Heartwarming / Injustice 2

Lucy Quinzel and her crazy "Aunt" Harleen.

As a moments page, spoilers are unmarked.

The Comic

• Dinah and Alternate Universe!Oliver Queen return to this dimension. And then she asks him to marry her!
  • In the same issue, it turns out that Barbara has survived.
  • Also in that issue, when Batman says he needs to track down the Suicide Squad, he says "they have powerful villains at their disposal." Barbara adds, "And they have Harley." After everything they've been through together, she is truly part of the team.
• In issue #4, Dinah appears in Bruce's hospital suite. He can only say, "It's good to see you." She laughs, calls him an "emotionally stunted freak" and gives him a huge hug. And he hugs back. (Awkwardly.)
• Harley stops Deadshot from killing Dinah and proceeds to tearfully hug both her and Ollie, since she thought they were dead — even though she has a Explosive Leash controlled by an evil Batman. Ollie is naturally confused by this since he isn't the same one from this universe that interacted with Harley.
• Issue 8: We are treated to a flashback of Damian's time under Batman's tutelage. Batman has Damian undergo a trial. He leaves him on a roof and tells him "If you know the right way towards the city you should make it in three hours." Damian being his bold self declares he'll beat it in two. First four minutes in, he hears a lady getting mugged. Damian saves the lady who gives him 5 dollars. Not only that he takes an extra two minutes to wait with her for he cops. 27 minutes in, he sees a guy who looks like he's about to jump. Not only does he stop him, he takes an extra 40-50 minutes to stay with him for a cup of tea. He keeps delaying his time by helping various civilians around Gotham: a guy who's been stabbed, helping an old lady with her groceries, dropping criminals off at the GCPD. By the time he makes it to the Batcave, his time is 10 hours 47 minutes. Disappointed, Damian sheepishly admits he failed. Bruce then reveals that it wasn't a time trial, but to see how he would act when operating alone with Alfred telling Damian it took three days for Bruce on the same test.
  • Bruce chastises Damian for accepting the $5, but we (and Bruce) saw that Damian tried to refuse. He probably accepted the money just to let her feel good.
  • Alfred tells Damian that he can go to sleep, and he will do the household chores Bruce instructed Damian to do. He adds he knows Bruce is watching, but only because he cares.
• Ted (Wildcat of the JSA) offers to give Dinah away at her wedding.
  Ted: I was wonderin'. With your Dad gone and all... Well, it's a long walk down the aisle. Thought you might like some company.
• Twisted his reasoning may be, but Damian's decision to resurrect Alfred using Lazarus Pit in issue 14 is one.
  • In the issue 22 Alfred recovers and stops Batman from punching Damian.
• Galaxor, the guy in previous comic who got his spine broken for opposing Knight Templar Superman and Wonder Woman is retconned to have survived. Though he became crippled and severely disillusioned, Flash started helping him with recovering by encouraging him to walk.
• It's safe to say that Selina and Bruce has reconciled, as they slept together.
  • Watching Alfred alive is heartwarming too.
• Issue #36:
  • Pa Kent tells Ollie he is glad to see him back, even though that is his Alternate Self from another Earth. Considering that he and his wife were Forced to Watch his Injustice counterpart's brutal death, it must have been quite the relief.
    • Moreso when you remember that this world's Ollie died because he accidentally hit Pa Kent with an arrow, meaning the older man has no resent over that accident.
  • Its implied that the only reason Superman hasn't been executed yet was because Batman has not given up on his friend yet and believes he can be rehabilitated.
  • Its revealed that Alfred and Mr. and Mrs. Kent used to call each other weekly to keep tabs with their sons.
• Issue 42 introduces us to the romance between Killer Croc and Orca. Though some of the... squicker details of this relationship are played for laughs, it's oddly sweet seeing a hardened psychopath like Croc show genuine and undying love and respect for Orca.
  Orca: Did you just eat a sentient gorilla for me?
  Croc: I would eat a thousand sentient gorillas for you.
  Orca: That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.
  The two kiss while Deadshot just stares somewhat disturbed.
• After the rest of the Squad pull some strings and help Orca and Croc get married, itself a nice moment, Grodd reveals he's going to invade Gorilla City and kill them while giving Orca and Croc the chance to leave. Croc, despite being vastly outgunned, begins to make a stand to protect the other Squad members.
• Annual #2: World's Finest. A look back at how far things have fallen, but also showing how good they use to be.
  • 8 years ago, before all the pain, Bruce was attacked by right wing terrorists. Clark immediately went to go check on Bruce, and Lois completely gets it.
  • Bruce smiles on seeing his best friend, insisting that he's fine.
  • Needing a place to recoup, Superman offers a secret fortress as a good space. But it isn't the Fortress of Solitude he takes Bruce, Alfred and Selina to. It's his home in Kansas.
  • Johnathan admitting that Clark sees Bruce as his hero.
  • After clearing his name and taking down the villains together, Batman thanks Superman and Lois for all their help in ensuring his safety.

