Too Cool to Kill (Nikolai Dante (2000 AD))

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Loveable Rogue: Nikolai. He's a notorious thief and lothario, but he also has a strong sense of right and wrong, especially in regards to how commoners are treated by the aristocracy. Person of Mass Destruction: Konstantin's fusion powers mean that he can wipe out entire armies with the wave of a hand. Empowered Badass Normal: The Romanov weapons crests give their users a wide range of abilities beyond the level of normal humans. Nikolai's bio-blades and reduced Healing Factor compared to his siblings are on the lower end of the scale with Konstantine's fusion powers and Dmitri's crest's ability to override all the other crests being the most powerful. Darker and Edgier: While "The Great Game" is where the strip starts to get serious, the "Tsar Wars" arc is notable for killing characters off and changing everything forever. The Romanovs are expected to be utterly ruthless. Dmitri encourages this, but has a safeguard in having the ability to override all of the Weapons Crests.

Viktor – a mute, enigmatic loner whose crest transforms him into a Romanov eagle. Viktor forms a close bond with Dante early on. After Dmitri (as Arkady) murders his wife Galya, he renounces his birthright as a Romanov and, taking the name of Viktor Dante, joins Nikolai on a mission to bring about his father's downfall. His final act is to abandon his humanity and take eagle form permanently. He only says two words in the whole 15-year series: “Goodbye, Nikolai.” This shows he was mute by choice. He, Lulu and Dante are the only Romanovs to survive the saga. Decapitated Army: Discussed. During the meeting between Jocasta and Vladimir at Archangel, Nikolai corrects Jocasta when she states that the war will not end that day. Nikolai puts a blade to Vlad's throat, only for Vlad to point out that killing him would only drive Jena to continue the war and have another reason to hate Nikolai. Eloise de Janissaire – the leader of the mercenary Warlords and Dante's wife. Killed by Valentine Romanov.In The Romanov Job, there are cameo appearances by thinly disguised characters from other comics including: Incoming Ham: Nikolai is very fond of making grandiose entrances if not outright Dynamic Entries. Usually while spouting one of his catchprases. You have to understand that as a young and somewhat insecure artist I was simultaneously in awe of Burns and also nervous of him. It was like being a jazz pianist and Thelonius Monk sits down at the piano stool, right next to you. Everyone looks at you wondering what you’re even doing there. You wonder yourself . John M. Burns isn’t just a good comics artist , he’s one of the very best. His draftsmanship is breathtaking. His panel layouts are elegant and dynamic. He can paint as well as he can draw. His storytelling is effortless and powerful. After the Last Revolution, many of the old Soviet states and nations lay in ruins. But from the ashes the Mafiya Clans rose, remaking themselves as aristocratic dynasties. Vladimir the Conqueror emerged as leader of the most powerful house, the Makarovs, and appointed himself Tsar of All the Russias. This brave new world mixes aliens and anachronisms, with bio-weapons and shapeshifters as common as Imperial concubines and noble duels. Nothing is ever as it seems.

Hollywood Tactics: Tactics have apparently regressed to nineteenth century levels. Dmitri lampshades this, stating that there was a time when the rules of warfare were changed to be more humane and how pointless that was. Pet the Dog: Unlike Dmitri Romanov, Tsar Vladimir the Conqueror actually has people that he cares about. The great love of his life was always Jocasta Romanov and he does genuinely love his daughters. It's Julianna's death that drives him to war with the Romanov Dynasty. Lady Juliana Makarov – the tsar's younger daughter. When she is killed by Konstantin Romanov, her death starts the civil war.

Child by Rape: After Katarina tries to steal some treasure from Dmitri that she had already stolen for him, he feels that he "has to break her." Nikolai is the result of this. When told that he wasn't conceived out of love, he tries to cut Dmitri's head off. The "bio-weapon" creature who appears in "Agent of Destruction" is a version of the monster from the Phantoms film and novel. Romanov slew one Selene “daughter” whilst she was busy stalking the Irregulars.He then destroyed the other two by unexpectedly turning his hands into deadly blades. Expy: Dante is essentially a combination of Errol Flynn's portrayal of Robin Hood and Flynn himself. Glorious Mother Russia: A somewhat twisted take on this trope, but the resurgent Russian Empire is not only a land of adventure. But also encompasses the entire planet by the time the series takes place.