History StealthPun / Comics

* During one of Adam Warren's ''ComicBook/DirtyPair'' stories, a villain introduces a clone of "good girl" Yuri into the convention the girls are hosting, to shake things up. We first hear about "clone-Yuri's" antics from one of the con-goers (much to real Yuri's distress). Then we cut to Clone Yuri's room and we can clearly see (though the words are never spoken) that she has been literally "[[http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/screwed,+blued,+and+tattooed screwed, blued, and tattooed]]".
* During a ''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'' issue during ''Comicbook/InfiniteCrisis'', the ComicBook/TeenTitans are in a secret lab looking for a cure for [[spoiler: ComicBook/{{Superboy}}, after his first beating by Superboy-Prime]]. Speedy [[spoiler:who has HIV]] asks for everyone to look out for a "Speedy Fix". Notable for making a BlackComedy pun.
* Two issues of James Robinson's ''Firearm'' involved the title character entering a virtual world based on Glasgow, mostly as a gift to Glaswegian artist Gary Erskine. In one panel, Erskine drew a figure that resembled Alex from ''Film/AClockworkOrange'' outside an underground station. The local nickname for Glasgow's underground railway is "the clockwork orange".
* In ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'', Rorschach breaks Nite-Owl's lock to get into his apartment. It gets replaced. Then he does it again. It gets replaced. Then the police break in. The lock holds but the door is destroyed. The pun? The lock company was called Gordian Knot Lock Company.
** This is less likely to be a pun than an intentional thread in Moore's insanely complicated web of incestuous connections in ''Watchmen''. Ozymandias later refers to Alexander the Great and cutting through the Gordian Knot, which is also, metaphorically, what he himself ends up doing.
** Rorschach's foe in prison is short, and his two henchmen are, respectively, nasty and brutish. All three of them perceive Rorschach's comments ("small world", "fat chance", etc.) as being snide remarks about them.... Hrm... possibly true. Must look into later.
* ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' updates Peter Parker's status quo; he still works for the Daily Bugle in this version, but he helps manage their Internet site instead of taking pictures. That's right, Spider-Man's a ''web''master.
* The second issue of the ''Great Ten'' series is called ''The Tao of Archery''. It involves Celestial Archer, whose real name is Xu ''Tao''.
* One of Creator/BrianKVaughan's earlier works was a backup story in a ''Batman'' special where, among other things, the Joker breaks into a chemical lab to steal bomb ingredients. While he's there, he decides to amuse himself by re-arranging canisters so the abbreviations on the labels spell out funny things. Boron, argon and fluorine spell [=BArF=], which is "positively tame" compared to what he did with [[CountryMatters copper (Cu) and niton (Nt)]]. [[note]]That must have been a ''very'' old canister--niton has been officially named radon since the 1920s.[[/note]]
* Where do you practice your Deathstroke? In the ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}, of course.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'', two minor villains list their "services" as Sexual Investigators.
** Or to put it another way, [[spoiler:private dicks]].
* Gladiator, the ComicBook/{{Superboy}} counterpart in Marvel's CaptainErsatz ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' comes from the planet Strontia. While his KryptoniteFactor is actually self-doubt, it's probably not a coincidence that [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strontianite Strontianite]] is a real mineral.
* J. Jonah Jameson was mutated in ''ComicBook/EarthX''. It wasn't revealed until the end that he had a donkey's head. That's right, he became a jackass.
* At one point, the various Clayfaces (who, as the name suggests, are made of living clay) teamed up to take on Batman. Two of them fell in love, married and had a child. What was his name? [[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Cassius.]]
* A stealth pun in ''ComicBook/SalvationRun'' is explained [[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/02/05/comic-book-legends-revealed-193/ in the third story here]].
* In ''ComicStrip/TheWizardOfId'', a visitor to the untrustworthy King's castle notices that the King's flag consists of a pair of black X's on a white background. The visitor asks for the name of this emblem. The king moves on to another pun before it is mentioned that the king is represented by [[spoiler:Double Crosses]].
** Charlie Chaplin did that joke earlier in ''Film/TheGreatDictator'', where Adenoid Hynkel's movement is also referred to as the Sons (and Daughters) of the Double Cross. By the way, a different type of double cross (two horizontal bars) was used in heraldry centuries before the term "to double-cross" was invented (it comes from horse racing).
* [[http://www.e-lanresources.net/comics/dailystrips-2009.07.28.html This]] ''ComicStrip/MallardFillmore'' strip. The punchline sounds almost like a parody of his usual [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]] rants; eventually someone figured out it's a Stealth Pun. (Because NASCAR fans are [[spoiler:"race-ists"]].)
* A 2009 ''Housebroken'' strip had DJ Dog mentioning his plans to expand his empire. His plans include a line of handbags called DJ Doggie Bags, a soft drink called DJ Doggie Dew, and a fashion and lifestyle magazine called DJ Doggie...Fashion Magazine. Maya says she can't think of a better name for the last one without them getting cancelled.
* ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' sometimes has the characters making references to [[Series/TheOReillyFactor Bill O'Reilly]] or Sean Hannity being on TV -- which of course means that the Fox family is watching ''Fox News''.
