History UnbuiltTrope / ComicBooks

* CutLexLuthorACheck is a widely mocked aspect of comic book Mad Scientist villains, who could have made more money by using their inventions legitimately. However Whiz Comics #15 plays with this. It's revealed Doctor Sivana, the ArchEnemy of Captain Marvel, started out as an idealistic scientist intending to use his inventions to revolutionize society. However he was instead mocked and ill-treated for his plans, which were called impractical and fake, including by people who preferred society the way it was. As a result of this he was driven mad and angry against society, turning him into a villain. Sivana was one of the earliest MadScientist villains of Comic Books.
* ComicBook/IncredibleHulk is the TropeNamer and TropeCodifier for HulkingOut, yet originally he had absolutely nothing in common with the trope he inspired. Instead of being a green rage monster, Bruce Banner/Hulk was much closer to [[JekyllAndHyde Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]. Hulk was a Jungian shadow self (the part of Banner's personality he keeps hidden) and instead of simply being a misunderstood monster, he was often cruel and delighted in hurting others. Banner also had no way of keeping the Hulk in check; rather than transforming while angry, he became Hulk when the sun fell whether he wanted to or not. And he spoke in complete sentences rather than HulkSpeak. After the original six issue ''Hulk'' series was cancelled, it was relaunched and retooled with the Incredible Hulk we all know today.

** If you read the very first Batman/Joker story, it almost looks like someone decided to actually combine the violence and murder of [[Creator/FrankMiller Frank Miller's]] ''Comicbook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' with the campiness of [[Series/{{Batman}} the Adam West version]]. (This was also before Bob Kane decided NOT to have the Joker be one of the villains that spew terrible puns) It has simplistic art and bad dialogue, but people actually die laughing with huge unnatural smiles on their faces. It also has the Joker painting his face with flesh-colored makeup, which many have thought was created for the 1989 Creator/TimBurton [[Film/{{Batman}} film]] (and in the comic, the makeup is ''not'' a PaperThinDisguise, but actually works). Furthermore, in this first story the Joker never smiles, bringing to mind the dour Joker of Miller's ''ComicBook/AllStarBatmanAndRobinTheBoyWonder''.

* The original ''Sandman'' comics that would be eventually revived by ''ComicBook/SandmanMysteryTheatre'' to great success didn't actually have to change much from the original to fit it into modern standards. The original Wesley Dodds was a founding member of the [[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica Justice Society of America]] and one of the first costumed superheroes ever...and also contrasts to a massive degree with pretty much ''every'' character that followed him. Rather than a beefy Aryan superman in a flashy costume, Wesley Dodds was a rather ordinary man in a GasMaskLongcoat outfit who averted PlotArmor and took gunshot wounds on multiple occasions. Nor did he fight crime with an array of gadgets like fellow BadassNormal icon Batman, who debuted around the same time, except for his trusty gas gun that he primarily uses to [[CombatPragmatist subdue criminals without a fight.]] In addition, his girlfriend Dian Belmont was not the stereotypical damsel in distress, but an equal partner in his crime fighting efforts who was fully aware of his dual identity - something which is still rare even today.

* Much like the relationship between Namor and Aquaman above, only with their respective companies reversed, the original ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' is often mistaken for a deconstruction of a [[ComicBook/XMen series]] that it actually [[olderThanTheyThink preceded by several months.]] In contrast to the original X-Men, who were, with only a few exceptions, [[RubberForeheadAliens Rubber Forehead Mutants]] with maybe some strange hair but were otherwise [[InformedDeformity perfectly attractive]] people, the "World's Strangest Heroes" were genuinely deformed and unlucky dudes who [[CursedWithAwesome hated their own powers]] and suffered severely because of what had happened to them. In addition, the Patrol were not immune to prejudiced views themselves, and their kindly, wise, wheelchair-bound mentor [[spoiler: was actually a ManipulativeBastard who had directly engineered the accidents that gave them powers.]] At the end of the run, they were all killed off not by an all-powerful archvillain to save the entire world, but by a [[EvilCripple crippled]] [[EvilOldFolks old]] [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi]], in the process of saving one tiny fishing town. Not only that, but the Doom Patrol actually at one point operated a school for young mutants. It's to the point that many modern readers think the Patrol ripped off ''X-Men'', when, if anything, it's likely to have been the other way around.

