History Main / OldSuperhero

* ''ComicBook/BlackHammer'': The BadassNormal hero Abraham Slam started fighting crime in the 40s and kept it up well into the Bronze Age. He eventually realized that he wasn't cut out for this anymore, between the fact that he was getting old and the fact that supervillains with actual superpowers were becoming much more common, so he hung up his costume. Then he came out of retirement in 1986 to help the other surviving heroes fight off Anti-God.

* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Mr. Incredible is not as old as most of the examples shown here, but fifteen years after his forced retirement he is noticeably out of shape, and is still holding on to his glory days, even doing superhero work in secret. The scene in which he gets back INTO shape is entertaining. When an ordinary middle-aged man gets in shape he goes to the gym. When a {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le middle-aged man with superhuman strength gets in shape... he hits the railroad yard and starts bench- and legpressing railroad cars. The sequel ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' features an elderly super named Reflux, who can spew lava from his mouth. He holds up his own during the last third of the movie.

* The first few scenes of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' shows Bruce Wayne several years on, including the toll his injuries have taken on his body. He's not old, but definitely feeling it, at the start.

* ''{{Film/Logan}}'' is about an old and retired ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, who now serves as a guardian to Professor Xavier, who has grown senile after the X-Men disbanded and there is no one left to care for him. However, he comes out from his retirement to protect a little girl pursued by a sinister organization and bring her to safety, in what its supposed to be [[TheLastDance his last adventure]].

* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Mr. Incredible is not as old as most of the examples shown here, but fifteen years after his forced retirement he is noticeably out of shape, and is still holding on to his glory days, even doing superhero work in secret. The scene in which he gets back INTO shape is entertaining. When an ordinary middle-aged man gets in shape he goes to the gym. When a {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le middle-aged man with superhuman strength gets in shape... he hits the railroad yard. The sequel ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' features an elderly super named Reflux, who can spew lava from his mouth. He holds up his own during the last third of the movie.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', episode "Over the Hill Hero" has Captain Rescue.

* Creator/AdamWest also appeared as a similar character in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', named... [[TheDanza Adam West]]. He had played "Catman".

** And then there's the story "Old Times", where the aged Supersonic is called out of retirement to deal with one last crisis. In the olden days, he'd come up with some clever way of taking down the seemingly-impossible enemy- probably a nonlethal way that gets it into somewhere safe to fight. Now, he just whales on it until it breaks, [[DestructiveSaviour destroying six blocks of residential buildings]] in the process. Sounds quite a bit like the shift into gritty realism that normal comics have gone through...

* Pretty much one of the things that defines the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica is the amount of Golden Age superheroes (appropriately aged) that comprise its roster. Even though they've had young heroes like ComicBook/{{Stargirl|DCComics}} and Damage, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the JSA are the veterans: [[Franchise/TheFlash Jay Garrick]], [[Franchise/GreenLantern Alan Scott]], [[ComicBook/DoctorFate Kent Nelson]], [[ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} Ted Grant]] and so on, who founded the team during WWII. In a subversion, though, they still display the same degree of physical preparation and badassitude from the time they were created, and those who have lost an edge due to their age have found ways to make up for it. Out of all of them the most impressive has got to be the original ComicBook/RedTornado who was an old superhero [[ExaggeratedTrope in the 40's.]]
* Played straight in ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''. Enough time has passed that Superman looks like he's in his 50s (greying about the temple, receeding hairline), while Batman is downright ''elderly'' looking, and uses an exosuit to get around. Notable in that many of the old characters are still badass and everyone has changed their costumes.

* ''Anime/GunXSword'' has the El Dora V, a CombiningMecha piloted by a FiveManBand (well, four- TheChick of the team is dead) of old guys who come out of retirement to protect their town. Their first opponent constantly complains that their methods are obsolete, but they manage to win in the end. The show takes the opportunity to homage all kinds of {{Super Robot|Genre}} shows from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, including ''Anime/CombattlerV'' and ''Anime/GaoGaiGar''.