* In the splash panel to [[http://garfield.com/comics/vault.html?yr=2008&addr=080323 this]] ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' strip, Garfield is sleeping on a music staff. The measure he's sleeping on has a ''rest'' in it.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'': Man, does Scott Adams ''love'' this.
* A rare unfunny example that's nonetheless good: An arc in ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' spin-off ''The Dreaming'' was about the loneliness of Matthew the Raven, titled "The Unkindness of One". (According to Victorian animal-group naming, a flock of ravens is called an unkindness, and he is the only raven in the Dreaming.)
* Death from ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' made a LawyerFriendlyCameo during Creator/PeterDavid's run on ''Comicbook/IncredibleHulk''. She visited Marlo Chandler's wedding and gave her a brush as a wedding present. Marlo had recently died and come back to life. Get it? [[spoiler:She had a brush with death.]]
* In one issue of ''ComicBook/TopTen'', a bunch of stretchy heroes gawk at a teleporting accident as they drive by. Yes – those {{Rubber M|an}}en are rubbernecking.
* Usually, the first word out of an infant's mouth is "Mama" or "Dada/Papa". In ''Franchise/ArchieComics'', what is the first word uttered by scientific genius Dilton? Pythagoras, the ''father'' of geometry.
** Moose, a LiteralMinded individual, provides lots of these. In one story, he was selected as an election candidate. When he appears at the pre-meeting, Mr. Weatherbee asks Moose why he was wearing a track outfit, Moose replies that it's because people are telling him that he should "run for office". In another, Dilton's advice to Moose is that he should put his money in the bank to make it grow. Moose decides to grow the money himself, and instead goes home, puts the money in a flowerpot and begins to water it. [[note]]If the joke wasn't obvious: He's trying to make a money tree.[[/note]]
* In Creator/AlanMoore's Franchise/CthulhuMythos/porn comic ''ComicBook/{{Neonomicon}}'', wherein there's a literary allusion to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft on practically every page, drug dealer/avatar of Nyarlathotep/[[CampGay screaming queen]] Johnny Carcosa shows up dressed up like [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Edward Elric]]. This seems like kind of a random thing to reference, until you remember that one of Lovecraft's short stories was titled ''The Alchemist''.
** Also, the last issue contains the line, in reference to a book of baby names, "A book of new names, not dead ones." This is a pun on the etymology of the Necronomicon (usually translated within the Mythos as "book of dead names") and the title of the series itself.
* The waste disposal robot in ''Comicbook/TheSmurfs'' story "You Don't Smurf Progress" would eat garbage and turn them into bricks that he would expel from his rear hatch. In essence, he was [[spoiler:shitting bricks]].
* Swedish children's comic ''Comicbook/{{Bamse}}'' has an anthropomorphic wolf named Virginia. Note that you'd have to jump languages to make it work too.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Earth 2}}'', this world's Lois Lane was killed in the backstory to create drama for Superman. When Tom Taylor took over as writer, he established that the Red Tornado was Lois, BackFromTheDead. In Lois/Tornado's first appearance in Taylor's run, she's stepping out of a refrigeration unit. [[spoiler: She's no longer StuffedInTheFridge]].
* ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'':
** In issue #7, the mischief god gets released from Doctor Doom's trap by Verity (Willis). To put it another way: [[spoiler:"Truth set him free."]]
** In issue #16, Loki [[MonumentalTheft steals the (story of the) Ragnarök]] (and everyone participating) which they stash away in their inner pocket. Well, we could say that Asgard is truly in Loki's pocket now.
* In Grant Morrison's ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' the team's headquarters is a sentient, transvestite street named Danny. Getting the joke requires basic French and a knowledge of British female impersonators of the 1970s. Danny the Street = [[spoiler:Danny La Rue]].
* One of the Kryptonian manhunters working for General Zod to fight and defeat Superman is one who in addition to probably being a distant relative of Superman, had the misfortune of being named Kru-el, so he was sadly doomed by his parents to be suited for villainy.
* At one point in ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'', one of the minor characters was given an (unrequited) infatuation with Big Macintosh. Since said character had not yet spoken in the show, and when she did was nothing like that, it can only be assumed that it was solely for the pun. That character? Fleetfoot the Wonderbolt. This would make their PortmanteauCoupleName [[spoiler:[[Music/FleetwoodMac Fleetfoot Mac]]]].
* In issue #21 of Gold Key's ''Scooby-Doo Mystery Comics'', "Charmed Strife" had the gang answering a call for assistance from a superstitious millionaire. His butler was named Creator/{{Daws|Butler}}.
* In ''ComicBook/MarvelApes'', the Wrecker's simian counterpart wields a giant wrench instead of a crowbar. A ''monkey'' wrench.
* In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLostLight'', Rodimus paints himself purple after vowing to kill [[spoiler:Getaway]] for double-crossing the crew and leaving the main cast to die. But when he finally gets to confront [[spoiler: Getaway]], [[spoiler:Getaway]] chooses to [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled throw himself into a furnace to be melted]] than let Rodimus kill him. Rodimus responds by jumping into the furnace after him and pull him to safety. In the process, his purple paint burns off, revealing his original {{red|IsHeroic}}. When saving the traitor, Rodimus showed his true colors.
----

