Wham! Line/Comic Books

The final line of chapter 11 of Watchmen.

Veidt: "Do it?" Dan, I'm not a Republic serial villain. Did you seriously think I'd explain my masterstroke if there was the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome? I did it thirty-five minutes ago.

- Also while Nite Owl and Rorschach are looking through Ozymandias' office for clues about who might be targeting heroes, having been unable to speak with Ozymandias themselves.

Nite Owl: Rorschach, I think we're in bad trouble. The person behind this, the person we're up against... I think it's Adrian.

One Hundred Bullets #91: "Rothstein is dead. The connection is cut. No more attaches, no more Revenge, no more hundred bullets. Graves' game is over."
Cerebus: "Something fell..." The second time this line is spoken, you experience the author's schizoid break. Wham.
Transmetropolitan: One percent.
Blackest Night: Thaal Sinestro of Korugar. Destiny awaits.
Planetary: I'm the Fourth Man.
House of M: "No more mutants."
Punisher: Born: "YES."
The Amazing Spider-Man # 248, "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man." "You see, Tim has leukemia and the doctors give him only a few weeks to live."
- Another Spider-Man example with a huge impact on the entire mythos and which comes as a revelation not just to the readers, but to the protagonist as well, from The Amazing Spider-Man #257:

Mary Jane: You don't have to make up another one of your phony excuses, Peter! Not now--! I know the truth! The real truth!

Peter: What are you talking about?

Mary Jane: I've known your secret for years! Up until now, I've always thought I could cope with it if I ever had to experience it firsthand -- but I can't! I can't! I just can't cope with the fact that Peter Parker is secretly Spider-Man!

Batman The Long Halloween: "I am Holiday."
X-Men #300

Fabian Cortez: "How could I possibly lose the points for Magnus's death, unless…?" (eyes widen) "NOOO!"

The first issue of the Joss Whedon run on Astonishing X-Men closes on a lecture that doesn't sound anything we haven't heard before, and then the last line turns it around completely: "They've been called angels and devils...they've committed atrocities, and been victim to atrocities themselves. They've been labeled monsters, and not without reason. But I will tell you what mutants are. Mutants are people. No better or worse by nature than anybody else. Just people. People with a disease. Mutants are not the next stage in human evolution. They are not the end of mankind. The mutant gene is nothing more than a disease. A corruption of healthy cellular activity. And now at last...we have found a cure."
- A fairly mild example, as the announcement made in the final line was not something X-Men readers had not seen before, e. g. during the Kelly/Seagle run.
A few in Jack Chick's tracts:
- The Letter: "Mildred... didn't you hear? Saturday night Frances and Paul's car skidded in the rain and they hit a tree. John's still alive but Frances died instantly."
- Baby Talk: "She's not there. Thelma took her to the clinic. They left an hour ago."
- The Trial: "When Annie told me I should ask Jesus into my heart, I did!"
Scott Pilgrim has two in book 5:

Knives: He cheated on us, Ramona. Both of us.

- And later:

Ramona: (to Scott) Good job. Great. You actually made me think that you were a decent person. But you're just another evil ex waiting to happen, aren't you?

- In book 6, when Scott talks to Kim about the past, and she reveals that he's only been a hero in his own mind, and is in fact a huge asshole:

Kim: Simon? The guy from high school? You beat the crap out of him and said we should date. He was 5 feet tall and didn't stand a chance.

Preacher: Mom?
- "Herr Starr? Your time is up, Herr Starr."
Batman and Robin #12: "They're all jokes."
The Sandman: "He's going to have to kill her."
- "I've quit."
War of the Green Lanterns: "Thaal Sinestro of Korugar. You have the ability to overcome great fear. You have been chosen. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps."
Suicide Squad: "Frank Rock died in 1945."
- This one's especially painful. It was supposed to kick off a new story arc, but the series was cancelled prematurely, which caused it to be the last line in the series.
Flashpoint: "What did I do? Oh, Barry. My idol. My inspiration. That's the beauty of all this madness. I didn't do anything. Not a thing. You see, it turns out... You're the villain today."
Marvel 2099: "Thor is dead. I know. I was there."
Incredible Hulk #600: "The Good Doctor is out. The Bad Doctor is in."
Animal Man #15: "I can see you!"
Punishermax: "I want a divorce."
The last page of Ex Machina #1: "If I were a real hero, I would've been in time to stop the first plane."
X-Men's Messiah Complex is practically built on this.

Lady Deathstrike: "Come to me, children. Come to Deathstrike."

Wolverine: "Negative. The Marauders don't have the baby. One of our side has her. An X-Man took her from Cooperstown."

Cyclops: "Charles, you trained me, Let me do my job."

Future Mutant: "Yeah. You'll live. Leastways...until something else kills you." Full page showing Cable shot and Bishop aiming at the mutant baby.

Mystique: "I've always been good with children."

Rockslide: "We deserve a piece of the ac--...tion? I take it back."

Oh god, Runaways.

Alex: "I just have to do one thing first."

Karolina: "What's that?"

Alex: "Tell you how sorry I am. Really."

- The end of the "Parental Guidance" storyline.

Xavin: "Chase... ran away. I believe he had a disagreemant with Nico about what to do with Gert's body."

The Dark Knight Strikes Again

Batman: [to the New Joker]] So... it's you. I changed the abort code the night I fired you... Dick Grayson.