Tear Jerker / Archie Comics

• Archie's dog, Spotty, was a major supporting character in the Little Archie series. By the time the group is in their teens, one would assume Spotty died of old age. But the truth is worse. In one story, Archie reveals that Spotty suddenly ran away one night, with no idea as to why, and he never saw him again.
• Ambrose was The Friend Nobody Likes in the Little Archie series, who eventually moved away but would send gifts every so often. Years later, when Archie learns Ambrose is returning to Riverdale to visit, he's afraid that he was going to get revenge against everyone treating him poorly when they were kids. When they do finally meet up, Ambrose reveals that, with his family constantly moving all over the place, he was downright miserable and the memories he had of Riverdale were the happiest time of his life. After making peace, Archie re-introduces Ambrose to everyone as his "old, new friend."
• In one of the best-written stories in the franchise, Archie and Me #149 (written and drawn by Bob Bolling) sees Mr. Weatherbee narrate the tale of a joint expedition into a snowy mountainous region for different reasons: Mr. Weatherbee to search for Malooka Indian relics for his chapter of a local archeological society, and Archie to research wolves for a report he's working on. As the story progresses, Archie encounters a mean, starving old wolf that had been ostracized by its pack. Its attacking him and triggering an avalanche is what allows Mr. Weatherbee to find a cache of treasure, while the old wolf is taken back to the Riverdale Zoo where Archie visits him and shares food with him every day until he dies. Mr. Weatherbee's closing lines and the final image of the wolf's silhouette among the clouds with Archie sitting in front of his enclosure and mourning really cement the Bittersweet Ending.
  Mr. Weatherbee: Archie continued to visit the old wolf, who was as mean and surly as ever, every day. After a few months, the old wolf died. But on the morning of his final visit, Archie is certain that he saw him wag his tail.
• In Reggie's spotlight issue of the freshman year story arc, we see how desperate he is to be friends with upperclassmen who take advantage of him and then ignore him. We also get to see a glimpse of his home life, and unlike Archie and pals Reggie has to eat alone while his parents are busy, he's pushed away Archie and Jughead and the cool older kids want nothing to do with him.
• "Rescue Me" has Reggie adopt a dachshund initially as a ploy to get girls but genuinely comes to like him. The dog Runty learns of Reggie's original motive and runs away, eventually making his way to a nursing home where his original owner now lives. Runty can't stay forever in the home of course, and a remorseful Reggie tracks the dog down and begs the old man to let him keep the dog, promising to be a better owner. The old man gives Reggie his blessing, and Runty accepts Reggie's apology. Later stories show that Reggie still owns the dog and though Runty is aware his owner is flawed, he still likes him. After all these years Reggie finally has a friend who loves him unconditionally.
• The story where Ms. Grundy's apartment burns down. The thing she mourns the loss of most is the last remaining photo of her parents. Becomes a positive example in the end after the Riverdale High students chip in to get her apartment and everything in it restored, including the photo.
• One story involved a break-in at Riverdale High. Jughead goes to investigate, and is caught by the police in the mistaken belief that he was the one breaking in. This lead to several days of not only his parents, but his friends and the entire student body and faculty ignoring and shunning him. Eventually a pair of other kids admit to the break-in, and everyone apologizes to Jughead. But, as Archie points out, it was too late to believe him. The last panel simply showed Jughead walking alone into the distance.
• "The Lonely Heart of Riverdale" where Betty discovers a tragic story of a man who couldn't come home from the war to marry his fiance.

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