Sgt. Rock: A Peace on Earth takes place on December 24th, 1944 as Sgt. Rock walks down a lonely, foggy road with liquor to bring back to his fellow men. On the way, he passes another soldier and neither realizes that they're on opposite sides until they're face-to-face. In their shock, they both fall over...but Rock gets back up laughing, and the German asks for a cigarette. They sit down, drink, they smoke, they talk about how they both lost fathers in the first world war, they drink some more, and then they rise again. Before they part, the German warns Rock that he was ordered to shoot on sight. They both arm themselves and the sound of gunfire fills the air...only for the next page to show they both fired in the air. They wish each other a merry Christmas and depart. The best part? The subtitle "Based on a True Story" isn't stretching the truth.
From Booster Gold's own series, the #1,000,000 issue; Booster has attempted to use his time-travelling mission to save the life of Ted Kord, the former Blue Beetle and his best friend; Ted, however, heroically sacrificed himself to stop a Big Bad, reverting things to the way they were. As a result, Booster is embittered, seeing his life as worthless and meaningless; he makes all these sacrifices, but no one will ever know. Then, he encounters Batman, who reveals that he's discovered that on a previous mission, Booster attempted to prevent Barbara Gordon's paralysis at the hands of the Joker, suffering greatly as a result. Batman then offers to act as a confidante to Booster; whilst he acknowledges that they'll never be close and that Batman will never be Ted Kord, he will at least be there for Booster should Booster needs it.
The fact that Ted died, in part, because Batman wouldn't listen to him, makes this less or more wibbly.
This story featured immediately after the Green Arrow/Black Canary engagement and marriage storyline, where it is revealed that the Green Arrow that attempted to kill Canary on their wedding night was Everyman in disguise, and Canary, Speedy, and Connor Hawke have just rescued the real Arrow from Themyscera. As they are leaving the island, a single sniper shot seems to come from thin air (There is a panel of the bullet and it is actually emerging from clear sky) and hits Connor Hawke, Green Arrow's son. They only have basic first aid equipment on their boat, nothing to deal with a fatal sniper wound, so Arrow just looks to the sky and screams for Clark. The story has a downer endingnote Clark hears him and dramatically swoops in to save the wounded, flying him to a hospital and proper medical care...and is too late! Connor had lost too much blood, been deprived of air past the point of no return, and though his heart beats and his lungs breathe, his brain-damaged coma can not be fixed. Period., but consider the beginning. You've got a friend who can hear every voice in the world at the same time. A friend who, at any moment, could be anywhere acting to save lives or prevent a catastrophe. And yet you know... you KNOW... that in your moment of need, he'll be there. No doubt, no question... HE WILL COME.
From Justice League Unlimited #28, after getting lectured by Batman after letting a crook escape and not being able to buy a Playtendo 720 for Christmas, The Flash was taken back into the past by the Phantom Stranger to see what kind of Christmas Batman had after his parents' death. When opening all his expensive presents, Bruce barely had any reaction until he got a Gray Ghost flyer and he was absolutely ecstatic. Until he saw his parents' portrait and went back to being gloomy. Then, back to the present, Flash presented Batman with a special present.◊ Then, we find out that Batman also got Flash a present also.◊
When the Phantom Stranger loans Superman a magic-resistant shield to give him a chance against the evil wizard Arion.
Phantom Stranger: Here is a gift from one who knows what it means... to be a stranger.
The "To be a stranger" line is significant because Arion's motive for antagonizing Supes is that since Superman is an alien, he is a stranger with no right to interfere with our lives. The Phantom Stranger tells him, You Are Not Alone.
DC Super Friends #21 had a story where The Queen Of Fables separates the Super Friends and traps them in various stories. Superman lands in the tale of John Henry. As the contest against the machine begins, Superman begs John to stop, as he has read this story and knows that John will die at the end. John makes a speech about how he has to stand up to the machine to prove that machines can't replace people. Superman then picks up a hammer.
"Maybe you don't have to die to do it—if we show them what people can do when we work together!"
And here we have Garth Ennis take a break from his rampant cynicism and hatred of superheroes to let Hitmangive some props◊ to Superman.
In a story from Superman #131, Superboy has a dull day and is convinced that he didn't do anything noteworthy. All he did was save a toddler from a well, help a teenage girl from being humiliated at a party, and rescued a reporter's briefcase. As it turns out, the toddler was Jimmy Olsen, the girl was Lois Lane, and the reporter was Perry White. Aww!
Superboy (crying with happiness): Kon-El—! I have a name... I have a real name!
Who Is Donna Troy?: Donna Troy's original backstory is terribly tragic and sweet. When she's reunited with her mother it's a happy tears kind of moment. Donna thought her parents were dead all these years but, while her biological mom and adopted dad did die, her mom is alive.
In Adventure Comics #115, the Shining Knight's horse, Winged Victory, befriends a horse named Geronimo who has a job delivering milk. When Geronimo's job is threatened by a milk truck and his owner is threatened by gangsters, the Shining Knight works to help them both, and Geronimo and his owner are allowed to keep working as they are.