* ''Comicbook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'':
** In the 7th issue the mischief god gets released from Doctor Doom's trap by Verity (Willis). To put it another way [[spoiler:''Truth set him free'']].
** In issue #16 Loki [[MonumentalTheft steals the (story of the) Ragnarök]] (and everyone participating) which they stash away in their inner pocket. Well we could say that Asgard is truly in Loki's pocket now.
* In Grant Morrison's ''Comicbook/DoomPatrol'' the team's headquarters is a sentient, transvestite street named Danny. Getting the joke requires basic French and a knowledge of British female impersonators of the 1970s. Danny the Street = [[spoiler: Danny La Rue]].
* One of the Kryptonian manhunters working for General Zod to fight and defeat Superman is one who in addition to probably being a distant relative of Superman's, had the misfortune of being named Kru-el, so he was sadly doomed by his parents to be suited for villainy.
* At one point in ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'', one of the minor characters was given an (unrequited) infatuation with Big Macintosh. Since said character had not yet spoken in the show, and when she did was nothing like that, it can only be assumed that it was solely for the pun. That character? Fleetfoot the Wonderbolt. This would make their PortmanteauCoupleName [[spoiler:[[Music/FleetwoodMac Fleetfoot Mac]].]]
* In issue #21 of Gold Key's ''ScoobyDoo Mystery Comics'', "Charmed Strife" had the gang answering a call for assistance from a superstitious millionaire. His butler was named [[DawsButler Daws]].

* In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLostLight'', Rodimus paints himself purple after vowing to kill [[spoiler: Getaway]] for double-crossing the crew and leaving the main cast to die. But when he finally gets to confront [[spoiler: Getaway]], [[spoiler: Getaway]] chooses to [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled throw himself into a furnace to be melted]] than let Rodimus kill him. Rodimus responds by jumping into the furnace after him and pull him to safety. In the process, his purple paint burns off, revealing his original [[RedIsHeroic red]]. When saving the traitor, Rodimus showed his true colors.

* In ''Comicbook/MarvelApes'', the Wrecker's simian counterpart wields a giant wrench instead of a crowbar. A ''monkey'' wrench.

* One of Creator/BrianKVaughan's earlier works was a backup story in a ''Batman'' special where, among other things, the Joker breaks into a chemical lab to steal bomb ingredients. While he's there, he decides to amuse himself by re-arranging canisters so the abbreviations on the labels spell out funny things. Boron, argon and fluorine spell [=BArF=], which is "positively tame" compared to what he did with [[CountryMatters copper (Cu) and niton (Nt)]]. [[note]]That must have been a very old canister--niton has been officially named radon for almost 80 years.[[/note]]

* At one point in ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyIDW'', one of the minor characters was given an (unrequited) infatuation with Big Macintosh. Since said character had not yet spoken in the show, and when she did was nothing like that, it can only be assumed that it was solely for the pun. That character? Fleetfoot the Wonderbolt. This would make their PortmanteauCoupleName [[spoiler:[[Music/FleetwoodMac Fleetfoot Mac]].]]

