Greatest Single Moments in Comics

[Zero]

OK - Return's Watchmen thread has had me thinking about the moments in comics history that really got to me. . .so here is my top 5 list(which is obviously heavily drawn from the titles I read like X-Men):

5) Colossus Fails - Generation Next
In the generally disappointing Age of Apocalypse cross-over, the one title I really liked was Generation Next, which was a variation of Generation X (another title I really liked). In this cross-over series Colossus leads a group of young and untried x-men into the lair of the Sugarman to free his sister in order to return the universe to normal. As his young charges fight for their lives, Colossus chooses to rescue his sister and then, in typical heroic fashion, goes racing back to rescue his young students. . . but the massive door slams shut . . . he is too late and they all die. How many times do you see a hero fail so utterly undercut by his own personal biases. . . i was really devastated by this ending to that mini-series.

4) Wolverine- "Now its my turn"
Perhaps the second single greatest panel in comics history. The X-Men have all been beaten handily by the Hellfire Club, who have also seduced Phoenix into becoming Dark Phoenix. The only X-man not piled into cages is Wolverine who has crushed through the floor and into the sewers below, presumably dead. But in the final panel of the comic, Wolverine pops up from the sewer, covered in muck and claws gleaming says "now its my turn" - this is the real reason that Wolverine became such an icon!

3) Death of Dark Phoenix
Dark Phoenix was probably the greatest arc in any regular series and her suicide at the end brought this epic tale to its only logical conclusion (pity marvel couldn't let it alone and had to find a way to bring her back - proving the rule, only Bucky stays dead)

2) Batman beats Super-ass!
But, despite my unrepentant Marvel love, the top two are both DC alternative universe titles. Dark Knight Returns was the second greatest series in regular comics history - behind only Watchmen. But the ending of DKR, where the Batman proves once and for all that he is the world's biggest ass-kicker almost pushes it to the top!

1) Ending of Watchmen - "i've already done it"
Wow - for an epic that literally changed the nature of comics in the same way that Ulysses changed the nature of the novel this ending did not disappoint. The final overwhelming twist on the comic genre devastates everything we thought about heroism and the whole "truth, justice and the american way' stuff would never be the same!

Others?

[waffle]

Good ones - I particularly agree with DKR. It's nice to see Supes get his ass beaten down.

Two that spring to mind immediately are (SPOILERS!!!!!!!):

1. Spidey de-masking in Civil War is just huge, so has to be listed.

2. Fury conning Bruce Banner in The Ultimates. Bruce/The Hulk, is on trial for his life. Not being allowed from his cell, Fury goes to tell Banner that he was acquitted, and gives him a glass of Champagne to celebrate. The drink is drugged, and Banner falls to the floor - seemingly dead, and seemingly betrayed by Nick Fury.

[Vodstok]

Damn... I think it was Fabian Cortez? Bastard who worked for Magneto and could amplify other mutant's powers to the point that they would fry themselves... Anyway, he cooked Psylocke once, then turned on Bishop i think, and just as he was about to overload and die, Psylocke nailed Fabian with her psychic blade,w hich was usually like a foot long, and was more like 4'. Damn near fried his brain. :)

[azathoth777]

That time lucy moved the football just as charlie was going to kick it...priceless

But,seriously....I'd have to agree with Batman beats Superman and the Ending of Watchmen. Can't think of much better at the moment....

[Phalanx]

"Invincible" Takes place over a couple of issues...issues 10-13.
Various superheroes have been murdered by an unknown enemy, Invincible discovers the truth when he "flies in" on his father, thought to be one of THE most powerful superheroes murdering another. "Son, we need to talk".
It's revealed that our hero and his father are part of the Viltrumite empire, a warlike empire of superbeings that basically move in, research, then conquer to add to theire empire...and the time has come for them to do so on earth. "Your mother means nothing to me, these people are beneath us."
It was so cool to see someone who'd up until that point been a good guy go murderous...knowing that it wasn't a plot device for some "twist"...and the father/son fight to follow was one of the bloodiest I've ever seen in a comic...This title is well worth reading. It's by Robert Kirkman, the guy behind "the walking dead" and "marvel zombies". His take on the superhero thing is very, very good...and takes the piss outta the capes so much it's great, all without losing quality.