* Much like the relationship between Namor and Aquaman above, only with their respective companies reversed, the original ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' is often mistaken for a deconstruction of a [[ComicBook/XMen series]] that it actually [[olderThanTheyThink preceded by several months.]] In contrast to the original X-Men, who were, with only a few exceptions, [[RubberForeheadAliens Rubber Forehead Mutants]] with maybe some strange hair but were otherwise [[InformedDeformity perfectly attractive]] people, the "World's Strangest Heroes" were genuinely deformed and unlucky dudes who [[CursedWithAwesome hated their own powers]] and suffered severely because of what had happened to them. In addition, the Patrol were not immune to prejudiced views themselves, and their kindly, wise, wheelchair-bound mentor [[spoiler: was actually a ManipulativeBastard who had directly engineered the accidents that gave them powers.]] At the end of the run, they were all killed off not by an all-powerful archvillain to save the entire world, but by a [[EvilCrippled crippled]] [[EvilOldFolks old]] [[ThoseWackyNazis Nazi]], in the process of saving one tiny fishing town. Not only that, but the Doom Patrol actually at one point operated a school for young mutants. It's to the point that many modern readers think the Patrol ripped off ''X-Men'', when, if anything, it's likely to have been the other way around.

** Many stories following on from ''Watchmen'' involved deconstruction by way of SuperZeroes - ineffective "realistic" heroes that attempted to go against well-armed criminals with little more than some martial arts training, often exhibiting outdated values and grotesquely inflated opinions of their reach. Such a character does exist in ''Watchmen'' - Captain Metropolis, who is also an incredibly minor character in the overall narrative. In fact, the major characters in ''Watchmen'' are shown to be about as skilled or effective as any BadassNormal from DC or Marvel (recall how Dan and Laurie, easily the ''least'' enthusiastic about the superhero life, take out a whole gang of muggers with their ''bare hands''). The critique lay not in their incompetence, but in the fact that they simply operate on too small a scale to meaningfully affect anything or provide much benefit besides making themselves feel good.

* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': To a modern reader, Rorschach feels like a deconstruction of the NinetiesAntiHero, when he was largely the inspiration for many DarkerAndEdgier heroes whose creators [[MisaimedFandom missed the point]]--namely that Rorscharch is a deranged sociopath with a child's grasp of right and wrong, and that he's kind of incompetent: he loses in a fight against the police, gets caught and unmasked, and fails to solve the mystery because of his EntertaininglyWrong conclusions; it's the more BoringButPractical-minded Nite Owl who actually manages to take them to the bad guy's lair. Creator/AlanMoore is bemused that so many people consider what he thought was Rorscharch's unattractive qualities--his paranoia, his propensity for violence and self-righteousness--heroic rather than tragic.

* ComicBook/IncredibleHulk is the TropeNamer and TropeCodifier for HulkingOut, yet originally he had absolutely nothing in common with the trope he inspired. Instead of being a green rage monster, Bruce Banner/Hulk was much closer to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hulk was a Jungian shadow self (the part of Banner's personality he keeps hidden) and instead of simply being a misunderstood monster, he was often cruel and delighted in hurting others. Banner also had no way of keeping the Hulk in check; rather than transforming while angry, he became Hulk when the sun fell whether he wanted to or not. And he spoke in complete sentences rather than HulkSpeak. After the original six issue ''Hulk'' series was cancelled, it was relaunched and retooled with the Incredible Hulk we all know today.

** Many stories following on from ''Watchmen'' involved deconstruction by way of SuperZeroes - ineffective "realistic" heroes that attempted to go against well-armed criminals with little more than some martial arts training, often exhibiting outdated values and grotesquely inflated opinions of their reach. Such a character does exist in ''Watchmen'' - Captain Metropolis, who is also an incredibly minor character in the overall narrative. In fact, the major characters in ''Watchmen'' are shown to be about as skilled or effective as any BadassNormal from DC or Marvel. The critique lay not in their incompetence, but in the fact that they simply operate on too small a scale to meaningfully affect anything or provide much benefit besides making themselves feel good.

