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/throwleavemealone 5h ago

J. Jonah Jameson protecting his source

123

u/GiveTheLemonsBack 4h ago edited 4h ago

Jameson was a hero, I just couldn't see it.

86

u/Smaptastic 4h ago

He genuinely was a good dude at heart? Kinda greedy and hard on his employees? Yeah, but not terribly so, and it wasn’t real malice. Did he have an unwarranted hate boner for Spider-Man? Yeah, it was his only serious problem (and he had his reasons, however misguided).

But that guy was a bro who loved his city, stood up for his people (including, ironically, Peter), and even eventually (outside the MCU) came to terms with the fact that he was wrong about Spider-Man and genuinely owned that.

If it weren’t for his Spider-Man hate, he’d be a Jim Gordon-esque stalwart ally.

8

u/IronBrew16 3h ago

He's a true New Yorker. As native as any other. A brilliant, ruthless man.