History VillainousBreakdown / ComicBooks

** ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'':

[[quoteright:234:''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar "I ignored my destiny once...I cannot do that again."]]'']]

** Jessica Bradley suffers one as realizing that her boss, the Vought American Executive, had propped her up to serve as TheScapegoat painting her as a rogue element and responsible of the Super Hero coup d'etat. She's last seen screaming her lungs out and tearing down her hair in her hotel room.
** The Vought American Executive himself suffered a very nuanced one at the very end of the comic. While witnessing the presentation the newest (and last remaining) superhero team, he begins to notice that something is off (he notes the erection of one member of the new team, the telltale signs of drug withdrawal in another). Then he realizes this batch of supers will most likely be worse than the last one and that Compound V is just a bad and, and worse of all, 'unmarketable' product. He's appears to start suffering a nervous breakdown in the final issue, finally cracking under the pressure.

*** In issue #175, Dr. Eggman had managed to finally destroy the once hidden Knothole Kingdom, defeated Sonic, and prepared to execute every one of his friends and family, only to suffer an epic defeat during the two issues after. He began to suffer mentally as a result of the constant ongoing defeat from the Freedom Fighters since. This finally came forward during issue #200 thanks to Sonic himself, which turned him into a babbling madman. In Snivley's words, because he suffer one too many of these defeats, Eggman wasn't just beaten, but broken. [[http://images.wikia.com/archiesonic/images/8/87/Warlord-Doctor_Julian_Ivo_Eggman_Mach_Two.JPG He spent the next few issues in a padded cell, wearing a straitjacket.]] He gets better eventually, though, but regardless, it's all for a very good reason why he provides the trope's main page's image.

*** In issue #175, Dr. Eggman had managed to finally destroy the once hidden Knothole Kingdom, defeated Sonic, and prepared to execute every one of his friends and family, only to suffer an epic defeat during the two issues after. He began to suffer mentally as a result of the constant ongoing defeat from the Freedom Fighters since. This finally came forward during issue #200 thanks to Sonic himself, which turned him into a babbling madman. In Snivley's words, because he suffer one too many of these defeats, Eggman wasn't just beaten, but broken. He spent the next few issues in a padded cell, wearing a straitjacket. [[spoiler: He got better.]]

* ComicBook/{{Thanos}} tends to go nuts whenever anything endangers his relationship with Death. He stammers in disbelief when he realizes that the power of the Infinity Gauntlet and Gems has made him ''too'' powerful to be with Death[[note]]he had to be ''equally'' powerful to Death, not ''more'' powerful[[/note]], giving the heroes the opportunity to stop him. He throws a fit of jealousy and curses Deadpool with immortality when it seems like Death likes Wade better than him. Finally, when he learns that his ThanatosGambit in ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative'' has rendered him immortal, meaning he can never be with Death, he loses all of his sanity and becomes so dedicated to destroying everything that he has to be sealed in another universe to stop him.

*** In issue #175, Dr. Eggman had managed to finally destroyed the once hidden Knothole Kingdom, defeated Sonic, and prepared to execute every one of his friends and family, only to suffer an epic defeat during the two issues after. He began to suffer mentally as a result of the constant ongoing defeat at Sonic's hands. This finally came forward during issue #200, which turned him into a babbling madman. In Snivley's words, because his uncle suffer one too many of these defeats, Eggman wasn't just beaten, but broken. He spent the next few issues in a padded cell, wearing a straitjacket. [[spoiler: He got better.]]

*** [[spoiler:Dr. Eggman]] began to suffer mentally as a result of the constant defeat at Sonic's hands. This finally came forward after his latest defeat, which turned him into a babbling madman. He spent the next few issues in a padded cell, wearing a straitjacket..