** ''ComicBook/GrantMorrisonsBatman'': The Legionary, one of the Club of Heroes in ''The Black Glove''. No older than the other heroes, but he has let his city fall into the hands of Charlie Caligula and has let himself go badly. Instead he spends his time regaling himself on past victories when not stuffing his face or wallowing in misery. Though he does go out heroically.

* [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Mr. Incredible is not as old as most of the examples shown here, but fifteen years after his forced retirement he is noticeably out of shape, and is still holding on to his glory days, even doing superhero work in secret. The scene in which he gets back INTO shape is entertaining. When an ordinary middle-aged man gets in shape he goes to the gym. When a {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le middle-aged man with superhuman strength gets in shape... he hits the railroad yard. The sequel ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' features an elderly super named Reflux, who can spew lava from his mouth. He holds up his own during the last third of the movie.

* ''Anime/MyHeroAcademia'' has Gran Torino, who was already an advanced age hero when he trained young All Might to become the Symbol of Peace. In the modern day when he trains Deku he's shorter but no less spry, still keeping up with the younger generation with very little complaint. And he shows no signs of having a civilian identity or garments, he even wears his costume (domino mask included) full time when he's at home by himself. Plenty of other active Pro-Heroes from the old days settle down to teach as time advances, but he is easily the definitive example in the world of Academia.

* ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'' is set in a BadFuture where supervillains had united and taken over America. Very few of the old heroes are still around, much less the ones still active like Hawkeye: Wolverine has become a pacifist, Hawkeye is still fighting on despite [[HandicappedBadass becoming blind]] and the Hulk became [[FallenHero a corrupt, insane tyrant]] that governs his own territory in the East Coast with his family of [[CorruptHick Gamma-hybrid hillbillies]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': "Fallen Arches" had Captain Righteous and Lefty, who had split up quite some time ago over a relatively minor squabble. They only came back because the Mayor insisted they were the only ones who could defeat The Ministry Of Pain, their equally-ancient arch-nemeses, who the Girls only held back on because Blossom believed they should be "respectful to one's elders". The whole thing ultimately ends with a bunch of old men that need to be hospitalized, and the news programs blame the girls for not doing anything to stop it. To add insult to injury, the usual closing shot instead features Bubbles and Buttercup glaring angrily down at poor Blossom.

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* Captain Nemesis, Ben's superhero idol in the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'' episode "Hero Time", is on the verge of becoming this -- something that deeply disturbs him. It really doesn't help that a younger hero like Ben effortlessly upstages him, culminating in his utterly humiliating defeat in a contest of superheroics. While the actress covering the event (who is clearly biased in Ben's favor) describes the setting, a scrapyard for traincars, she mentions that it's the resting place for "rusted out old hulks" -- the camera pans to Captain Nemesis at that point. Ouch. Nemesis loses the first event by an embarassingly wide margin. Even after he ''wins'' the second event (by cheating), he gets another dose of humiliation after Ben as Rath furiously pins him down and makes him scream in pain. The final event ends with Nemesis falling into a mudpit after losing a tug-of-war. [[spoiler: Nemesis has a FaceHeelTurn and becomes Overlord as a result -- he'd rather be a new villain than an obsolete hero.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/OKKOLetsBeHeroes'':
** A frequent reoccurring character is Crinkly Wrinkly, a crotchety were-fox hero who hangs around Lakewood Plaza Turbo, boring people with his tall tales of the old days.
** "Know Your Mom" has an old supervillains example. In it, KO discovers that his mother was a well-known superhero that [[RetiredBadass quit after he was born]]. He feels bad that his mother quit because of him and decides to call some of her old supervillains so that she can briefly relieve her glory days. Most of them are either very old or outright dead by now, however the plant-based villain Succulentus is up for a fight. He's since become an old, out-of-shape grandpa. Succulentus puts up a fight and delivers a VillainSong, but he becomes worn out quickly. He and Carol end up sorting things out over coffee instead.
* The ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'' short "Youngstar 3" featured an elderly superhero named Old Man, who helped his grandson Youngstar fight crime alongside a {{Fembot}} named Shero.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'' had a story arc featuring the team of superheroes who'd helped ComicBook/CaptainAmerica during World War 2 as old, retired people. Spider-Man had to recruit them to stop a scheme by the Red Skull and figure out ways for them to overcome their fading powers.
* ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'': In the episode "Blast from the Past", Static has to team up with retired superhero Soul Power (an {{Expy}} of ComicBook/BlackLightning) after his presumed dead arch-nemesis Professor Menace resurfaces.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Funpak}}'''s ''The Manly Bee'' stars a retired bee-themed superhero.

