History AdaptationalBadass / ComicBooks

* In ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'', Jedi librarian [[Film/AttackOfTheClones Jocasta Nu]] was easily killed by Darth Vader during [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith Operation Knightfall]] as shown in ''ComicBook/StarWarsPurge''. However in its post-ContinuityReboot SpiritualSuccessor ''ComicBook/DarthVaderDarkLordOfTheSith'', she's upgraded to a BadassBookworm and manages to hold her own against him through several issues before ultimately meeting a similar fate.

* ''ComicBook/SecretWarps: [[WorldOfBadass Everyone]]. InUniverse. Each CompositeCharacter has the combined powers of whichever characters were merged to create them.

* ''ComicBook/DCComicsBombshells'':
** In the prime DC universe, Frankie Charles was simply Barbara Gordon's roommate who helped her out as Babs' own personal Oracle. Here, she's a West Point graduate with the rank of second lieutenant, the leader of this universe's ComicBook/SuicideSquad, and an AdventureArchaeologist who's pretty handy with her SwordCane. And yes, Sword ''Cane'' because she's all of the above roles despite ''[[HandicappedBadass having polio since she was]]'' '''[[HandicappedBadass eight]]'''.
** Dawnstar was originally a member of the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes who only had the powers of flight and flawless navigational abilities. Here, she's able to construct entities from stardust, see all of the lifetimes of her alternate selves, and invoke {{Heel Realization}}s in others by showing them the paths they could've taken and how they can be better than they are right now, which she uses to help ''prevent the mass internment of Japanese-American citizens''.

* ''ComicBook/DCBombshells'':

* WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck took a level in badass back in the 60's in the Italian Disney comics, when he stumbled upon the suit and equipment of an old-time gentleman thief/vigilante, and used it to create his own secret identity of Paperinik. At first he just used it to get even with Uncle Scrooge and other people who crossed him, but pretty soon he started working as a superhero, keeping the streets of Duckburg safe at night. Then he took another level when he got his own series and was suddenly fighting alien invasions, mad scientists, and major disasters on a regular basis in ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures''.

* ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'':
** The [[TheBigBadWolf talking wolf]] of Literature/RedRidingHood becomes a reformed half-god terror, Literature/SnowWhite is a master strategist and diplomat, Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin is a psychotic ally to an EldritchAbomination, and [[spoiler:a kindly woodworker is the puppeteer of a multi-planetary empire]]. In their case they got hit with the good side of ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve; because many humans remember and tell their story they get more powerful.
** [[Literature/TheJungleBook Mowgli]] is an international spy who can fight wolves with his bare hands and win. In this case, though, his awesomeness compared to the original may be mostly due to the fact that we're seeing a grown-up version.
* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
** Sonic himself gets a lot of this in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Archie comics]] compared to the games. While the blue blur has always been a powerhouse, in the games Sonic’s SuperSpeed has definite limits (being unable to outrun a black hole in ''VideoGame/SonicColours'') and he’s often rivalled by Knuckles, Shadow and [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter especially]] Metal Sonic. Archie Sonic on the other hand is closer to ComicBook/TheFlash being able to: vibrate his body allowing him to become {{intangib|ility}}le, create tornadoes, go invisible and causally move in an attosecond. Then there’s Archie Sonic’s SuperMode which thanks to Chaos Magic lets him [[RealityWarper manipulate matter, change reality, rewind time, resurrect the dead and make wishes]]; none of which Super Sonic can do in the games.
** Antoine D'Coolette of ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' series. In the ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' series, he was a CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey who tend to let out a GirlyScream now and then and was pretty much TheLoad. This changed when issue 46 came out and he ended up dating {{Cyborg}} Bunnie Rabbot. By this point, he started growing braver and braver, becoming a competent swordsman, being tough enough to survive over a year in an AlternateUniverse, slugging Evil Sonic unknowingly at one point and impressing his dying father enough that he gave his blessings for him and Bunnie to be married. Then he goes and [[spoiler:nearly gets killed saving Prince Elias and his family]].
** In [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog the games]], Amy has always been a fairly realistic character for her age. You don't expect her to be badass or whatnot, she's just a girl who's in love with Sonic. In ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'' however she's quite TheLancer to Sonic. She's far more lethal than any other version of her to date, and sports some ImprobableAimingSkills.

