Marvel Universe
Bittersweet Ending in this franchise. open/close all folders
Comic Books
Comic Books
- Blaze of Glory: The town is saved from those who would harm it, but many of the heroic gunslingers who helped them are dead, and not every one of them went in a blaze of glory.
- All Marvel Universe cosmic events; Annihilation, War of Kings and The Thanos Imperative, have had such endings, where the victory comes usually at a great cost or leads to a temporary peace with the threat still out there.
- Daredevil: Daredevil (2022) concludes with a victorious Matt escaping the Beast's Realm without his memories, giving him the unprecedented opportunity to start fresh free of guilt and sorrow. But the sounds of a nearby mugging cause him to relapse. As he stalks down an alley to inflict the violence he hoped to escape to enforce justice, his words to Butch Fisk about breaking free of self-destructive cycles play over the scene, now with a note of hypocrisy.
- Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe: Deadpool kills Dreadpool, but all his buddies from the Deadpool Corps are dead, not to mention several other multiverses have been destroyed. On the upside, creation will survive since Dreadpool failed to kill Sherlock Holmes who takes it upon himself to will the classics back to life. It'll take awhile but the comic implies he'll eventually succeed.
- Emperor Doom: The Avengers are able to defeat Doom and get him to restore humanity's free will, but in doing so, everything is restored to the status quo, which we're shown as the Russians march back to Kabul, Afghanistan, Apartheid being restored in South Africa (with a hotel owner being shocked that he could let "colored" people in), and a cigar-chomping US General demanding their nukes be rearmed once more. This makes Hawkeye wonder if they've done the right thing.
- Livewires: The mini-series ends with all but two members of the team of Ridiculously Human Robots damaged possibly beyond repair. The least damaged and most recently activated, having saved the rest, tries to take them to their original base for supplies, only to discover the team blew it up before the start of the mini-series.
- Marvels:
- The original miniseries concludes with Phil Sheldon retiring to live peacefully with his wife and daughters after being disillusioned over how very few people pay any mind to Gwen Stacy's demise.
- The follow-up miniseries Marvels: Eye of the Camera has Phil die of lung cancer before he can finish his new book, but there are several silver linings: The mutant girl Maggie his daughters befriended pays him a visit to assure him that she's alright after she ran away years ago, Phil's last moments are peaceful, and Phil's daughters and Maggie choose to finish his book after he passes away.
- Marvel Zombies: At the chronological end of the series the zombie virus is never really destroyed, merely contained within two universes. It won't spread elsewhere, but the fact that there are two universes in ruins can't be that good.
- Spider-Man: In general, a lot of Spider-Man story arcs are bittersweet at best. Even when he wins, he loses something important
- Sinister War: Kindred is defeated and Harry Osborn's soul is freed from Mephisto's possession by Doctor Strange. But Boomerang and the Harry clone both died trying to redeem themselves. Peter is unable to propose to MJ (though the silver lining is they at least remained together for now).
- Spider-Man: Bloodline: Peter is dead but Mary Jane is resurrected and she and Ben are on their way to becoming a mother/son super duo.
- Spider-Man: Life Story: Entire series came to an end with the elderly Peter Parker sacrificing his life when he gave Miles the last escape pod of a space station at it self-destructs after sending out signals that disrupts Doctor Doom's war machines all over the Earth.
- Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face ends with the Crime Master dead and Dr. Octavius being rejected by his idol Heinrich Himmler as a "deviant cripple." But Robbie Robertson has permanent brain damage from Octavius' experiments, Felicia Hardy has become a heavily scarred shut-in who never wants to see Peter again, and the Nazis have risen to power in Germany. Almost lampshaded by Peter near the end of the series, when he tells Mary Jane that his life is falling apart - and he thinks it's only going to get worse.
- Spider-Man: Reign: Sure, Peter's wife is still dead, a lot of people have died due to Reign, and crime has returned to pre-Reign levels in short order... but the city is finally free, Venom and the Reign have been wiped out, and it has Spider-Man, and other superheroes, to defend it. Peter regaining happiness after decades of misery is something of a happy ending as well.
- Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow: The symbiote is destroyed thanks to Peter disguising the Human Torch as himself, but not before it kills Reed Richards in an attempt to make sure he can't stop them again. Peter is ultimately found not guilty of his actions under the symbiote's influence thanks to the testimony of other symbiote-infected heroes, and Sue Richards decides to bring Peter into the Fantastic Four so they can heal together as a new family. However, Peter's identity has still gone public, May Parker is dead, and Kingpin is seeking revenge after surviving a brutal attack from the symbiote-infected Spidey, and now has a symbiote of his own.
