The top superhero moments of 2019: From 'Avengers! Assemble' to the Queen theme on 'The Flash'
2019 can be rightfully called the year of the Superheroes. From the colossal 'Avengers: Endgame' to a string of largely popular TV series, there has been enough content from that genre coming in almost every month. And 2020 will add to the already existing content pieces. It has been a strong and a good year for both Marvel and the DC universe as both heavyweights have dished out some stellar films and shows. As the year draws closer, we take a look at the epic superhero moments that gave the world moments of joy, ecstasy, pride, grief and invoked just about every possible emotion there is out there.
The Avengers Assemble (Avengers: Endgame)
It took Steve Rogers aka Captain America three 'Avengers' films to say that iconic line "Avengers! Assemble". The Avengers take on the mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin) in an epic battle and if the scene of them being back from the snap wasn't enough (Fans consider the moment to be a blessing), Rogers calling them to assemble was next level fan tribute. What followed was some massive mayhem.
Captain America wields Mjolnir (Avengers: Endgame)
Who would have thunk it? Cap may have budged Thor's hammer by a few millimetres in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', but 'Endgame' proves the man is worthy. Just when Thor is about to have the Stormbreaker pushed into his heart, Cap summons Mjolnir and wallops Thanos. Even if it was a brief few minutes. Another unforgettable iconic moment. Blessed are we, to witness this moment.
The death of Iron Man (Avengers: Endgame)
No heartbreak would match up to this one. The final minutes of the intense battle against Thanos sees Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) manage to get hold of the Stark gauntlet. Before he snaps Thanos and his army to oblivion, he mutters the iconic line, 'I am Iron Man' before snapping. While he saves the day, it cost him his life and the whole world wept. Fans left the theatres crying and that should sum it up.
(Shazam!)
While Billy (Zachary Levi) is busy having a blast with his new powers, the villainous Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong) decides to exact revenge against his father and brother. After invading the boardroom at Sivana Industries, Sivana throws his brother from the window of the skyscraper before unleashing the Seven Deadly Sins on the rest of the board members. It doesn't end there. He sets Greed on his father, proving his sheer sadism and cruelty. It's quite an intense scene.
Arthur Fleck shoots Murray Franklin in the head on his own show (Joker)
This incendiary moment will be etched in minds for a long time. The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) shoots Robert De Niro's character on his own show after scathingly telling him that he had just been called there to be made fun of. Before shooting him in the head, he delivers some hard-hitting lines and confesses to the bloody murders he has committed. It's a bone-chilling and unexpected moment as right after this Arthur Fleck incites a riot of clowns in the city, who are rebelling against the system.
Moving on the TV shows...
A-Train Runs Through a Woman ('The Boys'- Amazon Prime)
The Boys set a new standard for violence in superhero live-action portrayals, and they set that standard right off the bat. One of the earliest scenes of the pilot episode sees one of the protagonists Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) talking a walk with his longtime girlfriend, Robin (Jess Salguiero). It's a touching scene, which makes what happens next all the more shocking: without the slightest warning, Robin is suddenly a mass of blood, bone and guts as superspeedster A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) has literally run right through her. The only part of Robin left intact are her hands...which Hughie is still left holding.
The squid shot fans have waited for since 1986 ('Watchmen'- HBO)
The Zack Snyder live action 'Watchmen' adaptation of the comic book drew many criticisms from the fans, but perhaps the biggest of all was his change to the finale. Instead of a giant genetically engineered psychic squid being dropped on New York, a bomb was dropped on the city that was blamed on Doctor Manhattan. When the 'Watchmen' TV series started though, fans were delighted to find that the squid aspect of the New York attack was kept canon, and in Episode 5, over 30 since its comic book appearance, the squid attack that killed half of New York's population was finally shown on screen. For many fans it was well worth the wait.
Harley Quinn breaks up with the Joker and gains independence ('Harley Quinn'- DC Universe)
From her very first appearance, Harley Quinn has been two things: Beloved by the fandom, and abused by the Joker. In recent years, these two things grew to be at odds with each other as the fandom realized that the Joker/Harley relationship was toxic in a way that had nothing to do with Ace Chemicals. When the new animated series released in November, Harley Quinn fans were rewarded with a pilot episode that sees her realize how bad the Joker's been for her, and break up with him in spectacular fashion. No more Mistah J, Harley's got her own career to look out for!
The original Flash theme by Queen ('The Flash'- The CW)
The Scarlet Speedster is back and in style, thanks to Cisco Ramon's (Carlos Valdes) impeccable taste in music which sees him play the iconic Queen's 'Flash' theme during a key scene. Cisco plays the theme over the comms when Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) is running into the black hole to save Chester P. Runk's consciousness after the latter's experiment sees him build a black hole using parts rummaged from a dumpster yard. The track was played in the 80s movie Flash Gordon composed by Queen. When he cues up the tune, he tells a bemused Iris (Candice Patton) that he's been waiting for the right moment to play it.
Kara's new nanotech suit ('Supergirl'- The CW)
'Event Horizon' sees Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) start off with her regular skirt costume, however, it takes a beating at the hands of a shape-shifting alien at the National City museum. Her cape is shredded in the process and Brainy (Jesse Rath) deduces that along with the Kryptonian pod that was missing, Kara's damaged cape is a major cause of concern. He solves the problem by making her a new suit which is presented to Kara just before her Pulitzer award ceremony. The interesting part is the size which is pretty microscopic and he attaches it to her glasses, telling her the suit will materialize when she takes the glasses off in a specific way.
This is seen a few minutes later when Midnight (Jennifer Cheon Garcia) shows up at the ceremony and Kara whips off the glasses to see the suit develop around her in a way similar to the nanotech Mark 50 suit that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) uses in 'Avengers: Endgame'.
Arrow - Season 8 opening
Since 'Arrow' Season 8 is the show's last, the creators made it a point to make it a tribute to the whole series. They did this starting with the very first scene of the new season, which recreated the opening of Season 1 with the location shifted to the alternate universe of Earth-2. The scene also replaced the Deathstroke mask from the Season 1 opening with Batman's iconic cowl, which just made the whole scene even more exciting.
Titans - Raven transformation
The first season of 'Titans' was largely concerned with Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) figuring out her powers and learning to get a handle on her personal darkness. 'Titans' Season 2's premiere completed this journey with an epic scene where Rachel's father Trigon (Seamus Dever) ripped out her heart and fixed it into her forehead as a red gem, finally giving Rachel her iconic Raven look from the comics. After facing criticism for Rachel's look in Season 1, the Season 2 transformation gave us fans exactly what we wanted from the character in the coolest way possible.
Black Lightning - Black Lightning returns
The superhero landing is a staple of comic book shows and movies and in Season 3, 'Black Lightning's deliver a truly epic one. As an added bonus, this scene was the first time we got to see the new and improved Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) back in action, wearing a brand-new suit that's a massive improvement on the bulky armor he wore in the first two seasons. In a series that often gets lost in the shadows of its sister shows, this was one moment that really made us sit up and take note.
What are your favorite superhero moments of 2019?