* ''ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW'': The original cartoon has Bebop and Rocksteady be completely idiotic, ineffective and useless. In this comic they are still a pair of morons, who also happen to be violent murderers (even before they are mutated), strong, and bulletproof. One issue showcases how it took a total of ten fighters with varied skills and weaponry to fight them, and they still couldn't actually defeat the duo, opting instead for slowing them down long enough to make a clean getaway.
** Krang gets hit with this as well, going from a SmugSnake who relied entirely on Shredder (and wasted no time berating him for their failures) to a deadly warlord who once killed a subordinate without any weapons and ''outside of his PoweredArmor'' for [[BerserkButton proposing that he's helpless without it]].
* ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'': Has [[AdaptationalBadass/UltimateMarvel its own page]]

* WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck took a level in badass back in the 60's in the Italian Disney comics, when he stumbled upon the suit and equipment of an old-time gentleman thief/vigilante, and used it to create his own secret identity of Paperinik. At first he just used it to get even with Uncle Scrooge and other people who crossed him, but pretty soon he started working as a superhero, keeping the streets of Duckburg safe at night. Then he took another level when he got his own series and was suddenly fighting alien invasions, mad scientists, and major disasters on a regular basis in ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures''.
* While Mercy Graves in ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'' was already a DarkActionGirl, she was also a normal, street-smart woman that Luthor picked up off the streets to make his bodyguard. When she [[CanonImmigrant immigrated]] from the Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse to the comics, she was imagined as an Amazon.

* EVERYONE in ''ComicBook/ScoobyApocalypse''. Even [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scooby]], Shaggy and [[spoiler:Scrappy Doo]] gain many levels as they try to survive this apocalypse.
* The ''ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian'' comics by different publishers gave this treatment to different characters:
** Zenobia in ''Literature/TheHourOfTheDragon'' was just a [[BeautifulSlaveGirl concubine]] that was unable to fight, but made up for it with being smart, capable and resourceful. In the Marvel-branded ''Conan the King'' comics, she is revealed to have been trained in martial arts by her father, who was a soldier that expected a boy, and displayed her skills to convince her husband to let her accompany him in his adventures when he told her to [[StayInTheKitchen stay back]].
** Natala from ''Literature/XuthalOfTheDusk'' downplays this trope; she was originally a one-dimensional, easily frightened DamselInDistress that had to be saved from the [[MurderTheHypotenuse jealous]] [[{{Yandere}} love rival]] [[FemmeFatale Thalis]] and the MonsterOfTheWeek respectively. The Dark Horse comics give her a head-strong personality and barbed tongue, on top of making her more fearless. Unlike Zenobia, she lacks any fighting skills whatsoever though.
** [[EvilSorcerer Thoth-Amon]], surprisingly enough. He spends most of the novel he appears in a vulnerable state and isn't quite an enemy to Conan, more like a VillainOfAnotherStory. The comics on the other hand make him far more dangerous, give him a more [[AdaptationalVillainy ruthless personality]] and definitely portray him as an ArchEnemy towards Conan.
* Princess Toadstool/Peach got this in ''ComicBook/SuperMarioAdventures''. The normally prim-and-proper DamselInDistress at that point in time was a tomboyish, full-on heroic asskicker on par with Mario himself. There is even a section where Mario gets kidnapped, and Toadstool has to rescue him, and she also escapes captivity on her own briefly.
* Whilst Claire, Steve and Chris were already zombie-killing badasses in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'', they upgrade into full-blown Shonen anime protagonist territory in the comic adaptation. Full-fledged GunFu antics and crazy stunts become the norm, with Chris in particular killing a Hunter with ''one punch'', beating a Bandersnatch to death with his bare hands, killing the Gulp Worm by letting himself be swallowed by it before blasting a way out with his shotgun and then tossing a grenade into the hole after himself, and riding a giant spider whilst stabbing it to death with his knife.
* ''ComicBook/StreetFighterVsDarkstalkers'' gives this treatment to Chun-Li. While Chunners has always been pretty badass in ''Street Fighter'', she is frequently [[OvershadowedByAwesome overshadowed]] by other fighters especially in later [[VideoGame/StreetFighterV games]] and [[Anime/StreetFighterIVTheTiesThatBind media]] where she’s gotten BadassDecay getting trounced by Juri or needing to be rescued from getting killed by Bison. As well as a greater emphasis from Capcom on [[{{Chickification}} her numerous outfits rather than her fighting ability]]. In ''Street Fighter Vs Darkstalkers'' conversely, Chun-Li is incredibly capable and in the absence of Ryu is the strongest individual World Warrior learning [[TheGreatestStyle powerful]] [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique forbidden]] [[KiManipulation Ki techniques]] from the ghost of her mentor Gen as a final lesson from beyond the grave, she’s able to break the heroes out of the PocketDimension they’re trapped in and later can even overpower [[PowerLevels S-Class]] Succubus Morrigan in a fight. In the games, by comparison Chun-Li isn’t nearly that powerful.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderManLovesMaryJane'': ''The Looter!'' The character is genuinely seen as one of the biggest losers in the supervillain community in the normal Marvelverse, rivaled only by Stilt-Man and Leap-Frog. Here, he's far more adept, and actually gets away from Spiderman for their first '''five''' battles.
* Oft-mocked Spidey foe the Kangaroo beats Spidey up no less than three times in a 5-page ''ComicBook/SpideySuperStories'' story, only losing because he stops to explain his origin which lets Julie bonk him on the head.
* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': Link's Uncle is more of a badass in this adaptation than in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast the original game]]''. Instead of being overrun and killed in the very first room of the dungeon, he is struck down by no less than Agahnim himself.
* Dejah Thoris in ''ComicBook/WarlordOfMars'', hands down. She gets upgraded from a PrincessClassic that got regularly kidnapped into a more proactive ActionGirl. She also had much increased focus in the comics than she does in the books, as she faded into the background in later installments after the first one.

* ''Comicbook/{{Fables}}'':

** Sonic himself gets a lot of this in the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Archie comics]] compared to the games. While the blue blur has always been a powerhouse, in the games Sonic’s SuperSpeed has definite limits (being unable to outrun a black hole in ''VideoGame/SonicColours'') and he’s often rivalled by Knuckles, Shadow and [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter especially]] Metal Sonic. Archie Sonic on the other hand is closer to ComicBook/TheFlash being able to: vibrate his body allowing him become [[{{intangibility}} intangible]], create tornadoes, go invisible and causally move in an attosecond. Then there’s Archie Sonic’s SuperMode which thanks to Chaos Magic lets him [[RealityWarper manipulate matter, change reality, rewind time, resurrect the dead and make wishes]]; none of which Super Sonic can do in the games.
** Antoine D'Coolette of ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' series. In the ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'' series, he was a CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey who tend to let out a GirlyScream now and then and was pretty much TheLoad. This changed when issue 46 came out and he ended up dating {{Cyborg}} Bunnie Rabbot. By this point, he started growing braver and braver, becoming a competent swordsman, being tough enough to survive over a year in an AlternateUniverse, slugging Evil Sonic unknowingly at one point and impressing his dying father enough that he gave his blessings for him and Bunnie to be married. Then he goes and [[spoiler:nearly gets killed saving Prince Elias and his family]].
** In [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog the games]], Amy has always been a fairly realistic character for her age. You don't expect her to be badass or whatnot, she's just a girl who's in love with Sonic. In ''Comicbook/SonicTheComic'' however she's quite TheLancer to Sonic. She's far more lethal than any other version of her to date, and sports some ImprobableAimingSkills.

* ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'':
** ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'':
*** [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Willie Lumpkin]] went from a senior citizen mailman in the main Franchise/MarvelUniverse to a ColonelBadass.
*** ComicBook/DoctorDoom is shown gaining superpowers in [[AdaptationalOriginConnection the same accident that created the Four]] rather than using PoweredArmor against them.
*** The Ultimate version of Reed Richards' powers of elasticity are much more versatile compared to his original counterpart. Examples include stretching his eye lenses temporarily so he doesn't need glasses, stretching his brain to make problem solving easier, being able to breathe in the N-Zone where the air was acid because he had no lungs, no longer requiring food, drink or even sleep and being able to split himself into separate beings. [[spoiler: These abilities make him very dangerous when he becomes the villain known as the Maker. He's been shown durable enough to survive a nova blast from Johnny and having his brain blown up by Sue.]]
*** Unlike his comic counterpart who is often portrayed as weaker than the Hulk, Ultimate Ben Grimm is stronger than his universe's Hulk[[note]]Though this Hulk isn't as strong as his 616 counterpart[[/note]]. It is stated that the only ones in the Ultimate Universe physically stronger than Ben are Ultimate Thor and Ultimate Namor. [[spoiler: Eventually he is able to change back to human form and gains the ability become a being of purple energy than can walk through Sue's force fields.]]
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'':
*** The Green Goblin is shown to be much stronger than his 616 counterpart, being a hulking monster as well as pyrokinetic instead of using pumpkin bombs. [[spoiler:The same goes for the Hobgoblin.]]
*** Dr. Octopus is shown having similar powers to Magneto, being able to control any metal.
*** Subverted with ComicBook/{{Mysterio}} as [[spoiler:''ComicBook/SpiderMen'' revealed "Ultimate!Mysterio" was only a series of robotic avatars 616!Mysterio used to operate in the Ultimate Universe, with the combination of dealing with less-experienced heroes and no one knowing who he is enabling him to take bigger chances than he would on Earth-616.]]
** ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'':
*** While ComicBook/KittyPryde lacks [[AdaptationalDumbass her mainstream counterpart's computer skills]], she has used her abilities to make herself denser so she has superhuman strength and durability.
*** Magda is not just a helpless victim of Magneto, but a resourceful spy.
*** The Phoenix is a top-tier cosmic entity in Marvel, but here it's got a few extra powers, like being able to actually resurrect the dead, and rewrite reality.
*** Toad has a prehensile tongue, and he can actually give a fight to the X-Men. This was similar to the changes done to the character in the contemporary ''X-Men'' film.
*** Multiple Man. His use in ''Ultimatum'' (both the X-Men tie-in and the event itself) shows exactly how dangerous a man who can make an unending number of copies can be in the right (or, in this case, ''wrong'') hands.
** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates''
*** Captain America. While his mainstream counterpart always skirts the line between Peak Human and then some, Ultimate Cap is an outright superhuman, strong enough to stalemate Spider-Man and give the ''Hulk'' a good fight.
*** The original Hawkeye has absolutely no powers, and his ImprobableAimingSkills are the result of training. Ultimate Hawkeye has enhanced vision.

*** Wheelie goes from the the robot equivalent of a ten-year-old with a slingshot to a skilled tracker, marksman, and survivalist. (Though this is closer to what his [[ActionFigureFileCard Tech Specs]] suggested he should have been in the first place, "a barbaric little savage who managed to stay alive by cunning, stealth, and fearlessness")

** The talking wolf of Literature/RedRidingHood becomes a reformed half-god terror, Literature/SnowWhite is a master strategist and diplomat, Literature/ThePiedPiperOfHamelin is a psychotic ally to an EldritchAbomination, and [[spoiler:a kindly woodworker is the puppeteer of a multi-planetary empire]]. In their case they got hit with the good side of ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve; because many humans remember and tell their story they get more powerful.

