Berserk Button/Comic Books

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


When a nice, normal character suddenly goes into a rage, you've hit his Berserk Button.

Lightning Lord: Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Want to buy yourself some time, Kryptonian? Why not throw me the woman, so I can fry her the way I fried your other girlfriend?
Superman: (in shock) L-Lana? (enraged) YOU HURT LANA?!
(hits Lightning Lord with a strong burst of heat vision)
Lightning Lord: AAAAA! He burned me! He burned me!
Saturn Queen: (scared) His mind... He isn't bluffing... He's prepared to kill!

Mongul: Happy birthday, Kryptonian. I give you... oblivion.
Superman: Burn.

  • Gotham Central reveals what might actually be Two-Face's only Berserk Button. Most things he does, even his most heinous of crimes, are only done after he flips his trusty coin. It is not personal, just the law of averages, chaos and chance. Except for one thing: Do not look at Renee Montoya. Seriously. No, I'm completely serious, do not even look at her, Two-Face will blow off your damn head for glancing at her. He will take out his gun and shove it down your throat...and then he will tell Renee about how he has prepared her steak dinner (He's wacky like that). But seriously, don't look at her.
    • However, it's probably true that Harvey Dent had one other 'Berserk Button', which got hit with the acid and prompting his turn to Two-Face to begin with. Whether that berserk button was his commitment to justice, latent schizophrenia or just an investment in his own good looks depends on the interpretation.
  • Harm Black Adam's country or allies, and he will find out all the details and make you pay. And by "make you pay", I mean have fun surveying the rubble and the bodies. Mind control also pisses him off, as Psycho Pirate found out.
    • He slaughtered the entire population of a neighboring country for its leaders' complicity in killing his family. Then, one of the killers, the Apokaliptan god of Death, shows up and claims all the killing made him stronger. Black Adam completely wrecks Death in only a handful of pages, and then spends the rest of the night slowly killing him.
  • Johnny the Homicidal Maniac is not wacky, and anyone who tells him otherwise is in for a world of hurt. He'll also go off on one for someone accusing him of being a killer (which, as the name would suggest...), looking at him funny, believing in God (or anything remotely hopeful) or trying to avoid dying. Still another berserk button is incorrectly assuming what he does with the blood he drains from his victims. He DOES NOT drink it, he paints his wall, and if you say otherwise, he will get upset. With daggers.
  • Rorschach of Watchmen can be said to have a berserk button about criminals, which sort of comes with his territory, but his interviews with Dr. Long confirmed one thing: anyone who harms a child or one of his superhero compatriots is in for a world of hurt. He hits his permanent berserk button when he realizes that the child abductor he had been tracking down had butchered his victim and fed her to his dogs. Since then, he has been a Sociopathic Hero in the eyes of many. And then there's his reaction to losing his "face"...
  • Death's Head from the Transformers and Marvel comics hates it when people call him a bounty hunter. He prefers "Freelance Peacekeeping Agent," yes?
  • Monica from the Brazilian comic Monica's Gang. Don't comment on her weight, height, how big her teeth are, or even worse, call her ugly, if you don't want a girl to beat you up using a plush rabbit.
  • Never call Obelix from Asterix fat, unless you want to be on the receiving end of a Megaton Punch. His chest's just slipped a bit, that's all.
    • Never harm a tree in front of Obelix's dog, Dogmatix. The little canine will sink his teeth into your buttocks, after which Obelix will bash your face in for upsetting his pet.
