real?" The answer? They'd basically be reality TV stars. The series deals with similar themes found in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'', such as the use of corporate sponsors and the pressures of stardom that a hero might encounter in the real world. A shocking number of the "heroes" are also shown to be outright assholes, especially in later volumes that tried to comment on the NinetiesAntiHero tropes that the title initially played straight.
* Does anyone remember what kicked off the Marvel ''ComicBook/CivilWar''? A group of superhero reality TV Stars.
* Deconstruction in comics is even older than that, dating at least back to UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}. In TheSeventies, DC came out with ''Franchise/GreenLantern[=/=]ComicBook/GreenArrow'', in which the title characters do superhero stuff while at the same time arguing about the morality and political implications. As a result, the more lawful Franchise/GreenLantern and the more chaotic ComicBook/GreenArrow butted heads many, MANY times.

* A 70's storyline in ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' tried to deconstruct the concept of the TokenMinority. ComicBook/TheFalcon is forced into the team in order to fill a diversity quota, which not only leads to friction with ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}, but causes Falcon to doubt his own worth as a hero. He eventually quits after growing to resent being thought of as the Avengers' token black guy.
* Freedom Ring was created by [[ComicBook/TheWalkingDead Robert Kirkman]] as a deconstruction of the teen superhero archetype. Specifically, he wanted Freedom Ring to struggle with his new abilities and ultimately die early on his superhero career in order to contrast how easily most teenage characters adapt to their powers, which he saw as unrealistic. Unfortunately, the decision to make him gay meant that when his deconstruction-mandated death occurred, it took about 20% of Marvel Comic's [[BuryYourGays homosexual population]].
* While ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' was part of the mid-90's wave of {{Reconstruction}}ist comics (made in response to the above-mentioned wave of deconstruction), its reconstruction of UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} was accomplished by deconstructing UsefulNotes/{{the Dark Age|of Comic Books}}, bringing it to its most extreme conclusion: the {{Nineties Anti Hero}}es, having killed all the villains, have become crazed {{Knight Templar}}s and pretty much taken over the world.
* The entire Creator/MarvelComics Siege [[MetaPlot macro-crisis]] was a DeconstructorFleet of the entire Franchise/MarvelUniverse, the ReedRichardsIsUseless trope and the idea of the superhero in general.
** It first starts with ComicBook/AvengersDisassembled showing what happens when you entrust the world to a set few ultra powerful humans. It then goes into ComicBook/HouseOfM, proving what happens if the super humans took over.
** ComicBook/CivilWar addressed the stupidity of having the government let walking A-bombs blow themselves up in New York everyday while simultaneously showing how said government control plans would fail. This is shown in the ''deliberate'' {{Flanderization}} of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica and ComicBook/IronMan showing how both sides are pretty stupid. This was also explained in the what if story arc when both sides find a balance and thus achieve peace.
** ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' then deconstructed the entire "Lone Cop saves the world and get promoted" genre by showing exactly what would happen if said psychopaths were really appointed to such positions of power. Thor, Reed Richards and Iron Man's tenures as God, Guardian and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in each of their individual story arcs show how each quest to "fix" the world leads to disaster. Then, the New Captain America saga had a deconstruction of the Sidekick. The idea of power and potential is again brought up in The Hood's story showing what happens if all the D-list heroes in the universe eventually got together and actually ''applied'' their powers, while the Mighty Avengers show how these super teams affect the political climate.
** The Illuminati is in itself a deconstruction of large hero collaborations (and how they lead to failure i.e. ComicBook/WorldWarHulk & [[ComicBook/SecretInvasion the Secret Invasion]]) and its counterpart "The Cabal" showed just how incapable a society of villains would be at functioning.
** All this is paralleled by the ''ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}'' and ''ComicBook/WarOfKings'' series depicting exactly what kind of galaxy is filled with empires that invade and blow up planets on a daily basis and exactly how disillusioned it makes characters. Seeing [[spoiler: ComicBook/BlackBolt]] turn to insanity was just further reconfirmation of what a world Cosmic Marvel is. The Nova Corps pretty much deconstructed all Space Cop tropes with its nigh-omnipotent run band of non sanctioned super soldiers and exactly how that would affect any political situation.
** The Decimation arcs in ''ComicBook/XMen'' show exactly how humans would react to mutants if the odds were evened. And [[ComicBook/SecretWarriors the Secret arcs]] show exactly what being a ''real'' spy means and all the details it entails.
** And finally, ''ComicBook/{{Siege}}'' shows that after all this, [[{{Reconstruction}} heroes are still heroes, no matter what]].
* ''Comicbook/TheUltimates'' attempts to put a more realistic spin on the superhero genre, specifically by trying to show what would happen if a team like ComicBook/TheAvengers existed in real life. The Ultimates become used as a tool of the government and end up causing a group of foreign countries to attack America with a LegionOfDoom-type team consisting of superhumans from nations that the U.S. has attacked. Subsequent storylines deal with the idea of a [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke superhuman arms race]] between the U.S. and hostile nations.
** It also tries to cast the characters themselves in a more realistic light. [[FishOutOfTemporalWater Man out of time]] ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is a NobleBigot with horribly dated social views, spymaster ComicBook/NickFury is a ManipulativeBastard of the highest sort, [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]] is a psychotic cannibal, former Soviet spy Comicbook/BlackWidow is a [[spoiler: murderous traitor]], and troubled genius [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] is a Prozac-addled misogynist.
** There's also a definite MovieSuperHeroesWearBlack vibe, with the Ultimates all wearing more realistic-looking outfits. These outfits ended up influencing some of the characters' depictions in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse, with ComicBook/{{Hawkeye}}'s costume in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' being the best example.
* Even before ''The Ultimates'', the ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' character William Burnside (the [[LegacyCharacter Captain America of the 50's]]) was created as a deliberate response to the use of PoliticallyCorrectHistory for [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superheroes. He and his sidekick Jack Monroe (the 50's ComicBook/{{Bucky|Barnes}}) were depicted as being just as racist, sexist, and xenophobic as the average white male from the 1950's would likely have been.
* Another interesting example by Creator/GrantMorrison is ''Fantastic 1234''. At first, it seems like a traditional deconstruction of superheroes by way of the Comicbook/FantasticFour, highlighting their 'real' personalities via highlighting their worst aspects as they would be in real life; Ben Grimm is a self pitying misanthrope with a violent temper, Reed Richards is a emotionless autistic who seems to value his inventions more than his friends and family, Johnny Storm is a brooding Greaser whose tastes for fast cars and fast women can't fill the void inside of him, and Sue Storm is an insecure, passive-aggressive neurotic who feels she is trapped in a loveless marriage and is severely tempted to run off with Namor, who is presented as a coldblooded sexfiend willing to do anything to make Sue his own. However, it ends up being a subversion of such a deconstruction; Reed Richards has realised that Dr. Doom has been using a reality altering device to 'deconstruct' the Four and bring out the worst possible aspects of the four's personalities in order to destroy them and gain ultimate revenge on Richards. Richards builds his own variant of the machine to 'reconstruct' the Four and save the day, the point clearly being that the standard portrayal of the Four ''are'' their real personalities. In fact, for his arrogance Doom ends up being the one who's deconstructed, and rather painfully at that, where it is revealed that he is a lonely, pathetic man-child with a ridiculous speech pattern who is not even remotely on Reed Richards' level of genius and whose vendetta against the four is petty and stupid. Also, he seems to be going bald. Ouch.
** That series was pretty much the epitome of a DeconReconSwitch.
* Marvel comics ''ComicBook/{{Marvels}}'' and its EvilTwin ''ComicBook/{{Ruins}}'' similarly focus on the impact of superheroes on an "average" person.
* Creator/DCComics' ''ComicBook/JonahHex'': Sounds like old fashioned Cowboys and Indians hijinx on the wild frontier, right? Riiight.

