Freudian Excuse/Web Comics


 * Though the revelation of Sabrina Online's pornography producer/star Zig Zag's Dark and Troubled Past (hint: it includes being sexually molested by her father) seems poised to give this for her overly flirty and sexual nature, it's subverted. Indeed, raising the idea that she has turned out the way she has because of her childhood abuse is Zig Zag's Berserk Button, and the very first time she reveals it results in a furious Don't You Dare Pity Me! rant from her, with her insisting that she's gotten over it.
 * In The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob, Galatea had a horrible childhood. Even if it did only last a month.
 * In El Goonish Shive, Lord Tedd may or may not have one. Consider the facts that he is the most powerful known being in the comic and that the creator admitted that people wouldn't like his backstory because it is just that sad.
 * In Fans, Alisin Oberf, during her dark days when she was dying of a rare disease, was, beneath her Perky Goth exterior, a self-loathing mess, who took pleasure in heavy bondage and sadism. Years later, after she was cured of the disease, but not her negative self-image, one of her "partners", Keith Feddyg, emerged as Alisin's greatest nemesis, using her own self-loathing to force her to become his sex slave and blaming her for his having become a psycho. Subsequent evidence indicates that he was already there before Aly ever showed up.
 * Also, Alisin killed Robert's goldfish, which may or may not have something to do with the latter's eventual world dominating ambitions.
 * Joel from Concession has about three Freudian Excuses: his father left their company to his older brother, his sister was killed by his brother when they were young, and their parents blamed Joel for the murder and put him in an asylum where he was sexually abused by a doctor. There have also been a couple of throwaway gags which, if taken too seriously, could imply that his mother resents him for not being a girl. If there was a trope for Freudian Sue, Joel would probably be the posterboy.
 * Parodied and invoked In The Order of the Stick: Belkar at one point claims that his sociopathic demeanor comes from being mocked in his village, and that he became an adventurer to become strong enough to kill them all -- however he only says this to get free experience points for proper role-playing.
 * Also played straight with Redcloak, who . Subverted with extreme prejudice by Xykon, a Complete Monster who has reveled in his wickedness practically from the cradle and eats villains that need a Freudian Excuse for their villainy for breakfast.
 * Kria imagines this occurring as a result of her poor parenting in one DMFA strip. Being a demon, she seems more worried about her daughter hating her then the whole "razing dozens of cities and posing on a mountain of skulls" bit.
 * Pops up twice in Kevin and Kell: Ralph constantly tried to hunt and eat his brother-in-law Kevin because he didn't want his sister to go through the same heartbreak he did when his herbivore lover died in childbirth. More recently, Desdemona Fuscus tried to push Lindesfarne and Fenton to marry earlier and earlier.
 * Basically Flik's whole motivation. Since we see the problem before we see its results, it's rather differently played than normal.
 * Yuki in Ménage à 3 Does Not Like Men because of her exposure as a little kid to her father's work, who was a famous hentai artist (dubbed "The Tentacle King," no less). This causes her to, as Zii puts it, "see things".
 * Gary's virginity and sexual dysfunction are a result of his severely repressive ultra-religious parents and cockteasing girls. (Resulting in him living with a professional cock tease, a very talented amateur cock tease, and lusting after a girl with penis-phobia. Um...)
 * In Yuki's case, she's not even aware of it. When Gary covered up a naked man's crotch with his hands to stop Yuki from Groin Attacking him, she snaps out of "TENTACLLLLES!" mode and promptly asks "Hey, how come you've got your hands over that guy's junk?" In a later strip she's absolutely dumbfounded to hear that she destroyed an entire store's worth of pornography, one thumb-through-a-TENTACLLLLE at a time.
 * Off White: She's not a villain, but the tragic death of most of her litter is at least partly to blame for Jera's attitude.
 * Vriska from Homestuck is arguably only a HUGE BITCH BLUH BLUH because her guardian was a giant spider who she had to regularly feed other young trolls or be eaten herself.
 * Fluffy's explanation for Pony Play.