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{{work}}
''Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja'' was a [[Comic Book]] series created by [[Larry Hama]] and published in 1989 by [[Marvel Comics]]. Though it only ran for sixteen issues, it is remembered as a quixotic blend of gritty realistic military action, fantastic ninja combat, and wide-eyed science-fiction.
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{{tropelist}}
* [[Action Girl]]: Colonel Vavara Novikova, head of the KGB's Spetsburo (Assassination Bureau) and the second-deadliest assassin on Earth.
* [[Action Hero]]: John Doe, naturaly.
* [[The Adjectival Man]]
* [[A God Am I]]: Alfie, of course.
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* [[Always a Bigger Fish]]: Occurs when Alfie O'Meagan is waiting for a cosmic being called M'Gubgub. He barely avoids being stepped on by a massive alien who dwarfs the planet and proceeds to praise M'Gubgub... only for the alien to flee in panic as the ''galaxy-dwarfing'' M'Gubgub arrives.
* [[Amazon Brigade]]: The KGB Swallows.
* [[Animate Dead]]: When he leaves Earth, Alfie leaves behind two fragments of his power to run things in his absence. Those fragments re-animate the corpses of Mr. Biggot and Miss Gooch from the Merrivale Corners orphanage, who proceed to recruit mutated humans into an army to take over the world.
* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Dr. Yagyu, whose satchel includes ninja throwing stars and an Ingram MAC-10 in .45 ACP machine pistol.
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* [[The Baroness]]: Colonel Vavara Novikova. Despite being the head of the Spetsburo, she spends much of the series running around in a low-cut evening dress, stockings, and high heels... none of which reduces her lethality one iota.
* [[Beware the Silly Ones]]
* [[Bloodless Carnage]]: Both played straight and averted. As a [[Comics Code]]-approved title, ''Nth Man'' avoided graphic depictions of blood or gore. Even so, it never hesitated to show the brutality of combat or the senseless deaths of war, including the aftermath of a mass execution.
{{quote|
'''John Doe:''' "No, Debra. That's the combined screaming of hundreds of tank crewmen fried to a crisp in burning T-80's." }}
* [[Cain and Abel]]: Though it's never established if they're blood siblings or not, John and Alfie otherwise qualify.
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* [[Crapsack World]]: Things are already bad at the start of the series, being in the middle of World War III, but gets worse after {{spoiler|Alfie fails to neutralize a biological weapon exchange and turned them into a mutagenic virus instead.}}
* [[Dead All Along]]: {{spoiler|It is ultimately revealed that Alfie accidentally killed John Doe at the age of sixteen; he then created an imperfect copy out of guilt and repressed his memory of the event. This is why present!John is willing to kill people despite being an incorruptible pacifist in his youth. present!John later uses Alfie's power to recreate his original self.}}
* [[Deal
* [[Deep
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* [[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?]]: {{spoiler|John Doe defeats M'Gubgub -- an [[Eldritch Abomination]] that dwarfs galaxies -- by using the [[Kuji In]] to turn it inside-out. Justified in that he was augmented with Alfie's powers at the time.}}
* [[Dirty Business]]: Despite his lethal training, John takes no pleasure in killing anyone, and views his assignments as this. At the start of the series, he's even decided to stop being an assassin, and his friends have to talk him back into duty.
* [[Dirty Communists]]: Subverted; the Soviets are highly skilled and competent adversaries throughout.
* [[Dodge the Bullet]] / [[Super Reflexes]]: In the first issue, John Doe dodges a bullet fired at him from point-blank range. Later he dodges a sniper's bullets while running uphill towards his position.
* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: M'Gubgub is a galaxy-devouring abomination with a million forms that has to spread his mass out over hundreds of light-years just to prevent his gravitational field from collapsing on itself. It wants to destroy the Earth in order to eliminate the temporal anomaly there.
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* [[Embarrassing Nickname]]: Dr. Yagyu calls John "Peachy", after [http://www.japanippon.com/fairytales/momotaro.htm Momotaro the Peach Boy]. John himself teases Colonel Novikova by calling her "Novi-cakes."
* [[Foe Yay]]: A flirtatious relationship gradually develops between John Doe and Colonel Novikova... to the consternation of Sergeant Levin and Captain Soloviev.
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** Also Sgt. Marvin Sargent on the American's side. Very friendly and laid-back, but he won't hesitate to draw on anyone who tries to shoot his prize student.
* [[Glorious Mother Russia]]: Often invoked in the dialog between the Soviets.