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'' had Gligarman, a Franchise/{{Batman}} parody who tried to ''continue'' the superheroing business, but was completely useless except in selling his own merchandise. At the end of the episode, he accepted that he was too old for heroics, and let his daughter succeed him as Gli-Girl (which she only did because she'd learned to understand her father's love for the role).

* Mr Legend from ''Anime/TigerAndBunny''. An unusual variation—rather than being a young, athletic hero who since retired and let himself go, Mr. Legend performed many of his heroics whilst an overweight middle-aged man... and was no less effective for it. [[spoiler: Until he lost his powers.]] Worse, the first time we see him - in a flashback to how a young Kotetsu was inspired to become a hero - Mr Legend bears a certain similarity to, say, [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]]. And then episode 16 comes around, and we find out just how badly [[spoiler: losing his powers]] affected Mr Legend. [[spoiler: Confronted with the reality of his fading powers and the fact that [=HeroTV=] stage arrests for him, Legend becomes an abusive alcoholic.]] Same Old Superhero, two ''very'' different sides.

* ''Anime/MyHeroAcademia'' has Gran Torino, who was already an advanced age hero when he trained young All Might to become the Symbol of Peace. In the modern day when he trains Deku he's shorter but no less spry, still keeping up with the younger generation with very little complaint. And he shows no signs of having a civilian identity or garments, he even wears his costume (domino mask included) full time when he's at home by himself. Plenty of other active Pro-Heroes from the old days settle down to teach as time advances, but he is easily the definitive example in the world of Academia.

* Pretty much one of the things that defines the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica is the amount of Golden Age superheroes (appropriately aged) that comprise its roster. Even though they've had young heroes like ComicBook/{{Stargirl|DCComics}} and Damage, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the JSA are the veterans: [[Franchise/TheFlash Jay Garrick]], [[Franchise/GreenLantern Alan Scott]], [[ComicBook/DoctorFate Kent Nelson]], [[ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} Ted Grant]] and so on, who founded the team during WWII. In a subversion, though, they still display the same degree of physical preparation and badassitude from the time they were created, and those who have lost an edge due to their age have found ways to make up for it. Out of all of them the most impressive has got to be the original ComicBook/RedTornado who was an old superhero [[ExaggeratedTrope in the 40's.]]

* The comic book series ''ComicBook/WelcomeToTranquility'' is based on the idea of a whole town full of old superheroes (and supervillains), more or less retired.

* The ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' comic books and cartoon have the Justice Force, a team of old superheroes called back into action when members of the team begin getting kidnapped.
* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority''. In response to the eponymous team staging a bloodless coup, a BigBad brings back a stable of [=WW2=] superheroes [[note]]Thinly veiled expies of the [[ComicBook/FreedomFightersDC Freedom Fighters]] team from DC[[/note]] who are decrepit and senile in a retirement home. He reverses their aging and turns up their powers and sets them loose to start a revolution. Things go ''very'' wrong. Now the leader of the team impales cops on the American flag and anyone who freely chose the Authority religion gets slaughtered.

* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' is rife with examples of this trope, as it establishes a long history of generational superheroes, and the series' avoidance of ComicBookTime means characters age as new stories are published. Some (e.g. The Confessor, The Hanged Man) are extraordinarily long-lived, but some have retired and still make appearances in various capacities (many of them at former hero [[GoodGuyBar K.O. Carson's bar, Bruisers]]), and at least one passed away from presumably age related reasons after their initial appearances (Noah of the Crossbreed). The oldest we know of was Coyotl, who was (presumably significantly) pre-Colonial Native American. The oldest that we know is still alive is Iron Horse, a steam-powered automaton who's been active in some form since the 1860s.
** And then there's the story "Old Times", where the aged Supersonic is called out of retirement to deal with one last crisis. In the olden days, he'd come up with some clever way of taking down the seemingly-impossible enemy- probably a nonlethal way that gets it into somewhere safe to fight. Now, he just whales on it until it breaks, [[DestructiveSaviour destroying six blocks of residential buildings]] in the process. Sounds quite a bit like the shift into gritty realism that normal comics have gone through...
** One story arc shows Quarrel and Crackerjack, two non-powered heroes, in the middle of the process; they don't want to retire, but age is taking its toll. They are especially acute of the problem after the retirement of the Black Rapier.

* Rising Sun in ''Franchise/TheDCU'', an over-the-hill hero out of Japan who spends most of his time nowadays criticizing the current super-generation, specifically the ComicBook/SuperYoungTeam. He's become a paunchy alcoholic, a pathetic imitation of the paragon he once was. He eventually gets [[spoiler:possessed by a Mr. Mind parasite and becomes the ultimate threat faced by the Super Young Team]].

* A ''ComicBook/DarkwingDuck'' comic in ''Magazine/DisneyAdventures'' featured a villain who stole the masks of other heroes. Gosalyn got some retired heroes whose masks were taken to help out.
* ''ComicBook/{{Slingers}}'' had the Golden Age character Black Marvel act as a mentor to the team. However, it later turned out that he was just manipulating them into preparing the public for his return, which naturally went disastrously.
* The ''Destroyer MAX'' mini-series starred Keen Marlow, a WWII hero who aged into one of the more [[http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090511130309/marveldatabase/images/d/dd/Destroyer_Vol_3_2.jpg badass]] versions of this trope.
* Creator/ArchieComics' character ComicBook/TheWeb was a Golden Age hero in the forties, then settled down and got married. In the sixties, the character was revived--twenty-odd years older, a bit out of shape, and with a wife [[HenpeckedHusband who wasn't exactly thrilled]] with his return to superheroics. (Though she did eventually give in and took on her own superhero identity.)
* One issue of ComicBook/YoungJustice introduced "Old Justice", a team of down-on-their-luck Golden Age sidekicks who were desperate not to be forgotten, and harbored a lot of resentment for the young heroes who they claimed lacked experience. They were led by Dan the Dyna-Mite and featured [[Franchise/GreenLantern Doiby Dickles]], Merry the Gimmick Girl, [[ComicBook/RedTornado Dinky Jibbet and Sisty Hunkel-Jibbert]] and [[ComicBook/{{Hourman}} Second Sweep]].
* ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'' is set in a BadFuture where supervillains had united and taken over America. Very few of the old heroes are still around, much less the ones still active like Hawkeye: Wolverine has become a pacifist, Hawkeye is still fighting on despite [[HandicappedBadass becoming blind]] and the Hulk became [[FallenHero a corrupt, insane tyrant]] that governs his own territory in the East Coast with his family of [[CorruptHick Gamma-hybrid hillbillies]].
* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** The entire premise of ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory'' is to show Spidey (and his contemporaries) aging in real time since they debuted.
** ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' has Old Man Spider-Man, which hails from an alternate future.

* The Alan Arkin movie ''Film/TheReturnOfCaptainInvincible'' is equal parts this trope and ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', attempting to play the whole mess for SoBadItsGood laughs. It vastly overshoots the mark.
* Chronically unappreciated All-American Boy in ''Film/SkyHigh2005'' is the past-his-prime sidekick without the retired superhero. His assigned mentor, The Commander, is still operating at his peak, while All-American Boy is now teaching "hero support" classes in the eponymous hero school. Downplayed as All-American Boy is all but decrepit, and is still able to help the heroes.
* ''Film/BigManJapan'''s senile grandfather counts, when he turns big again to "relive his glory days" but merely makes a mess.
* The first few scenes of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' shows Bruce Wayne several years on, including the toll his injuries have taken on his body. He's not old, but definitely feeling it, at the start.

