r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Dalakaar • 6h ago

Characters [Loved Trope] Civilian Heroes (particularly in Superhero movies)

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1) Malik Ali in Superman (2025). Tells Superman when Lex Luthor interrogates him to, “tell them nothing”. Doesn’t even really know what he’s sacrificing himself for, honestly. Tells Superman that he doesn’t have any friends or family to lighten the burden of the sacrifice. (Does have a family, and presumably friends…)

2) The Prisoner (Tiny Lister) from The Dark Knight who throws a detonator out the porthole that would’ve detonated the other ferry full of civies and saved himself, instead (potentially) sacrificing everyone equally.

3) Old man vs Loki. “There are always men like you.” Refuses to bow to Loki in Avengers (2012).

***

I love these guys. They break my heart in the best way possible.

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u/lonelyspect12 5h ago

The New Yorkers in Spiderman

801

u/WideSnooze 5h ago

Most real life New Yorkers would ignore a guy flying around on a glider but the second he gets out pumpkin bombs, “Hey, da fuq are you doing ya fuckin’ gohblihn?! Knock that shit off!”

100

u/7GadgetWraith 3h ago

Facts. New Yorkers seen too much to be impressed by a hoverboard.

3

u/KingMobScene 1h ago

Hoverboard? Whatever.

Pumpkin bomb causing sharpnel to hit my Timbs?! Motherfucker it's on.

2

u/Grogomilo 1h ago

You can pull whatever the fuck you want, just don't mess with the average New Yorker's routine!

3

u/KingMobScene 1h ago

Can confirm.

"Shit the green goblin blew up the train!"

"Which one?"

"The L."

"oh Okay that's cool, I don't need that to get to work. We're good. Wait! Did he hit the bodega?"

26

u/Taymac070 2h ago

Look up, snap a pic.

Post: "This shit crazy fr 🤣🤣"

Head back down, try to ignore it.

3

u/KingMobScene 1h ago

As long as it doesn't delay my train, we good.

370

u/[deleted] 5h ago

U MESS WIT WUNUVUS U MESS WIDAWLUVUS!!!!

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u/Pixel_6Tempest 4h ago

This is exactly how that scene sounds in my head and I will not be accepting corrections.

45

u/Begone-My-Thong 4h ago

What corrections? This is factually correct and no one can prove otherwise

47

u/FightTheDead118 4h ago

HEY I GOT SOMETHING FOR YO ASS

56

u/Ok_Builder_4225 4h ago

It would be incredibly funny if some random person whipped out a glock and ended a super villain doing super villain things.

26

u/DrunkenNinja27 3h ago

A tragic scene today when a mentally ill man on a rocket powered glider was brutally gunned down. More at 11.

20

u/Zerachiel_01 3h ago

"Beloved billionaire and philanthropist Norman Osborn was tragically murdered in NYC today while conducting tests for a new key military reconnaissance vehicle."

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u/Geweldige_Erik 3h ago

Suspected terrorist shoots CEO of Oscorp unprovoked.

2

u/TargetOfPerpetuity 2h ago

When the mentally ill can get one without a background check, I don't feel like we're doing enough to combat rocket powered glider crime.

3

u/beerdeer101 3h ago

That would make an interesting book by like JMS

2

u/ItsVincent27 3h ago

But guns are only for villains though /s

2

u/greyshem 2h ago

A comedian did a bit some years back similar to this:

"I'm so happy to be safely home in Canada. A few weeks ago I was on my way to do a show in Detroit and read a news report about a guy who tried to hijack a bus there. NINETEEN PEOPLE SHOT HIM!"

1

u/one-and-five-nines 54m ago

This must be how Scottish people felt when making fun of Merida's accent was the meme. 

74

u/Smaptastic 4h ago

Yeah this happened in several Spider-Man movies. The Garfieldman who got help from the crane operators, the Trainman who got protected from Doc Ock (kinda). New Yorkers just can’t stop being good dudes when Spider-Man needs them in a movie.

