History Main / HesBack

* Two instances in the ''MassEffect'' trilogy, first when Shepard [[spoiler:wakes up on an operating table and proceeds to slaughter his/her way through a facility full of robots bent on killing him/her while grossly underarmed]] at the start of the second game, second when Shepard [[spoiler:gets exonerated and reinstated as an emergency measure]] at the beginning of the third game.

* Lightning, the main protagonist of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII the]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2 XIII]] [[VideoGame/LightningReturns:FinalFantasyXIII trilogy]], was frozen in crystal to live through the [[spoiler: time crash at the end of XIII-2]], and slept for 500 years, when she finally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin returns]] from her imprisonment to help save the world in the last game.

* Lightning, the main protagonist of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII the]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII-2 XIII]] [[VideoGame/LightningReturns:FinalFantasyXIII trilogy]], was frozen in crystal to live through the [[spoiler: time crash at the end of XIII-2]], and slept for 500 years, when she finally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin returns]] from her imprisonment to help save the world in the last game.

* ShawnMichaels has had a few but perhaps the greatest was after his one-off return (after four years of being laid up with a broken back) to fight TripleH at SummerSlam (supposed to be a one-time comeback), he's mangled so badly as to be confined to a wheelchair. But after giving an uncharacteristically stoic promo, warning the "Don't hunt... what you can't kill." To prove his point, he started to struggle to stand up out of his wheelchair, trying and failing a few times. Then, he shrugs, easily stands up, kicks over the chair, and starts dancing. A few weeks later, in his first match in about six months (and second in the last four years), he beat Wrestling/{{Kane}}, RobVanDam, BookerT, ChrisJericho, and, in the big finish, TripleH himself in the first ever Elimination Chamber.
* During the lead-up to the ''Invasion'' PPV, StoneColdSteveAustin had changed from his familiar ass-kicking self into [[FaceHeelTurn a different man]], one who frequently hugged VinceMcMahon and had ''walked out'' on Mr. [=McMahon=]'s pleas to have "the ''old'' Stone Cold." He's spent the better part of one show down at the local bar, ignoring the pleas from other wrestlers as [[VillainTeamUp The Alliance]] runs roughshod on the WWF. Then Austin throws down his beer, snaps a pool cue, and storms out of the bar. The next time he's seen, he comes roaring up in his pick-up truck, [[FoeTossingCharge lays out every Alliance wrestler in sight]] on his way to the ring (while Alliance mastermind PaulHeyman is [[OhCrap freaking out]] at ringside). And then-- [[MostWonderfulSound *glass shatters*]]-- here comes [[HesBack ''the OLD Stone Cold'']], hitting the ring with a vengeance, where he delivers a [[FinishingMove Stone Cold Stunner]] to any Alliance wrestler that's put in front of him.

* Michael Jordan retired from basketball in 1993 after the murder of his father. After a couple of unproductive seasons playing minor league baseball, he announced his return to the NBA in 1995 with two simple words: '''"I'm back."'''

* TheExpendables2 has ArnoldSchwartzenegger come out of a car and yell "I'm BACK!" as a MythologyGag to his famous quote from {{Terminator}}.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' / ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' crossover ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8014677/1/Friendship_Is_Magic_Prime_Act_II Friendship Is Magic: Prime: Act II]]'', Discord comes to Earth, Discords nearly everybody, and takes over. Megatron, one of the only sane individuals left, attempts to form an EnemyMine with Optimus Prime to stop him, but Optimus has been Discorded and doesn't care anymore. Magatron angrily gives him a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech and tries to stop Discord on his own. Megatron's words, along with [[spoiler: Miko's sketchbook, which details all their past adventures]], help remind Optimus of his reason to fight. He shakes off the brainwashing and returns to the battle.

** ''Film/SupermanIII'' also does this when Superman is exposed to synthetic kryptonite, causing him to make a ''{{Face Heel Turn}}''. The krytponite eventually splits him into Clark Kent and the evil Superman in a junkyard. After a long battle, Clark eventually triumphs and the the evil Superman disappears. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Clark then rips open his shirt to reveal iconic "S" shield and once again dons the Superman costume, his first order of business to undo the damage his evil self had caused, while the theme song plays in the background.]] This is probably the only truly great moment in a movie that is mediocre at best.

* In Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Leonardo announces "It's time to go ''back''" after he and the the other turtles receive a final message from Splinter via AstralProjection.
* "[[MajorLeague Oh no! Not that damn song again!]]"

* Due to his crippling defeat at the hands of Bane, Comicbook/{{Batman}} was relegated to a wheelchair. Following his recovery and [[TrainingFromHell regaining of his old martial arts skills]], he finally regained his confidence and put on the batsuit again.

* The character doesn't even have to be remotely heroic for this trope to occur. An interesting case of a hero's return causing a villain's return occurs in any number of the times the Batman has "died", causing the Joker to go temporarily sane or catatonic. Which always reverses itself upon Batman having his own HesBack moment.

* A truly epic example in ''TheDarkKnightReturns'' where Batman comes out of retirement after 10 years and [[BadassGrandpa is around his 60s.]] What we get are panels of him warring on horrified criminals, news reporters talking about a man dressed like a bat kicking the asses of criminals all over the city, among other reactions. [[{{Badass}} And this is all in his first night back.]]

* Many bands that broke up in the 70s and 80s released their first album in twenty years or more in the late 2000s or early 2010s. Among these are MissionOfBurma, {{Swans}}, The Feelies, Music/SteelyDan, The New York Dolls, {{Devo}}, ThrobbingGristle, The Vaselines, Music/BigStar, TheEagles, {{Bauhaus}}, The Slits, TheStooges, and TheWho. Unfortunately, only the first couple really exemplify this trope; the others' comeback albums were regarded as trivial at best.

* Optimus Primal of ''{{Transformers}}: WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' quickly returns to KickingAssAndTakingNames after a brief bout of [[spoiler: '''[[BackFromTheDead being dead]]'''. To be fair, the situation the Maximals were in was a result of Rhinox's attempts to resurrect Optimus in the first place, so it's slightly less cheap than it seems at first glance. Cheap or not, though, it's a nicely satisfying [[BigDamnHeroes big slagging hero]] moment.]]

* ASongOfIceAndFire has [[spoiler: [[GuileHero Tyrion]] [[MagnificentBastard Lannister]]]]. He reaches his lowest point when [[spoiler: he's being auctioned off as an amusement at a slave market after a truly terrible TraumaCongaLine.]] By the next time we see him he's [[spoiler: worked himself into a position of power with one of the most powerful mercenary groups on the continent.]] There is no specific moment when he revives himself, but there is no doubt that the series' EnsembleDarkHorse extraordinaire is back on track.

* [[spoiler: ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'': Chris Redfield suffers a HeroicBSOD after Ada Wong's {{Doppelgänger}} Carla Radames kills most of his squad in Eastern Europe, leading him to become an [[TraumaInducedAmnesia amnesiac]] [[DrowningMySorrows drunk]] for the next six months until the BSAA find him and convince him to come back. When he finally regains his memories, he [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge becomes obsessed with getting revenge on Carla]], which leads to the deaths of even more of his men, and finally snaps out of it and returns to his old self after a meeting with Leon Kennedy.]]

** Similarly, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnMoYp4jDkg this]] is one big HesBack for Thrash Metal in general.

* * In the Literature/PaladinOfShadows book ''A Deeper Blue'', Mike snaps out of his funk when he learns that an operation has GoneHorriblyWrong.

* ScottPilgrim's Finest Hour gives us the page picture: After [[spoiler:Ramona leaves]] Scott is an absolute wreck and withdraws from everyone and pretty much gives up on life... but after Gideon shows up in town Scott takes a wilderness sabatical to visit Kim [[spoiler:who reveals that Scott's been a real bastard in his relationships. As if that wasn't enough Scott encounters his evil clone Negascott, who turns out to be his bad half. After merging with him]] Scott's better than ever and ready to finish what he started and... well see the page picture.

* Tony Stark, aka IronMan, had the "Demon in a Bottle" story arc where he developed and then suppressed his alcoholism. Years later in the Obadiah Stane Saga, he had a major relapse in which his alcoholism increased more and more, leading to him dumping the suit and handing it over to Jim Rhodes and Obadiah Stane taking over his company. Eventually he sobered up, manned the hell up, then suited up, proceeded to take back his company, and then face off against Stane in his Iron Monger battlesuit, killing the sunnovabitch. Way to go, Tone.
** [[NeverLiveItDown Unfortunately non-readers of the comics seem to forget this...]]
*** Actually, Stane commits suicide so that Tony will be robbed of any "real" victory.

* In ''HeartcatchPrecure'' Yuri suffers from a massive HeroicBSOD due to [[spoiler:her MascotPartner dying, losing her fight against Cure Dark and losing her powers]]. She easily rebuffs Tsubomi and Erika's attempts to get her to help them and rejects Potpourri's request to be the third Precure. It isn't until [[spoiler:the Great Heart Tree allows her to reunite with her partner's spirit and she asks the tree to restore her powers]] that she comes back and aids the rest of the Precures in style.

* SelfDemonstrating/The Joker, after a year-long absence has returned in ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', to the horror of Gotham. His first act is an assault on the GCPD resulting in the murder of 19 officers.

* No mention of [[Music/Rush Neil Peart]]? After suffering the loss of his daughter, then his wife less than a year later, he drove 50,000 miles on his motorcycle through North and Central America. His bandmates Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson thought he was done with music, and therefore would be the end of Rush. However, Neil resettled in California, met his new wife, and got back in the game. Rush's 2002 comeback album ''Vapor Trails'' was an exercise in catharsis for Neil, his lyrics a form of expression regarding his pain. The opening track, [[http://youtu.be/EW4jiJWyqQ0 "One Little Victory"]], starts heavy on the drums, proclaiming to the world that Neil Peart is, indeed, back.

-->'''James Bond:''' [[HeroicBSOD Enjoying death]].

** [[spoiler:Then it one upped the one up in the fourth episode of season three where Optimus, after being badly hurt due to the Decepticons destroying the Autobots' base, gets a ComesBackStrong with a new, bigger body and pulls a BigDamnHeroes moment to save the others and help them bring down Megatron's fortress]].