* ''{{Film/Logan}}'' is about an old and retired ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, who now serves as a guardian to Professor Xavier, who has grown senile after the X-Men disbanded and there is no one left to care for him. However, he comes out from his retirement to protect a little girl pursued by a sinister organization and bring her to safety, in what its supposed to be [[TheLastDance his last adventure]].

* ''Literature/InHeroYearsImDead'' runs on this trope. The main character, Coyote is a retired superhero, and all the superheroes he knew from his glory day are retired as well.

* ''Series/LegendsOfTheSuperheroes'' featured an elderly superhero known as the Scarlet Cyclone. Much to his dismay, he is also addressed as "Retired Man".
* ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' had a few sketches featuring Creator/MikeMyers as "Middle-Aged Man," whose superpower ''was'' that he was old and thus had more wisdom and experience than young people.

* The French series ''Series/HeroCorp'' takes place in a whole village of such retired superheroes. Most of them are not that old, however, but their powers have certainly decreased a lot from their prime.
* The Swedish Advent Calendar series ''Series/{{Superhjaltejul}}'' centres around retired superheroes Stålhenrik (Steel-Henrik) and Supersnällasilversara (Superkindsilversara), telling the story about their first adventure to their grandchildren Vega and Nova.'

* Parodied in ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' with the Puce Dynamo.
* Paco from ''VideoGame/{{Anachronox}}''. He's not old, he is a depressed drunkard, but still.
* In the 1992 game ''Captain Dynamo''[[labelnote:*]] [[ComicBook/Dynamo5 No relation]][[/labelnote]] the title character is an octogenarian ex-superhero who must emerge from retirement when his similarly-superannuated nemesis, Austen Von Flyswatter, pulls off the world's biggest diamond heist.
* ''VideoGame/SuperheroLeagueOfHoboken'' has King Midas, who was quite something in his youth but is pretty much washed-up when he joins the League. His inability to properly work his Midas Touch (which turns things into mufflers) is used for both comedy and as a surprising puzzle solution.
* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars30'' uses the [[Anime/GunXSword El Dora V]] team as well, but in a bigger influence towards all the heroes. They were active long before the One Year War, joined the crew of the ''White Base'' alongside the crew of the battleship, the Getter Team, the Mazinger Team and GGG and Chizuru had a bigger influence, with the Chizuru of the Battle Team being named after her. Even ten years after those events, the old men are more than happy to aid the younger heroes and even inspire the new faces.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'''s Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are shining examples of this trope, and provide the page image. After the back-to-action episode, they become {{Recurr|ingCharacter}}ers, their plots usually involving some returned supervillain they used to fight.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'': "Fallen Arches" had Captain Righteous and Lefty, who had split up quite some time ago over a relatively minor squabble. They only came back because the Mayor insisted they were the only ones who could defeat The Ministry Of Pain, their equally-ancient arch-nemeses, who the Girls only held back on because Blossom believed they should be "respectful to one's elders". The whole thing ultimately ends with a bunch of old men that need to be hospitalized, and the news programs blame the girls for not doing anything to stop it. To add insult to injury, the usual closing shot instead features Bubbles and Buttercup glaring angrily down at poor Blossom.
* Timothy North from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' used to be the Fearless Ferret, and decides to take Ron in and train him to become his successor. However, it ends up being a subversion when it's revealed that North was really an actor who ''played'' the Fearless Ferret on an old TV show, and just ''thinks'' he used to be a real superhero due to going senile in his old age. Naturally, [[AdamWesting he was voiced by Adam West]].
* Creator/AdamWest also appeared as a similar character in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', named... [[TheDanza Adam West]]. He had played "Catman".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheTick'':
** "The Tick vs. Arthur's Bank Account" introduces the Terror, a frail, partially senile centenarian supervillain (his first major crime was punching out [[UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt Teddy Roosevelt]] on the White House lawn) who comes out of retirement to conquer the world.
** In "Grandpa Wore Tights", The Tick meets the Decency Squad, a band of retired Golden Age-type characters who included Captain Decency (a Captain America type), The Visual Eye (who could [[EyeSpy shoot his eyes out of his head]] by shouting "Rockets from their sockets!"), Sufra-Jet (a play on 'suffragette', now an old lady with a jetpack), and The Living Doll ("I'm [[MatryoshkaObject full of tinier men]]!"). Captain Decency had a few teenage sidekicks over the years (such as "Johnny Polite"), but they're all off on their own. Arthur and the Tick end up having to team up with the Decency Squad to stop the Terror and his son from stealing one of the Terror's old secret weapons, the Desire-O-Vac.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog'', episode "Over the Hill Hero" has Captain Rescue.

