Berserk Button/Comic Books: Difference between revisions

 

* Even [[Superman]] has his berserk button, often accompanied by a [[Red Eyes, Take Warning]], best exemplified in ''[[Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?]]'':

'''Saturn Queen:''' ''[[Oh Crap|(scared)]]'' His mind... He isn't bluffing... He's prepared to ''kill''! }}

** Or from "[[For the Man Who Has Everything]]."

'''Superman:''' Burn. }}

** For a video example, see ''[[Superman/Batman: Public Enemies]]''. When Lex {{spoiler|appears to kill Batman}}, all bets are off.

* 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, [[Ax Crazy|Nicky Cavella]], aka. Mr. [[Too Dumb to Live]], dug up the remains of Frank's murdered family and urinated on them on them, successfully [[Incredibly Lame Pun|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:

*** Made all the "[[Too Dumb to Live|stranger]]" when it's what Nicky wanted.

** In "The Long Dark Night," Barracuda {{spoiler|kidnaps the daughter Frank had with O'Brien.}} Frank proceeds to {{spoiler|clip a car battery to Barracuda's testicles and shock him for an ''hour straight.''}}

* As for [[Batman]], don't ever kill an ally or close friend of his -- if you do you'd better hope he keeps his [[Thou Shalt Not Kill|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).

** He also has a ''very'' dim view of bad things happening to children, as the Sewer King [[Papa Wolf|found out the hard way]].

*** 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 [[Nightmare Fuel|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.

**** 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 {{spoiler|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 {{spoiler|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.}}

**** Another story had the same button be ruthlessly exploited by [[Not-So-Harmless Villain|Penguin]], who's been occasionally shown to be [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]] when it comes to the Batfamily, and quite able to pull off [[Batman Gambit|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 [[Don't Explain the Joke|explain it]] to him afterwards.

*** 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 of Hats|planet's stereotype]], pacifism, extended into "[http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/9187/swrstro221.jpg cowardice]," or [http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7245/blz18.jpg being told] that as an Alderaanian he can't be a warrior. Or people who [http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3926/blz19dn1.jpg say Endor never happened].

* Whenever anyone hurts [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Raven]], Beast Boy goes ape-shit!

** Possibly as [[Animorphism|a literal ape]].

* [[Groo the Wanderer]] is not a mendicant. Not even after he finds out what it means.

* In the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' comics, Mighty the Armadillo has one. According to this summary on the Sonic Wiki:

* DON'T hurt [[Martian Manhunter|J'onn J'onzz]]. The entire JLA will kick your ass.

* [[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.