The Game

Story Mode

• During Flash’s chapter, Dr. Randall, Barry’s coworker, reveals that Bruce personally pardoned him for helping take down the Regime and gave him a job at his new research center, the Luthor/Wayne Climate Research Center. It goes to show how much of a saint Barry is.
  • When Barry remarks that his other colleagues are unhappy to be working with a convicted Regime criminal, Dr. Randall points out that he was pardoned and they will eventually forgive him.
• The fact that Flash, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Catwoman, and Aquaman are joining the fight against Brainiac's forces.
• After the story's prologue, we have Bruce Wayne in court telling the authorities of Superman's fall into villainy, but not without accounting for the fact that Superman was once a good man who suffered a terrible tragedy. It's clear that even after all he's done, Batman still considers Superman his friend, and truly regrets what happened. He even says this to Kara after Supes is blasted by Brainiac.
• Superman realizes that Damian is going too far with scolding Batman by bringing up Jason, and, gently placing his hand on Damian's shoulder, tells him to stop.
• After the reunited heroes finish their plan, Superman and Batman are left alone. Superman stares down at the table.
  Superman: Why'd you keep it?
  Batman: Keep what?
  Superman pulls off the cloth to reveal the table the heroes were around is the original meeting table for the Justice League.
  Batman: Huh. Forgot that was there.
  He walks away as Superman can't help but smile.
  • Note the long crack in the table, clearly from a past conflict that tore the JLA apart. That Batman kept this reminder of better times speaks volumes on how he hoped somehow they could all be on the same side again.
• Hal Jordan is back... as Green Lantern. The Guardians gave him a chance to redeem himself, and he took it.
  • The fact that he possesses a green ring again shows that he managed to overcome his fears, and is driven not to fall again.
  • Not to mention that this means we might be getting the first portrayal of the Guardians in ages that doesn't go out of it's way to make them Lawful Stupid.
  • Crossing over with a Moment of Awesome, Hal manages to use his will to refuse Atrocitus' offer of being a Red Lantern, justifying the Guardians' trust in him.
• Several clashes have characters accusing Harley Quinn of being irredeemable, with her retorting that Batman says otherwise. For all the many years of conflict between the two, the fact that Batman still considers Harley redeemable is pretty touching. In fact, on Quinn's default outfit, she has the bat logo across the back.
  • In fact, just Harley's Character Development alone is enough to qualify. Though the Injustice Earth's Harley was still a Batman ally in the previous game, she now fully delves into her role as a hero with more compassion than ever. Her constant worrying of Ollie and Dinah after their abduction by Brainiac from Gorilla City shows she regards them as extremely good friends. And that scene where she helps a dazed Kara after the latter gets knocked out by Wonder Woman? It brings a tear to your eyes when you remember this was once the Joker's right hand woman and now she's working with heroes to help save the world. Well done indeed, Dr. Quinzel.
  • Actually, the fact that Harley holds Batman in high regard as well as being outright friendly to him is staggering considering how she was his enemy at one point in time. And despite retaining some Ax-Crazy tendencies, she even says that she actually likes doing good things. It's even heavily implied that the reason behind her turning on Joker once again in her Scarecrow-induced nightmare is because he tried to force her to kill Batman, and Batman was the only person out of the two who gave her genuine respect and showed her basic human decency.