* A story from Creator/GrantMorrison's ''Comicbook/AnimalMan'' run (noted for its PostModernism) deconstructs ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and similar cartoons: in "The Coyote Gospel," a grotesquely anthropomorphic coyote is repeatedly and brutally killed by an Elmer Fudd-style hunter obsessed with his destruction, and continuously reforms/regenerates in a most disturbing manner. Finally, in a scene reminiscent of the classic "Duck Amuck" short, the malevolent animator paints his blood in as he dies for the last time.

* The original ''Comicbook/ThePunisher'' maxi-series by Garth Ennis featured a trio of vigilantes, each of whom are essentially a more realistic take on the concept behind the Punisher, as well as the entire "armed vigilante" sub-genre of fiction. Elite is a complete racist who primarily kills black and Latino men because he blames minorities for ruining society, the Holy is a mentally-disturbed serial killer who justifies his crimes by claiming he's punishing the wicked, and Mr. Payback is an idiot whose poor planning causes collateral damage and civilian casualties. The message seemed to be that while the Punisher is a cool character, he's also complete fiction; chances are real world vigilantes would not be as focused, unbiased, or precise as he is. The Punisher himself ends up killing them after delivering a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech where he points out why they're terrible at being vigilantes.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and lets [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. The hastily-done destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny by the Superior Spider-Man]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of whack in a misguided attempt to set things right. The Illuminati's secretive nature ends up working against them in saving their universe with it basically stated had they told people instead of doing it themselves they could have prevented it rather easily. And it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of the heroes' arrogance.