* The extremely short-lived ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legends_of_the_Superheroes Legends of the Superheroes]]'' had, as its second and final episode, a [[TheRoast Celebrity Roast]] for "Retired Man".

* In ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'', we have [[spoiler:The Raimi-Verse Peter Parker, who is a downplayed example here. He's in his 40s, has an up and down relationship with Mary Jane, but he's still fighting the good fight and is able to go toe-to-toe with his contemporaries.]]

** ''Series/TheFlash2014'' introduces DC's best known one, Jay Garrick, first as a younger man, but [[spoiler: he's actually the villainous Zoom posing as the real deal, who proves to be an alternate version of Barry's father, played by John Wesley Shipp, who played the 90's Barry]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': A DownplayedTrope, as Mr. Incredible is not as old as most of the examples shown here, but fifteen years after his forced retirement he is noticeably out of shape, and is still holding on to his glory days, even doing superhero work in secret. The scene in which he gets back INTO shape is entertaining. When an ordinary middle-aged man gets in shape he goes to the gym. When a {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le middle-aged man with superhuman strength gets in shape... he hits the railroad yard. The sequel ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' features an elderly super named Reflux, who can spew lava from his mouth. He holds up his own during the last third of the movie.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Mr. Incredible is not as old as most of the examples shown here, but fifteen years after his forced retirement he is noticeably out of shape, and is still holding on to his glory days, even doing superhero work in secret. The scene in which he gets back INTO shape is entertaining. When an ordinary middle-aged man gets in shape he goes to the gym. When a {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le middle-aged man with superhuman strength gets in shape... he hits the railroad yard. The sequel ''WesternAnimation/Incredibles2'' features an elderly super named Reflux, who can spew lava from his mouth. He holds up his own during the last third of the movie.

* ''{{Film/Logan}}'' is about an old and retired Franchise/{{Wolverine}}, who now serves as a guardian to Professor Xavier, who has grown senile after the X-Men disbanded and there is no one left to care for him. However, he comes out from his retirement to protect a little girl pursued by a sinister organization and bring her to safety, in what its supposed to be [[TheLastDance his last adventure]].

* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority''. In response to the eponymous team staging a bloodless coup, a BigBad brings back a stable of [=WW2=] superheroes [[note]]Thinly veiled expies of the ComicBook/FreedomFighters team from DC[[/note]] who are decrepit and senile in a retirement home. He reverses their aging and turns up their powers and sets them loose to start a revolution. Things go ''very'' wrong. Now the leader of the team impales cops on the American flag and anyone who freely chose the Authority religion gets slaughtered.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zeroman}}'' stars Creator/LeslieNeilsen as Les Mutton, a 63-year-old (64 in a few weeks) mailman who transforms into the superhero Zeroman to defend Fair City.

Often, in a show, they'll want to [[TheParody parody]] the 60s ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}''-style {{superhero}}. However, if they do, the vast majority of the time it'll be a SuperHero who ''was'' active back then... but now is old, decrepit, and retired.