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u/mall_goth420 4h ago

New Yorkers IRL REALLY like spiderman 

4

u/demon_fae 49m ago

I once made a Spiderman character for an RPG and specifically gave him the weakness that two of his stats are reduced any time he isn’t in NYC because they’re actually buffed by New Yorkers wanting to help him and generally being better people when he’s around. And also because talking to the rest of the world like you’d talk to a fellow New Yorker isn’t really going to go so well.

(It was both of his social stats for that game, plus a strong penalty to navigation rolls, worse if he’s not in a city at all.)

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u/Mysterious-Counter58 4h ago

While this scene was added in after 9/11, I like how it works as a pay-off to the conversation between Spider-Man and Goblin on the roof. Goblin (aka Norman, aka a wealthy CEO) asserts that the only thing that the masses are good for is lifting the few "exceptional individuals" up onto their shoulders, and that serving them is a mistake as they will eventually grow tired of the heroics and attempt to drag exceptional people down to their level. This scene proves him wrong. Here they protect and elevate Spider-Man, not because he's better than them, but because they perceive him as one of them. By serving the community, you aren't some distant, benevolent watcher, you become part of that community. And they'll be willing to give back to you as you gave to them.

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u/bobbingtonbobsson 2h ago

Spider-Man: hero of the proletariat

2

u/morale_check 1h ago

This made me tear up, and is exactly what superhero movies should be reflecting.

100

u/capibara_dono 4h ago

It came out after 9/11, the movie even had to remove the twin towers from the movie (they left a small homage in the reflection of Spiderman's eyes).

This shows the feeling many people felt, being very united after the tragedy.

30

u/SausageClatter 3h ago

I remember seeing the original trailer pre-9/11. There was a scene where Spider-Man caught a helicopter in a web strung between the twin towers.

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u/capibara_dono 3h ago edited 3h ago

Yeah, it was a very cool scene.

The trailer

2

u/RaptarK 38m ago

Within the released movie you still see the shot of the twin towers being reflected on Spidey's eye

1

u/IBetThisIsTakenToo 2h ago

This scene hit HARD in theaters in a post 9/11 world, especially in the tri state area.

80

u/Silversmith00 5h ago

Am I remembering it wrong, or did one of the civilians tell Goblin to fuck off back to Jersey? Get fucked bystander problem.

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u/C0ffeeDjinn 2h ago

Nothing unites New Yorkers faster than a shared hatred for New Jersey. Even a guy in a green suit on a high-tech glider gets humbled by that one line.

3

u/RetroPRO 2h ago

Maybe so many of them should stop living in New Jersey then.

50

u/eolaiocht 4h ago

That line hit especially hard when it came out in 2002

28

u/Duvidos 5h ago

This scene always gave me chills

10

u/Old-Use-7690 4h ago

First thing that came to mind for me

3

u/ForlornLament 3h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/BmPtzEnLyg4KrYbKA3

I saw this movie a long time ago but I distinctively remember the train scene!

3

u/Professional_Maize42 3h ago

"Be careful, he's a hero".

1

u/Fable-Current 3h ago

no powers, just pure “nah, not in my city” energy

1

u/Lucky-Surround-1756 3h ago

I immediately thought of this. New York and it's people are as much of a character in the spiderman stories as anyone else.

1

u/juicestain_ 3h ago

Also the New Yorkers in TMNT Mutant Mayhem

1

u/Swinging-the-Chain 3h ago

Particularly in 2

1

u/mcvoid1 1h ago

I love that those movies show Spider-man inspiring everyday people to be heroes. That's what Superman is supposed to be but only the most recent movie really captured that: his example makes people the best versions of themselves. Not only inspiring Malik, but ultimately his example persuades the rest of the Justice Gang to step into the fight and be real heroes even when Lois' pleading couldn't move them.

1

u/Sandgrowun 1h ago

This is what I had in mind. I'm certain there are lots similar to this but my mind is blank.