History VillainousBreakdown / ComicBooks

* In the ''SpiderMan'' storyline ''ComicBook/EndsOfTheEarth'', it's revealed that the dying Doctor Octopus' grand scheme is to [[spoiler:wipe out most of humanity, leaving about 0.08% of humanity to live and rebuild, remembering him as the [[CompleteMonster greatest monster that ever lived]]]]. However, Spidey points out a glaring flaw in that plan: [[spoiler:yes, 0.08% of humanity would live on - but his super weapon would flash fry their brains, leaving them brain dead.]] Faced with that glaring flaw, Octopus flips out, trying to see where he went wrong, giving Spidey the opportunity to take him out.

* This was the premise of the ''{{Thunderbolts}}'' "Caged Angels" arc by WarrenEllis. A group of incarcerated telepaths drive each member of the [[AntiHero already]] [[VillainProtagonist unstable]] team over the edge (Except for Bullseye, who can't get any crazier.) The best one is {{Norman Osborn}}, starts walking around naked ranting about what he'll do when he's president and how much fun killing people was.

* Happened to Magog in ''KingdomCome'' when he was finally confronted by {{Superman}} in the ruins of Kansas. Immediately followed by a VillainousBSOD.

** And in StarWarsLegacy, Darth Krayt suffers a protracted one across several issues after [[AntiHero Cade Skywalker]], the one man in the galaxy who can cure his chronic illness, escapes his grasp. [[spoiler: It gets so bad that his previously loyal [[TheDragon Dragon]], Wyyrlok, decides to kill him because he's now a liability to his own cause]].

* TheJoker suffered a truly epic one in ''ComicBook/EmperorJoker''. Let's recap: He steals [[RealityWarper Mr.]] [[GreatGazoo Mxyzptlk's]] powers, turns the ''entire universe'' into his playground, his abuse of the power begins the [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end of Time, Space, and Existence]], and he tears Superman's heart out and eats it. [[spoiler: As he lies dying, Superman dares Joker to kill Batman. Joker does so, but right after he does, Batman reappears, good as new. Confused, Joker tries it again and again, growing increasingly frantic as Batman repeatedly comes back, going as far as to [[BreakingTheFourthWall beg the writers and artists to let him finish Batman off]]. Superman [[HannibalLecture taunts him, revealing that despite having all that power, Joker is still nothing but a clown, unable to do anything useful with his life and needing Batman to have any purpose at all]]. As Joker breaks down, Mxyzptlk uses the opening to take his powers back and fix everything.]]

-->'''Joker''': (''some torture, Superman kills himself on purpose to deny Joker's fun'') '''What!?''' That's not the way I wanted this to end! I don't want the big lummox ''dead'', I want him broken!

** A truly heart-wrenching LegendsOfTheDarkKnight story titled "Going Sane" recounted how an epic fight between the Joker and Batman ended in the Dark Knight's (apparent) death. ''Victory'' freaked out the Joker so badly that his then-current personality...dissolved. Melted away, leaving a sweet, gentle man who loved old-time radio comedy and who pondered "finally getting something done about this skin condition..." By the end of the story, one actually felt ''sorry'' for the Joker!
** He also suffers from this in Brian Azzarello's ''{{Joker}}''. You can see it briefly when he trashes the bar after Harvey Dent doesn't take his phone call, but he finally reaches breaking point at the end when [[spoiler: Batman turn his {{Hannibal Lecture}} back on him, causing him to fly into a blind rage and shoot his own loyal henchman.]]

* Long-time ''JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' foe Vandal Savage had a rather pitiful breakdown during One Year Later when faced with the possibility of imminent death for the first time in his millennia long lifetime.

* This happens to {{Sinestro}} in GreenLantern throughout {{BlackestNight}}, more than once. Sinestro, by his [[KnightTemplar nature]], is big on Authority being competent in their actions. So every time he learns new evidence that the Guardians Of The Universe are [[NeglectfulPrecursors very, very, very, very incompetent]], he gets... a little upset. It's even worse for him because reminds him how the Guardians painted [[OnlySaneMan Abin Sir]] as a CloudCuckooLander for daring to expose said incompetence.

-->"You don't understand... I really didn't want to leave you any clues. I really planned never to go back to Arkham Asylum. But I left you a clue anyway. So I... I have to go back there. Because I might need help. I... ''I might actually be crazy''."

* TheJoker suffered a truly epic one in ''Emperor Joker''. Let's recap: He steals [[RealityWarper Mr.]] [[GreatGazoo Mxyzptlk's]] powers, turns the ''entire universe'' into his playground, his abuse of the power begins the [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end of Time, Space, and Existence]], and he tears Superman's heart out and eats it. [[spoiler: As he lies dying, Superman dares Joker to kill Batman. Joker does so, but right after he does, Batman reappears, good as new. Confused, Joker tries it again and again, growing increasingly frantic as Batman repeatedly comes back, going as far as to [[BreakingTheFourthWall beg the writers and artists to let him finish Batman off]]. Superman [[HannibalLecture taunts him, revealing that despite having all that power, Joker is still nothing but a clown, unable to do anything useful with his life and needing Batman to have any purpose at all]]. As Joker breaks down, Mxyzptlk uses the opening to take his powers back and fix everything.]]