    • Whenever anyone points out the fact that Unhygienix's fish are not fresh, a brawl ensues. In Asterix in Corsica, we learn that this is his young son's Berserk Button, too.
    • Cacofonix announcing that he's going to sing acts as a universal Berserk Button for the entire village, especially Fulliautomatix. At a certain point, the gods are annoyed at this too, since it starts raining when he sings.
    • Geriatrix may look like a feeble old guy, but make ga-ga eyes at his young hot wife, and he might stick his walking stick up your where the sun don't shine. Also, do not call him old.
    • Don't ever mention the Gaulish Village that still holds out against the invaders (or its invincible occupants) in front of Julius Caesar. You will find yourself in the circus - and given the time period, that doesn't mean trapezes and clowns.
    • Carferrix gets mad if you talk to his sister.
    • Asterix and the Roman Agent, in which the latter half of the title (a fellow called Tortuous Convolvulus) can create disputes and brawls simply by showing up, is practically a guide to the characters' berserk buttons. Including Julius Caesar's ("GULLIBLE, ME?!?").
  • Tintin's Professor Calculus ("Tournesol" in the original French) does this when someone suggests he is "playing the goat." Given the professor's notoriously poor hearing, he is likely to blow up if he hears the phrase "playing the goat" -- or anything that sounds remotely similar -- used in any context.
    • Also Captain Haddock if you take away his whisky.
  • The Hulk is generally a Berserker anyway, but anything or anyone that reminds him of his father is definitely in for a world of hurt.
    • Endangering his children is a big one; he told Steve Rogers(who wasn't Captain America at the time) that he'd kill him if Steve killed his son Hiro-Kala, who was trying to crash a Mars-sized planet into Earth at the time. Messing with his dead wives is an even bigger mistake; Skaar's(his other son) jeers about destroying Caiera's spirit were enough to get him to try and kill him. But the most common one is simple: don't call him Bruce if you want to live.
      • At this point it's come to the point where it applies to any of his close friends or family. A villain beating up a depowered She-Hulk and Rick Jones sent the Hulk back to a Worldbreaker Hulk level of anger. When said villain attacked Red She-Hulk, his wife, it enraged the Hulk to the point where he killed him by smashing his head. If he wasn't at Worldbreaker-level before, he certainly was then.
  • Apollo and The Midnighter, members of The Authority, are upstanding heroes (possibly Anti-Hero in the latter case, but still...) dedicated to making a better world and raising their adopted daughter Jenny, and they're openly homosexual, not to mention having a very stable and loving relationship. Anyone who calls them 'poofters', though, is in for a great heaping of suffering.
  • Spider-Man is generally a sweetheart of a guy, but don't even THINK about hurting his friends and family. The instant he stops joking around with you, you'll find out exactly how much pain a guy with the proportionate strength of a spider is capable of dishing out when he's mad.
  • When talking to Snow White, Don't Mention The Dwarfs. Ever.
  • In The Punisher story arc "The Slavers," the brutal treatment that the title slavers put their captives through hits every one of Frank Castle's Berserk Buttons regarding the mistreatment of women and children in general, and triggers a rage so deep within him that he goes to savage lengths so extreme that even he himself is surprised.
    • And let's not forget what happened when some jackass mob dude, Nicky Cavella, aka. Mr. Too Dumb to Live, dug up the remains of Frank's murdered family and urinated on them on them, successfully pissing the Punisher off. Unstoppable Rage doesn't even begin to describe Frank's response. Lampshaded by a customer in a diner (that Frank is also at, unknown to him) who sees the news report:

Customer: That guy is gonna go fucking berserk. [next panel shows Frank sitting alone, staring at the TV screen, with a murderous look in his eye]

  • Made all the stranger when it's what Nicky wanted.
    • In "The Long Dark Night," Barracuda kidnaps the daughter Frank had with O'Brien. Frank proceeds to clip a car battery to Barracuda's testicles and shock him for an hour straight.
      • Actually, that's what happened when he got the upper hand on him. When Frank first realizes that he has a daughter and that Barracuda is going to torture her to death, he blacks out. Frank has to piece the subsequent events back together by examining his injuries while in the hospital. Barracuda didn't come out much better.
    • Lest we forget Frank seems to draw a berserker rage whenever he remembers his slain family. Compared to his first fight with Barracuda and fighting The Mongolian where he goes ape-shit remembering them, Castle is calm and rational when he thinks Barracuda killed his daughter.
    • In an earlier story arc, "Kitchen Irish", there's a gang of young punks called the River Rats, run by the vicious twins Polly and Eamon. Throughout the comic it's implied that Eamon is in love with his sister. When another gang member jokingly suggests that Polly is jealous of the only other woman in the group, Eamon becomes defensive, and when the man tries to explain what he meant, irrationally arrives at the conclusion that he was suggesting Eamon and Polly have an incestuous relationship. So he kills him.
  • An Archie Comics story titled "By Hook or Crook" has Jughead visiting the Chocolate Shoppe when a pair of burglars are robbing it. He initially cowers alongside Pop Tate when the robbers take the money, a painting, and the silverware; but when they're about to take all the hamburger meat in Pop's freezer, that's when he starts throwing punches and taking them down.
    • A more well-known example from the same comics would be Moose on anyone (usually Reggie) who tries to flirt with his girl Midge.
  • In Knights of the Dinner Table, no-one should ever touch Bob's dice, as Nitro, an ex-Marine, discovered to his everlasting humiliation.
    • Don't make sexist remarks to Sara (though she usually just grabs the offender by the collar and gives them a chance to recant).
    • Brian is the resident table flipper, but the best way to set him off is to mention his former imaginary girlfriend, Alexis.
    • BA has an unfortunate habit of hitting Brian, Dave, and Bob's Berserk Buttons by teaching their characters a harsh lesson. They don't like that. Retribution, usually at the claws of BA's fifty-pound tomcat Colonel Prowler, frequently follows.
  • Spider Jerusalem is pretty much an entire switchboard of Berserk Buttons looking for an operator, but god help you if he finds out that you've abused your authority and hurt someone defenseless.
  • In the Disney Ducks Comic Universe, Scrooge McDuck doesn't like it when people disrespect his dead mother. Not one bit. He's also not too fond of people who try to take his gold or his land.
    • Donald Duck may not have the steadiest relationship with his nephews, but if anyone other than him hurts them....beserk fury seems to run in the McDuck bloodline.
  • As for Batman, don't ever kill an ally or close friend of his -- if you do you'd better hope he keeps his no killing rule. Batman's done this twice with The Joker; first when the Joker killed Jason Todd, and second when Batman thought the Joker killed his childhood friend Thomas Elliot (of course since the Joker's the trope namer for Joker Immunity, he survived both attacks).

Batman: I don't pass sentence. That's for the courts to decide. But this time, this time, I am sorely tempted to do the job myself.

  • If you kill a couple in front of their young child, Batman will 1.) Have a flashback and 2.) Hunt you down no matter where you go. And then 3.) Make. You. Suffer. Like you have never suffered before or, you will hope, since.
  • Then there's the chilling scene in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker in which Batman is subjected to watching the Joker torture and brainwash Tim Drake. Batman reacts with a fury that leaves no illusions to his intent.

Batman: (To Joker) I'll break you in two.

  • One story deconstructed the "kill a couple in front of their young child" button. Batman was pursuing a criminal named Angel Lupo for murdering his pregnant sister. While on the run, Lupo shot and killed a couple in front of their son leaving the boy in a state of shock. Batman has the usual flashback and is hellbent on bringing Lupo to justice. Then it's revealed that Angel had nothing to do with the first murder. His girlfriend (without his knowledge) had his sister killed in order to free him of the responsibility of caring for his sister. Not that it matters, since the baby's father (the Ventriloquist) guns down Lupo in a fit of misdirected vengeance. Then it turns out that Lupo didn't kill the boy's parents either -- the boy shot and killed his own parents and Lupo just happened to be nearby when it happened. Batman's Berserk Button made him pursue a man who, while still a career criminal, didn't commit any of the murders in the story and led him astray from the real killers.

Batman: Everything I've done in the past three nights, I've been doing for the wrong little boy.

