Anti-Hero Substitute: Difference between revisions

Over the course of a long-running series, something happens to the main character. He [[De Power|loses his powers]], makes a [[Heroic Sacrifice]], or gets [[Older and Wiser]] and decides to retire. Sometimes they [[Dropped a Bridge On Him]], or [[Put On a Bus|Put Him On A Bus]]. In a word, he's gone. But the story still goes on! [[Legacy Character|His role is taken by a]] [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]], but one with a very different character. He's how the original hero would be if he were a [[Jerkass]], [[Anti Hero]] or (most commonly) [[Nineties Anti Hero]]. This guy is often an effect of [[Executive Meddling]], which arises when editors stupidly declare that audience stopped liking the first hero or never liked him at all; so he will be replaced with someone [[Darker and Edgier]]. Of course, most of time they are wrong: the original guy has so many fans that his replacement quickly becomes a [[Replacement Scrappy]].

The moment when the creators realize this and decide to push the big [[Reset Button]] is beginning of the hero's return: [[He's Back|first hero is back]], and often has a fight with the [[Anti Hero Substitute]] for his position. Of course, however contemptuously the [[Anti Hero]] dubs him "[[Good Is Old Fashioned|outdated]]", the original hero wins and [[Status Quo Is God|takes the story back to the point right before the new guy took over]]. The [[Anti Hero Substitute]] becomes forgotten as fast as possible, and the [[Story Arc]] featuring him becomes a [[Dork Age]]. Alternatively, the [[Anti Hero Substitute]] gets a name change and, now that he's not replacing a much loved character, may be [[Rescued From the Scrappy Heap]].

{{examples|Examples:}}

** Cheerful and lovable circus brat Dick Grayson was replaced by cheerful and lovable circus brat Jason Todd in the early 80s. Then, post-Crisis, in a rare case of a character being replaced by an [[Anti Hero]] version ''of himself,'' Jason Todd was retcon'd into an abrasive former street thug. He also spent a bit of time as a psychopathic version of Nightwing. Also, during the ''Battle for the Cowl'' event, Jason would also take up the mantle of Batman after {{spoiler|his apparent death}} and became a gun-wielding psychopath. He was played as the villain of the story, however.

** Current Robin Damian Wayne is more of an [[Anti Hero]] than his predecessor, but new Batman Dick Grayson has made it his goal to craft him into a true superhero and not an [[Anti Hero]].

*** Amusingly, McGinnis was created by [[Spinoff Babies|the opposite kind]] of [[Executive Meddling]], as WB executives wanted a "[[High School AU|Batman in high school!]]" show to connect with the kids. The writers took one look at the concept and decided that obeying it would do bad things to their ''[[Batman the Animated Series (Animation)|Batman the Animated Series]]'' continuity. [[Loophole Abuse|Then they noticed that at no point did the pitch specify that Batman had to be "Bruce Wayne"]].

* [[Incredible Hulk (Comic Book)|Hulk]] has both subverted and played this trope straight at the same time. After ''[[World War Hulk]]'', with the Hulk {{spoiler|imprisoned by the army}}, his series was taken over by Hercules and a new series was launched with a mysterious Red Hulk as the central character. Hercules subverted the trope quickly, proving he's anything ''but'' an [[Anti Hero|Anti-Hero]], while Red Hulk played it straight, acting like a ''total dick'' and {{spoiler|making Hulk lose his powers}}.

* In a [[Video Game]] example, the introduction of K' in ''[[The King of Fighters (Video Game)|The King of Fighters]] '99'', blatant attempt at [[Darker and Edgier]], had a very mixed reception. Unlike most examples however, he received enough [[Character Development]] to [[Rescued From the Scrappy Heap|save him]] from [[Replacement Scrappy|the heap,]] and is now a [[Ensemble Darkhorse|fan favourite.]] Then SNK went even ''[[It Got Worse|further]]'' down the line with [[Villain Protagonist]] Ash Crimson in the next arc. The reception was even ''[[Creators Pet|more]]'' [[Germans Love David Hasselhoff|mixed]].

* [[Ghost Rider]] has an odd example. He is already an [[Anti Hero]] but in the nineties, a character named ''Vengeance'' showed up who was supposed to be a [[Darker and Edgier]] version of a character that was already the epitome of [[Darker and Edgier]]. A new Vengeance has since appeared -- as a villain. And the de-powered original Vengeance seems to be a pretty nice guy these days.

* Intentionally done again in the '90s, when the [[Fantastic Four]] were [[Comic Book Death|presumed dead]], and [[Spider Man]], [[X Men|Wolverine]], [[The Hulk]], and [[Ghost Rider]] took their places, swearing to avenge the heroes' deaths. Only three of the four were really [[Anti Hero|Anti Heroes]], but the extremely ill-suited-for-eachother group fought amongst themselves so much and were so bad at emulating the FF's legendary teamwork that Spidey was pretty much ineffectual in getting them to shape up and the whole team made the Fantastic Four's dysfunctional family dynamics look incredibly well-adjusted by comparison.

* When one [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Slayer]] dies another girl is called forward to take her place. Well Buffy did die and despite being revived is replaced by Kendra, a [[Knight Templar]] whose sole focus is on hunting and killing vampires regardless of who they are. When she died she was replaced by Faith, very much an [[Anti Hero]] before, during and after her [[Face Heel Turn]].