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Sleeper (Comic Book)

 Sleeper (Comic Book)
type
TVTItem
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
label
Sleeper (Comic Book)
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
page
Sleeper
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
comment
Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_1'); })A comic book series by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, set in the WildStorm universe, combining Noir and superheroes. Originally introduced as 12-issue mini-series (March, 2003-March, 2004). It spawned the one-shot "Coup D'Etat: Sleeper" (April, 2004) and the sequel "Sleeper: Season 2". The later was another 12-issue series (August, 2004-July, 2005). Sleeper was preceded by a 5 issue miniseries called Point Blank that effectively acts as a prelude, so tropes present in Point Blank are discussed here.Holden Carver used to be a black ops operative for the American government agency known as International Operations. When his late father was revealed to have been a traitor, Carver stole a retrieved alien artifact and went rogue, eventually joining a syndicate of super-powered criminals run by supervillain Tao (formerly of the WildCATs).Advertisement:propertag.cmd.push(function() { proper_display('tvtropes_mobile_ad_2'); })Except that's not true. Carver unintentionally became bonded with the artifact while on a mission; he was recruited to infiltrate the syndicate by his mentor John Lynch. The preceding is just a cover story.That is until a failed assassination attempt sent Lynch into a coma, and the cover story became, for all intent and purposes, reality. Carver then has to find his own way out while doing more and more questionable things to maintain his cover.Has a character sheet.Not to be confused with the Woody Allen film.
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
fetched
2021-09-07T09:54:06Z
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
parsed
2021-09-07T09:54:06Z
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_18d15922
type
Title Drop
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_18d15922
comment
Title Drop: The Vanity License Plate on Lynch's Flying Car reads "SLEEPER1". The dialogue hilariously lampshades this, to boot.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_18d15922
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_18d15922
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_18d15922
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_323f135b
type
Sorting Algorithm of Evil
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_323f135b
comment
Sorting Algorithm of Evil:
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_323f135b
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_323f135b
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_323f135b
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_33affa42
type
Government Agency of Fiction
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_33affa42
comment
Government Agency of Fiction: I.O. whether it stands for International Operations or Internal Operations. "Makes the CIA look like the IRS".
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_33affa42
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_33affa42
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_33affa42
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_34258d8a
type
Good-Guy Bar
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_34258d8a
comment
Good-Guy Bar: "The Domino" (formerly called Clark's and run by an elderly Superman expy until they had to change their name "for legal reasons.") Mostly filled with Super Zeroes and '90s Anti-Heroes.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_34258d8a
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1.0
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_34258d8a
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_38a57680
type
Flying Car
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_38a57680
comment
Flying Car:
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_38a57680
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_38a57680
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_38a57680
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_3f2dfd16
type
Super Hero Origin
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_3f2dfd16
comment
Super Hero Origin: In-universe villains use it to kill time between missions, and it’s the done thing to tell your origin story in third-person.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_3f2dfd16
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_3f2dfd16
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_3f2dfd16
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: TAO is now back in his laboratory prison without a tongue to speak under Lynch's surveillance and his terrorist organization is disbanded, but Veronica and Miss Misery have been killed and Holden is now in a self aware permanent coma while mentally living in an illusory tropical world where he can spend eternity with his projected versions of Veronica and Miss Misery until brain death. It becomes a Downer Ending when you realize TAO will eventually be back and none of the issues that have gone on so far have been resolved.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_40cc0c7e
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1.0
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_40cc0c7e
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_4127eb1
type
Shut Up, Hannibal!
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_4127eb1
comment
Shut Up, Hannibal!: Tao's main weapon is his voice, and his ability to talk people into almost anything. At the end of the series, Holden rips his tongue out.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_4127eb1
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_4127eb1
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_4127eb1
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52b36340
type
What Measure Is a Mook?
