8 Most Iconic Final Scenes in Superhero TV Shows

8 Greatest Final Scenes In Superhero Shows

Lana Lang, Clark Kent, and Lex Luthor in a field of corn in Smallville

By Richard Craig Published 11 minutes ago Richard Craig is Senior Author at Screen Rant, covering everything superhero related. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Some of the most iconic DC and Marvel moments came in a television show’s very last scene. Superhero TV shows often build up epic storylines, moral dilemmas, and character growth over seasons. However, the most memorable ones end with final scenes so powerful they linger long after the credits roll.

Superhero shows can deliver unforgettable journeys, but it's often the final moments that determine whether a series becomes legendary. The last scene is where themes pay off, arcs come full circle, and emotional punches land hardest. Some endings act as triumphant celebrations of a hero’s evolution, while others leave audiences with heartbreak, mystery, or a bold setup for future stories.

Across decades of comic-book storytelling on TV, these particular final scenes stand above the rest. They’re notable not only for how iconic or cinematic they were, but for their significance in shaping what followed. Each one still sparks conversation today, proving that the best finales never really fade – they echo in fandom forever.

Daredevil Is Found Alive In The Defenders

Matt Murdock surviving Midland Circle in The Defenders

Netflix’s The Defenders ends by seemingly killing Matt Murdock in a collapsing building, a shock moment that could’ve easily served as a tragic finale. New York believes Daredevil’s sacrifice saved the city from The Hand, leaving friends and allies mourning a fallen hero who’d already endured too much. It’s a moment where Matt’s selflessness becomes painfully undeniable.

However, The Defenders doesn’t stay in tragedy for long. In a final reveal, Matt is seen recovering in a convent, looked after by nuns who speak about “getting Maggie.” Fans immediately recognized the reference: Maggie Murdock, his mother from the comics. The tease re-ignited excitement overnight.

This ending not only honors Daredevil’s resilience but sets up a bigger story to come. It’s a cliffhanger that feels earned, and one that delivered chills to longtime Marvel viewers. It was the perfect conclusion to The Defenders and the perfect set up for the next season of Daredevil.

Agatha Harkness Returns As A Ghost In Agatha All Along

Billy Maximoff stood with ghost Agatha Harkness in Agatha All Along episode 9

Agatha Harkness spends Agatha All Along fighting to reclaim her identity and power. Yet, after doing so, Agatha sacrifices herself to save Billy Maximoff. This immediately reframed Agatha from the duplicitous, power-hungry villain to a surprisingly noble figure. While this transformation was surprising enough, Agatha’s subsequent return as a ghost was even more unexpected.

Agatha reunites with Billy as a specter, promising to help him find his brother. It’s a twist that turns the wicked witch into an unexpected protector – showing a depth audiences didn’t expect at the start. She may not be alive, but she’s far from finished.

Vitally, her humor and menace remain beautifully intact. Katherine Hahn’s performance was absolutely magnetic and the MCU was wise to keep her alive in some form. It’s a supernatural ending that keeps the door wide open for future MCU stories.

Clark Kent Suits Up As Superman In Smallville

Clark Kent reveals the Superman costume at the end of the Smallville finale

After ten years, Clark Kent finally becomes the hero Smallville viewers had been waiting for him to be. The finale sees him embracing his destiny, revealing the iconic Superman suit as he takes flight. It’s a payoff that rewards a decade of character development and anticipation.

Most thrillingly, the scene deliberately creates an overlap with Christopher Reeve’s iconic Superman movie. In the final moments, Clark runs to the Daily Planet rooftop and rips open his shirt to reveal the famed Superman suit beneath. The scene was designed to recall the same scene from Superman, bridging the prequel with the timeless original blockbuster.

Perhaps the most exciting nod was the inclusion of John Williams’ stunning Superman theme, giving the younger Clark the same rousing sense of triumph. It captures everything Smallville stood for. It’s triumphant, nostalgic, and everything audiences waited years to finally see.

Spider-Man Embarks On A Multiverse Mission To Save MJ In Spider-Man: The Animated Series

Peter Parker and Mary Jane swinging through New York in Spider-Man The Animated Series

Peter Parker’s journey in the beloved Spider-Man: The Animated Series doesn’t end with victory – it ends with a mission. After saving the entire multiverse, Madame Web determines that Peter deserves some happiness. She offers to help him locate Mary Jane, who was lost in the multiverse.