* Pick a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII comic written by Creator/GarthEnnis. You will find: heroic if PTSD'ed grunts on both Allied and German sides, glaringly incompetent OfficersAtTheRear who couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map on both Allied and German sides, unflappable British soldiers who do most of the work compared to the Americans, and vastly superior German weapons and vehicles that only lost Germany the war because they were produced too little, too late.
** His run on ComicBook/ThePunisher and ComicBook/NickFury replaces that last one with "inept politicians who don't understand the situation and make ''everything'' worse for all involved, on both sides" in Vietnam, Cuba, Nicaragua and the Middle East.

* Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' takes straightforward superhero action and makes it look absurd by having real-world politics interfere. Batman's work becomes a tool for debates about "toughness on crime," while ComicBook/{{Superman}}'s idealism makes him an easy dupe for the US government's plans for nuclear war. It also asked the question: "What sort of a man would dress up in a bat outfit and fight crime?" The answer: "A man who isn't very pleasant or sane." Though, it's not really clear the work is intended or often taken to be a deconstruction.

* Deconstruction in comics is even older than that, dating at least back to UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}}. In TheSeventies, DC came out with ''Franchise/GreenLantern[=/=]ComicBook/GreenArrow'', in which the title characters do superhero stuff while at the same time arguing about the morality and political implications. As a result, the more lawful GreenLantern and the more chaotic ComicBook/GreenArrow butted heads many, MANY times.
* Hell! You could even argue that it dates back to UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}}! When Creator/StanLee first pitched the idea of [[ComicBook/SpiderMan a superhero with real life problems]] his editor replied "Don't you know what a superhero is?"

** All this is paralleled by the ''ComicBook/{{Annihilation}}'' and ''ComicBook/WarOfKings'' series depicting exactly what kind of galaxy is filled with empires that invade and blow up planets on a daily basis and exactly how disillusioned it makes characters. Seeing [[spoiler:[[ComicBook/TheInhumans Black Bolt]]]] turn to insanity was just further reconfirmation of what a world Cosmic Marvel is. The Nova Corps pretty much deconstructed all Space Cop tropes with its nigh-omnipotent run band of non sanctioned super soldiers and exactly how that would affect any political situation.

** It also tries to cast the characters themselves in a more realistic light. [[FishOutOfTemporalWater Man out of time]] ComicBook/CaptainAmerica is a NobleBigot with horribly dated social views, spymaster ComicBook/NickFury is a ManipulativeBastard of the highest sort, [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk the Hulk]] is a psychotic cannibal, former Soviet spy Comicbook/BlackWidow is a [[spoiler: murderous traitor]], and troubled genius [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]] is a Prozac-addled misogynist.

* Even before ''The Ultimates'', the ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'' character William Burnside (the [[LegacyCharacter Captain America of the 50's]]) was created as a deliberate response to the use of PoliticallyCorrectHistory for [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] superheroes. He and his sidekick Jack Monroe (the 50's [[ComicBook/BuckyBarnes Bucky]]) were depicted as being just as racist, sexist, and xenophobic as the average white male from the 1950's would likely have been.
* Another interesting example by Creator/GrantMorrison is ''Fantastic 1234''. At first, it seems like a traditional deconstruction of superheroes by way of the Comicbook/FantasticFour, highlighting their 'real' personalities via highlighting their worst aspects as they would be in real life; Ben Grimm is a self pitying misanthrope with a violent temper, Reed Richards is a emotionless autistic who seems to value his inventions more than his friends and family, Johnny Storm is a brooding Greaser whose tastes for fast cars and fast women can't fill the void inside of him, and Sue Storm is an insecure, passive-agressive neurotic who feels she is trapped in a loveless marriage and is severely tempted to run off with Namor, who is presented as a coldblooded sexfiend willing to do anything to make Sue his own. However, it ends up being a subversion of such a deconstruction; Reed Richards has realised that Dr. Doom has been using a reality altering device to 'deconstruct' the Four and bring out the worst possible aspects of the four's personalities in order to destroy them and gain ultimate revenge on Richards. Richards builds his own variant of the machine to 'reconstruct' the Four and save the day, the point clearly being that the standard portrayal of the Four ''are'' their real personalities. In fact, for his arrogance Doom ends up being the one who's deconstructed, and rather painfully at that, where it is revealed that he is a lonely, pathetic man-child with a ridiculous speech pattern who is not even remotely on Reed Richards' level of genius and whose vendetta against the four is petty and stupid. Also, he seems to be going bald. Ouch.