* In [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehog Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comic]], [[spoiler:Dr. Eggman]] began to suffer mentally as a result of the constant defeat at Sonic's hands. This finally came forward after his latest defeat, which turned him into a babbling madman. He spent the next few issues in a padded cell, wearing a straitjacket.
** If you read the issue, its art suggests that Snively is [[WhatTheHellHero calling Sonic out]] for putting [[spoiler:Dr. Robotnik, or Eggman if you prefer,]] in that condition to begin with.
*** 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 seeming 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. However, it's hinted that this is not Eggman not recovering, but his subordinates not realizing that using the same tactics over and over is not a good idea.
*** Fleetway's ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'' Dr. Robotnik did it about 8-9 years earlier, for much the same reasons. During the Sonic Adventure storyline, he cracks and goes from wanting to conquer the world to just flat-out destroying it because he sees it as the only way to rid himself of Sonic.
** [[EvilTwin Scourge]] also qualifies. After being betrayed by The Supression Squad and ganged up on by everybody, he retreats to his throne and [[SuperMode goes super]] from the Anarchy Beryls he's stashed there. Then as he blasted everyone off of him and hunts down Sonic, he declares that he's going to spin dash both Mobius and [[MirrorUniverse Moebius]] in half, simply because he can.

* ComicBook/{{Venom}} (Eddie Brock), in an issue of SpiderMan, 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.

*** For Osborn, the Goblin ''is'' a villainous breakdown. When the cool, collected VillainWithGoodPublicity and master of [[GambitIndex every gambit in the index]] has his plans go off the rails and he reaches the point that he starts screaming and ranting and cackling and throwing pumpkin bombs, you know it's all over. He wasn't always portrayed this way (once it was decent Osborn having the PsychoSerum take over, and he'd be defeated and forget he was the Green Goblin until next time.) Of course, the truth of the situation in Osborn's head is that Osborn on a good day is about as sane as the Joker on a ''bad'' day, and he can only act otherwise for so long. When the situation goes off the rails, this ability is strained, but putting Peter Parker aka ComicBook/{{Spiderman}} anywhere in his close vicinity will set Norman off regardless of whatever reputation he has to hold.

* 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 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.

* In ''Franchise/{{Star Wars|Expanded Universe}}: ComicBook/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' Arkoh Adasca and Haazen suffer breakdowns right before meeting their deaths; Arkoh goes from Suave Businessman in complete control to a gibbering lunatic screaming at his men to murder the heroes and daring the man he abused into smiting him in an extremely nasty karmic death, and Haazen is reduced from Magnificent (if smug) bastard to a helpless wretch who can only stammer and beg Lucien not to use the McGuffin to thwart his plans and kill him in the process. Demagol also loses his coherence and stutters, and Raana completely loses her mind.

* ComicBook/{{Thanos}} tends to go nuts whenever anything endangers his relationship with Death. He stammers in disbelief when he realizes that the Power Infinite has made him ''too'' powerful to be with Death[[note]]he had to be ''equally'' powerful to Death, not ''more'' powerful[[/note]], giving the heroes the opportunity to stop him. He throws a fit of jealousy and curses Deadpool with immortality when it seems like Death likes Wade better than him. Finally, when he learns that his ThanatosGambit in ''ComicBook/TheThanosImperative'' has rendered him immortal, meaning he can never be with Death, he loses all of his sanity and becomes so dedicated to destroying everything that he has to be sealed in another universe to stop him.

[[quoteright:234:''Film/AvengersInfinityWar "I ignored my destiny once...I cannot do that again."]]'']]

* Also in MTMTE, BigBad Tarn seems to be doing pretty good when he first appears in season 1. However when he reappears midway through season 2, we get a look inside his head and it's revealed that he's actually been having a worsening nervous breakdown, as his guilt and stress over his job and his addiction to transforming causes his mental state to worsen and his faith in his cause to falter. And than when he learns about Megatron's side-change and denouncement of the Decepticon movement, making everything he's done pointless, [[spoiler: he snaps and attempts to commit suicide by drug overdose]]. Even when he recovers (somewhat) and refocuses on his goals, he becomes noticeably more unhinged and his trademark calm speeches turn into lengthy rants.