* CutLexLuthorACheck is a widely mocked aspect of comic book Mad Scientist villains, who could have made more money by using their inventions legitimately. However Shazam #15 plays with this. It's revealed Doctor Sivana, the ArchEnemy of Captain Marvel, started out as an idealistic scientist intending to use his inventions to revolutionize society. However he was instead mocked and ill-treated for his plans, which were called impractical and fake, including by people who preferred society the way it was. As a result of this he was driven mad and angry against society, turning him into a villain. Sivana was one of the earliest MadScientist villains of Comic Books.

* The original ''Sandman'' comics that would be eventually revived by ''ComicBook/SandmanMysteryTheatre'' to great success didn't actually have to change much from the original to fit it into modern standards. The original Wesley Dodds was a founding member of the [[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica Justice Society of America]] and one of the first costumed superheroes ever...and also contrasts to a massive degree with pretty much ''every'' character that followed him. Rather than a beefy Aryan superman in a flashy costume, Wesley Dodds was a rather ordinary man in a GasMaskLongcoat outfit who averted PlotArmor and took gunshot wounds on multiple occasions. Nor did he fight crime with an array of gadgets like fellow BadassNormal icon Batman, who debuted around the same time, except for his trusty gas gun that he primarily uses to[[CombatPragmatist subdue criminals without a fight.]] In addition, his girlfriend Dian Belmont was not the stereotypical damsel in distress, but an equal partner in his crime fighting efforts who was fully aware of his dual identity - something which is still rare even today.

* The original ''Sandman'' comics that would be eventually revived by ''ComicBook/SandmanMysteryTheatre'' to great success didn't actually have to change much from the original to fit it into modern standards. The original Wesley Dodds was a founding member of the [[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica Justice Society of America]] and one of the first costumed superheroes ever...and also contrasts to a massive degree with pretty much ''every'' character that followed him. Rather than a beefy Aryan superman in a flashy costume, Wesley Dodds was a rather ordinary man in a GasMaskLongCoat outfit who averted PlotArmor and took gunshot wounds on multiple occasions. Nor did he fight crime with an array of gadgets like fellow BadassNormal icon Batman, who debuted around the same time, except for his trusty gas gun that he primarily uses to[[CombatPragmatist subdue criminals without a fight.]] In addition, his girlfriend Dian Belmont was not the stereotypical damsel in distress, but an equal partner in his crime fighting efforts who was fully aware of his dual identity - something which is still rare even today.

* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'':
** To a modern reader, Rorschach feels like a deconstruction of the NinetiesAntiHero, when he was largely the inspiration for many DarkerAndEdgier heroes whose creators [[MisaimedFandom missed the point]]--namely that Rorscharch is a deranged sociopath with a child's grasp of right and wrong, and that he's kind of incompetent: he loses in a fight against the police, gets caught and unmasked, and fails to solve the mystery because of his EntertaininglyWrong conclusions; it's the more BoringButPractical-minded Nite Owl who actually manages to take them to the bad guy's lair. Creator/AlanMoore is bemused that so many people consider what he thought was Rorscharch's unattractive qualities--his paranoia, his propensity for violence and self-righteousness--heroic rather than tragic. \\
\\
It's worth noting, though, that ComicBook/ThePunisher had already been created in 1974, and he had been gaining prominence in the early 1980s, with his first solo miniseries ending a few months before the first issue of ''Watchmen'' came out. So it's not hard to see Rorshach as an early deconstruction of the Punisher, even though the Punisher didn't reach the height of his popularity until the early 1990s.
** This is even more true with Watchmen's other anti-hero, The Comedian. He has all the mannerisms and attitudes of later "badass" [[SuperheroPackingHeat gun using]] characters like Comicbook/{{Cable}} and ComicBook/ThePunisher, who became increasingly popular in the decades right after ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' was published. He's also a rapist, a war criminal, and [[HateSink competely unlikeable.]]
** Indeed, one of the big points of ''Watchmen'' is that superheroes ''in general'' don't work, regardless of what kind of hero they're trying to be, because they represent a childish PowerFantasy with no sense of how the world works while the truly fascinating stories are found [[HumansAreSpecial from ordinary people]]. Many works attempted to "follow on" from ''Watchmen'' simply by adding DarkerAndEdgier elements to otherwise conventional superhero power fantasies. A fine example is in Doctor Manhattan, who, despite famously averting ReedRichardsIsUseless, turns out to be a stopgap at best to preventing nuclear war, and Ozymandias, who completely abandons heroism because UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans and it's heavily implied that even that doesn't work - it turns out that the world is just too unpredictable and complicated to be "solved" by either its strongest man or its smartest man. Compare that to later stories, like ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'', where it turns out that a hero totally can just solve all the problems by brute-forcing the world, if they're badass enough.