* ''ComicBook/{{Princeless}}'' deconstructs a number of tropes pertaining to European fairy tales, such as the black lead becoming angry after a potential suitor refers to her as a "fair maiden". There's also some skewering of {{Stripperific}} superheroine costumes and the impracticality that would come with them.
* The Creator/ValiantComics flagship title, Harbinger, featured a groups of super powered teens ''on the run for their lives'' from a seemingly unbeatable business man who, at least at first, seems to be an {{Expy}} of [[ComicBook/XMen Charles Xavier]]. While the man seemed to genuinely care for his subordinates, he never hesitated to mistreat them for the sake of what he felt was the greater good of humanity (which is to say, a better world that would be completely under his control). He was desperate to hunt down their protagonist because their team leader has the same powers as him - the near-unlimited telepathy and telekinesis and ability to ''activate superpowers in others''. The hero, incidentally, wasn't exactly pure either - early issues in particular showing him using powers in selfish and potentially dangerous ways. It also does a good job showing the mental and emotional toil this kind of thing would have on a group of teens, constantly moving from town to town, and being the only thing keeping this guy from becoming dictator of the world.
** Most of [[Creator/ValiantComics Valiant's]] titles were [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructive]] in nature. For another example, Shadow Man. The classic comic book plot "Heroes travel to the future to fight evil" is deconstructed in the Unity CrisisCrossover, where Shadow Man learns he's going to die in 1999. Shadow Man's book takes this and runs with it, showing him growing gradually more reckless and angsty as 1999 grows closer. In 1995 he even [[spoiler: tries to kill himself, thinking that this at least will let him choose his own destiny.]] Sadly, the line was discontinued before 1999, so we never learn how this story arc ends.

* ''ComicBook/KickAss'' in regards to superheroes in their teens. If you're not trained or otherwise prepared for fighting crime, then you get your ass kicked if you're lucky. If you ''are'' trained for fighting crime then you're a ChildSoldier who likely has a mess of mind issues.

** ''The Castafiore Emerald'' is a intentional RandomEventsPlot in which Tintin and Haddock stay at Marlinspike Hall. It is full of anticlimaxes, such as Haddock's attempted escape to Italy being foiled by an accident, the Roma community's plight is immediately solved by Haddock’s generosity, Haddock never has the chance to make AnAesop about tolerance because of various distractions, the emerald’s thief turned to be a magpie, and said emerald is lost again by Thomson & Thompson, found again by Snowy, and then dismissed as a mere McGuffin.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and lets [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. The hastily-done destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny by the Superior Spider-Man]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of whack in a misgided attempt to set things right. The Illuminati's secretive nature ends up working against them in saving their universe with it basically stated had they told people instead of doing it themselves they could have prevented it rather easily. And it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of the heroes' arrogance.

* ''ComicBook/BlackScience'' is a deconstruction of pulp WeirdScience adventure series like ''Series/LostInSpace'' or ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest''. The father who leads his family into adventure is an [[ItsAllAboutMe insufferably arrogant]] MadScientist, the strange worlds the heroes visit are more terrifying than fun, the fact that [[KidHero kids are brought along]] is criticized as blatant child endangerment, the Dr. Smith {{Expy}} is an AntiVillain trying to SaveBothWorlds, the TokenNonHuman is a BloodKnight, and the method the heroes use to explore the multiverse [[spoiler:is also threatening to [[ApocalypseHow destroy it]] and is arguably more of a threat than the actual villains.]]

* Although not quite the stated goal of the comic or anything, ''ComicBook/{{Crossed}}'' deconstructs the idea of a ZombieApocalypse, or more specifically, the idea of a zombie apocalypse portrayed as a fantasy world for armchair survivalists. Part of this is done by showing that zombies as we know them are a fictional entity, and if something like a zombie apocalypse actually happened in real life, there would be no guarantees on how they would work or what they would act like. The Crossed themselves seem to have been designed, at least in part, to show this off, by cranking the danger zombies present UpToEleven, to the point that no amount of preparation could possibly prepare a real person for them. In this case, TheVirus is a HatePlague that removes all of the infected's inhibitions and turns them into a CombatSadomasochist [[spoiler: and is heavily implied to be something akin to a Biblical plague]], and not only can they think, they actually frequently outsmart humans by taking routes a normal human's physical and moral limitations prevent them from even seeing as viable options.

* Pick a WorldWar2 comic written by Creator/GarthEnnis. You will find: heroic if PTSD'ed grunts on both Allied and German sides, glaringly incompetent OfficersAtTheRear who couldn't find their ass with both hands and a map on both Allied and German sides, unflappable British soldiers who do most of the work compared to the Americans, and vastly superior German weapons and vehicles that only lost Germany the war because they were produced too little, too late.

