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Heroism isn't a requirement for every character. Figures like the Joker and Scarface have demonstrated that audiences are captivated by their favorite personalities engaging in morally questionable actions. However, some characters attempt to follow this antihero trend, with ostensibly good individuals committing awful deeds, often without the writer realizing the implications.
10. Tintin Leaves a Trail of Animal Casualties
Tintin, a young reporter for a prominent newspaper, is celebrated for his bravery and kind-hearted nature today. However, in his early adventures, he was notorious for indiscriminately killing every creature he encountered.
Released in 1931, Tintin in the Congo is now primarily remembered for its outdated racial depictions. Yet, the book also includes a storyline where Tintin embarks on a big-game hunting spree. His approach is anything but conventional. In one notorious scene, he drills a hole into a rhino’s back, fills it with dynamite, and obliterates the animal. In another, he ruthlessly shoots down an entire herd of antelope, leaving a field of lifeless bodies in his wake.
Perhaps the most shocking moment occurs when a chimpanzee kidnaps his loyal dog, Snowy. Instead of simply shooting the culprit, Tintin kills another chimp, wears its skin, and uses the fresh carcass as a disguise. After gaining the kidnapper’s trust with his gruesome outfit, he rescues Snowy, but not without contributing significantly to the Congo’s declining animal population.
9. Supergirl Exploits a Young Girl for Frivolous Purposes
Introduced in the 1950s as part of the Superman universe, Supergirl was designed to embody the same ideals as her renowned cousin. However, shortly after her first appearance in Action Comics #252, her character shifted toward nonsensical storylines. In Action Comics #257, the narrative centers on her deceiving a child to persuade a group of orphans that she’s their fairy godmother.
As part of her secret identity, Supergirl worked at an orphanage. One day, she decides to entertain the children by dressing up as their fairy godmother. Tommy, one of the orphans, sees through her disguise and tries to expose her by making absurd requests. Instead of addressing Tommy’s behavior, Supergirl uses her powers to validate her fairy persona, leading to a series of chaotic events.
Tommy challenges Supergirl to make Peggy, the “plainest girl,” appear beautiful in the mirror, mocking the idea as impossible. Rather than encouraging Peggy to embrace her natural self, Supergirl blinds everyone in the room, retrieves a photo of Peggy’s attractive mother, and tricks Peggy into believing it’s her future reflection, relying on her not to recognize the image.
Supergirl proceeds to grant the next absurd wish by launching an unsuspecting horse into the sky.
8. Mickey Mouse Assaults a Gay Man
As the face of one of the world’s largest corporations, Mickey Mouse’s creators must ensure the cheerful rodent doesn’t upset anyone. However, decades ago, this directive had a very different interpretation compared to today’s standards.
In a 1930s comic strip, Mickey hears about a local bully named Mr. Nipp. Intrigued, he visits Nipp’s cottage and encounters a massive, muscular cat. Terrified, Mickey asks if the cat is the notorious tough guy, to which the cat responds with a flamboyant “whoops, no!” and an exaggerated gesture. Mickey then proceeds to physically attack him, mocking him as a “cream-puff inhaler!”
While this seems bizarre today, it reflected a broader trend in comics during that era. The 1930s Pansy Craze in New York brought significant media attention to gay men, often portrayed negatively. Like many other comics of the time, Mickey Mouse addressed these societal issues, albeit through violent means.
7. The Doctor Psychologically Torments His Companion
Since its debut in 1963, Doctor Who has featured 12 actors portraying the Doctor, a shape-shifting alien who travels through time. Among these, the seventh Doctor, played by Sylvester McCoy from 1987 to 1996, stands out as the darkest. For two entire seasons, he subjected his companion, Ace, to relentless emotional manipulation.
Ace, a rebellious teenager with a troubled past, was introduced with deep-seated fears and unresolved issues. The Doctor exploited these vulnerabilities repeatedly. Upon learning of her fear of clowns, he transported her to a planet overrun by murderous ones. Discovering her childhood trauma in an old house, he took her back in time to face the very monster that haunted her. When Ace expressed disdain for her mother, the Doctor orchestrated a meeting with her younger self.
This pattern of abuse culminated in the 1989 episode “Curse of Fenric,” where the Doctor deceived Ace into believing she was emotionally broken and that he had been using her solely for his own purposes. Though this was a strategic lie to defeat the antagonist, it left Ace emotionally shattered.
6. Doc Brown Endangers Everyone’s Lives
With his iconic white hair and eccentric pet dog named Einstein, Doc Brown from Back to the Future is a character who’s hard to dislike. However, his actions make a strong case for why we should. Despite being a scientist, Doc shows a shocking disregard for the safety of those around him.
In the first film, one of his initial acts is to involve Einstein in a perilous experiment. After constructing his time-traveling DeLorean, Doc uses it to send Einstein one minute into the future. While this moment is dramatic, it overlooks the fact that the nuclear-powered machine had never been tested before, potentially exposing Einstein to horrific consequences.