* Dejah Thoris i ''ComicBook/WarlordOfMars'', hands down. She gets upgraded from a PrincessClassic that got regularly kidnapped into a more proactive ActionGirl. She also had much increased focus in the comics than she does in the books, as she faded into the background in later installments after the first one.

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': Link's Uncle is more of a badass in this adaptation than in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast the original game]]''. Instead of being overrun and killed in the very first room of the dungeon, he is struck down by no less than Agahnim himself.

*** ComicBook/DoctorDoom is shown gaining superpowers in the [[AdaptationalOriginConnection the same accident that created the Four]] rather than using PoweredArmor against them.

* Oft-mocked Spidey foe the Kangaroo beats Spidey up no less than three times in a 5-page ''ComicBook/SpideySuperStories'' story, only losing because he stops to explain his origin which lets Julie bonk him on the head.

*** The Ultimate version of Reed Richards' powers of elasticity are much more versatile compared to his original counterpart. Examples include stretching his eye lenses temporarily so he doesn't need glasses, stretching his brain so make problem solving easier, being able to breathe in the N-Zone where the air was acid because he had no lungs, no longer requires food, drink or even sleep and can split himself into separate beings. [[spoiler: These abilities make him very dangerous when he becomes the villain known as the Maker. He's been shown durable enough to survive a nova blast from Johnny and having his brain blown up by Sue.]]
*** Unlike his comic counterpart who is often portrayed as weaker than the Hulk, Ultimate Ben Grimm is stronger than his universe's Hulk[[note]]Though this Hulk isn't as strong as his 616 counterpart[[/note]]. It is stated that the only ones in the Ultimate Universe physically stronger than Ben are Ultimate Thor and Ultimate Namor. [[spoiler: This isn't even getting into how not only is eventually able to change back to human form but also become a being of purple energy than can walk through Sue's force fields.]]

** Antoine D'Coolette of ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'' series. In the ''WesternAnimation/SonicSatAM'' series, he was a CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey who tend to let out a GirlyScream now and then and was pretty much TheLoad. This changed when issue 46 came out and he ended up dating {{Cyborg}} Bunnie Rabbot. By this point, he started growing braver and braver, becoming a competent swordsman, being tough enough to survive over a year in an AlternateUniverse, slugging Evil Sonic unknowingly at one point and impressing his dying father enough that he gave his blessings for him and Bunnie to be married. Then he goes and [[spoiler:nearly gets killed saving Prince Elias and his family]].

* Princess Toadstool/Peach of all characters got this in ''ComicBook/SuperMarioAdventures''. The normally prim-and-proper DamselInDistress has been transformed here into a full-on heroic asskicker on par with Mario himself. There is even a section where Mario gets kidnapped, and Toadstool has to rescue him.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderManLovesMaryJane'': ''The Looter!'' The character is genuinely seen as one of the biggest losers in the supervillain community in the normal Marvelverse, rivaled only by Stilt-Man and Leap-Frog. Here, he's far more adept, and actually gets away from Spiderman for their first '''five''' battles.

* Whilst Claire, Steve and Chris were already zombie-killing badasses in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'', they upgrade into full-blown Shonen anime protagonist territory in the comic adaptation. Full-fledged GunFu antics and crazy stunts become the norm, with Chris in particular killing a Hunter with ''one punch'', beating a Bandersnatch to death with his bare hands, killing the Gulp Worm by letting himself be swallowed by it before blasting a way out with his shotgun and then tossing a grenade into the hole after himself, and riding a giant spider whilst stabbing it to death with his knife.

*** The Ultimate version of Reed Richards' powers of elasticity are much more versatile compared to his original counterpart. Examples include stretching his eye lenses temporarily so he doesn't need glasses, stretching his brain so make problem solving easier, being able to breathe in the N-Zone where the air was acid because he had no lungs, no longer requiring food, drink or even sleep. [[spoiler: These abilities make him very dangerous when he becomes the villain known as the Maker. He's been shown durable enough to survive a nova blast from Johnny and having his brain blown up by Sue.]]