  • Also the sheer fact that her greatest fear is Joker returning and corrupting her. It suggests she knows she's only few steps from crazy and is fighting her worse urges in order to stay with the good guys - and winning that fight.
• In the story mode, Barry initially doesn't trust Hal when he comes back - understandable, given that Hal tried to intervene in Barry's Heel–Face Turn and never turned on Superman while the Regime still existed - but after a quick fight, he sees Hal's good intentions and realizes that Hal's in the same boat he is. The smiles on their faces when they shake hands and accept each other's help is pretty nice to see.
• After everything he's been through, Batman has every reason to never trust any kind of super-powered Kryptonian; even in the first game he was adamant about not bringing the main Superman into his world. Yet he trusts Supergirl enough to reform the Justice League alongside her in his ending. He really has learned to put his faith and trust in other people, possibly taking his own counterpart's advice to mind.
• Catwoman being a member of Batman's allies once again. It shows that for all the pain she caused Bruce by joining the Regime for misguided reasons, he sees something good in her to take her back.
• Even Wonder Woman gets a moment of sympathy when she remarks to Captain Cold that does sympathize with his pain.
• Jay Garrick. His Big Superhero Voice just adds to the charm, especially when villains call it corny. The Reality Subtext of his return in DC Rebirth just makes it more special.
• In a strange way, Darkseid's vendetta against Superman for killing his son, Kalibak. For an otherwise heartless tyrant to care enough about a son he despises that he'd put his killer on the top of his kill-list says something about how much Darkseid cherished Kalibak's mother.
• While Cyborg is working on releasing Superman from his cell, the latter is confused as to who let the former out of his cell while Wonder Woman dealt with the guards outside. Then Supergirl approaches his cell, and Superman is amazed to finally see one of his kin, let alone a family member, in spite of the destruction of his homeworld.
  Superman: Kara?
  Supergirl: You recognize me, Kal?
  Superman: My parents stored your image on my ship. You're my protector.
  Supergirl: Sorry I'm a few decades late. You and I left Krypton at the same time, but the explosion threw my ship off course. Way off course.
  Superman: You haven't aged a day.
  Supergirl: While you were growing up, I was on ice.
  Superman: I never thought I'd see family again. Someone with my eyes, my own blood... You knew my parents.
  Supergirl: They loved you so much, Kal.
  [Supergirl realizes that Diana needs help]
  Supergirl: I don't want to leave you.
  Superman: I'll be here.
• In a twisted sense, Brainiac's showering of praise of Cyborg in their interactions can count as this, especially considering that the former disparages most of the cast. Brainiac goes so far as to express pity (in his view, anyway) that he could not collect the Titans who died in Metropolis, sympathy (in massive quotes) that he gives to no one else.
  Brainiac: Your father...built your enhancements?
  Cyborg: Yeah, his gift to me.
  Brainiac: For a better gift, no son could ask.
• In an even MORE twisted sense, Superman turning Batman into a mind-controlled zombie at the end of the Absolute Power ending. Yeah, it's pretty hard to watch, but think about this: he could've easily killed Batman after beating him, but he cares enough about his past friend to still want him by his side.