- Supreme Power: The Nighthawk mini-series ends with Nighthawk killing Whiteface and saving the baby but a lot of people were killed by Whiteface's poison, including Dr. Arredondo.
- Swords of the Swashbucklers: In the final issue (#12), Domino Drake (an Earth teen who had been traveling with the alien Swashbucklers) used her elemental powers to fight the Swashbucklers pursuers, the Colonizers. Unfortunately, her flame ignites the Cloudwall (an unstable space abnormality between dimensions). She turns her body to stone to shield herself and her cat Cap'n Kidd, and leaps off the ship. As she passes through the Cloudwall back to Earth, the Swashbucklers' ship disintegrates behind her. She returns to the beach house where her parents and Dodger (a former thief from the Swashbucklers' dimension) live. Domino is reunited with her friend and parents but it is unknown if she still has her elemental powers, Cap'n Kidd is no longer sentient, and all of the Swashbucklers are dead.
- X-Men:
- X-Cutioner's Song: By the end of the arc, Professor Xavier has been saved and Stryfe's mad scheme has been stopped, but Cable gets (apparently) killed in action, and Stryfe still manages to unleash the Legacy Virus.
- At the end of Joss Whedon's run on Astonishing X-Men, the X-Men manage to save the world from a large bullet that was sent by the citizens of the Breakworld, but Kitty Pryde ends up being stuck in the bullet after phasing it to make it pass through the Earth and ends up spiraling out towards space. The second-to-last panels had Colossus looking up at the sky in sadness.
- District X has such an ending. It features the POV character, Officer Ismael Oetega, managing to rebuild his shattered family life; however, this comes at the cost of his daughter's life and the mutant gifts of almost everyone in Mutant Town. Also, a recurring character stayed in one place too long and turned into a tree.
Films
Films
The following have their own pages:
- The Amazing Spider-Man Series:
- The Amazing Spider-Man: Peter has managed to defeat The Lizard, cure Dr. Connors of his reptilian alter-ego, and prevent New York from turning into lizards, but Captain Stacy is dead, he has to cut Gwen out of his life at the request of her late father, he still fails to find Uncle Ben's killer, and someone is conspiring against him from the shadows. However, he does indicate he's planning on breaking that promise.
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Definitely more bitter than sweet, as Gwen is dead, Gustav Fiers is planning on assembling the Sinister Six to take him down for good, and now there's a new villain in the form of The Rhino rampaging around New York—all of which leaves Peter bitter and broken. But Green Goblin and Electro are defeated, New York is safe from their wrath, and he's managed to learn the truth about his parent's deaths. And no matter what the pain, New York still needs Spider-Man.
- The Punisher (2004): Frank Castle ruthlessly and meticulously avenges his murdered family, hunting down and wiping out the Saints and their entire gang and their operations, before returning to his apartment to commit suicide. Before he can go through with it, he has a vision or memory of his dead wife, and changes his mind at the last moment. He later departs on good terms with his neighbors after leaving them some cash, leaves his life as Frank Castle behind him, and sets out to become the infamous wandering vigilante the world will come to know as The Punisher.
- Spider-Man Trilogy:
- Spider-Man: Peter manages to save MJ and all the children, but Norman Osborn is dead, Harry blames Spider-Man for it, and Peter realizes that he cannot be with MJ because of the risk his lifestyle poses to her.
- Spider-Man 2: Though Peter has struggled with balancing out his life with his superhero lifestyle, he's finally able to win over Mary Jane, who accepts the risk of being with him. Doc Ock is beaten and dead, but redeemed himself to ensure he wouldn't die a monster. However, Harry knows Peter and Spider-Man are one in the same, and plans on following in his late father's villainous footsteps.
- Spider-Man 3: Eddie Brock and Venom are both dead, Peter and MJ are able to reconcile, and both Peter and Sandman are able to make peace over the death of Uncle Ben. But Harry, though knowing the full truth of his father's death and reconciling with Peter, perishes to save his best friend from Venom's rampage.
- Venom (2018): Eddie Brock and the titular symbiote have successfully stopped Carlton Drake and Riot from unleashing an invasion on San Fransisco, Brock has his career as a journalist back and is on friendlier terms with Ann, and Venom has a nice big supply of bad guys he can eat. However, Brock's never going to be able to win Ann back no matter what he tries, as neither he nor Venom seem willing to move on. Moreover, a serial killer named Cletus Kassidy has taken an interest in Brock and left a promise—a promise that there will be Carnage.
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage: Carnage, Cletus Kassidy, and Shriek are dead, Eddie and Venom's bond is now stronger than ever, and Earth will ensure there is a "Lethal Protector" around to defend the innocent and eat the guilty. But Ann and her fiancé are forced to flee, ensuring that Eddie will never see her again, let alone win her back, both he and Venom are now fugitives on the run, and Detective Mulligan seems to be developing powers of his own. And just as the two are trying to enjoy a nice vacation, a mysterious light flashes, and they somehow end up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where they witness Peter Parker being exposed as Spider-Man on TV. And it seems Venom recognizes his foe all too well...Venom: THAT. GUY.
- X-Men Film Series:
- X-Men: Days of Future Past: In the new timeline, the Sentinel Program never gets off the ground and Trask is arrested for selling military secrets. Cyclops, Jean and others are Back from the Dead because their deaths never happened. The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters is alive and thriving. Also, Logan's a history teacher now. On the bitter side, only Logan is the same character as before. Everyone else is new. This means that the characters that we have followed for the last 14 years died horrible deaths before being erased from history.
- X-Men: Apocalypse: Apocalypse is dead, Magneto is reformed and redeemed, Jean Grey has full control over her powers, Mystique is an X-Man, Xavier and Moira are back together, and the school is rebuilt. However, Cairo is a smoking ruin, Magneto had caused a lot of destruction across the planet, the balance of global power has been thrown into chaos with the loss of the world's nuclear arsenal, which are still floating in space, and humans are now having second thoughts about embracing mutants. If anything, the defeat of Apocalypse is just chapter 1 in what is probably a much bigger story about the conflict between mutants and humans.
- Logan: The X-Men are no more and natural-born mutantkind is already doomed to extinction. But Logan, Charles, and Caliban all found peace before and in death, Transigen has been destroyed with the deaths of its leaders Rice and Pierce as well as its greatest creation X-24, and Laura and the surviving X-23 mutants are now free to live their lives in peace. Even the final shot is heartbreakingly beautiful and sweet: Laura turns the cross on Logan's grave into an X, as if a sendoff to everything and everyone the X-Men were.
- Dark Phoenix: On the bitter side: Mystique is dead and Jean's actions have caused another setback in mutatn-human relations. On the plus side: the X-Men thwarted an Alien Invasion, they and the Brotherhood of Mutants are on friendlier terms, and Jean, having ascended to a higher plan of existance, may return someday.
Live-Action TV
Live-Action TV
- Spider-Man (Japan): There were a lot of episodes that ended with someone dying directly or indirectly because of the Iron Cross Army's actions in spite of Takuya Yamashiro's heroics as Spider-Man, Takuya resolving that the tragic loss is another victim of the Iron Cross Army he'll have to avenge. One of the most tearjerkingest examples was the 21st episode, where a boy who's painting has been accepted in an American art gallery is discovered to have a father working for Interpol who left him to be raised by his uncle and aunt because he discovered a secret base of the Iron Cross Army and saw a chance to avenge his wife's death at the Iron Cross Army's hands. In spite of Takuya's best efforts to get the man to reunite with his son before he leaves Japan, the man ends up succumbing to mortal wounds the Iron Cross Army inflicted on him.
Video Games
Video Games
- Spider-Man (Insomniac)
- Spider-Man (PS4): Spider-Man saves the city, and proves once and for all that he's a true hero. However, Manhattan, while recovering from the Demons' and the Sinister Six's aggression, is still plagued with crime. In addition, Peter and Miles lose three important figures in their lives; Miles' father, Jefferson, is killed in a terrorist attack; Peter's idol, Otto Octavius, descends into villainy as his obsession for revenge against Norman Osborn consumes him; and Aunt May succumbs to the bioweapon that Otto unleashed. Harry is hinted to become Venom, while Miles is given spider powers as well, showing that Peter's life as Spider-Man may get a little easier now that he has someone he can share his monumental responsibility with. It also looks as though Peter and MJ may be giving their relationship another chance.
- The City That Never Sleeps also ends this way: Spider-Man and Silver Sable defeat Hammerhead for good and Sable takes her equipment back to aid Symkaria's people. However, Peter loses yet another ally after Yuri loses all faith in the law and becomes a vigilante serial killer. Black Cat, while still alive following the destruction of her penthouse, cuts ties with Peter and goes back into hiding to protect herself, and Mary Jane is leaving New York to cover the civil war in Symkaria. On the plus side, Peter finally starts properly training Miles and the city gains its second web-swinging hero. The last bit is lessened in Spider-Man: Miles Morales as MJ asks Peter to join her.