* ''ComicBookTheBoys'':

* [[BigBad Overlord]] from ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'' 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 just collapses and doesn't even put up a fight as they cart him off to prison.]] When we see him again in ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', he's gotten even worse; [[spoiler: he no longer even moves or cares for himself, simply lying in his cell all day muttering "[[DeathSeeker kill me]]" over and over.]]

** In ''ComicBook/TheFallOfMetropolis, ComicBook/LexLuthor's own breakdown since his infection by a clone degeneration virus by Dabney Donovan reaches its pinnacle when, confronted by Superman and Superboy, he begins ranting and raving, vowing to bring Metropolis down around everyone's ears. While Superman's attempt to talk Luthor down succeeds, Luthor's lackey Sydney Happerson ends up having his own breakdown and pushes the button to destroy Metropolis.

* In the [[GrandFinale "Final"]] arc of ''ComicBook/HackSlash'', [[spoiler:after losing his HealingFactor and all of his [[ZombieApocalypse Stab Happy "paladins"]] to Cat and Gertrude respectively, [[BigBad Akakios]] panics, pleading that Cassie is the only one of their kind left. Given everything he had done, she is in no mood to be merciful.]]

** In ''Drakness Calls'' the Baba Yaga sends [[TheDragon her minion, Koschei the Deathless]] to exact her revenge on Hellboy. However, when Hellboy gains the upper hand and looks set to escape, Baba Yaga begins desperately breathing more and more of her power into Koschei, so much so that the fires burn out in her house, [[HeroicRROD leaving her with nothing to relight them.]] When her servant Koku denies her last-ditch attempt to use Rasputin's soul to revive Koschei, she crumples speechlessly to the ground, utterly defeated, while Koku pityingly [[ComfortingComforter covers her with a cloak.]]

* Kingdok in ''{{ComicBook/Bone}}'' starts the comic as a well put together and clever fellow. But as the comic goes he suffers an increasingly long series of humiliations, beatings, and failures; he loses his arm in a fight, gets mauled by Rock Jaw, is repeatedly humiliated in front of his men by the Hooded One, gets trapped alone underground for nearly ''a month'', and more. Alongside this, his mental state degrades more and more, reducing him from a well-spoken tactician to a half-crippled mess. [[spoiler: By the time the heroes face him for the last time, he's crossed the DespairEventHorizon and only attacks them [[SuicideByCop to make Rose kill him]].]]

* The Riddler has a grand one when he decides to deal with [[Franchise/TheFlash Impulse]]. After a bad encounter with Franchise/TheFlash and Comicbook/{{Robin}}[[note]]Riddler had bailed from Gotham following the events of ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand''[[/note]], Edward heads for Manchester to deal with Impulse, thinking he can easily outwit the protege of the Scarlet Speedster and one of the Boy Wonder's closest allies. Instead, poor Eddie is left a blabbering mess with Bart utterly ignores every sign that the Riddler wants him (too busy playing video games), Bart's inability to recognize who he was (he mistakes him for ComicBook/TheQuestion, Mr. Freeze and Abra Kadabra), outwitting his traps without thinking (before he's done reading off his first clue, Bart comes back with the bombs by looking under every porch in town. And finds his other bombs while he was at it!) and ultimately saves his captives by retaping his last clue that he tore up. His comment after revealing the second set of bombs sells it, though:

** In ''Superman/Batman: Public Enemies'', when [[PresidentEvil President]] ComicBook/LexLuthor's scheme to blame a Kryptonite asteroid smashing into the Earth on Superman fails, Luthor (who was the U.S. President at the time) uses a variant combination of the "super-steroid" Venom (a chemical associated with the Batman villain Bane), liquid synthetic Kryptonite, and an Apokoliptian battlesuit to go on a violent rampage. This, unsurprisingly, gets him impeached.