Arcade Endings

• Doctor Fate: He seeks shelter at the House of Mystery with Zatanna and John Constantine after defeating Brainiac to hide from the Lords of Order. In return, Constantine's daughter Rose resurrects his wife.
• Captain Cold: He puts his foot down at teaming up with Brainiac to destroy the planet and takes down both Grodd and Brainiac. He's shown paying a visit to his sister's grave and says he has decided to abandon his criminal ways and fight crime with the Flash to honor his late sister. In the ending's final shot we see a room filled with frozen robbers and Flash running by Cold to give him the thumbs up while Cold casually flips him off, with Cold narrating that Flash is the best partner he's ever had (second only to his sister). Turns out Doctor Fate was right when he said that Cold still has good in him.
• Deadshot: He defeats both Grodd and Brainiac, thinking Grodd's scheme has gone too far. Later, Batman financed the surgery to remove the microbombs from his brain, allowing him to reunite his daughter. Now having a second chance to meet Zoe, Deadshot promises himself that he will become the father she needed. Even Evil Has Loved Ones, indeed.
• Harley Quinn: She's fully inducted into the Justice League. Though she does have an urge to bash skulls every once in awhile, she thinks she can handle it. Even better? You know how in the prequel comics, she mentions that she had to give up her daughter? Well, in the final shot we see her with her daughter Lucy and the Green Arrow family. Lucy doesn't know that her "crazy aunt" Harleen's her mother, but Harley hopes to tell her someday.
  • Harley in the final picture alone counts as a heartwarming moment: her hair is loose and she's not wearing face paint, meaning that the Joker's grasp on her is the weakest it's ever been.
• Cyborg: Before killing Brainiac, he steals his 12th Level Intellect and connection to the cities he stole. Afterwards, he restored the cities on Earth and seeks to do the same to other worlds. As he heads off to do that, he creates holograms of his Titans teammates to join him — Red Robin, Starfire, Wonder Girl and the Conner Kent Superboy. "Titans Together. Boo-yah."
  • Possibly even better: they may not be holograms. Those are the same four Titans that Superman trapped in the Phantom Zone in the Injustice comic, with a promise to free them later that he never kept. With Superman out of the way and his new intellect, Cyborg likely found a way to set them free. Boo-yah indeed.
• Atrocitus: Brainiac's death destroys all of the collected cities, killing billions and causing the Red Lantern leader's own corps to turn on him. Then Proselyte, patron Entity of the Indigo Lanterns, saves his life, offering him forgiveness and compassion despite the horrible mistake. Atrocitus takes the lesson to heart, and goes on to unite all of the Lantern Corps under one banner, declaring that the emotional spectrum must be in balance, punishing guilt but also offering mercy to those deserving of it.
• Black Canary: Dinah quickly rushes back home, wanting to make sure her son Connor is okay. To her surprise, he's fine: the stress of the invasion triggered his Metagene and she finds out the apple didn't fall too far from the tree as he has his mother's sonic scream. Though she knows it's going to be rough, she's glad to have people to help her and Ollie out with their kid.
• Brainiac: ...Or rather, Brainiac 5. He reveals his identity to Superman and Batman and that he was here to make sure his era of the 31st Century didn't fear Coluans anymore. Though he knows his teammates in the Legion of Super-Heroes are going to give him hell for it, he knows it was all Worth It. Long Live the Legion.
• Blue Beetle: Jaime decides to put off being a superhero for a while to go back to school in El Paso and reconnect with his family. And when things start to get boring while living his normal life, Jaime assures that there will always be the Justice League.
• Robin: Batman sacrifices himself so that Damian can kill Brainiac. Damian confesses that he'd been so obsessed with trying to escape the Bat's shadow that he never truly appreciated what Batman really meant until now: hope. Thus, Damian decides to honor his father the only fitting way: Taking Up the Mantle of the Dark Knight.
• Red Hood: Picking up after Brainiac's defeat, Batman and Superman start fighting each other again, and Jason isn't having any of it. While he doesn't disagree with Clark's methods, he's no fan of being told what to do, and strikes off on his own again, vowing to protect those who can't protect themselves, with the last shot of this ending being Jason saving a woman from Professor Pyg.
• Starfire: The original Titans are gone: Raven is now a servant of Trigon, Cyborg left his friends for the Regime, Beast Boy is missing and presumed dead, and Dick Grayson is dead by Damian Wayne's hand. Rather than fall into despair, however, Starfire decides to honor the memories of her old friends and lead a new group of Titans with her new friends: Supergirl, Blue Beetle, and Firestorm. And while they're all eating pizza, Supergirl is spreading mustard on hers, doubtless because Kory told her how awesome mustard-with-pizza-on-bottom is.
  Starfire: After all, I defeated Brainiac. That was a victory. And victories call for mustard parties.
• Sub-Zero: After getting stuck in the Injustice universe, he saves the world by defeating Brainiac. In thanks, Batman graciously agrees to help Sub-Zero get back home. Until such time, the dude dedicates to building upon the battle skills of the youth of the JL. Even better? After Superman's Regime escapes the Phantom Zone and try yet again to regain domination, Sub-Zero selflessly decides to help defend against them, practically calling this strange world like it were his own to protect! This is why we love you, man!
• Raiden: After bringing down Brainiac, he tends to the wounded, clearly upset that he can't save Kent Nelson. Upon hearing Kent's warning that the Lords of Order have gotten a bit big for their britches, Raiden is more than happy to join the Justice League Dark. The fact that a god of electricity has no problem joining forces with a load of magical mere mortals and even a demon is pretty cool!
• The Atom: Ryan Choi shows his Undying Loyalty to Ray Palmer, even going as so far as to incorporate Brainiac's tech to allow him to search for Palmer. "The Atom is not going to let him down!"
• Aquaman: Surprisingly, after Brainiac's defeat, he comes to the realization that Superman and the Regime really were in the wrong. He then rushes to the universe where the good Justice League is. Planning on asking them for their help, and their forgiveness.

Battle Quotes

• Despite the bad blood between them, Batman sent Blue Beetle and Firestorm over to Red Hood for training.
  • Firestorm responds that the opportunity is "seriously freaking cool!"
• Two between Starfire and Red Hood had them reminiscing about Dick.
  Red Hood: Grayson used to gush about you.
  Starfire: I still miss him, every day.
  Red Hood: Show me what impressed him so much.

  Starfire: You remind me of Dick Grayson.
  Red Hood: ...I don't think so, Kori.
  Starfire: It is all in the way you fight.
• Practically everything out of Jay Garrick's mouth. The world of Injustice, whilst still possessing a handful of Capes, is most definitely a darker place than the prime DC Universe. Yet running out of the Speed Force comes a true-blue Ideal Hero from the Golden Age, ever-polite, and truly dedicated to Truth, Justice, and the American Way. It makes for a nice, warm contrast. Jay might be the closest thing the Injustice Universe has to a Superman and he really fills the role well.
  • Like many others, he calls Superman and Flash out for failing to live up to the ideals of a superhero. Unlike those others, he doesn't just judge them and believes they can redeem themselves. It's just a shame that in Superman's case, Netherrealm didn't agree.
  • There's also him offering to help Harley Quinn, Black Manta, Bizarro, and even the Joker with their problems.
  • Don't even get me started on his more casual interactions, like with Vixen.
    Jay Garrick: You'd make one heck of a sidekick, Vixen.
    Vixen: I'm the star of my own show.
    Jay Garrick: Well then, partners it is.
  • This exchange between Jay and Captain Cold.
    Jay Garrick: Your fall saddens me, Captain Cold.
    Captain Cold: (mocking) Are those tears, Flash?
    Jay Garrick: (sincerely) Of frustration at your plight... yes.
  • Jay even lectures Batman on The Power of Trust:
    Jay Garrick: It'd help if you trusted people.
    Batman: I don't trust anyone that much.
    Jay Garrick: (chiding) There's no better force multiplier, Batman.
  • When June begs Garrick to not let her die what is Jays response?
    Jay Garrick: Not while I have breath in these lungs.
  • Jay even gives Black Manta a Combat Compliment for being a monster.invoked
    Jay Garrick: There's no ambiguity to your evil.
    Black Manta: You got a problem with that, Garrick?
    Jay Garrick: No. It's refreshingly old-fashioned.
• Vixen comes a close second. For example, she urges Red Hood to return to Batman, insisting that despite everything, he'll welcome Jason back if he lets him.
• Dinah and Ollie's Battle Couple lines:
  Green Arrow: What now, pretty bird?
  Black Canary: You haven't been a good boy.
  Green Arrow: Oooo... My Safe Word is "Arrowcave".

  Black Canary: (sexily) Now you're gonna get it.
  Green Arrow: I think I have a crush on you.
  Black Canary: You can't flatter your way outta this.

• One of Bizarro's into quotes when facing Darkseid:
  Bizarro: Superman say you hate puppies...
  Darkseid: I hate all creatures, great and small.
  Bizarro: Bizarro not let you hurt Krypto!
• Some of Starfire's interactions with Dick's former colleagues. For instance, Starfire will tell Dinah that he used to gush about her combat abilities, while Jason will reverse it and tell her that Dick used to gush about her abilities. It's also strongly implied she and Jay Garrick have a familial relationship.
• Black Lightning and Blue Beetle.
  Black Lightning: Ready to help clean up the South Side?
  Blue Beetle: (sincerely) Yeah, thanks for asking.
  Black Lightning: Enthusiastic and polite; you're going places.
• Black Lightning in general is The Cape. He begs Superman to return to his former glory and has warm interactions with Batman, Vixen and Jay Garrick. In Batman's case, he was one of The Outsiders, he and Vixen express a desire to reform a new Justice League, and bonds with Jay over their mutual hatred of firearms. He and Raiden also bond over their powers; Black Lightning quickly adopts a senpai/kohai stance with Raiden, the latter being Sempai.
  • In another of their dialogs, Black Lightning tells Vixen that his daughters admire her and he's glad they have such a positive role model.
• Though still nightmarish in her treatment of June, it's oddly heartwarming to see Enchantress defend June, as some of the dialogue implies this.
  Enchantress: Nobody talks to June like that but me!
• The greater majority of interactions between Starfire and Hellboy are surprisingly friendly even though they're fighting. One in particular points towards the fight being just for fun.
  Hellboy: Are we really doin' this?
  Starfire: After I win, you wanna get pizza?
  Hellboy: Best offer I've had all day.
  • Another interaction has Hellboy offer to introduce Starfire to his pyrokinetic friend, Liz, under the assumption that she and Starfire would get along thanks to their shared connection of having fire based powers.
• All of the interactions between the Turtle brothers, even fighting each other. They also interact well with The Cape heroes, too.
  • Leonardo's conversations with Sub-Zero deserve mention, with all of them being extremely respectful towards the Grandmaster.
    Sub-Zero: You have sought me out for training.
    Leonardo: Every ninja knows you, Sub-Zero.
    Sub-Zero: Only the best receive my instruction.
    • Similarly, most of his conversations with Raiden are also quite friendly, with both of them wishing to work together, and Raiden being happy to accept Leonardo's request to train with the Shaolin monks.
  • Mikey's crosses with funny as well.
    Michelangelo: That costume is sick, Sub-Zero.
    Sub-Zero: My attire is no costume.
    Michelangelo: Chill, dude. It's a compliment.
  • One of Leonardo's conversations with Starfire is both heartwarming and sad:
  Starfire: Greetings, Earth friend
  Leonardo: Name's Leonardo, Ninja Turtle
  Starfire: Grayson would have liked you.
• This exchange:
  Harley Quinn: How is little Connor?
  Black Canary: Not the time, Harley.
  Harley Quinn: (sincerely pouting) But I want to see pictures!
• One of Flash's taunts after winning a round; "Wait 'til Iris hears about this one!" The prequel comics that predate the first game had Iris ending her relationship with Barry out of disgust to his allegiance to the Regime before allowing herself to become their prisoner. Barry's quote about her in this game implies that the two are on friendly terms again, no doubt because Barry defected and helped bring the Regime down.