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Top 5 Superhero Moments of 2012

 

As 2012 comes to a close, it’s time to take a look back at the Superhero Films and TV Shows of the last year and think of what moments will be remembered and discussed for years to come. And then forget all about those moments, because this list is just the ones that happened to be my personal favorites.
 
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead!
 
 
5. Car Thief Scene, The Amazing Spider-Man

As much as I enjoyed Tobey Maguire’s take on Spider-Man in the original trilogy, I absolutely loved Andrew Garfield’s take on the character. His Spider-Man just has this irreverent humor about him that Maguire’s just never quite reached. This scene, which serves as Spidey’s debut, captures that aspect of the character perfectly. And nothing that came before or after in the film was more memorable than Spider-Man’s new battle cry: “Crotch!”
4. Artemis’ Death, Young Justice 2×07 – “Depths”
 

I really can’t compliment this show enough. It blow me away time and again, so much that I always forget that it’s still a kids’ show. Artemis’ “death” this season was just one in a series of laudable moments, but the twist that came afterwards (that Aqualad was using his lineage to go undercover and hadn’t really killed Artemis) made this one the most memorable. It’s rare to find a cartoon that can pull off a genuine plot twist that you don’t see coming, so hats off to Young Justice.
3. Training Montage, Arrow 1×01 – “Pilot”
 
It’s hard to think of a successful Superhero TV Show that wasn’t about Superman. Aquaman and Wonder Woman didn’t even get picked up, Birds of Prey barely got through half a season, and let’s not even talk about the steaming piles of The Cape and No Ordinary Family that some still call TV Shows. So when Arrow hit the floor running with a fantastic pilot, I was among those who were completely blown away. The training scene in particular sticks out in my mind, and not just because of the nods to Batman Begins. The scene sets up the whole tone of the series, dark and edgy, and really brings home the idea that this is still set in the real world. ~~
2. “I have an army” “We have a Hulk.”, The Avengers

 
It’s hard to pick a single moment as the most memorable of The Avengers, but this one has stuck out to me since the first time I saw it. It’s absolutely a Joss Whedon moment to its core, but I think what makes it so memorable to me isn’t just the hilarity of it, but that the Hulk really managed to pull ahead as the breakout star of the film. It’s all kind of right there in the quote; when you’ve got a Hulk, do you really need anything else?
1. Bane breaks Batman’s back, The Dark Knight Rises
 
While perhaps the only moment from this list that wasn’t a surprise, it’s hard to argue that any moment was more memorable this summer than Bane breaking Batman over his knee. The iconic moment, taken straight from the pages of the Knightfall saga, was already one of the best known and it’s virtually impossible to discuss Bane without bringing it up. Seeing that moment on film has been a fanboy dream for decades and definitely worth the wait. The moment serves as a reminder that our hero, all our heroes, are mortal, and yet they are still capable of rising up from even the most humiliating of defeats to find victory.  

What was your favorite superhero moment of 2012? 

About the author

David Molofsky

David is the Founder & Editor-in-Cape of AP2HYC.

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