** His run on ComicBook/ThePunisher and ComicBook/NickFury replaces that last one with "inept politicians who don't understand the situation and make ''everything'' worse for all involved, on both sides" in Vietnam, Cuba, Nicaragua and the Middle East.

** Its sequel, ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'', tries to deconstruct the WriterOnBoard Political superheroes by turning ComicBook/GreenArrow into a Marxist, and ComicBook/TheQuestion into a hardcore libertarian who believes that "Creator/AynRand didn't go far enough".

** His run on ComicBook/ThePunisher and ComicBook/NickFuryMax replaces that last one with "inept politicians who don't understand the situation and make ''everything'' worse for all involved, on both sides" in Vietnam, Cuba, Nicaragua and the MiddleEast.

* Although not quite the stated goal of the comic or anything, ''ComicBook/{{Crossed}}'' deconstructs the idea of a ZombieApocalypse, or more specifically, the idea of a zombie apocalypse portrayed as a fantasy world for armchair survivalists. Part of this is done by showing that zombies as we know them are a fictional entity, and if something like a zombie apocalypse actually happened in real life, there would be no guarantees on how they would work or what they would act like. The Crossed themselves seem to have been designed, at least in part, to show this off, by cranking the danger zombies present UpToEleven, to the point that no amount of preparation could possibly prepare a real person for them. In this case, TheVirus is a HatePlague that removes all of the infected's inhibitions and turns them into a CombatSadomasochist [[spoiler: and is heavily implied to be something akin to a Biblical plague]], and not only can they think, they actually frequently outsmart humans by taking routes a normal human's physical and moral limitations prevent them from even seeing as viable options.

* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' deconstructs the entire [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] SuperHero genre. The premise of the comic is exactly like any other SuperHero comic; some people put on strange costumes in order [[TheyFightCrime to fight crime]]. However, it didn't start with [[Franchise/{{Superman}} an alien child coming to earth]], but rather, with a bunch of off-duty cops wearing masks to counter mask-wearing criminals. Along the way, every trope associated with SuperHero comics of the time is {{deconstructed}}: ImpossiblyCoolClothes turn out to be fatally impractical, [[UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem politicians]] get involved and deputize and weaponize superheroes, these superheroes end up changing the course of history, and the main cast of SuperHero characters are all rather screwed up. Specifically...
** Rorschach embodies morally absolutist vigilante SuperHero characters like the original ComicBook/TheQuestion. He is so morally absolutist that he will stop at nothing to enforce his view of justice and will commit heinous acts as a means to an end; ultimately it turns out he is a StrawNihilist with a {{Woobie}}-worthy past.
** The Comedian is the UnbuiltTrope of the NinetiesAntiHero. [[SuperheroPackingHeat Big guns]], wisecracks, big muscles, and badass mannerisms abound... as do [[BreadEggsMilkSquick attempted rape, misogyny, murder of innocents, and moral nihilism]]. All these are merely his emotional shields. He has a breakdown when he discovers [[spoiler:Adrian Veidt]]'s plot because it was so horrifying [[EvenEvilHasStandards even to him]] [[spoiler: and CrazyEnoughToWork]]. The Comedian also deconstructs the idea of superheroes like ComicBook/CaptainAmerica who embody patriotic ideals and work for the government - he's a black-ops agent who does highly unethical things, and as noted, couldn't give a damn about any ideals.
** Doctor Manhattan is a true superhuman with control over matter, the ability to teleport, see the future, see subatomic particles, and is so detached from the human condition that he is indifferent to human life, out and out saying "A dead body and a living body have the same number of particles, there's no difference". He also deconstructs the OmniscientMoralityLicense. One of his superpowers is his capacity of living in the past, the present, and the future at the same time. Instead of having ''more freedom of choice'' than the average human, knowing that everything he will do will turn okay, he has ''none''. He knows what will he do in the future and cannot change it, becoming TrueNeutral. He is still a puppet, like everyone else, but ''(only)'' a puppet who can see the strings.
** Ozymandias, the "smartest man alive," and a Marvel-style super-genius in the mold of [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Reed Richards]] and [[ComicBook/XMen Professor X]] taken to the trope's logical conclusions. He becomes a superhuman athlete [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower through sheer force of will]] and a training program he designed himself, and is also the world's wealthiest self-made businessman. He's driven by such ruthless consequentialism that certain actions of his can be... morally debated. Ozymandias also deconstructs SurroundedByIdiots by showing us how detached from humanity a true super genius would be. He feels right with himself being alone, but has rage about the whole world being so stupid to be engaged in a UsefulNotes/ColdWar that only will end in MutuallyAssuredDestruction. How would you feel if you were the smartest man alive and UsefulNotes/RichardNixon sent you his enforcer, the Comedian, to tell you not to mess in his business? How much of Ozymandias' actions are trying to save the world, and how much are nothing more than petty revenge?
** Nite Owl II and Silk Spectre II, the most healthy individuals in the team, are driven not by moral ideals but by, respectively, [[AscendedFanboy fanboyism]] and [[WellDoneSonGuy a desire to follow in one's mother's footsteps]].
** And the rest of the superheroes are shown to have great flaws and the common prejudices of their time, many being racist, sexist, homophobic (and [[ArmouredClosetGay hypocritical homosexuals]] themselves) and equally riddled with issues and neuroses.
** It also showed that there would be far fewer 'costumed criminals' since they would either be in jail, killed, or even find redemption. Many criminals would go into more profitable and yet less showy pursuits, like drug trafficking.
** The idea of the NebulousEvilOrganisation was also targeted for deconstruction. Who has the resources to kill The Comedian, engineer Dr. Manhattan's exile, frame Rorschach for murder, and [[spoiler:engineer the destruction of several major cities]] other than [[spoiler:Ozymandias, the world's smartest man?]]

* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/YoungbloodJudgmentDay'' is a pretty brutal evisceration of '90s superhero comics (including ''Youngblood'' itself!), as well as concepts like the AuthorAvatar and the MarySue.

* Moore's earlier work, ''Marvelman'' (''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}}'' in the United States) deconstructs many aspects of the [[{{ComicBook/Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] mythos and superheroes in general. In one particularly memorable instance, it deconstructed superhero battles by showing just how bloody and devastating they would be in a more realistic setting.

* ''Comicbook/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'' starts out with slightly-darker takes on Victorian heroes, but the second volume shows them sinking really low under pressure (and the ugly sides of Victorian culture that they each represent). The third volume reconstructs them during its own deconstruction of 20th century heroes.

* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' deconstructs the entire [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] SuperHero genre. The premise of the comic is exactly like any other SuperHero comic; some people put on strange costumes in order [[TheyFightCrime to fight crime]]. However, it didn't start with [[Franchise/{{Superman}} an alien child coming to earth]], but rather, with a bunch of off-duty cops wearing masks to counter mask-wearing criminals. Along the way, every trope associated with SuperHero comics of the time is {{deconstructed}}: ImpossiblyCoolClothes turn out to be fatally impractical, [[AmericanPoliticalSystem politicians]] get involved and deputize and weaponize superheroes, these superheroes end up changing the course of history, and the main cast of SuperHero characters are all rather screwed up. Specifically...

* While a few elements are questionable, ''ComicBook/TheUnfunnies'' is still a clever commentary on how writers are corrupting the once-innocent world of comics by injecting their own perversions into it. The story begins with a stereotypical Creator/HannaBarbera cartoon world of {{talking animal}}s, then introduces prostitution, child pornography, and violence. Then it's revealed that the world's creator is a child rapist and murderer who's on death row, and created the world so he can switch places with a character there, and thus live forever. The whole "man in prison creates cartoon world that turns out to be real" plot is also lifted directly from ''CoolWorld''. ''ComicBook/TheUnfunnies'' asks why is he in prison? Wouldn't the world he created be just as insane as he is?

* Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' deconstructs the entire [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] SuperHero genre. The premise of the comic is exactly like any other SuperHero comic; some people put on strange costumes in order [[TheyFightCrime to fight crime]]. However, it didn't start with [[{{Superman}} an alien child coming to earth]], but rather, with a bunch of off-duty cops wearing masks to counter mask-wearing criminals. Along the way, every trope associated with SuperHero comics of the time is {{deconstructed}}: ImpossiblyCoolClothes turn out to be fatally impractical, [[AmericanPoliticalSystem politicians]] get involved and deputize and weaponize superheroes, these superheroes end up changing the course of history, and the main cast of SuperHero characters are all rather screwed up. Specifically...
** Rorschach embodies morally absolutist vigilante SuperHero characters like ComicBook/TheQuestion. He is so morally absolutist that he will stop at nothing to enforce his view of justice and will commit heinous acts as a means to an end; ultimately it turns out he is a StrawNihilist with a {{Woobie}}-worthy past.

** It also showed that there would be far fewer 'costumed criminals' since they would either be in jail, killed, or even found redemption. Many criminals would go into more profitable and yet less showy pursuits, like drug trafficking.
** The idea of the NebulousEvilOrganisation was also targeted for deconstruction. Who has the resources to kill The Comedian, engineer Dr. Manhattan's exile, frame Rorschach for murder, and [[spoiler:engineer the destruction of several major cities]] than [[spoiler:Ozymandias, the world's smartest man?]]