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52b36340
comment
Even Grifter is way more trigger-happy than usual, at one point slaughtering an entire I/O squad over what amounts to a misunderstanding.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52b36340
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52b36340
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52b36340
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52d1f46e
type
Not What It Looks Like
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52d1f46e
comment
Not What It Looks Like: Grifter walking in on Kenesha A.K.A. Savant having sex with a supervillain in a parking garage. He assumes the villain is raping her and is disappointed to find out that his “heroic rescue” was a mistake.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52d1f46e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52d1f46e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_52d1f46e
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_542b8e66
type
Bad Powers, Bad People
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_542b8e66
comment
Bad Powers, Bad People: Several characters but Miss Misery is especially notable. The only way to get her to use her powers for good is to trick her into thinking she's doing something truly reprehensible.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_542b8e66
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_542b8e66
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_542b8e66
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5798bfbf
type
Reassigned to Antarctica
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5798bfbf
comment
Reassigned to Antarctica: Lynch says this verbatim of an informant, and comments that once he tells them everything about his contacts, he'll be "disappeared".
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5798bfbf
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5798bfbf
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5798bfbf
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5c9caf26
type
Civvie Spandex
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5c9caf26
comment
Civvie Spandex: Villains will often wear jackets over their costumes when they aren’t on the job.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5c9caf26
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5c9caf26
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_5c9caf26
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70489c17
type
Superman Stays Out of Gotham
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70489c17
comment
Superman Stays Out of Gotham: The events are handwaved as being beneath the notice of the more public superhuman teams like The Authority.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70489c17
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70489c17
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70489c17
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70638525
type
Luke, You Are My Father
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70638525
comment
Luke, You Are My Father: Lynch commissioned the experiment to create TAO, so TAO refers to him as “Dad”.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70638525
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70638525
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_70638525
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_74b85afd
type
If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten!
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_74b85afd
comment
If You're So Evil, Eat This Kitten: Turned on its head. The mission to get Tao is so important, Holden will do anything and everything to keep his cover, including mass murder. A lot of his character arc revolves around him reconciling how he deals with eating so many kittens and can still be considered a "good guy."
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_74b85afd
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_74b85afd
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_74b85afd
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_7870735b
type
From Bad to Worse
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_7870735b
comment
From Bad to Worse: For Carver when Lynch, the only one who knew he was really an undercover agent, was shot and put in a coma.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_7870735b
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_7870735b
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_7870735b
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_79974fb8
type
Rock Beats Laser
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_79974fb8
comment
Rock Beats Laser: Subverted. Energy weapons do far more damage than conventional ones.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_79974fb8
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-0.3
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_79974fb8
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_79974fb8
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_80251be3
type
How We Got Here
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_80251be3
comment
How We Got Here: Point Blank opens with Grifter about to be shot.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_80251be3
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_80251be3
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_80251be3
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8767b1f3
type
Black-and-Gray Morality
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8767b1f3
comment
Black-and-Gray Morality: Borders on Evil vs. Evil: Even Grifter is way more trigger-happy than usual, at one point slaughtering an entire I/O squad over what amounts to a misunderstanding.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8767b1f3
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8767b1f3
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8767b1f3
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8e5c862
type
Ancient Conspiracy
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8e5c862
comment
Ancient Conspiracy: Mostly made up of Corrupt Corporate Executives. In TAO’s Backstory, he tracks them down and, disappointed with their venality, completely screws them over by becoming a Treacherous Advisor.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8e5c862
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8e5c862
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_8e5c862
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_912b24c4
type
Art Shift
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_912b24c4
comment
Art Shift: When characters tell each other their origin stories, the artwork becomes a bit simpler with much less background detail to emphasise it's simply a story being told; all you see is all you need to know.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_912b24c4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_912b24c4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_912b24c4
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_967856d8
type
Hired to Hunt Yourself
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_967856d8
comment
Hired to Hunt Yourself: TAO's organisation goes on a hunt for the undercover operative in their midst. Naturally, Holden is right in the middle of it.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_967856d8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_967856d8
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_967856d8
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9bfe4c17
type
Supernatural Fear Inducer
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9bfe4c17
comment
Supernatural Fear Inducer: Peter Grimm has the ability to trap someone in a mental loop reliving their greatest fear until they die.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9bfe4c17
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9bfe4c17
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9bfe4c17
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9d6f3607
type
Fag Hag
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9d6f3607
comment
Fag Hag: There is a supervillain named Faghag who feeds on the life force of gay men. She got this power after being bitten by a radioactive gay Peter Parker.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9d6f3607