* The original ''Sandman'' comics that would be eventually revived by ''ComicBook/SandmanMysteryTheatre'' to great success didn't actually have to change much from the original to fit it into modern standards. The original Wesley Dodds was a founding member of the [[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica Justice Society of America]] and one of the first costumed superheroes ever...and also contrasts to a massive degree with pretty much ''every'' character that followed him. Rather than a beefy Aryan superman in a flashy costume, Wesley Dodds was a rather ordinary man in a GasMaskLongCoat outfit who averted PlotArmor and took gunshot wounds on multiple occasions. In addition, his girlfriend Dian Belmont was not the stereotypical damsel in distress, but an equal partner in his crime fighting efforts who was fully aware of his dual identity - something which is still rare even today.

* The original ''Sandman'' comics that would be eventually revived by ''ComicBook/SandmanMysteryTheatre'' to great success didn't actually have to change much from the original to fit it into modern standards. The original Wesley Dodds was a founding member of the [[ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica]] and one of the first costumed superheroes ever...and also contrasts to a massive degree with pretty much ''every'' character that followed him. Rather than a beefy Aryan superman in a flashy costume, Wesley Dodds was a rather ordinary man in a GasMaskLongCoat outfit who averted PlotArmor and took gunshot wounds on multiple occasions. In addition, his girlfriend Dian Belmont was not the stereotypical damsel in distress, but an equal partner in his crime fighting efforts who was fully aware of his dual identity - something which is still rare even today.

** This is even more true with Watchmen's other anti-hero, The Comedian. He has all the mannerisms and attitudes of later "badass" [[SuperheroPackingHeat gun using]] characters like Comicbook/{{Cable}} and ComicBook/ThePunisher, who became increasingly popular in the decades right after ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}'' was published. He's also a rapist, a war criminal, and an all around asshole.

* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} was the {{Trope Namer|s}} for WolverineClaws, but unlike a lot of other examples of the trope, stories with him have actually addressed that having claws come out of his hands ''HURTS''; in fact some stories with him depicted blood coming out of his hands whenever he uses his claws and a period where he didn't have his HealingFactor addressed that without it he had to constantly bandage his hands whenever he used his claws without his HealingFactor to repair them. While also considered one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s for the HealingFactor power, having it had drawbacks like meaning anesthesia can't be used on him.

* ''ComicBook/{{Vampirella}}'', featuring a hot, near-naked, mostly heroic vampire babe, sometimes gets the credit of being the first "BadGirlComic", decades before the genre properly began. Although Vampirella was often a DamselInDistress, something no Bad Girl would put up with...

* ''ComicBook/{{Vampirella}}'' sometimes get the credit of being the first "BadGirlComic", decades before the genre properly began. Although Vampirella was often a DamselInDistress, something no Bad Girl would put up with...

* ''ComicBook/MarshalLaw'', while deconstructing traditional superheroes, managed to deconstruct the [[NinetiesAntiHero '90s anti-hero]] in ''[[TheEighties the '80s]]'': [[spoiler:At one point Marshal Law accuses the Public Spirit, a Superman [[CaptainErsatz analog]], of inspiring an entire generation of heroes to go to war in the Zone, in what can only be described as "Super-Nam". The Public Spirit turns this around by telling Law that Law's own vigilante actions have also inspired people, except in a more horrific manner. We then find that Law, the 90s anti-hero, inspired the main villain to take up his actions in the first place, thus completing the cycle]]. The reader is left to conclude that Law ''and'' the Spirit are both extremely messed up people. Additionally, Kevin O'Neill's artwork for the series was intended as a parody of Creator/JackKirby-influenced superhero comic art. Creator/RobLiefeld and his imitators would later produce something very similar with serious intent.

* ComicBook/{{Vampirella}} sometimes get the credit of being the first "Bad Girl", decades before the genre. Only that she often was a DamselInDistress, a thing no Bad Girl wants to be caught with alive...