History Main / ScrapHeapHero

* Russell Casse from ''Film/IndependenceDay'', an alcoholic ex-military pilot turned cropduster and UFO crazy, had zero respect from his 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.

* Batman in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. Batman was so shook up by the events of the Dark Knight that he retired... for [[WhatTheHellHero EIGHT YEARS]]! The general public also doesn't remember him fondly because they [[HeroWithBadPublicity blame him for the crimes of Two-Face]]. It takes the threat of Bane to finally get him to snap out of his HeroicBSOD and [[HesBack come back to action]].

* ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' has Steeljack, a former felon and super-villian who just wants to stay out of trouble and make an honest living, despite the checkered past and the troubles around him.

* Herbie in ''HerbieFullyLoaded'', 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 gets in a race and after a few false starts while Herbie gets the kinks out of its 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.

* John ''{{Rambo}}'' is pulled out of prison to save the day at the beginning of the movie.

* Sam Vimes of the Literature/{{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]] to the point they send assassins-in-training against him to teach the '''assassins''' humility), 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.

* ''TheEasterBunnyIsComingToTown'' 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.

* Herbie in ''HerbieFullyLoaded'', 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 Casse from ''Film/IndependenceDay'', an alcoholic ex-military pilot turned cropduster and UFO crazy, had zero respect from his 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.

* Bruce Wayne in ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns'' 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.

* Russel Casse from ''Film/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.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' we learn this is the ultimate fate of Link, the Hero of Time from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', as he has become a forgotten and regretful spirit called the "Hero's Shade". This is likely a ContinuityNod to the fact this Link is from the Child Timeline of ''Ocarina of Time'', meaning his greatest two feats of heroism, defeating [[BigBad Ganondorf]] and [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask stopping the moon from obliterating Termina]] both happened in an AlternateTimeline and AlternateUniverse respectfully, and therefore would have no bearing on legends or lore in his own Hyrule.

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

* 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.

Sometimes when a hero has a HeroicBSOD the retirement is [[TenMinuteRetirement longer than ten minutes]], maybe the hero failed altogether or just fell victim to their own personal demons, sometimes the hero has just grown old. 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. Sometimes though things happen, and like it or not the 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.

* 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, and in one instance, a makeshift costume with a few pieces of his unfinished Silver Centurion armor, earning the name "Spare-Parts Man" from Hawkeye.

!!Examples

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* ''TheEasterBunnyIsComingToTown'' 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.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comics]]
* Nite Owl from ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' fulfills this trope when he returns to active crimefighting.
* 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, and in one instance, a makeshift costume with a few pieces of his unfinished Silver Centurion armor, earning the name "Spare-Parts Man" from Hawkeye.
* Bruce Wayne in ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightReturns'' 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.
[[/folder]]

Do not confuse with TheScrappy, although both tropes might overlap during the period when the hero's down and out. Nearly always results in HesBack. Could overlap with RetiredBadass, compare with LetsGetDangerous.

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

Do not confuse with TheScrappy, although both tropes might overlap during the period when the hero's down and out. Nearly always results in HesBack. 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.

* Jack Random from the ''Literature/DeathStalker'' books by SimonRGreen, once a famous fighter against the tyranny of a corrupt empire he fell on hard times and was working as a janitor in a gym, sleeping in the back and subjuect to constatnt mockery and abuse form his boss. Then Owen Deathstalker showed up and gave him the figurative slap upside the head to shake him out of his misery and the Eternal Rebel was back.

* Jack Random from the ''DeathStalker'' books by SimonRGreen, once a famous fighter against the tyranny of a corrupt empire he fell on hard times and was working as a janitor in a gym, sleeping in the back and subjuect to constatnt mockery and abuse form his boss. Then Owen Deathstalker showed up and gave him the figurative slap upside the head to shake him out of his misery and the Eternal Rebel was back.

* Sam Vimes of the Literature/{{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.

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

* Bruce Wayne in ''Comic/TheDarkKnightReturns'' 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.