- Spider-Man: Miles Morales: The Tinkerer is dead, sacrificing herself to allow Miles to safely discharge the bio-electricity he absorbed to save Harlem, his uncle Aaron/the Prowler is going to prison for his actions, though on a lesser sentence due to his cooperation, and Miles has learned some harsh lessons on being a hero. Oh, and Harry Osborn and the Venom symbiote are awake now. However, Miles and Aaron are starting to rebond, Harlem is safe, Simon Krieger is going to prison and Harlem has their own Spider-Man as Miles grows into the role his own way.
- Spider-Man (PS4): Spider-Man saves the city, and proves once and for all that he's a true hero. However, Manhattan, while recovering from the Demons' and the Sinister Six's aggression, is still plagued with crime. In addition, Peter and Miles lose three important figures in their lives; Miles' father, Jefferson, is killed in a terrorist attack; Peter's idol, Otto Octavius, descends into villainy as his obsession for revenge against Norman Osborn consumes him; and Aunt May succumbs to the bioweapon that Otto unleashed. Harry is hinted to become Venom, while Miles is given spider powers as well, showing that Peter's life as Spider-Man may get a little easier now that he has someone he can share his monumental responsibility with. It also looks as though Peter and MJ may be giving their relationship another chance.
Western Animation
Western Animation
- Iron Man: Armored Adventures
- Season one. Fin Fang Foom is stopped, the fifth ring is found, and Zhang is dead. But the armory is destroyed, and Gene reveals himself as true Mandarin and cops to causing the plane crash that killed Tony's father (who is revealed to be Not Quite Dead). Worse, he now knows that there are not five, but TEN Makluan Rings, and he has the first five, making him the only one who knows the location of the rest.
- In season 2 episode "Heavy Mettle", Stane is finally outed as a Corrupt Corporate Executive and ousted from his CEO position by the Reasonable Authority Figures on the Stark International Board of Directors. However, as a result Stane goes temporarily nuts, figures out Tony is Iron Man, steals the Iron Monger suit and tries to call him out to a final battle by kidnapping Pepper. It gets worse, for just when Stane has had a change of heart thanks to the love of his daughter, Hammer shows up, hacks Iron Monger's systems and causes it to go on a rampage, which Stane is blamed for. In the effort to stop the Monger suit from the inside, Stane causes the suit to plummet off a building, while Tony and Rhodey are unable to save him. End result, Stane is in a coma, Whitney blames Tony for everything and swears revenge, and Hammer, though momentarily disabled, avoids all blame and is poised to become even more powerful than he already is.
- Marvel's Spider-Man: The second season finale, "The Goblin War" "Part 1", "Part 2", "Part 3", and "Part 4" has the Goblin Nation and its leader, the Goblin King/Adrian Toomes defeated, but Otto Octavius performs a Heroic Sacrifice to stop the Goblin King and dies in Peter's arms. However, his will essentially allows Peter to return to Horizon High and Gwen and Anya rekindle their friendship with Peter.
- The Spectacular Spider-Man Season 2 episode Final Curtain prematurely ends with Spider-Man defeating the Big Bad and New York is safe. However, said villain apparently died in front of his son's eyes, who again is Spidey's best friend and now hates Spider-Man. Peter's social life also isn't any better, as he breaks up with his girlfriend to get together with his true love, only she is being manipulated to not break up with Peter's best friend. Oh, and the Big Bad actually survived and is boarding a plane to a tropical island.
- Wolverine and the X-Men (2009). Yes, the Sentinel-ruled no-humans imprisoned-mutants future crisis has been averted; the Phoenix Force has been dissipated; and Genosha now has a new, kinder ruler in the Scarlet Witch. But the final battle cost Emma Frost her life, and Charles Xavier faces a new challenge after awakening from his 20-year coma: the Age of Apocalypse. Sure, this sounds like a great set-up for season 2, but the series has been cancelled, so yes, it counts an ending.
- X-Men: The Animated Series has a Bittersweet Finale "Graduation Day". Professor Xavier was hit by a Psychic wave that weakens him to the point of near death. After Wolverine, Cyclops and Jean were able to convince Magneto to send a message to the Shi'ar Empire, Professor Xavier said his good-byes to his X-Men (Morph included) and to Magneto before he dies. Empress Lilandra made it to resurrect Xavier so that he can be cared for with Shi'ar technology on their planet. The final scene involves Empress Lilandra taking off with Xavier for him to heal while Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Jubilee, Gambit, Rogue, Beast, Morph and Magneto looking onward as the Earth itself face an uncertain future.
