Stories So Iconic They Become Shorthand

[Mister Mets]

There was a conversation about film where a sequel was described as The Empire Strikes Back of the series (It may have been Across the Spider-Verse, which is fair) which got me thinking about what movies could be readily understood taglines. If you were to say a franchise is getting its The Dark Knight, it suggests that a major villain will push the hero to his/ her limits. And that got me thinking about comic book stories so iconic that you could apply the premise to other heroes.

If you were to say a story is the franchise's version of the Dark Phoenix saga, we'd figure a hero in an ensemble gained immense power and became a bad guy. The franchise's version of the Night Gwen Stacy Died would be a tragic loss. A franchise's version of Born Again features a protagonist pushed to the limit.

What are the other stories so iconic you could apply the premise to something else?

[JT221]

There was a conversation about film where a sequel was described as The Empire Strikes Back of the series (It may have been Across the Spider-Verse, which is fair) which got me thinking about what movies could be readily understood taglines. If you were to say a franchise is getting its The Dark Knight, it suggests that a major villain will push the hero to his/ her limits. And that got me thinking about comic book stories so iconic that you could apply the premise to other heroes.

If you were to say a story is the franchise's version of the Dark Phoenix saga, we'd figure a hero in an ensemble gained immense power and became a bad guy. The franchise's version of the Night Gwen Stacy Died would be a tragic loss. A franchise's version of Born Again features a protagonist pushed to the limit.

What are the other stories so iconic you could apply the premise to something else?

That's actually hard to answer for me. I tend to think of characters becoming iconic more than stories. When you mention a master detective, Sherlock Holmes is the model to follow. For a spy/assassin, it has become James Bond.

But comics...well, Fantastic Four 1-100, which really established the idea of the superhero with real world troubles.

[bob.schoonover]

The Dark Knight Returns treatment (which was more or less how Spider-man: Reign was initially marketed) would be the "old, grizzled version of the character on a last ride"

[Johnny Thunders!]

I have 3 Superman/Superboy stories. “The Boy of Steel vs the Thing of Steel”, this is the first Bizarro story, and “The Super Duel in Space”, the first Braniac story, both Bizarro and Braniac have become adjectives. I would also add the “Death of Ferro Lad.” I feel like those stories have become part of the invisible vocabulary of comic book storytelling. They are so influential and have been told over and over again. I once read that the Beatles are so influential they are like sunshine. You see it everywhere and have forever so you take it for granted.

[babyblob]

How about The Green Lantern issue where his girlfriend gets killed and put in the fridge. Now pretty much every time a love interest or female character dies people call it fridging them.

[JT221]

How about The Green Lantern issue where his girlfriend gets killed and put in the fridge. Now pretty much every time a love interest or female character dies people call it fridging them.

I'd buy that, though I find it an unfortunate development in how people describe stories.

[Mister Mets]

How about The Green Lantern issue where his girlfriend gets killed and put in the fridge. Now pretty much every time a love interest or female character dies people call it fridging them.

That's a bad kind of iconic, but sure.

That's actually hard to answer for me. I tend to think of characters becoming iconic more than stories. When you mention a master detective, Sherlock Holmes is the model to follow. For a spy/assassin, it has become James Bond.

But comics...well, Fantastic Four 1-100, which really established the idea of the superhero with real world troubles.

The Lee/ Kirby Fantastic Four run is its own shorthand.

Though there are still iconic stories within the run like the Galactus saga, "This Man, This Monster" (I cheat when listing my favorite comic books by combining the two into one story) and "A Blind Man Shall Lead Them"

[Chubistian]

Similar to Dark Phoenix, but Judas Contract, when someone in the team is a double agent

[Johnny Thunders!]

In honor of Across the Spiderverse, “Flash of Two Worlds”, the first JLA JSA crossover, “Crisis on Earth One”, and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”. For Marvel, “Days of Future Past” and “Spider-Man No More!”

[Alan2099]

A Crisis (or Crisis on Infinite Earths) is a big event meant to change continuity forever.

The the books are doing an Age of Apocalypse (or Age or whoever) then we're going to get a story set in an alternate worst case scenario earth where (bad guy) has taken over.

If the main hero is missing or incapacitated and several other characters take up the heroes identity then it's a Reign of the (Supermen).

If it's a possible future that's shown to be absolutely horrible and somebody has to go back in time a change it, then you're doing a Days of Future Past.

[ARkadelphia]

When you resort to mystery box storytelling and introduce a new character who only exists to steal away the protagonist’s love interest, you are Pulling a Paul

[Alan2099]

When you resort to mystery box storytelling and introduce a new character who only exists to steal away the protagonist’s love interest, you are Pulling a Paul

There's a whole section of this forum for that kind of thing. Don't bring that here.

[CaptainEurope]

Clone Saga?

[JT221]

Clone Saga?

Maybe, though not in a good way for many, I would imagine.

You did remind me of the Master Planner arc in Spider-Man, though. That's a pretty iconic story about the hero overcoming overwhelming odds.

[Chubistian]

Green Goblin unmasked: an archenemy revealed as someone linked to the hero's alter ego

Norman or Harry Osborn (or the Osborn twins)

Ned Leeds/Robert Kingsley

The Vulture, in the movies

And those are just a few examples of Spider-Man