Awesome / Atlas Shrugged

• The entire first train run on the John Galt Line.
• When the villains are torturing John Galt, the machine they're using breaks down and he calmly tells them how to fix it.
• Galt giving a clever Deconstruction of the old cliché of the villain (Dr. Ferris in this case) who threatens to kill innocent people unless the hero does X—and then challenging the hero with "Could you live with being responsible for their deaths?" Instead of falling for it, Galt tells him to take a good look in the mirror, and ask himself "whether his actions are my responsibility".
• Rearden's decision not to enter a plea and simply state that he doesn't recognize the court's authority to try him, followed by a harsh punishment... which is suspended entirely.
• James Taggart's You-didn't-build-that Speech is the most awesome thing Ayn Rand ever wrote... because it proves she was either psychic or had deductive skills to rival Sherlock Holmes.
• Hank Rearden's response to his fellow businessmen who are actually upset about his Moment of Awesome during his trial:
  Hank: I am sorry, gentlemen, that I will be obliged to save your goddamn necks along with mine.
• Dagny's speech on the radio where she proudly declares herself Hank Rearden's mistress and snatches what the looters thought would be a great advantage right of out their grasp.
• Hank Rearden signing the Gift Certificate to protect Dagny.
• Francisco, despite the necessity of maintaining his cover as a useless loafer, is unable to stop himself from bolting into action to save Rearden's furnace when there's an accident at the mills.
  • Later on, his making like a total Western badass (which Rearden Lampshade Hangs) during the faux-union riot.
• Wyatt's Torch.

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