The Spider-Man: TAS finale ends with Spidey following Web into a portal, ready to reclaim his iconic Marvel partner and bring her home. The scene is particularly effective because it highlights Peter’s eternal hope and determination. He’s lost friends, mentors, and so much of his normal life, but MJ’s disappearance remains the one wound he can’t ignore.

Spider-Man’s love becomes the driving force for his next adventure. Even though the rescue quest remained unresolved due to the show’s cancellation, the final swing symbolizes Spider-Man’s essence: no matter how impossible the odds, he never stops trying. It’s a cliffhanger worthy of the character’s legacy.

Bruce Wayne Becomes Batman In Gotham

Bruce Wayne's New Batman Suit in Gotham Season 4

Throughout Gotham, audiences watched a young Bruce Wayne fight to understand his trauma and purpose. The finale leaps ten years ahead, revealing a darker, more fully realized Gotham City – one that desperately needs a masked savior. Criminals whisper fearfully about a mysterious figure in the shadows.

The moment Bruce returns to Gotham signifies the birth of the Batman. The city’s corrupt evolution has forged its greatest protector. Jim Gordon witnesses hints of the new vigilante, unsure if he should celebrate or fear what’s coming. The tone perfectly mirrors Batman’s mythic rise.

The last shot finally delivers what Gotham audiences waited for: Batman standing atop a building, cape flowing in the night wind. While Gotham’s final season suffered from an early cancellation, the finale managed to wrangle enough of the unresolved narratives to deliver a compelling climax. The final scene isn’t simply the culmination of this, it’s the beginning of the legend.

The Angela Egg Cliffhanger In Watchmen

Regina King as Angela Abar cracking an egg by the pool in Watchmen

Watchmen’s finale ends with a cliffhanger so bold that the screen fades to black right before the answer hits. Angela Abar consumes one of Dr. Manhattan’s eggs, which is said to contain his godlike powers, and walks toward her swimming pool. She takes a tentative step, about to test whether she can now walk on water.

Yet we never see whether she sinks or rises. The screen cuts out just as her toes touch the water. That uncertainty is the point. Watchmen refuses to spell out whether she becomes a goddess or falls back into ordinary humanity, keeping the ambiguity between heroism and humanity.

That last moment in Watchmen is brilliant because it places the power of interpretation in the audience’s hands. Angela might become the next world-shaping force, or the attempt may end in tragedy. The ambiguity is the legacy – and the conversation never stopped.

Xavier Bids Farewell To The X-Men In X-Men: The Animated Series

Magneto alongside the X-Men in X-Men: The Animated Series

In an emotional and cosmic finale for X-Men: The Animated Series, Professor Charles Xavier lies gravely wounded after humanity’s hatred reaches its peak. The Shi’ar arrive to take him to space for advanced healing, the only hope for his survival. The X-Men and Magneto stand together, hearts heavy, as their mentor says goodbye.

Xavier expresses his pride in what his students have become, emphasizing that their dream must endure without him. It’s a passing of the torch that feels earned after years of battles for equality. His emotional farewell to his former friend Magneto (who postponed his war on humanity to visit him) is especially compelling and feels on-par with the heavy subject matter in the more serious Batman: The Animated Series.

The final shot of the team united, stronger for their hardships, cements X-Men: The Animated Series’s legacy. It’s bittersweet but inspiring. It’s a reminder that the fight for peace lives on not because of Xavier, but because of the X-Men themselves. It also laid the perfect foundation for the surprise superhero sequel series X-Men '97.

Loki Saves The MCU Multiverse In Loki

Loki looking at the camera in Loki season 2 finale

Loki’s finale transforms the God of Mischief into one of the MCU’s greatest heroes. To prevent the destruction of all existence, he sacrifices companionship, love, and his own freedom to become the stabilizing force of the multiverse. The final scene shows Loki alone, enthroned on a cosmic structure of branching timelines – a living anchor holding reality together.

Loki’s story, once defined by selfish ambition, ends as a tale of redemption and sacrifice. It’s a tragic and triumphant ending. Loki finally finds meaning not in ruling others, but in protecting them. It’s the heroic fulfillment of a journey that began in villainy.

The closing image redefines his identity: not a villain or trickster, but a protector of every possible world. It’s one of the most profound and visually stunning superhero final scenes ever created. The haunting final image of Loki sitting on a throne of timelines solidifies his place among the MCU’s greatest characters and the most poignant superhero series ending ever.

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Loki
DC Extended Universe

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