* Riddler has a rather nice one in an issue of ''[[TheBatmanAdventures Gotham Adventures]]''. After escaping Arkham he decides that the best way to beat his urge to commit crimes and leave riddles (thus guaranteeing that Batman will eventually catch up to him) is to solve crimes himself and leave Batman riddles pertaining to ''them''. After catching several wanted criminals thanks to the Riddler's hints (which you'd think would be convenient enough that he wouldn't be in such a hurry to end it), Batman figures out that all the clues contain part of a hidden riddle which leads him right to Riddler. Upon learning that his psychosis is so deep that he left Batman a clue without even realizing it, Riddler freaks out, screaming about how impossible it is. Then he comes to his senses:

** Later comics in "Comicbook/DarkReign" made it pretty clear that for all Norman's VillainWithGoodPublicity act, he was most of the time a hop, sklp and jump away from a full psychotic breakdown. And having to maintain a good public reputation as the head of the Initiative only helped slowly push him closer to one. As was particularly cruelly lampshaded in a HannibalLecture delivered to Norman by the Molecule Man, it was a default position amongst the main players of the Marvel Universe that it wasn't not so much a question of "Will Norman crack under the strain?" as "''When'' will Norman crack under the strain?" Several of them were waiting for his breakdown since he first took power.

** He gets a worse one in a recent story in ''ActionComics''. After traveling across the planet and in space in an attempt to regain something like the Orange Lantern Power Ring, Luthor gains the powers of a creature from the Phantom Zone and proceeds to use it to torture Superman. Once he finds out that Superman is Clark Kent, though, he ''loses it''.

* [[BigBad Overlord]] from TransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers has the more subdued version. He's a nigh-unstoppable Decepticon [[DangerousDeserter deserter]], whose main motive for desertion (or anything) was to goad Megatron into a one-on-one fight. He takes everything the Wreckers throw at him, [[spoiler: even getting reduced to a burning endo-skeleton]] and keeps going...until [[spoiler: Verity tells him that Megatron is dead, and the fight he spent his entire life preparing for will ''never happen''. After that, he doesn't even put up a fight as they cart him off to prison.]]

* In the ''SpiderMan'' storyline ''ComicBook/EndsOfTheEarth'', it's revealed that the dying Doctor Octopus' grand scheme is to [[spoiler:wipe out most of humanity, leaving about 0.08% of humanity to live and rebuild, remembering him as the [[CompleteMonster greatest monster that ever lived]]. However, Spidey points out a glaring flaw in that plan: [[spoiler:yes, 0.08% of humanity would live on - but his super weapon would flash fry their brains, leaving them brain dead.]] Faced with that glaring flaw, Octopus flips out, trying to see where he went wrong, giving Spidey the opportunity to take him out.

* Kingpin in ''[[UltimateSpiderMan Ultimate Spider-Man]]''; after being completely in control through the entire series, manipulating everyone and even getting away with murdering someone with his bare hands and taping it, his schemes are thwarted by [[spoiler:Daredevil holding the only thing he cares about, his comatose wife, hostage]]. As he's on the way to a flight to leave the country, he has a VillainousBreakdown during which he orders his henchmen to ''bomb a high school while it's in session''.

** Later comics in "Comicbook/DarkReign" made it pretty clear that for all Norman's VillainWithGoodPublicity act, he was most of the time pretty much a hop, sklp and jump away from a full psychotic breakdown. And having to maintain a good public reputation as the head of the Initiative only helped slowly push him closer to one. As was particularly cruelly lampshaded in a HannibalLecture delivered to Norman by the Molecule Man, it was pretty much a default position amongst the main players of the Marvel Universe that it wasn't not so much a question of "Will Norman crack under the strain?" as "''When'' will Norman crack under the strain?" Several of them were waiting for his breakdown since he first took power.

* During ''[[LegionOfSuperHeroes Legion of Three Worlds]]'', [[{{Superman}} Superboy-Prime]] was a relatively composed SmugSuper ''until'' he realized the Legion planned to bring [[TheFlash Bart Allen]] back to life. Bart is the one person in the universe who Prime actually fears, so he completely flips his lid when Bart returns.