* At one point in ''ComicBook/IDWMyLittlePony'', one of the minor characters was given an (unrequited) infatuation with Big Macintosh. Since said character had not yet spoken in the show, and when she did was nothing like that, it can only be assumed that it was solely for the pun. That character? Fleetfoot the Wonderbolt. This would make their PortmanteauCoupleName [[spoiler:[[Music/FleetwoodMac Fleetfoot Mac]].]]

* One of Creator/BrianKVaughan's earlier works was a backup story in a ''Batman'' special where, among other things, the Joker breaks into a chemical lab to steal bomb ingredients. While he's there, he decides to amuse himself by re-arranging canisters so the abbreviations on the labels spell out funny things. Boron, argon and fluorine spell [=BArF=], which is "positively tame" compared to what he did with copper (Cu) and niton (Nt).
** That must have been a very old canister. "Niton" has been officially named radon for almost 80 years.

* At one point, the various Clayfaces (who, as the name suggests, are made of living clay) teamed up to take on Batman. Two of them fell in love, married and had a child. What was his name? [[MuhammadAli Cassius.]]

* In the 7th issue of ''Comicbook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' the mischief god gets released from Doctor Doom's trap by Verity (Willis). So we could say that [[spoiler:''Truth set him free'']].

* ''Comicbook/UltimateSpiderMan'' updates Peter Parker's status quo; he still works for the Daily Bugle in this version, but he helps manage their Internet site instead of taking pictures. That's right, Spider-Man's a ''web''master.

* One of Creator/BrianKVaughan's earlier works was a backup story in a ''Batman'' special where, among other things, the Joker breaks into a chemical lab to steal bomb ingredients. While he's there, he decides to amuse himself by re-arranging canisters so the abbreviations on the labels spell out funny things. Boron Argon and Flourine spell [=BArF=], which is "Positively tame" compared to what he did with Copper (Cu) and Niton (Nt).
** That must have been a very old canister -- "Niton" has been officially named Radon for almost eighty years.
* Where do you practice your Deathstroke? In the {{Deadpool}}, of course.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Preacher}}'', two minor villains list their "services" as Sexual Investigators.

* J. Jonah Jameson was mutated in ''EarthX''. It wasn't revealed until the end that he had a head of a donkey. That's right, he became a jackass.

* In ''ComicStrip/TheWizardOfId'', a visitor to the untrustworthy King's castle notices that the King's flag consists of a pair of black X's on a white background. The visitor asks for the name of this emblem. The king moves on to another pun before it mentioned the king is represented by [[spoiler:Double Crosses.]]
** Charlie Chaplin did that joke earlier in ''Film/TheGreatDictator'', where Adenoid Hynkel's movement is also referred to as the Sons (and Daughters) of the Double Cross. By the way, a different type of double cross (two horizontal bars) has been used in heraldry centuries before the term "to double-cross" was invented (it comes from horse-racing).
* [[http://www.e-lanresources.net/comics/dailystrips-2009.07.28.html This]] ''ComicStrip/MallardFillmore'' strip. The punchline sounds almost like a parody of his usual [[StrawCharacter Strawman Political]] rants; eventually someone figured out it's a Stealth Pun. (Because NASCAR fans are [[spoiler: "race-ists"]].)

* A rare unfunny example that's nonetheless good: an arc in Comicbook/TheSandman spin-off The Dreaming was about the loneliness of Matthew the Raven, entitled "The Unkindness of One". (According to Victorian animal-group naming, a flock of ravens is called an unkindness, and he is the only raven in the Dreaming.)
* Death from ''Comicbook/TheSandman'' made a LawyerFriendlyCameo during PeterDavid's run on Comicbook/IncredibleHulk. She visited Marlo Chandler's wedding and gave her a brush as a wedding present. Marlo had recently died and come back to life. Get it? [[spoiler:She had a brush with death.]]
* In one issue of ''TopTen'', a bunch of stretchy heroes gawk at a teleporting accident as they drive by. Yes – those {{Rubber M|an}}en are rubbernecking.
* Usually, the first words out of an infant's mouth is "Mama" or "Dada/Papa". In ''Franchise/ArchieComics'', what is the first word of scientific genius Dilton? Pythagoras, the ''father'' of Geometry.
** Moose, a LiteralMinded individual, provides lots of these. In one story, he was selected as an election candidate. When he appears at the pre-meeting, Mr. Weatherbee asks Moose why he was wearing a track outfit, Moose replies that it's because people are telling him that he's going to "run for office". In another, Dilton's advice to Moose is that he should put his money in the bank to make it grow. Moose decides to grow the money himself, and instead goes home, puts the money in a flowerpot and begins to water it. [[note]]If the joke wasn't obvious: he's trying to make a money tree.[[/note]]
* In Creator/AlanMoore's Franchise/CthulhuMythos/porn comic ''ComicBook/{{Neonomicon}}'', wherein there's a literary allusion to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft on practically every page, drug dealer/avatar of Nyarlathotep/[[CampGay screaming queen]] Johnny Carcosa shows up dressed up like [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Edward Elric]]. This seems like kind of a random thing to reference, until you remember that one of Lovecraft's short stories was entitled ''The Alchemist''.