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9d6f3607
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9d6f3607
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9de3b377
type
Unrealistic Black Hole
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9de3b377
comment
Unrealistic Black Hole: A suitcase black-hole bomb.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9de3b377
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9de3b377
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9de3b377
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9ebd9c33
type
UnPerson
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9ebd9c33
comment
Un-person: A reporter who stumbled onto a meeting of these shadow power players thought he got away with it when he's let go... only to return to find no one at his newspaper claimed to have known him, his apartment was occupied by someone else, his family suddenly vanishing and he ended up dying of a drug overdose on the streets.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9ebd9c33
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9ebd9c33
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_9ebd9c33
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a53b0ee7
type
Superpowered Mooks
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a53b0ee7
comment
Superpowered Mooks: Many henchmen on both sides are described as having “low level cybernetic enhancements” that serve no purpose but to spark when the characters are hit.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a53b0ee7
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a53b0ee7
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 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a53b0ee7
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a6c69bd
type
MacGuffin
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a6c69bd
comment
MacGuffin: TAO often sends his people on missions for meaningless things just to test their loyalty/fuck with them.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a6c69bd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a6c69bd
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_a6c69bd
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: Grifter wakes up groggily after a skirmish and finds himself face-to-face with Tao.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ad1db87c
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ad1db87c
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 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ad1db87c
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b2407a69
type
Talk to the Fist
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b2407a69
comment
Talk to the Fist: When Holden finally has Tao at his mercy, the man won't shut up, so Holden slaps him around. Tao comments on the pointlessness of this.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b2407a69
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b2407a69
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b402fa9f
type
Tropical Epilogue
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b402fa9f
comment
Tropical Epilogue: for Holden. Although given the setting, it's not too surprising that it's only the side-effect of a Lotus-Eater Machine.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b402fa9f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b402fa9f
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_b402fa9f
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ce9f550c
type
My Hovercraft Is Full of Eels
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ce9f550c
comment
My Hovercraft Is Full of Eels: One of the few comedic moments in the series. "That's right, horse breathers! I shit your branch!" It is of course followed by violence, death threats and murder.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ce9f550c
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_ce9f550c
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_db2f3581
type
All Girls Want Bad Boys
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_db2f3581
comment
All Girls Want Bad Boys: Supervillains often get groupies who are “young girls who need to be close to bad for a few hours at a time.”
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_db2f3581
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_db2f3581
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_db2f3581
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_dda99fa8
type
Despair Event Horizon
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_dda99fa8
comment
Despair Event Horizon: Holden was mainly teetering on it, but fully crossed this after Veronica killed Miss Misery and he killed Veronica by his own killer response reflexes.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_dda99fa8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_dda99fa8
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_dda99fa8
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e069fae8
type
Bad Guy Bar
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e069fae8
comment
Bad-Guy Bar: The Tird Street Arms and the Alter Ego, with such trappings as Hero-faced dartboards, masked strippers and portraits of “Old-School” villains like Dr. Mind, The Undertaker and Hugo Lark on the walls.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e069fae8
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e069fae8
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1.0
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e069fae8
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e794cb54
type
Powered by a Forsaken Child
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e794cb54
comment
Powered by a Forsaken Child: Lynch’s decoding facility is based around a kid with a giant brain hooked up to incredibly painful machines. When Holden sees this, he shoots him and tells Lynch that he is a monster for doing this. Lynch claims that the man in the machine was a 30 year old mutant who just looked like a child, but he may have been lying and that doesn’t make it much better.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e794cb54
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1.0
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 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e794cb54
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e83f211c
type
O.O.C. Is Serious Business
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e83f211c
comment
OOC Is Serious Business: When Genocide Jones reveals his origin story, he becomes very somber, a stark contrast to his usual Boisterous Bruiser personality. Also applies within the context of the story. Origin stories are meant to be told in the third-person, but as Jones's story goes on, he switches to the first-person.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e83f211c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e83f211c
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_e83f211c
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_eb81c601
type
Big Damn Heroes
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_eb81c601
comment
Big Damn Heroes: Holden rescues Grifter at the end of Point Blank.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_eb81c601
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_eb81c601
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book)
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_eb81c601
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_f97b5d33
type
Shoo Out the Clowns
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_f97b5d33
comment
Shoo Out the Clowns: After Genocide dies, the series becomes noticeably more dark and lets you know things have just become dead serious for Holden.
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_f97b5d33
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1.0
 Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_f97b5d33
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Sleeper (Comic Book) / int_f97b5d33
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ItemName
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Sleeper (Comic Book)

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