* TheJoker suffered a truly epic one in ''Emperor Joker''. Let's recap: He steals [[RealityWarper Mr.]] [[GreatGazoo Mxyzptlk's]] powers, turns the ''entire universe'' into his playground, his abuse of the power begins the [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end of Time, Space, and Existence]], and [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel he tears Superman's heart out and eats it]]. [[spoiler: As he lies dying, Superman dares Joker to kill Batman. Joker does so, but right after he does, Batman reappears, good as new. Confused, Joker tries it again and again, growing increasingly frantic as Batman repeatedly comes back, going as far as to [[BreakingTheFourthWall beg the writers and artists to let him finish Batman off]]. Superman [[HannibalLecture taunts him, revealing that despite having all that power, Joker is still nothing but a clown, unable to do anything useful with his life and needing Batman to have any purpose at all]]. As Joker breaks down, Mxyzptlk uses the opening to take his powers back and fix everything.]]

* Long-time ''JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' foe Vandal Savage had a rather pitiful breakdown during One Year Later when faced with the possibility of imminent death for the first time in his millennia long lifetime. [[IGotBetter He got better]] after his immortality was restored.

* Venom (Eddie Brock), in an issue of Spider-Man, suffers a villainous breakdown after he recieves a touch of death from another villain. Eddie Brock is unharmed as his body is protected by the symbiote but the symbiote itself seemingly dies as it melts into a lifeless, motionless, puddle. Brock, who up to this point has lost everything and now the only friend he had is dead, breaks down and cries for his fallen partner. Even Spider-Man, who has been stalked and tormented relentlessly by Venom, can't help but to feel sorry for Brock. Although, the symbiote would soon recover.

** [[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/images/0805/thunderbolts120-2.jpg Here are]] [[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/images/0805/thunderbolts120-3.jpg the first]] [[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/images/0805/thunderbolts120-4.jpg five pages]] [[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/images/0805/thunderbolts120-6.jpg of Norman's]] [[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/images/0805/thunderbolts120-7.jpg ranting.]]

*** As well, despite snapping himself out of it, [[spoiler:Dr. Eggman]] has yet to really recover from the moment, going so far as to [[spoiler:leave the Freedom Fighters to grieve at Antoine's death instead of wiping them out right then and there.]] It pisses Snively off so much he pulls a ScrewThisImOuttaHere and decides to handle things ''his'' way again.

* The Joker suffered a truly epic one in ''Emperor Joker''. Let's recap: He steals [[RealityWarper Mr.]] [[GreatGazoo Mxyzptlk's]] powers, turns the ''entire universe'' into his playground, his abuse of the power begins the [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt end of Time, Space, and Existence]], and [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel he tears Superman's heart out and eats it]]. [[spoiler: As he lies dying, Superman dares Joker to kill Batman. Joker does so, but right after he does, Batman reappears, good as new. Confused, Joker tries it again and again, growing increasingly frantic as Batman repeatedly comes back, going as far as to [[BreakingTheFourthWall beg the writers and artists to let him finish Batman off]]. Superman [[HannibalLecture taunts him, revealing that despite having all that power, Joker is ''still'' nothing but a clown, unable to do anything useful with his life and needing Batman to have any purpose at all]]. As Joker breaks down, Mxyzptlk uses the opening to take his powers back and fix everything.]]

* This was the premise of the ''{{Thunderbolts}}'' "Caged Angels" arc by WarrenEllis. A group of incarcerated telepaths drive each member of the [[AntiHero already]] [[VillainProtagonist unstable]] team over the edge (Except for Bullseye, who can't get any crazier.) The best one is [[Norman Osborn]], starts walking around naked ranting about what he'll do when he's president and how much fun killing people was.

* This was the premise of the ''{{Thunderbolts}}'' "Caged Angels" arc by WarrenEllis. A group of incarcerated telepaths drive each member of the [[AntiHero already]] [[VillainProtagonist unstable]] team over the edge (Except for Bullseye, who can't get any crazier.) The best one is Norman Osborn, starts walking around naked ranting about what he'll do when he's president and how much fun killing people was.

* Venom (Eddie Brock), in an issue of Spider-Man, suffers a villainous breakdown after he recieves a touch of death from another villain. Eddie Brock is unharmed as his body is protected by the symbiote but the symbiote itself seemingly dies as it melts into a lifeless, motionless, puddle. Brock, who up to this point has lost everything and now the only friend he had is dead, breaks down and cries for his fallen partner. Even Spiderman, who has been stalked and tormented relentlessly by Venom, can't help but to feel sorry for Brock. Although, the symbiote would soon recover.

--->'''The Green Goblin''': YOU HAVE NO MOTHER! A pig coughed, and you fell out!

* Allfather Starr towards the end of ''{{Preacher}}''. The abuses and mutilations he suffers over the series in pursuit of Genesis take a heavy toll, to the point where the final story arc has him pointing a gun at the mirror and saying "Doom cock" over and over again [[spoiler: and gassing his superiors when they say they're abandoning the pursuit of Jesse Custer]].
** [[spoiler:Starr has no superiors in the Grail. The council is more akin to advisors and a failsafe system should the Allfather go nuts... like Starr does. Too bad Starr was the Sacred Executioner before he was Allfather.]]