Additionally, the plutonium powering this hazardous device was obtained from Libyan terrorists in exchange for a bomb Doc designed to fail. This decision leads to an invasion of Hill Valley by heavily armed terrorists, a threat that’s conveniently ignored by the film’s conclusion. Collectively, Doc’s recklessness could have resulted in the deaths of himself, Einstein, Marty, and any innocent bystanders during the terrorists’ rampage. It’s no surprise some viewers see Doc as the true antagonist.
5. Swamp Thing Hijacks His Friend’s Body for Sexual Mischief
Swamp Thing, a plant-human hybrid (or an elemental deity, depending on the storyline), isn’t known for his conventional appearance or biological compatibility with humans. When he and his lover, Abigail Holland, decide to have a child, their options are limited. Instead of considering adoption, Swamp Thing hijacks John Constantine’s body to impregnate Abby.
Constantine awakens to find himself forcibly ejected from his own body. Investigating further, he catches Swamp Thing shamelessly using his form to engage in intimate relations with Abby. While the idea had been discussed earlier as a way for Swamp Thing to father a child, the comic emphasizes that Constantine’s consent was never obtained. To make matters worse, Constantine is left vulnerable to malevolent entities while Swamp Thing indulges in his personal agenda.
4. The Ghostbusters Carry Out Genocide
After the massive success of their movie, the Ghostbusters were adapted into an animated series. While the show was generally a toned-down version of the film’s chaos, it surpassed its predecessor in one disturbing aspect: the Ghostbusters’ actions bordered on mass murder.
In the Ghostbusters universe, death doesn’t mean the end of consciousness. Souls linger, offering a form of immortality. However, this changes when Mee-Krah, a ghost-devouring demon, emerges in the show’s fourth season. Mee-Krah slaughters so many spirits that ghosts flock to the Ghostbusters’ headquarters seeking protection. Instead of helping them, the Ghostbusters sacrifice these terrified souls to the demon.
To protect New York from Mee-Krah, the Ghostbusters lure the demon out to sea by leaving a trail of ghosts for him to consume. They then release 1,612 spirits into his mouth at once, killing him—either due to indigestion or poor writing. While New York is saved, the immense suffering of the ghosts consumed by Mee-Krah is never addressed.
3. Every Character in Thomas the Tank Engine Is a Sociopath
Thomas the Tank Engine, a seemingly calm children’s show about talking trains, is often regarded by parents as one of the most tedious programs they’ve endured. However, this placid exterior hides a darker truth: every character in the series is a heartless sociopath who revels in mocking others’ misfortunes.
In one episode of Thomas and Friends, James, the red train, requires a fresh coat of paint. After only the undercoat is applied, he’s abruptly called to work, leaving him bright pink instead of red. The other characters mercilessly ridicule him, with Diesel even calling him a pansy. In another episode, Gordon, a proud train, derails and lands in a muddy ditch. Instead of helping him, the other trains gather to mock him, driving Gordon to tears of shame.
These examples are relatively mild. In more intense episodes, the characters’ actions escalate from emotional cruelty to outright sadism. For instance, Henry is sealed inside a tunnel for months, the ambitious bus is crushed under a bridge and turned into a henhouse, and the Troublesome Truck is ripped apart during a struggle with a train. Despite being a supposedly gentle children’s show, the average Thomas episode contains more brutality and cruelty than three seasons of Game of Thrones.
2. Superman Is a Terrible Boyfriend
One of the Internet’s favorite hobbies is using out-of-context images of Superman to portray him as a villain. While many examples of “Superdickery” can be clarified by reading the full story, some have no justification. Most of these involve his treatment of Lois Lane.
In a Silver Age comic, Lois expresses concern about aging. When she and Superman visit a scientist who has developed an anti-aging ray, Lois eagerly wants to try it. To teach her a lesson about vanity, Superman sets the ray to transform Lois into a baby. He then embarrasses her by bottle-feeding baby Lois in front of her rival, Lana Lang, while teasing, “Drink up, baby . . . or papa spank!”
This isn’t the only instance of Superman treating their relationship like a cruel game. In another story, he deceives Lois into believing she’d traded her soul to the devil to marry him. On another occasion, he secretly uses a weight-gain ray on her, making her gain weight, and spends the entire issue mocking her appearance. This wasn’t part of any larger scheme; Superman simply enjoys emotionally tormenting his partners.
1. Donald Duck Turned Into a Nazi
By 1943, World War II was intensifying, and everyone was contributing to the effort. Comics depicted Superman endorsing inter-ethnic violence, while studios churned out propaganda films at a rapid pace. This fast-paced production sometimes led to bizarre storytelling decisions, such as the Disney film that portrayed Donald Duck as a fervent Nazi.
Titled Der Fuehrer’s Face, this Oscar-winning short is set in a Germany dominated by a strange mix of stereotypes. Donald, a lowly factory worker, spends the film assembling artillery shells, reading Mein Kampf, and shouting “heil Hitler!” At one point, he even morphs into a giant swastika.
The film, showcasing Donald Duck marching in goose-step and saluting Hitler’s image, was designed as a satirical take on the collapsing Nazi regime. Only at the conclusion does Donald awaken to realize he’s still an American citizen—a revelation he joyfully celebrates by kissing the Statue of Liberty, all while dressed in Stars and Stripes pajamas.