  • Another story had the same button be ruthlessly exploited by Penguin, who's been occasionally shown to be Dangerously Genre Savvy when it comes to the Batfamily, and quite able to pull off Batman Gambits against the Trope Namer.
  • The Joker himself will become crazier than usual if you make a joke he finds bad or unfunny. Especially if you have the nerve to try and explain it to him afterwards.
  • Don't hurt his kids. Particularly Dick Grayson. He will find you, and you will hurt.
  • Don't call Barb Wire "babe."
  • Hunter Rose and Argent were essentially each other's Berserk Buttons in Grendel. Virtually everything and anything either one said or did to the other would set him off.
  • From Fantastic Four: Whatever you do, don't mention The Trapster's former villainous handle, "Paste-Pot Pete."
    • Also, don't hurt any member of the Fantastic Four when the other three around to see it. Case in point: in "What If...The Fantastic Four Lost the Trial of Galactus?", Reed Richards is executed by the Shi'ar. Sue, Ben, and Johnny blow up the Shi'ar's entire planet in revenge.
  • Whatever you do, do NOT mention Mongul's name around Arkillo. It doesn't matter if it was an accidental mention or not, he WILL kill you on the spot.
  • The titular Sam from Sam and Max Freelance Police is very calm under really stressing situations, but don't call him fat, give him pink bellies or try to harm his Lil' Buddy. You're already screwed.
    • Max's mental state is erratic at the best of times, and quoting the wrong song lyrics at him can drive him to swear grisly revenge, but if someone tries to muscle in on his position as Sam's best friend, he won't swear at all. He'll just disembowel them on the spot.
  • If talking to Deadpool, never mention Weapon X. Particularly not "the Workshop." You might get away with it if you were one of the other participants, but this is not a guarantee.
    • Similarly, don't harm innocents. When a group of mercenaries "rescue" Deadpool by killing some cops, Deadpool stops joking. A bad warning sign. Deadpool, after tricking them into telling him about a tracking device in his gun, promptly kills them all.
      • Mind you, he has killed innocents himself. He has a Blue and Orange Morality and he even hanged out with Bullseye back in the Kelly run. But that said, killing children is something he won't overlook.
  • In the X Wing Series comics, Tycho Celchu of Alderaan does not take kindly to hearing the planet's stereotype, pacifism, extended into "cowardice," or being told that as an Alderaanian he can't be a warrior. Or people who say Endor never happened.

Tycho: "I just want you to know - not all Alderaanians are pacifists!"