** ''ComicBook/DarkReign'' then deconstructed the entire "Lone Cop saves the world and get promoted" genre by showing exactly what would happen if said psychopaths were really appointed to such positions of power. Thor, Reed Richards and Iron Man's tenures as God, Guardian and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. in each of their individual story arcs show how each quest to "fix" the world leads to disaster. Then, the New Captain America saga had a deconstruction of the Sidekick. The idea of power and potential is again brought up in The Hood's recent story showing what happens if all the D-list heroes in the universe eventually got together and actually ''applied'' their powers, while the Current Mighty Avengers show how these super teams affect the political climate.

** The Decimation arcs in ''ComicBook/XMen'' show exactly how humans would react to mutants if the odds were evened. And [[ComicBook/SecretWarriors The Secret arcs]] show how exactly what being a ''real'' spy means and all the details it entails.

* Another interesting example by Creator/GrantMorrison is ''Fantastic 1234''. At first, it seems like a traditional deconstruction of superheroes by way of the Comicbook/FantasticFour, highlighting their 'real' personalities via highlighting their worst aspects as they would be in real life; Ben Grimm is a self pitying misanthrope with a violent temper, Reed Richards is a emotionless autistic who seems to value his inventions more than his friends and family, Johnny Storm is a brooding Greaser whose tastes for fast cars and fast women can't fill the void inside of him, and Sue Storm is an insecure, passive-agressive neurotic who feels she is trapped in a loveless marriage and is severely tempted to run off with Namor, who is presented as a coldblooded sexfiend willing to do anything to make Sue his own. However, it ends up being a subversion of such a deconstruction; Reed Richards has realised that Dr. Doom has been using a reality altering device to 'deconstruct' the Four and bring out the worst possible aspects of the four's personalities in order to destroy them and gain ultimate revenge on Richards. Richards builds his own variant of the machine to 'reconstruct' the Four and save the day, the point clearly being that the standard portrayal of the Four ''are'' their real personalities. In fact, for his arrogance Doom ends up being the one who's deconstructed, and rather painfully at that, where it is revealed that he is a lonely, pathetic man-child with a ridiculous speech pattern who is not even remotely on Reed Richard's level of genius and whose vendetta against the four is petty and stupid. Also, he seems to be going bald. Ouch.

* ''ComicBook/{{Princeless}}'' deconstructs a number of tropes pertaining to European fairy tales, such as the black lead becoming angry after a potential suitor refers to her as a "fair maiden". There's also some skewering of {{Stripperific}} superheroine costumes and impracticality that would come with them.
* The ValiantComics flagship title, Harbinger, featured a groups of super powered teens ''on the run for their lives'' from an seemingly unbeatable business man who, at least at first, seems to be an {{Expy}} of [[ComicBook/XMen Charles Xavier]]. While the man seemed to genuinely care for his subordinates, he never hesitated to mistreat them for the sake of what he felt was the greater good of humanity (which is to say, a better world that would be completely under his control). He was desperate the hunt down their protagonist because their team leader has the same powers as him - the near-unlimited telepathy and telekinesis and ability to ''activate superpowers in others''. The hero, incidentally, wasn't exactly pure either - early issues in particular showing him using powers in selfish and potentially dangerous ways. It also does a good job showing the mental and emotional toil this kind of thing would have a group of teens, constantly moving from town to town, and being the only thing keeping this guy from becoming dictator of the world.
** Most of [[ValiantComics Valiant's]] titles were [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructive]] in nature. For another example, Shadow Man. The classic comic book plot "Heroes travel to the future to fight evil" is deconstructed in the Unity CrisisCrossover, where Shadow Man learns he's going to die in 1999. Shadow Man's book takes this and runs with it, showing him growing gradually more reckless and angsty as 1999 grows closer. In 1995 he even [[spoiler: tries to kill himself, thinking that this at least will let him choose his own destiny.]] Sadly, the line was discontinued before 1999, so we never learn how this story arc ends.
* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' is a deconstruction ''and'' a reconstruction. Like Marvels, it focuses on the impact of superheroes on regular people, but also on the inner thoughts of heroes and villains. Even more so, it deals with those issues in ways that are not just negative or cynical as deconstructions often are. For example, one story dealt with a parent bringing his children to Astro City, and deciding that, after a chaotic night full of alien gods and life-threatening danger, the strength and idealism of the city's community was exactly the message he wanted to send his children.Other times, we see a woman spending decades blaming herself for driving off one of the world's most powerful heroes, or a lawyer's clever manipulation of super-hero tropes in a trial leading to deep danger for his entire family. And some stories switch gears midway...

