History Main / SmokingIsEdgy

** In ''Batman'' #408, Jason steals the Batmobile's wheels, and Batman goes into his apartment. Jason is shown smoking.

* ''ComicBook/ExcaliburMarvelComics'': When Warren Ellis assumed the title in the 90s, he introduced British spy Pete Wisdom. He used to be shown smoking, and previous AudienceSurrogate, Kitty Pryde, even dated him for a time, maybe to look like a "grown-up girl" and forget her literal childhood crush Colossus, from the X-Men's main team. Later, in his own Marvel MAX mini-series ''Wisdom'' (2006), he regains his smoking habit.

* ''ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm'': [[Characters/{{WildCATSGrifter}} Grifter]] is shown smoking cigarettes in his solo title. He was also a mercenary before he joined the WildCATS.
* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': In a 2001 storyline, writer Frank Tieri introduces Mr. X, a killer from the upper crust whose telepathic powers kicked in when he watched a woman being run over by a car -- similar to how Jean Grey's powers first emerged. Mr. X tells Wolverine that, after the car accident and the sensations he felt in his young mind, nothing could compare: cars, women, travels. The accompanying comic book panel has him smoking a cigarette with a bored look on his face, while a girl clings to his side.

This trope also works backwards: characters may take up smoking for the express purpose of coming across as more edgy, grizzled, or mature. This is often seen in [[TroubledTeen Troubled Teens]], {{Delinquents}}, and [[EmoTeen Emo Teens]] full of RebelliousSpirit who are looking to seem cool or be taken seriously. In these situations, it is often used interchangably with SmokingIsCool, since CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority. Smoking may be pushed by TheAggressiveDrugDealer. It is occasionally seen as an expression of {{Wangst}} in an attempt to evoke the "coping mechanism" associations of smoking.

* ''Series/GilmoreGirls:'' Smoking is one of the big signs that 17-year-old Jess, sent FromNewYorkToNowhere for acting up, is TroubledButCute. It plays a minor role in his characterization when he's first introduced, but eventually fades from the story line and does not reappear following his SelfMadeMan CharacterDevelopment.

[[caption-width-right:394:He knows about lung cancer. [[StoppedCaring He just doesn't care]][[TooDumbToLive .]]]]

* ''Series/GilmoreGirls:'' Smoking is one of the big signs that 17-year-old Jess, sent FromNewYorkToNowhere is TroubledButCute. It plays a minor role in his characterization when he's first introduced, but eventually fades from the story line and does not reappear following his SelfMadeMan CharacterDevelopment.

[[caption-width-right:394:He knows about lung cancer. [[StoppedCaring He just doesn't care]].]]

->'''EmoTeen:''' ''(with cigarettes stuck in her [[ExaggeratedTrope mouth, ears, and nostrils]])'' How could you tell?

->'''EmoTeen:''' (with cigarettes stuck in her [[ExaggeratedTrope mouth, ears, and nostrils]]) How could you tell?

This is not true nowadays. In the modern day, SmokingIsNotCool. Many people, especially younger people, see smoking as {{squick}}y and disgusting, and a specific stigma has arisen around smoking as a [[CigaretteOfAnxiety coping mechanism]] or a [[MustHaveNicotine dangerous addiction]]. In the modern era, the "default" character does not smoke, so if a writer chooses to show a character smoking, that choice was likely made deliberately for the purpose of characterization. The smoker must be [[DarkerAndEdgier edgy]], [[TheCynic cynical]], or [[CulturalRebel rebellious]] enough to light up, or the world has to suck enough that a person's long-term health is an afterthought. Smoking's reputation is also often used to establish tone -- gratuitous shots of people smoking in dark alleys immediately lets you know you've entered a WretchedHive or a ViceCity. The bottom line: any time a cigarette shows up on screen there must be a reason for it, and very often that reason is some combination of trauma, [[DarkerAndEdgier edge]], and {{Angst}}.

Even when the story isn't quite as angsty, smoking still shows up as a [[ThereAreNoTherapists coping mechanism]] or a sign of [[MoralityAdjustment worn-down morals]]. For writers, this makes it convenient shorthand for a DarkAndTroubledPast. Expect the ShellShockedVeteran to be puffing a cigarette right next to their bottle of whiskey. The DefectiveDetective smokes because of their StandardCopBackstory or because their love interest is [[CartwrightCurse dead]]. The grizzled CynicalMentor or RetiredBadass will often pull out a lighter on the regular, because they've realized that the world is awful or they've done lots of awful things themselves. Compared to [[IDidWhatIHadToDo murder]] or [[JustFollowingOrders war crimes]], smoking would probably seem like a drop in the morality bucket.

This trope also works backwards: characters may take up smoking for the express purpose of coming across as more edgy, grizzled, or mature. This is often seen in [[TroubledTeen Troubled Teens]], {{Delinquents}}, and [[EmoTeen Emo Teens]] full of RebelliousSpirit who are looking to seem cool or be taken seriously. In these situations it is often used interchangably with SmokingIsCool, since CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority. Smoking may be pushed by TheAggressiveDrugDealer. It is occasionally seen as an expression of {{Wangst}} in an attempt to evoke the "coping mechanism" associations of smoking.

* ''Manga/InterspeciesReviewers'': Elza is a hyena-girl that works as a prostitute, and is often seen scowling with a cigarette between her lips. She is first seen at the gender-swap brothel, willing to bed a male-to-female patron for cash. Elza even lets off a disdainful puff of smoke upon surveying the "clients" in the room.
* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'': Jotaro is shown to be a habitual cigarette smoker despite being only aged 17, to contrast him with his straitlaced ancestor [[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Jonathan]] (who preferred pipes instead) and his roguish but still relatively gentlemanly grandfather [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency Joseph]], as well as every subsequent protagonist who aren't shown smoking at all.

* ''ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}'': In a 2001 storyline, writer Frank Tieri introduces Mr. X, a killer from the upper crust whose telepathic powers kicked in when he watched a woman be run over by a car -- similar to how Jean Grey's powers first emerged. Mr. X tells Wolverine that, after the car accident and the sensations he felt in his young mind, nothing could compare: cars, women, travels. The accompanying comic book panel has him smoking a cigarette with a bored look on his face, while a girl clings to his side.

** ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' is a DarkerAndEdgier, CrapsackWorld founded by Apocalypse, a mutant supremacist who believes in the survival of the fittest. One of the denizens of this alternate reality is Dazzler, who is shown to light up cigarettes with her light powers. In the main reality, Dazzler is a singer, and has not been shown to smoke on panel.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' has Johnny Silverhand, who is constantly shown smoking (or begging for a hit of nicotine) in many of his appearances. It ties into both his rebellious rockerboy anti-authoritarian persona (being ''the'' iconic rockerboy thanks to his nuclear assault on Arasaka tower in the 2023) but also shows how he's been abusing drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism for his untreated PTSD from his war days. This is as a contrast to the PlayerCharacter V, who can get thoroughly plastered on every booze consumable out there but is not shown to be a smoker [[spoiler:at least until Johnny moves into their head as an engram]].

** In [[https://web.archive.org/web/20170909171900/http://tallcomics.com/comic?sort=132 one page]], Howard takes up smoking an e-cig, which inspires him to start acting like a {{cyberpunk}} protagonist: wearing a black trench coat and sunglasses indoors, and muttering about how rules don't exist. In spite of himself, Unwinder finds the ensemble so cool, he can't bring himself to ask Howard to stop smoking indoors.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Krusty the Clown regularly smokes off stage to show that he is a DepravedKidsShowHost who HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight. The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E15TheLastTemptationOfKrust The Last Temptation of Krust]]" shows him smoking on stage as well after reinventing himself as an edgier, anti-establishment stand up comedian.

* ''Manga/InterspeciesReviewers'': Elza is a hyena-girl that works as a prostitute, and is often seen with a cigarette between her lips. She is first seen at the gender-swap brothel, willing to bed a male-to-female patron for cash. Her fixed scowl hints that she'd much rather be doing something else, but the income is steady, and nobody has proposed, so she does the dirty to get by. Elza even lets off a disdainful puff of smoke upon surveying the "clients" in the room.

* ''ComicBook/TeamTitans'' (a 90s spinoff of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans''): one of the members of this team, who comes from the future, is Battalion, who looks like a living incarnation of a [[NinetiesAntiHero 90s Anti-Hero]]. He has a giant mane of hair, is described in-universe as a DrillSergeantNasty, wears spikes on his shoulders and boots, and uses lots of guns. In first very first on-panel appearance, he uses a giant gun to vaporize a bunch of normal street thugs from present time, chomping a cigar while doing so.