"The other: Evolve or Die" storyline that went across the "amazing spiderman" and "friendly neighbourhood spiderman" titles, In which Parker finds out he has a terminal condition. All the while, one of his most powerful enemies returns to kill him (Morlun) when he's at a disadvantage, obsessed with "feeding" on spider-mans unique energies...You basically see spider-man get the godeaweful shit beat out of him worse than ever before...get an eye ripped out, and end up at deaths door, comatose in hospital. His wife (MJ) goes to be at his side when Morlun attacks again...this is where it gets cool...Basically MJ wants to defend Parker at all costs, and attacks Morlun herself to little avail, so, the badguy slaps her 'round, breaks her am slowly and says he's happy to start with her.
THEN, in his comatose state, something dormant in him all these years wakes up.
"The man is gone, but the spider remembers.
Even dying, the spider knows when to go dormant,
when to spend its last breath. when...it is time.
Blessed and burdened he was with the legacy of the
spider, the gifts he would recognise and accept.
For spiders do not just leap and climb with great strength,
When cornered, when death looms, they bite, and they sting.
Now is the moment of cornered death, now is the promise.
Now...now...NOW!
Now the spider finds itself at last,
It stings.
It strikes with the fury of vengeance incarnate,
the power of the spider fully unleashed for the first time.
It stings again.
...and when the spider bites...when the spider feeds,
it always starts with the head."
Those are the captions by which you see the thought to be comatose Parker "awaken" into something entirely inhuman.
The eyes are red and insectoid, the teeth are sharp, he is pure
animal...then he jumps on the bad guy, throws him down, and impales him, again and again. Yes, he impales him with "stingers" that protrude from his wrists. Then, as the captions indicate, he feeds on the guy, before reverting to his human form, to say goodbye. He dies.
Of course he comes back, and actually through a pretty DECENT means...and he comes back evolved from that point onwards with new powers.
But yeah, the events I speak of take place during "the other" storyline, and in particular, issue 526 of amazing spiderman, and then issue 3 of friendly neighborhood spiderman.
Fucking great read. Brutal.

[Phalanx]

The final scene in BATMAN: The Killing Joke definately deserves a mention...it's absolutely definitive in how the batman/joker relationship always has, and will play out.
After a no holds barred fight towards the end, the joker is beaten.
Batman tells him that he actually wants to get him well again, that the two of them are locked in on a suicide course with eachother, and that it doesn't have to end with them killing eachother, and that maybe he can help get his life back to whatever it was before he became the joker.

Smiling, but with tears in his eyes, Joker replies
"No, it's too late for that, far too late. Hahahaha, yknow it's funny, this situation reminds me of a joke...see there were these two guys in a lunatic asylum and one night, one night they decide they don't want to live in an aslyum anymore, they decide theyre going to escape!
So, like, they get up onto the roof, and there, just across this narrow gap, they see the rooftops of the town, stretching away in the moonlight, stretching away to freedom. The first guy jumps across without a problem, but the second guy is afraid to fall.
The first guy has an idea "hey, I have a flashlight with me, I'll shine it along the gap, and you can walk across the beam and join me!"
The second guy just shakes his head and says "what do you think I am, crazy? I'd get halfway across, and youd turn it off"

The book ends with both of them laughing as the police arrive to cart the joker away, the scene was just hugely definative, and kinda sad.

[noctuary]

The death of Morpheus (from the Sandman) was the single most powerful scene I've ever read in a comic. Nothing else I can think of even comes close.

[frank drake]

I'd like to add the Winter Soldier storyline. Thought it was perfect.
And the conclusion of 1970's Tomb of Dracula.

[voorhees92]

>Spider-Man's public unmasking (Civil War)
>Super-Man dies (Death of Super-man)
>Enlongated Man's wife is raped by Dr. Light (Identity Crisis)

[Roderick Usher]

Originally posted by noctuary
The death of Morpheus (from the Sandman) was the single most powerful scene I've ever read in a comic. Nothing else I can think of even comes close.

I've only read through volume 5 of the series. guess I missed out:(