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'''Lolo:''' "I ''am'' the Political Officer, comrade Colonel."
'''Novikova:''' "...oh." }}
* [[Good Colors, Evil Colors]]: John has white-hair, Alfie has black. Possibly a reference to the ''taijitu'' from [[
* [[Good
* [[The Great Politics Mess
* [[Heroic BSOD]]
* [[Hopeless Suitor]]: Captain Soloviev, whose unabashed love for Colonel Vavara Novikova is forever unrequited.
* [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness]]: John Doe. This is most apparent in the flashbacks to the Merrivale Corners orphanage, where John repeatedly protects Alfie, even covering up his most atrocious behavior. His willingness to kill is because {{spoiler|the present-day John Doe is a flawed copy created by Alfie after the original was killed in a prank.}}
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* [[Insert Grenade Here]]: John Doe manages to insert a grenade into a sealed-up Soviet tank by throwing it down the barrel as it is about to shoot him, timing it exactly to match the tank's gunner opening the breach. He manages this feat by a combination of good hearing, good timing, and channeling his memories of zen concentration from playing baseball with his adopted father.
* [[Inside a Computer System]]: Alfie drops John and Novikova inside a video game complete with [[Chiptune|horrible 8-bit music]], [[Goomba Stomp|Goomba Stomping]], and secret [[Warp Zone|Warp Zones]].
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* [[Obligatory War Crime Scene]]: Several, often pushing the boundaries of the [[Comics Code]]. These include the aftermath of a mass execution of civilians, children ''hacking to death'' a wounded soldier in reprisal for said execution, and a bombing run on a field hospital.
* [[Old Master]]: Dr. Yagyu, of course.
* [[One
* [[Only One Me Allowed Right Now]]: In the ''Nth Man'' universe, it is impossible for a person to be in two places at once. {{spoiler|This causes Colonel Novikova to [[Spontaneous Human Combustion|spontaneously combust]] when she returns to the past, as she arrives at the Merrivale orphanage at the same time she's being born in Russia.}}
* [[Orphanage of Fear]]: Aside from the kind-hearted cook, Mrs. Parrish, the Merrivale orphanage is a textbook example. The Headmaster Mr. Biggot is a lazy drunkard who whips the children, skims the county payments, and spends his free time pawing at his girlfriend, Nurse Gooch. It's also implied that a child was killed at the orphanage in the past, with arson used to cover up the incident.
* [[The Plague]]: When the Soviets and the United States launch biological warheads at each other, Alfie tries to neutralize them, but turned the pathogen into a mutagenic virus instead. Infected humans eventually turn into disfigured "moots" with a taste for unaffected human flesh.
* [[Portal to
* [[Power Floats]]: Alfie floats off his bed the first time he truly activates his power, after having a conversation with his subconscious in the form of a giant animated face coming out his ceiling.
* [[Psychopathic Manchild]]: Alfie, who often twists reality to emulate his favorite comic book, television, or video game situations.
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* [[Reality Warper]]: Alfie.
* [[Shown Their Work]]: [[Larry Hama]]'s expertise with military hardware, tactics, and strategy is clearly evident in his use of jargon, names, and details. Many issues include a glossary to help readers understand the numerous terms used.
* [[Shrine to
* [[Smug Super]]: Alfie constantly alternates between casting himself as a selfless savior of humanity and gloating about being the most powerful person on Earth.
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* [[The Sociopath]]: Alfie is a textbook example: he tortures small animals, shamelessly lies and shifts the blame to others, has sudden outbursts of anger and arrogance, manipulates the gullible, and lacks any form of sympathy or empathy.
* [[Spontaneous Human Combustion]]: In the final issue, {{spoiler|Novikova starts to combust soon after she arrives in the past with John and Alfie, because [[Only One Me Allowed Right Now|she's being born at the same moment and cannot exist in two places simultaneously.]]}}
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* [[Super Empowering]]: Alfie is able to give some or all of his power to other people{{spoiler|, including corpses.}}
* [[Super Senses]]: Part of John and Dr. Yagyu's ninja repertoire.
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* [[Super Weight]]
* [[Utopia Justifies the Means]]: Alfie believes this justifies everything he does.
* [[War Is Hell]]
* [[Warrior Poet]]: John Doe, who refuses to kill without good reason and won't hesitate to ignore an order he disagrees with.
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* [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]
* [[World War III]]
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[[Category:Marvel Comics Series]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Comic Books]]
[[Category:Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja]]
[[Category:Comic
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