10 comic book moments that weren't on my 2024 bingo card

There are certain things you can expect to happen in the world of comic books. For example, the heroes will fight each other. at some point The X-Men and Avengers are at it again in Jed MacKay’s Avengers and two X-Men teams are fighting in MacKay’s X-Men and Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men. There's also the fact that someone will lose their powers (it was a whole thing in DC Comics Absolute Power). How often does that happen in comics, right?

While those two things are easy guesses, there are som moments that genuinely surprise us. With that in mind, the ten moments on this list weren’t on anyone’s 2024 bingo card (or mine, for that matter!).

Baroness joining G.I. Joe

• Comic book: Duke
• Writer: Joshua Williamson
• Artist: Tom Reilly

Baroness is a known villain and member of Cobra-La. However, Image Comics / Skybound's Energon Universe isn’t the comic books or the movies. That means they can have known characters being somewhat different from their origins. In this case, the Baroness is still a conniving, privileged woman here. The difference is that Duke got to her before Cobra was formed, so she never went down that darker path.

It wouldn't be be shocking if she switches sides at some point. Hopefully, she won’t, though. This is much more interesting.

Wolverine and Sabretooth

• Comic book: Wolverine: Sabretooth War
• Writers: Victor Lavalle and Benjamin Percy
• Artist: Geoffrey Shaw and Cory Smith

After Victor Creed kills Daken and other mutants, Logan finally decides to stop Creed once and for all. Instead of chopping his head off and leaving him for dead, Wolverine uses the Muramasa Blade to chop him into multiple pieces. It took decades and ten issues, but it was worth it.

Writers Victor Lavalle and Benjamin Percy promised a great and violent story and made good on that promise. Wolverine: Sabretooth War is one we'll remember for a long time to come.

The Justice League Watchtower

• Comic book: Absolute Power No. 4
• Writer: Mark Waid
• Artist: Dan Mora

No one could have foreseen the Justice League Watchtower debuting in DC Comics, but it was cool. The idea that every hero is a member of the Justice League means that people around the world will be safer.

However, this will make the League’s eventual downfall the talk of the year. There’s too much power in one place for this to last forever. And few things do in the DC Universe.

Nightwing being afraid of heights

• Comic book: Nightwing No. 117
• Writer: Tom Taylor
• Artist: Bruno Redondo

Batman uses fear as a weapon, but Nightwing is fearless. Having that taken away from Dick Grayson in a DC storyline this year was shocking and heartbreaking. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t make the jumps he was used to making, either. The artists that showed the terror in his eyes drove the point home.

When he finally regained his confidence, however, it made the prior moments worth it. That was a stumble that no Nightwing fan expected, but one that definitely strengthened him as a character.

Reed Richards stretching to MSG

• Comic Book: Fantastic Four No. 21
• Writer: Ryan North
• Artist: Ivan Fiorelli

The extent of Reed Richards’ stretching abilities is always a marvel and writer Ryan North has continued to further that throughout his run of Fantastic Four.

While Mr. Fantastic himself has done amazing things over the years in Marvel Comics, seeing Reed stretch from the Museum of Modern Art to Madison Square Garden was fantastic (I don’t regret that pun).

Raphael and Michelangelo fighting

• Comic Book: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles No. 2
• Writer: Jason Aaron
• Artist: Rafael Albuquerque

It’s no secret that Michelangelo’s brothers underestimate him, especially Raphael. Some of it is because Mikey acts too goofy and is unserious at inopportune times. That’s led to insecurities that came to a head in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles No. 2.

When Mikey sees Raph, he immediately attacks him. At first, you think it's because of the hallucinations. That idea is gone once Mikey acknowledges that it's his brother in the next issue. This wasn’t the normal sibling fight either. He was looking to hurt Raphael. This was the first time during Jason Aaron’s run that this has happened, but it likely won't be the last.

Starscream cares about life

• Comic Book: Transformers Nos. 13 and 14
• Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
• Artist: Jason Howard

Starscream wasn’t always a murderous Decepticon who reveled in the destruction of others. His origin in the Image/Skybound Energon Universe shows him as caring. He wanted to map the stars. A series of events changed that.

First, his best friend was killed by an Autobot. While he’s grieving, Megatron recruits him. On one of his first missions, Megatron uses his mind-altering ability to make Starscream execute Autobots. At first, he hates it. As time goes on, Starscream smiles as he kills Autobots.

Everything Jean Grey has done as Phoenix

• Comic Book: Phoenix Nos. 1-5
• Writer: Stephanie Phillips
• Artist: Yasmine Putri

How do you decide which of Jean Grey's feats to choose from when she does something amazing in each issue? You don’t. You pick them all.

Jean stabilized a black hole, restarted a sun, killed Gorr the God Butcher then turned him into a star, and beat the Black Order without breaking a sweat. Seriously, you can’t pick one out of these cosmically amazing moments. Imagine what she'll do in 2025.

Doctor Doom becomes Sorcerer Supreme

• Comic Book: Blood Hunt No. 5
• Writer: Jed MacKay
• Artist: Pepe Larraz

Of all the moments on this list, this is the most believable. It’s not as if Victor von Doom wasn’t always a step away from being Sorcerer Supreme. Even Stephen Strange admits that there are things Doom does better than him.

However, how it happens was unforeseen and perfectly timed. It wouldn’t be shocking if someone came from the future to tell him when and how to be ready.

Time-traveling Doomsday

• Comic Book: Superman Nos. 19 and 20
• Writer: Joshua Williamson
• Artist: Dan Mora

There’s no way anyone started 2024 saying, “Doomsday, in a cloak, traveling through time, and helping Superman fight his younger self.” Guessing that Doomsday would return is one thing; he's Superman’s toughest villain. It’s the other variables that make this one of the wildest moments of the year. 

What do you think was the wildest comic book moment of 2024? Was it something not on this list? Let us know on the Bam Smack Pow Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter.