History YMMV / Midnighter

** The latest mini-series, ''Midnighter and Apollo'', was widely considered one of the best comics to be published in 2016. It even got a GLAAD award nomination, for getting the titular couple back together, and even rescuing [[OldShame old]] [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] CampGay character [[ComicBook/TheNewGuardians "Extraño"]][[note]]''Don't'' call him that anymore, though.[[/note]] from the scrappy heap.

* HoYay: With Dick Grayson. He recognises Dick by his ass, and the two have lots of UnresolvedSexualTension.
* SuperCouple: He and Apollo, literally ''and'' figuratively.

* TheWoobie: Gregorio, formerly Extraño of ''ComicBook/TheNewGuardians'', becomes one if you know his full backstory. He, along the rest of the New Guardians, were originally empowered by the Guardians of the Universe to be their successors and to propagate the next stage of human evolution. However, the team fell apart before it could accomplish any of their goals and most of the members ended up dying and were forgotten by the world at large. [[MakesSenseInContext Extraño also contracted HIV from a vampire in one of his earliest adventures.]] It's no wonder he became less jovial and more jaded about heroics.
** Even his annoyance about his old superhero name ("No one’s called me that in years, fewer lived.") has depressing undertones to it since most of his friends during his "Extraño" days are no longer alive.

* FridgeBrilliance: In the 2015 solo series, the argument that leads to Midnighter and Apollo breaking up ends oddly abruptly, with Midnighter not really responding to Apollo's angry accusations that Midnighter deceived him[[note]]Telling Apollo that he was "Lukas Trent", when in reality he couldn't remember anything about his past, including his name.[[/note]] and instead just kissing him goodbye and leaving. At first glance, it comes across as if Midnighter feels too bad about himself to even try any justifications and/or that he's too much of an emotional coward to deal with an actual, serious argument with his lover, so he just flees. And it seems like his statement that he "already knows how this fight ends" (his usual catch phrase) was just Midnighter being a flippant ass to pretend the breakup wasn't hurting him. Only on the second read-through I noticed that, in his anger, Apollo had actually started to ''burn a hole into Midnighter's chest'' with his heat vision - apparently without realizing he was doing it. It's directly after this that Midnighter's threat assessment / fight strategy computer springs into action. So what Midnighter probably really meant when he said that he "already knows how this fight ends" was that he could predict that Apollo was likely going to physically attack him if this argument went on any longer. And while Midnighter probably wouldn't have minded that much (even though Apollo does out-class him in terms of physical strength and could crush him quite easily), he knew that ''Apollo'' wouldn't forgive himself for such an act of domestic violence.[[note]]I mean, as far as as I know, the couple was never shown physically fighting before, not even playfully rough-housing or as a sparring exercise, so one has to assume that they keep their relationship as the one violence-free zone in their lives. So Apollo, at least, would consider a breach of that rule a serious breach of trust, even if the injuries are quickly healed.[[/note]] And with Midnighter being partially controlled by his battle programming, he might not even have a choice about retaliating with his full force once he gets in a physical fight with someone who could seriously harm him. So before it comes to that - and before Apollo can even realize that he's already lost control of his powers and lashed out against his lover - Midnighter shuts down the argument with a sad kiss and immediately removes himself (and the burn mark that Apollo hadn't noticed yet) from the room. He wasn't being flippant or cowardly, or unfair for not explaining what was going through his head and leaving Apollo behind confused. He was actually being kind for not telling Apollo just how close the man had gotten to doing something they wouldn't be able to come back from easily. And while Midnighter had a few personal reasons for going off on his own as well, this scene means that the whole breakup was ''not'' solely Midnighter's fault with Apollo being the innocent, abandoned spouse. That makes their eventual reunion less of an unrealistically one-sided case of "What I did was stupid. I know I screwed what we had. (Please take me back.)", even if Midnighter does take on all the responsibility.

** The latest mini-series, ''Midnighter and Apollo'', was widely considered one of the best comics to be published in 2016. It even got a GLAAD award nomination, for getting the titular couple back together, and even rescuing [[OldShame old]] [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] CampGay character [[ComicBook/TheNewGuardians "Extrano"]][[note]]''Don't'' call him that anymore, though.[[/note]] from the scrappy heap.
* TheWoobie: Gregario, formerly Extrano of ''ComicBook/TheNewGuardians'', becomes one if you know his full backstory. He, along the rest of the New Guardians, were originally empowered by the Guardians of the Universe to be their successors and to propagate the next stage of human evolution. However, the team fell apart before it could accomplish any of their goals and most of the members ended up dying and were forgotten by the world at large. [[MakesSenseInContext Extrano also contracted HIV from a vampire in one of his earliest adventures.]] It's no wonder he became less jovial and more jaded about heroics.
** Even his annoyance about his old superhero name ("No one’s called me that in years, fewer lived.") has depressing undertones to it since most of his friends during his "Extrano" days are no longer alive.

* FridgeBrilliance: In the 2015 solo series, the argument that leads to Midnighter and Apollo breaking up ends oddly abruptly, with Midnighter not really responding to Apollo's angry accusations that Midnighter deceived him[[note]]Telling Apollo that he was "Lukas Trent", when in reality he couldn't remember anything about his past, including his name.[[/note]] and instead just kissing him goodbye and leaving. At first glance, it comes across as if Midnighter feels too bad about himself to even try any justifications and/or that he's too much of an emotional coward to deal with an actual, serious argument with his lover, so he just flees. And it seems like his statement that he "already knows how this fight ends" (his usual catch phrase) was just Midnighter being a flippant ass to pretend the break-up wasn't hurting him. Only on the second read-through I noticed that, in his anger, Apollo had actually started to ''burn a hole into Midnighter's chest'' with his heat vision - apparently without realizing he was doing it. It's directly after this that Midnighter's threat assessment / fight strategy computer springs into action. So what Midnighter probably really meant when he said that he "already knows how this fight ends" was that he could predict that Apollo was likely going to physically attack him if this argument went on any longer. And while Midnighter probably wouldn't have minded that much (even though Apollo does out-class him in terms of physical strength and could crush him quite easily), he knew that ''Apollo'' wouldn't forgive himself for such an act of domestic violence.[[note]]I mean, as far as as I know, the couple was never shown physically fighting before, not even playfully rough-housing or as a sparring exercise, so one has to assume that they keep their relationship as the one violence-free zone in their lives. So Apollo, at least, would consider a breach of that rule a serious breach of trust, even if the injuries are quickly healed.[[/note]] And with Midnighter being partially controlled by his battle programming, he might not even have a choice about retaliating with his full force once he gets in a physical fight with someone who could seriously harm him. So before it comes to that - and before Apollo can even realize that he's already lost control of his powers and lashed out against his lover - Midnighter shuts down the argument with a sad kiss and immediately removes himself (and the burn mark that Apollo hadn't noticed yet) from the room. He wasn't being flippant or cowardly, or unfair for not explaining what was going through his head and leaving Apollo behind confused. He was actually being kind for not telling Apollo just how close the man had gotten to doing something they wouldn't be able to come back from easily.

* FrisgeBrilliance: In the 2015 solo series, the argument that leads to Midnighter and Apollo breaking up ends oddly abruptly, with Midnighter not really responding to Apollo's angry accusations that Midnighter deceived him[[note]]Telling Apollo that he was "Lukas Trent", when in reality he couldn't remember anything about his past, including his name.[[/note]] and instead just kissing him goodbye and leaving. At first glance, it comes across as if Midnighter feels too bad about himself to even try any justifications and/or that he's too much of an emotional coward to deal with an actual, serious argument with his lover, so he just flees. And it seems like his statement that he "already knows how this fight ends" (his usual catch phrase) was just Midnighter being an flippant ass to pretend the break-up wasn't hurting him. Only on the second read-through I noticed that, in his anger, Apollo had actually started to ''burn a hole into Midnighter's chest'' with his heat vision - apparently without realizing he was doing it. It's directly after this that Midnighter's threat assessment / fight strategy computer springs into action. So what Midnighter probably really meant when he said that "I already know how this fight ends" was that he could predict that Apollo was likely going to physically attack him if this argument went on any longer. And while Midnighter probably wouldn't have minded that much (even though Apollo does out-class him in terms of physical strength and could crush him quite easily), he knew that ''Apollo'' wouldn't forgive himself for such an act of domestic violence.[[note]]I mean, as far as as I know, the couple was never shown physically fighting before, not even playfully rough-housing or as a sparring exercise, so one has to assume that they keep their relationship as the one violence-free zone in their lives. So Apollo, at least, would consider a breach of that rule a serious breach of trust, even if the injuries are quickly healed.[[/note]] And with Midnighter being partially controlled by his battle programming, he might not even have a choice about retaliating with his full force once he gets in a physical fight with someone who could seriously harm him. So before it comes to that - and before Apollo can even realize that he's already lost control of his powers and lashed out against his lover - Midnighter shuts down the argument with a sad kiss and immediately removes himself (and the burn mark that Apollo hadn't noticed yet) from the room. He wasn't being flippant or cowardly, or unfair for not explaining what was going through his head and leaving Apollo behind confused. He was actually being kind for not telling Apollo just how close he'd gotten to doing something they wouldn't be able to come back from easily.

* TheWoobie: Gregario, formerly Extrano of ''ComicBook/TheNewGuardians'' becomes one if you know his full backstory. He, along the rest of the New Guardians, were originally empowered by the Guardians of the Universe to be their successors and to propagate the next stage of human evolution. However, the team fell apart before it could accomplish any of their goals and most of the members ended up dying and were forgotten by the world at large. [[MakesSenseInContext Extrano also contracted HIV from a vampire in one of his earliest adventures.]] It's no wonder he became less jovial and more jaded about heroics.

** The latest mini-series, ''Midnighter and Apollo'', was widely considered one of the best comics to be published in 2016. It even got a GLAAD award nomination, for getting the titular couple back together, and even rescuing [[OldShame old]] [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] CampGay character [[ComicBook/TheNewGuardians "Extrano"]][[note]]''Don't'' call him that anymore, though.[[/note]] from the scrappy heap.

** The latest mini-series, ''Midnighter and Apollo'', was widely considered one of the best comics to be published in 2016. It even got a GLAAD award nomination, for getting the titular couple back together, and even rescuing [[OldShame old]] [[TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] CampGay character [[ComicBook/TheNewGuardians "Extrano"]][[note]]''Don't'' call him that anymore, though.[[/note]] from the scrappy heap.

* WinBackTheCrowd: While the 2011 Comicbook/{{Stormwatch}} series was not well-received, his role in ''Comicbook/{{Grayson}}'' as a {{Foil}} and [[HeroAntagonist Hero Antagonist]] was quite popular. Reception to his newest solo series has been highly positive as well, with some critics calling it among the best comics published by Creator/DCComics and matching, if not exceeding, Warren Ellis' take on the character.

* BrokenBase: Certain character changes brought upon Midnighter's entry into the [=DCnU=] have left his fans with mixed feelings, most notably his eventual separation from Apollo and not (officially) being Jenny Quantum's adoptive father.

* WinBackTheCrowd: While the 2011 Comicbook/{{Stormwatch}} series was not well-received, his role in ''Comicbook/{{Grayson}}'' as a {{Foil}} and [[HeroAntagonist Hero Antagonist]] was quite popular. Reception to his newest solo series has been highly positive as well, with some critics calling it among the best comics published by Creator/DCComics.

* WinBackTheCrowd: While the 2011 Comicbook/{{Stormwatch}} series was not well-received, his role in ''Comicbook/{{Grayson}}'' as a {{Foil}} and [[HeroAntagonist Hero Antagonist]] was quite popular. Reception to his newest solo series has been highly positive as well, with some critics calling it among the best comics published by DCComics.

* WinBackTheCrowd: While the 2011 Comicbook/{{Stormwatch}} series was not well-received, his role in Comicbook/{{Grayson}} as a {{Foil}} and [[HeroAntagonist Hero Antagonist]] was quite popular. Reception to his newest solo series has been highly positive as well, with some critics calling it among the best comics published by DCComics.

* WinBackTheCrowd: While the 2011 Comicbook/{{Stormwatch}} series was not well-received, his role in Comicbook/{{Grayson}} as a {{Foil}} and {{HeroAntagonist}} was quite popular. Reception to his newest solo series has been highly positive as well, with some critics calling it among the best comics published by DCComics.

* WinBackTheCrowd: While the 2011 Comicbook/{{Stormwatch}} series was not well-received, his role in Comicbook/{{Grayson}} as a {{Foil}} and {{HeroAntagonist}} was quite popular. Early reception to his newest solo series has been highly positive as well.

* IncestSubtext: Being an {{Expy}} of Batman, the fact that he flirts pretty overtly with Dick Grayson/Nightwing, the former Robin, might come across as this to some readers. Might cross into {{Squick}}, depending on your feelings on incest.

* SuperCouple: He and Apollo, literally ''and'' figuratively.