History FourthWallObserver / TheDCU

* While ComicBook/TheJoker is occasionally like this in normal comics as well, in the ''ComicBook/EmperorJoker'' storyline, where he gains 99% of [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Mr. Mxyzptlk's]] powers, he becomes one of these big time, occasionally making references to the comic and the industry, which the other characters usually ignore. Among the best of these that he did was sticking a "Why Didn't Anyone Call In To Save Me" sign on Jason Todd's skeleton (a reference to the fact that DC used a phone-in poll to decide whether he would live or die), and, faced with the fact that he couldn't erase Batman from existence due to his obsessions, yelling at the artist to stop redrawing him.

* Mxyzptlk himself is Fourth Wall Savvy. In an issue of ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman'':
-->"I wanted you all to have a little more fun. And to sell a whole bunch of issues."\\

* Mxyzptlk himself is Fourth Wall Savvy. In an issue of ComicBook/SupermanBatman:
-->"I wanted you all to have a little more fun. And to sell a whole bunch of issues."
-->[offpanel Superman] "What?"
-->"Nothing."

* As is ''ComicBook/AnimalMan''. His entire series played with the Fourth Wall constantly. Later on, he temporarily [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascended to a higher plane of existence]] which upgraded his powers and also caused him to learn all of his life was a comic book. He temporarily suffered a HeroicBSOD until he was able to use it to his advantage. He begged [[Creator/GrantMorrison the author of the comic]] for his family to be brought back to life after the author supposedly killed them all to make him DarkerAndEdgier. [[DeusExMachina The author was leaving the book anyways, so he agreed.]] When Animal Man [[RageAgainstTheAuthor called the author out]] on his WriterOnBoard agenda towards showing the evils of eating meat, the author admitted it, but then quickly threw together a bunch of crappy supervillains to fight Animal Man to teach him a lesson while he both [[LampshadeHanging apologized]] for it and then [[AuthorTract ranted]] about how HumansAreBastards so eating meat is wrong. Since then, he's learned to live with it, although he still comments on it from time to time. For instance, when he's asked for help from other superheroes, he usually says something like "Oh God, I hope it's not another crossover where they kill off a bunch of C-List heroes like me."
** There was an issue of (no shock here) Grant Morrison's run on JLA where Martian Manhunter sought Animal Man's help on something. Animal Man replied by breaking into hysterical sobbing and screaming "Oh god no I'm integral to the plot!". Manhunter left a bit creeped out by A.M.'s "unique" view of the universe.
*** He's lost the fourth-wall-breaking with his current incarnation in the ComicBook/{{New 52}}, apart from the odd ContinuityNod referencing Morrison's defining run.
* In the pre-New 52 ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn'' comic solo, usually an imaginary Harley comments to viewers on events in the comic.

* While ComicBook/TheJoker is occasionally like this in normal comics as well, in the ''ComicBook/EmperorJoker'' storyline, where he gains 99% of [[ComicBook/{{Superman}} Mr. Mxyzptlk's]] powers, he becomes one of these big time, occasionally making references to the comic and the industry, which the other characters usually ignore. Among the best of these that he did was sticking a "Why Didn't Anyone Call In To Save Me" sign on Jason Todd's skeleton (a reference to the fact that DC used a phone-in poll to decide whether he would live or die), and, faced with the fact that he couldn't erase Batman from existence due to his obsessions, yells at the artist to stop redrawing him.

* ''ComicBook/AmbushBug'' is another example from Franchise/TheDCU. He and ComicBook/SquirrelGirl are sort of like both {{Distaff Counterpart}}s and [[AlternateCompanyEquivalent alternates of each other.]]
* As is ''ComicBook/AnimalMan''. His entire series played with the Fourth Wall constantly. Later on, he temporarily [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascended to a higher plane of existence]] which upgraded his powers and also caused him to learn all of his life was a comic book. He temporarily suffered a HeroicBSOD until he was able to use it to his advantage. He begged [[Creator/GrantMorrison the author of the comic]] for his family to be brought back to life after the author supposedly killed them all to make him DarkerAndEdgier. [[DeusExMachina The author was leaving the book anyways, so he agreed.]] When Animal Man [[RageAgainstTheAuthor called the author out]] on his WriterOnBoard agenda towards showing the evils of eating meat, the author admitted it, but then quickly threw together a bunch of crappy {{supervillains}} to fight Animal Man to teach him a lesson while he both [[LampshadeHanging apologized]] for it and then [[AuthorTract ranted]] about how HumansAreBastards so eating meat is wrong. Since then, he's learned to live with it, although he still comments on it from time to time. For instance, when he's asked for help from other superheroes, he usually says something like "Oh God, I hope it's not another crossover where they kill off a bunch of C-List heroes like me."
** There was an issue of (no shock here) Grant Morrison's run on JLA where Martian Manhunter sought Animal Man's help on something, to which Animal Man replied with horrified sobbing and scream "Oh god no I'm integral to the plot!". Manhunter left a bit creeped out by A.M.'s "unique" view of the universe.
** He's lost the fourth-wall breaking with his current incarnation in the ComicBook/{{New 52}}, apart from the odd ContinuityNod referencing Morrison's defining run.
** In the pre-New 52 ''ComicBook/HarleyQuinn'' comic solo, usually an imaginary Harley comments to viewers on events in the comic.