This character rarely shows up in actual SuperHero [[ComicBookTropes comics]]. Instead, ComicBookTime usually applies; heroes don't age unless the story calls for them to or unless they don't appear in a comic for a while. If one does age, they'll usually still able to hold their own, often having their powers or equipment make up the difference. The original (Jay Garrick) [[Franchise/TheFlash Flash]] and the (Alan Scott) Franchise/GreenLantern are major examples of this; they may be in their 90s but between their adventures that led to their physical ages being slowed and their powers, they are respected elders in the Franchise/TheDCU's superhero community. Others become still-active {{Cool Old Guy}}s -- just look at the ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica''.

If this is a recurring character, they're likely to play the role of a [[{{Mentors}} mentor]], although they can still [[OldMaster duke it out]] [[LetsGetDangerous with the best]] from [[RetiredBadass time to time]]. Although they may complain about their [[DentedIron backache and leg injuries once the battle's over.]]

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' had Gligarman, a Franchise/{{Batman}} parody who tried to ''continue'' the superheroing business, but was completely useless except in selling his own merchandise. At the end of the episode, he accepted that he was too old for heroics, and let his daughter succeed him as Gli-Girl (which she only did because she'd learned to understand her father's love for the role).

* Pretty much one of the things that defines the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica is the amount of Golden Age superheroes (appropriately aged) that comprise its roster. Even though they've had young heroes like ComicBook/{{Stargirl|DCComics}} and Damage, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about the JSA are the veterans: [[Franchise/TheFlash Jay Garrick]], [[Franchise/GreenLantern Alan Scott]], [[ComicBook/DoctorFate Kent Nelson]], [[ComicBook/{{Wildcat}} Ted Grant]] and so on, who founded the team during WWII. In a subversion, though, they still display the same degree of physical preparation and badassitude from the time they were created, and those who have lost an edge due to their age have found ways to make up for it. Out of all of them the most impressive has got to be the original ComicBook/RedTornado who was an old superhero [[UpToEleven in the 40's.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheAuthority''. In response to the eponymous team staging a bloodless coup, a BigBad brings back a stable of [=WW2=] superheroes [[note]]Thinly veiled expies of the Comicbook/FreedomFighters team from DC[[/note]] who are decrepit and senile in a retirement home. He reverses their aging and turns up their powers and sets them loose to start a revolution. Things go ''very'' wrong. Now the leader of the team impales cops on the American flag and anyone who freely chose the Authority religion gets slaughtered.

* In the 1992 game ''Captain Dynamo''[[labelnote:*]] [[ComicBook/{{Dynamo5}} No relation]][[/labelnote]] the title character is an octogenarian ex-superhero who must emerge from retirement when his similarly-superannuated nemesis, Austen Von Flyswatter, pulls off the world's biggest diamond heist.

* Seemingly half the staff at SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy in the Literature/WhateleyUniverse. Earth Mother, the heavyset woman who used to be Flower Child back in the 60's, Dr. Yablonski the physics teacher who apparently had to retire when he lost an arm and a leg, and most importantly, the headmistress: Elizabeth Carson was the original Miss Champion back in the 1940's, and she is still superheroing. At least she has the 'ages at comic book rates' power too, so she currently looks like she is in her mid-thirties.

* Soul Power, Sparky and their nemesis Professor Menace in ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock''.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'''s Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy are shining examples of this trope. After the back-to-action episode, they become {{Recurr|ingCharacter}}ers, their plots usually involving some returned supervillain they used to fight.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In her prime, Maria Calavera was a legendary Huntress (Huntsmen and Huntresses being Remnant's equivalent of superheroes) as well as [[TheChosenMany a Silver-Eyed Warrior]]. Due to her skill and special power, she became a target by mercenaries (implied to be sent by the BigBad) and ended up blinded. Despite being given cybernetic eyes, she went into retirement out of fear for her life, a decision that she later regretted as MyGreatestFailure. However, she's still capable in her elderly age, best shown when she fights [[spoiler:Neo]] in Volume 8.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Funpak}}''s ''The Manly Bee'' stars a retired bee-themed superhero.