History Main / ScrapHeapHero

* Nite Owl from {{Watchmen}} fulfills this trope when he returns to active crimefighting.

* Bruce Wayne in DarkKnightReturns is a retired, out of shape alcoholic. He's been away from crime fighting for so long, the younger generation don't think he ever existed, despite the super villains being known to exist.

* Sam Vimes of the {{Discworld}} is introduced in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' as an alcoholic, hopeless officer of an entirely corrupt and meaningless Night Watch. Starting with that novel, the Watch and Vimes both start to clean up their act, until Ankh-Morpork suddenly has an exemplary City Watch headed by a Sir Samuel Vimes, one of the richest and highest-ranking nobles in the city who still works the streets as a policeman, is internationally known as a man of complete integrity, is one of about two people considered so important the Assassins' Guild refuses to take commissions on him ([[AssassinOutclassin he kept embarrassingly beating their agents anyway]]), and once arrested two warring armies for disturbing the peace. Even so, Vimes is still basically the same [[KnightInSourArmor cynical]] but LawfulGood [[GoodIsNotNice bastard]] as in the beginning.

* ComicBook/IronMan after he came back from being TheAlcoholic and TheCrazyHomeless. It was a long process that even had him using a modified version of his very first armor.

When a hero has undergone a HeroicBSOD and the retirement is [[TenMinuteRetirement longer than ten minutes]], maybe the hero failed altogether or just fell victim to their own personal demons. Whatever the reason for it the hero has been at best forgotten and is perhaps even actively despised or ridiculed, a has been or even worse a never was, but something happens and the Scrap Heap Hero rises first from the ashes and then to the occasion, showing everybody just what they once did or could have done had things gone differently.

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* Several companions from the ''{{Fallout}}'' series are this. Cassidy was an adventurer who developed a heart condition and became a barkeeper. His daughter was a hard-drinking caravan merchant who had her caravan destroyed. Raul was a vaquero turned mechanic. All three prove to be competent fighters when you recruit them and the latter can be inspired to go back to his vaquero ways.

* IronMan after he came back from being TheAlcoholic and TheCrazyHomeless. It was a long process that even had him using a modified version of his very first armor.

* Russel Casse from ''IndependenceDay'', an alcoholic ex-military pilot turned cropduster and UFO crazy, had zero respect from his step-son and even less from his neighbors. Still managed to join in the attack on the Mothership and after a few initial miscues manages to save the President, would have shot the missile that took down the ship if the firing mechanism hadn't failed - instead [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed himself]] by flying his plane directly into the main weapon and turned the course of the war.

* Several companions from the ''{{Fallout}}'' series are this. Cassidy was an adventurer who developed a heart condition and became a barkeeper. His daughter was a caravan merchant turned alcoholic. Raul was a vaquero turned mechanic. All three prove to be competent fighters when you recruit them.

* Russel from ''IndependenceDay'', an alcoholic ex-military pilot turned cropduster and UFO crazy, had zero respect from his step-son and even less from his neighbors. Still managed to join in the attack on the Mothership and after a few initial miscues manages to save the President, would have shot the missile that took down the ship if the firing mechanism hadn't failed - instead [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificed himself]] by flying his plane directly into the main weapon and turned the course of the war.

When a hero has undergone a HeroicBSOD and the retirement is [[TenMinuteRetirement longer than ten minutes]], maybe the hero failed altogether or just fell victim to their own personal demons. Whatever the reason for it the hero has been at best forgotten and is perhaps even actively despised or ridiculed, a has been or even worse a never was, but something happens and the Scrap Heap Hero rises first from the ashes and then to the occasion, showing everybody just what they once did or could have done had things gone differently.

Nearly always results in HesBack. Could overlap with RetiredBadass, compare with LetsGetDangerous.

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Nearly always results in [[ImBack I'm Back]]. Could overlap with RetiredBadass, compare with LetsGetDangerous.

* The main character (The Coyote) and several others in ''In Hero Years, I'm Dead'' by Michael Stackpole. It's pretty much the theme of the book.

* Pretty much the theme of ''In Hero Years, I'm Dead'' by Michael Stackpole.

* Herbie in ''{{Herbie}} Reloaded'', a literal example, saved from the salvage yard, his previous racing career seemingly forgotten, his new owner less than thrilled by the vehicle circumstances have forced on her, then she's gets in a race and after a few false starts while Herbie gets the kinks out of it's system the car goes to show that there's plenty of life left in the silly looking race car yet, winning the race and his owners heart once she realizes what she has.

* Herbie in ''HerbieReloaded'', a literal example, saved from the salvage yard, his previous racing career seemingly forgotten, his new owner less than thrilled by the vehicle circumstances have forced on her, then she's gets in a race and after a few false starts while Herbie gets the kinks out of it's system the car goes to show that there's plenty of life left in the silly looking race car yet, winning the race and his owners heart once she realizes what she has.

* ''The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town'' has Chugs, another literal example, this time a train, the "runt of the roundhouse, everybody put him down. Yeah. He was really singing the blues." Cue GriefSong.

* Several companions from the Fallout series are this. Cassidy was an adventurer who developed a heart condition and became a barkeeper. His daughter was a caravan merchant turned alcoholic. Raul was a vaquero turned mechanic. All three prove to be competent fighters when you recruit them.

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[[AC: {{Literature}}

* Herbie in ''Herbie Reloaded'', a literal example, saved from the salvage yard, his previous racing career seemingly forgotten, his new owner less than thrilled by the vehicle circumstances have forced on her, then she's gets in a race and after a few false starts while Herbie gets the kinks out of it's system the car goes to show that there's plenty of life left in the silly looking race car yet, winning the race and his owners heart once she realizes what she has.
* ''The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town'' has Chugs, another literal example, this time a train, the "runt of the roundhouse, everybody put him down. Yeah. He was really singing the blues." Cue GriefSong.

* Nite Owl from {Watchmen} fulfills this trope when he returns to active crimefighting.

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* Russel from ''IndependenceDay'', an alcoholic ex-military pilot turned cropduster and UFO crazy, had zero respect from his step-son and even less from his neighbors. Still managed to join in the attack on the Mothership and after a few initial miscues manages to save the President, would have shot the missile that took down the ship if the firing mechinism hadn't failed intead sacrificed himself by flying his plane directly into the main weapon and turned the course of the war.

* Herbie in ''Herbie reloaded'', a literal example, saved from the salvage yard, his previous racing career seemingly forgotten, his new owner less than thrilled by the vehicle circumstances have forced on her, then she's gets in a race and after a few false starts while Herbie gets the kinks out of it's system the car goes to show that there's plenty of life left in the silly looking race car yet, winning the race and his owners heart once she realizes what she has.

* Russel from Independence Day, an alcoholic ex-military pilot turned cropduster and UFO crazy, had zero respect from his step-son and even less from his neighbors. Still managed to join in the attack on the Mothership and after a few initial miscues manages to save the President, would have shot the missile that took down the ship if the firing mechinism hadn't failed intead sacrificed himself by flying his plane directly into the main weapon and turned the course of the war.

When a hero has undergone a HeroicBSOD and the retirement is [[TenMinuteRetirement longer than ten minutes]], maybe the hero failed altogether or just fell victim to their own personal demons. Whatever the reason for it the hero has been at best forgotten and is perhaps even actively despised or ridiculed, a has been or even worse a never was, but something happens and the Scrap Heap Hero rises first from the ashes and then to the occasion, showing everybody just what they once did or could have done had things gone differently. Could overlap with RetiredBadass, compare with LetsGetDangerous.

When a hero has undergone a HeroicBSOD and the retirement is [[TenMinuteRetirement longer than ten minutes]], maybe the hero failed altogether or just fell victim to their own personal demons. Whatever the reason for it the hero has been at best forgotten and is perhaps even actively despised or ridiculed, a has been or even worse a never was, but something happens and the Scrap Heap Hero rises first from the ashes and then to the occasion, showing everybody just what they once did or could have done had things gone differently. Could overlap with RetiredBadass, compare with LetsGetDangerous. totally up for grabs.

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