  • Whenever anyone hurts Raven, Beast Boy goes ape-shit!
  • Hulkling from Young Avengers is the the sweetest, most congenial Gentle Giant imaginable. Unless you threaten his boyfriend. In which case all bets are off.
    • To say nothing of said boyfriend, Wiccan, who is not only the son of the Scarlet Witch, one of the most powerful mutants in the universe--and appears to have inherited her capabilities but a very gifted witch in his own right. At one point, he put everyone in Times Square into a magic coma simply because Teddy was being held hostage.
  • Under no circumstances should you insinuate that Spider Woman is a Skrull. Last time the Dark Avengers did that, she lost her composure and started beating down almost everyone who got near her (and apparently that included Ares), at least until Sentry stopped and calmed her down.
    • Also, trying to ask about the identity of her son's father will likely get food dumped on your head, as Tony Stark found out. Whatever reason she has to keep it a secret, she is keeping it.
    • The recent New Avengers issue added one more for Spider Woman: Subject her into mind control or anything like that and she'll gladly put her hand inside your mouth and BLAST it from the inside. In fact, this pissed her off so much that if it wasn't for Spider-Man stopping her, she would've killed her mind controller.
  • Ragdoll of the Secret Six is hardly a nice guy, but when teamed with killers like Bane and Deadshot, he seems less dangerous and certainly less focused. However, if you threaten Black Alice, he will kill you painfully.
    • Speaking of the Secret Six, don't bring up Scandal Savage's dad or do anything to remind her of him. Just don't do it. You'll be very lucky to still be in one piece if you make him enter her mind. Actually, that's probably the easiest way to piss Scandal off, given that she is definitely the most Ax Crazy of the team and has a ridiculously short fuse, not to mention being batshit insane.
    • And speaking of Scandal, don't hurt her or even threaten her in front of Bane. Remember what he did to good 'ol Bats? He'll do that to you. Seriously, don't fuck with Scandal in front of Bane.
    • Finally, do not threaten Catman's son. DO. NOT. DO. IT. While the rest of the team will either shoot you, slice you up, cave your head in, or rip you apart if you piss them off, Catman will make it slow. VERY slow. If you're lucky, you'll escape with either part of your face missing or four new assholes. You probably won't be lucky, however.
  • Steve Rogers is a wonderful human being. He's generous, forgiving, selfless, friendly, kind, and actually kind of awkward and dorky at times when he's with his family. However, he does have a few Berserk Buttons, and God help you if you press them.
    • Nazis in general. Red Skull in particular.
    • Mocking Bucky's death. Oh god, if you'd like your bones to remain unbroken, don't do it.
    • As with most good characters, don't harm innocents or those whom he loves. The Avengers are his family, so this certainly applies to them -- but especially Tony, Falcon and the now revived Bucky. Helmut Zemo once found out why kidnapping Falcon is a bad idea.
  • Threaten Luke Cage's family or try and stiff him, and he'll beat you to within an inch of your life. Norman Osborn and Doctor Doom have both found this out the hard way.
  • One of Thor's Berserk Buttons is his brother, Loki. Insulting Asgard is a monumentally stupid idea as well.
    • Going after any of Thor's comrades-in-arms is a bad idea. However, harm Tony Stark[1] and/or Steve Rogers, and you will learn exactly what it means to piss off a force of nature. In fact, even just telling The Avengers that you stood by and watched as Iron Man was kidnapped will send Thor into an Unstoppable Rage that will require him being held back to keep him from bashing your skull in.[2]
    • Anyone harming Loki outside of having to stop him in a fight. Sure, the two have major issues, but they're still brothers, as shown when Loki performs a Heroic Sacrifice against the Void, Thor's eyes go white with power and he practically obliterates the Void with one massive lightning strike that leaves nothing behind but a massive crater with Robert Reynolds in the middle of it.
      • After the resurrection of Loki as Kid!Loki, Thor has made it clear that anyone who wants to harm his brother has to get through him. Unsurprisingly, no one is particularly willing to try this.
  • Don't touch the Mad Hatter's hat, or he will turn from a delusional mind control expert who is more likely to brainwash some henchmen to attack you into an Ax Crazy foaming-at-the-mouth maniac.
  • Groo the Wanderer is not a mendicant. Not even after he finds out what it means.
  • In the Sonic the Hedgehog comics, Mighty the Armadillo has one. According to this summary on the Sonic Wiki:

Snively would have succeeded in capturing all but Sonic the Hedgehog as instructed, if he had not made the one fatal mistake of teleporting Ray the Squirrel prior to Mighty the Armadillo. Enraged at believing his timid friend was dead, Mighty lost all self-control and poured every bit of his fury into his already incredible strength. He proceeded to attack Snively's Beater by ripping off one of its arms and used it as a club to pulverize Snively, practically destroying the mech all by himself. Before the finishing blow could be delivered though, Snively managed to beam Mighty away to a reinforced Egg Grape and then activated a self-destruct program in his mech.

Aquaman: You hurt J'onn? That was stupid. *stabs villain in the chest*

  • Yoko Tsuno is a nice girl, if a bit hotheaded. Hurt someone she cares for, or threaten somebody who asks her for help? The Action Girl knows her Aikido and her weapon handling, and she will put said knowledge to use. On you.
  • In Ms. Tree, Mike, Jr. has some pretty serious issues relating to homosexuals.
  • In the Nintendo Power comic run of Star FOX, two things are known to piss Fox off immensely: calling him Junior and suggesting that he and the team raid anything other than Imperial ships, which is one of the only times he goes into Glowing Eyes of Doom mode. The other time is near the end of the comic when one of two clones of Andross reveals that the original Andross killed his mother with a bomb meant for his father and that he'd sabotaged his father's ship so it'd be lost in the Black Hole, which sets him into Unstoppable Rage mode.
  • Trapping Pakrat of the Atari Force second series in a corner causes him to come out of it fighting.
  • Most Sin City heroes are pretty violent but they lose their cool when people hurt women, children, or friends. One or all of these things happen in almost every story and they end making good use of the For Mature Readers Only label.
    • Also, don't use racial slurs against Miho. She's quick enough to kill you without you realizing it... you don't want to give her a reason to go slow.
  • The members of the Bat-family have their fair share of buttons too:
  • Vic Volcano from the Anthology Comic The Beano who would go berserk over pretty much anything.
  • Tony Stark's berserk button is hurting The Avengers -- past or present -- but especially Captain America (comics). If he has to outright kill himself to stop you from killing Steve, he will do it without hesitation. The events of Civil War do not make this untrue. Also, if you are Howard Stark, do not imply that Tony was a disappointment to his mother. A beatdown will swiftly ensue.
  • Don't compare Empowered to JLo, or say anything else that might be misunderstood as "you're fat".
    • Don't say anything about Sistah Spooky's race. Don't be a beautiful blonde girl. And so on.
  • If you harm, or try to harm, any member of Wally West's family or True Companions, he will hunt you to the end of creation and thrash you. Very soundly. After Gorilla Grodd crippled Hunter Zolomon, Wally chased him all the way to Gorilla City, and was so intent on killing the primate that the other, more benevolent gorillas had to erase the location of Gorilla City from his mind.
    • Inertia orchestrated Bart Allen's murder at the hands of the Rogues. Wally's response was to chase down Inertia, act like he was going to run him face-first into a mountain, and (right at the last second) steal all of Inertia's speed to the point that he was an immobile but still-living statue.
    • Speaking of Hunter Zolomon himself, one major Berserk Button is revealed for him after his transformation into Zoom: If you value your life, do not harm or threaten to harm his ex-wife, Ashley. Several villains found this out the hard way during the "Rogue War" arc.
    • Never mention the name of Houdini around Evil Sorcerer Abra Kadabra. Just don't. Also, he loathes not being the center of attention, and if someone else takes away applause from him.
    • Do NOT harm innocents around the Rogues. Especially not if you're part of the team, as Captain Cold will not hesitate to kill you regardless of how loyal you've been to the Rogues.
  • Bats in Mouse Guard will absolutely flip out if it's suggested they aren't trustworthy. According to their own version of history, they were rejected by both sides in the war between land animals and birds due to be considered untrustworthy for no better reason than their appearance, and the fact that others continue to distrust them is an extreme racial sore spot.
  • Boba Fett is the consummate professional: he never makes jobs personal and never allows emotions to enter the mix. Jodo Kast crossed the line by impersonating him and cashing in on his rep, but even then Fett was cold and professional about taking him out. However, when he finally incapacitated the upstart and removed his helmet during the events of Boba Fett: Twin Engines of Destruction, he utterly lost his cool. Why? Because Kast was no one. He wasn't anyone Fett recognized and he definitely wasn't a Mandalorian--he didn't deserve the armor, he hadn't earned the right to wear it...he just used it because he thought it looked cool. It was a disgusting insult to Fett's heritage, and one of the only times in his adult life where he showed anger.
  • This dialogue between Spider-Man and two cops in one story reveals what The Juggernaut's Berserk Button is:

First cop: Spider-Man?? You're the "big bad guy"?
Spidey: Uh... You must mean the guy behind me!
Second cop: Move it, fella, before we run you in!
Spidey: Okay, but whatever you do, don't call him stupid!
(Cops turn around as Spidey webs off.)
First cop: Don't call who stupid?
Juggernaut (from off-panel): Who you callin' "stupid"?
Second cop: Oh, cripes...

  • Most X-Men fans know that Storm's Weaksauce Weakness is Claustrophobia, and a lot of villains know it too. But any villain who tries to take advantage of this (by say, locking her in a closet or cramped cell) had best make certain the restraints are capable of holding a Physical Goddess and have a reliable escape route, because the rage and raw power she has been shown to use on anyone who tries it is comparable to that of the Dark Phoenix, and that is Not Hyperbole.
  • Ghost Rider villain Lucifer; do not call him "Mehpisto", got it? "Satan" and "Prince of Darkness" are both okay, but he is not Mephisto, that is someone else entirely and they are not even distantly related.
Back to Berserk Button
  1. ↑ Pre-Civil War
  2. ↑ Yes, that actually happened.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Berserk_Button/Comic_Books?oldid=2041717"