* Creator/WarrenEllis did a "thematic trilogy" for Creator/AvatarPress in which he deconstructs the superhero genre ([[AuthorAppeal yes, again]]). The first part, ''ComicBook/BlackSummer'', shows us what would happen if superheroes were too human. The second part, ''ComicBook/NoHero'', shows what would happen if they put themselves above human laws. The third part, ''ComicBook/{{Supergod}}'', shows would happen if superheroes weren't even remotely human.
* ''ComicBook/KickAss'' In regards to superheroes in their teens. If you're not trained or otherwise prepared for fighting crime, then you get your ass kicked if you're lucky. If you ''are'' trained for fighting crime then you're a ChildSoldier who likely has a mess of mind issues.

* A story from the comics series ''Comicbook/AnimalMan'' (noted for its PostModernism) deconstructs ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' and similar cartoons: in "The Coyote Gospel," a grotesquely anthropomorphic coyote is repeatedly and brutally killed by an Elmer Fudd-style hunter obsessed with his destruction, and continuously reforms/regenerates in a most disturbing manner. Finally, in a scene reminiscent of the classic "Duck Amuck" short, the malevolent animator paints his blood in as he dies for the last time.
* While a few elements are questionable, ''ComicBook/TheUnfunnies'' is still a clever commentary on how writers are corrupting the once-innocent world of comics by injecting their own perversions into it. The story begins with a stereotypical Creator/HannaBarbera cartoon world of {{talking animal}}s, then introduces prostitution, child pornography, and violence. Then it's revealed that the world's creator is a child rapist and murderer who's on death row, and created the world so he can switch places with a character there, and thus live forever. The whole "man in prison creates cartoon world that turns out to be real" plot is also lifted directly from ''CoolWorld''. ''ComicBook/TheUnfunnies'' asks the questions, why is he in prison? Wouldn't the world he created be just as insane as he is?

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and let's [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. The hastily-done destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny by the Superior Spider-Man]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of wack in a misgided attempt to set things right. The Illuminati secretive nature ends working against them in saving their universe with it basically stated had they told people instead of doing it themselves they could have prevented it rather easily. And it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of the heroes' arrogance.

** The Comedian is the UnbuiltTrope of the NinetiesAntiHero. [[SuperheroPackingHeat Big guns]], wisecracks, big muscles, and badass mannerisms abound... as do [[BreadEggsMilkSquick attempted rape, misogyny, murder of innocents, and moral nihilism]]. All these are merely his emotional shields. He has a breakdown when he discovers [[spoiler:Adrian Veidt]]'s plot because it was so horrifying [[EvenEvilHasStandards even to him]] [[spoiler: and CrazyEnoughToWork]]. The Comedian also deconstructs the idea of superheroes like ComicBook/CaptainAmerica who embody patriotic ideals and work for the government -- he's a black-ops agent who does highly unethical things, and as noted, couldn't give a damn about any ideals.

* Frank King's [[LongRunner long running]] comic strip ''ComicStrip/GasolineAlley'' was originally intended to be this; King believed that the idea of comic strip characters not aging was unrealistic, and set out to make a strip where they did. Unfortunately, adherence to the policy has made the strip even ''more'' unrealistic as a result due to its longevity; the original protagonist, Walt Wallet, is still included in the cast after its run of just short of a century, and is almost 111 years old. To make that worse, a few characters are exempt from this rule, like the comic relief characters Joel and Rufus, who never age a day.

* Marvel's events between ''ComicBook/AgeOfUltron'' and ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' deconstruct the idea of EarthIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse, the human heroes [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything getting involved in cosmic level events]] and exactly what happens after [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu you punch out Cthulhu]]. They also show that, contrary to most comics, violence is ''not'' always the answer and [[MightMakesRight might does not always make right.]] The heroes continually make [[IDidWhatIHadToDo increasingly heavy-handed]] decisions in order to [[SavingTheWorld save the world]] which has far-reaching consequences, like the time traveling in ''Age Of Ultron'' [[spoiler: creating a massive time rift that results in 616-Galactus almost destroying the Ultimate Marvel universe,]] and let's [[ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Ja'son of Spartax]] unite the universe in their hatred of Earth. The hastily-done destruction of [[spoiler: the Web of Life and Destiny by the Superior Spider-Man]] in ComicBook/SpiderVerse and the cosmic-level destruction of [[spoiler: the Maker in ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour]] throws everything out of wack in a misgided attempt to set things right. The Illuminati secretive nature ends working against them in saving their universe with it basically stated had they told people instead of doing it themselves they could have prevented it rather easily. And it ends with [[spoiler: Doctor Doom seizing ultimate power,]] all because of the heroes' arrogance.

* Marvel comics ''ComicBook/{{Marvels}}'' and its EvilTwin ''{{Ruins}}'' similarly focus on the impact of superheroes on an "average" person.
* DCComics' ''ComicBook/JonahHex'': Sounds like old fashioned Cowboys and Indians hijinx on the wild frontier, right? Riiight.