* In ''Comicbook/{{Earth 2}}'', this world's Lois Lane was killed in the backstory to create drama for Superman. When Tom Taylor took over as writer, he established that the Red Tornado was Lois, BackFromTheDead. In Lois/Tornado's first appearance in Taylor's run, she's stepping out of a refrigeration unit. [[spoiler: She's no longer StuffedInTheFridge]].

* In ''Comicbook/Earth2'', this world's Lois Lane was killed in the backstory to create drama for Superman. When Tom Taylor took over as writer, he established that the Red Tornado was Lois, BackFromTheDead. In Lois/Tornado's first appearance in Taylor's run, she's stepping out of a cryogenic chamber. [[spoiler: She's no longer StuffedInTheFridge]].

* Swedish children's comic ''Comicbook/{{Bamse}}'' has an anthropomorphic wolf named Virginia. Note that you'd have to jump languages to make it work too.

* A rare unfunny example that's nonetheless good: an arc in Comicbook/TheSandman spin-off The Dreaming was about the loneliness of Matthew the Raven, entitled "The Unkindness of One". (According to Victorian animal-group naming, a flock of ravens is called an unkindness.)

* One of BrianKVaughan's earlier works was a backup story in a ''Batman'' special where, among other things, the Joker breaks into a chemical lab to steal bomb ingredients. While he's there, he decides to amuse himself by re-arranging canisters so the abbreviations on the labels spell out funny things. Boron Argon and Flourine spell [=BArF=], which is "Positively tame" compared to what he did with Copper (Cu) and Niton (Nt).

* During a ''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'' issue during ''Comicbook/InfiniteCrisis'', the ComicBook/TeenTitans are in a secret lab looking for a cure for [[spoiler: {{Superboy}}, after his first beating by Superboy-Prime]]. Speedy [[spoiler:who has HIV]] asks for everyone to look out for a "Speedy Fix". Notable for making a BlackComedy pun.

* Gladiator, the {{Superboy}} counterpart in Marvel's CaptainErsatz ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' comes from the planet Strontia. While his KryptoniteFactor is actually self-doubt, it's probably not a coincidence that [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strontianite Strontianite]] is a real mineral.

* During one of Adam Warren's ''LightNovel/DirtyPair'' stories, a villain introduces a clone of "good girl" Yuri into the convention the girls are hosting, to shake things up. We first hear about "clone-Yuri's" antics from one of the con-goers (much to real Yuri's distress). Then we cut to Clone Yuri's room and we can clearly see (though the words are never spoken) that she has been literally "[[http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/screwed,+blued,+and+tattooed screwed, blued, and tattooed]]".

** Moose, a LiteralMinded individual, provides lots of these. In one story, he was selected as an election candidate. When he appears at the pre-meeting, Mr. Weatherbee asks Moose why he was wearing a track outfit, Moose replies that it's because people are telling him that he's going to "run for office". In another, Dilton's advice to Moose is that he should put his money in the bank to make it grow. Moose decides to grow the money himself, and instead goes home, puts the money in a flowerpot and begins to water it. [[hottip:If the joke wasn't obvious: he's trying to make a money tree]]

* In Creator/AlanMoore's Franchise/CthulhuMythos/porn comic ''Neonomicon'', wherein there's a literary allusion to the works of Creator/HPLovecraft on practically every page, drug dealer/avatar of Nyarlathotep/[[CampGay screaming queen]] Johnny Carcosa shows up dressed up like [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist Edward Elric]]. This seems like kind of a random thing to reference, until you remember that one of Lovecraft's short stories was entitled ''The Alchemist''.