10 Times Movie Heroes Caused More Damage Than the Villains

It's clear that saving the day sometimes comes with a pretty hefty price tag. We just hope these heroes have a good insurance plan...or at least a dependable construction crew on speed dial.

10. Man of Steel – Superman

Remember when Clark Kent first put on his tight blue suit in the 2013 movie "Man of Steel"? Well, you probably also remember the carnage he left behind after his fight with General Zod. These guys literally turned Metropolis into a block of Swiss cheese. According to one estimate, the total damage amounted to about $2 trillion, and that's not even considering the astronomical insurance claims! Our good old farm boy from Kansas might need a second job to pay off that bill. Not quite the introduction to the hero we were expecting!

9. Avengers: Age of Ultron – The Avengers

It seems superheroes have a knack for racking up more damage than the villains they face. In "Avengers: Age of Ultron," our beloved team of do-gooders decide to take on the rogue AI, Ultron, resulting in an entire city (Sokovia) being lifted into the sky and then spectacularly collapsing. This literally earth-shattering event was mostly on the Avengers, considering they were the ones who created Ultron in the first place! They had good intentions, but you know what they say about the road to Hell… Well, let's just not start another Sokovia Accords discussion here.

8. Star Wars: A New Hope – Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is the farm boy turned galactic hero in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, but his destruction record might put even the Sith to shame. Blowing up the Death Star in "A New Hope" was an iconic moment, but it also caused massive destruction. We're talking an entire moon-sized station, along with all the personnel on board (even the innocent janitors and cooks), blown to bits. Sure, the Empire was evil, but that's one hefty collateral damage.

7. The Lord of The Rings – Gandalf

It's not just superheroes causing all the ruckus; the magical world is not free of destruction either. In "The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers," it's Gandalf who inadvertently causes the biggest mess. When he and the Rohirrim charge into the Battle of Helm's Deep, they effectively wipe out an ancient fortress with thousands of years of history. Sure, they beat back Saruman's Uruk-hai, but at what cost? The fort's renovation project probably went way over budget.

6. Iron Man 3 – Tony Stark

Tony Stark, the snarky billionaire genius with a heart of gold (or rather, an arc reactor of palladium), is no stranger to causing a little destruction. However, he outdoes himself in "Iron Man 3." After calling out the Mandarin on live television and practically inviting him over for a cup of tea and a game of "destroy my luxury Malibu mansion," Stark shouldn't be too surprised when his home is blown to smithereens. Probably wasn't the smartest move, Tony. Maybe next time just stick to Twitter rants?

5. Independence Day – Captain Steven Hiller and David Levinson

Next up, we have the dynamic duo from "Independence Day," Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith ) and David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum ). While they saved Earth from the aliens, they also detonated a nuclear bomb inside the alien mothership. That must have resulted in a colossal amount of intergalactic wreckage floating around in space. Not to mention, they crashed an alien ship in the desert. Talk about littering on a galactic scale! The only thing more damaged than the aliens' pride was probably the clean-up crew's morale.

4. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark – Indiana Jones

Our favorite archaeologist, Indiana Jones, is next on the list. In "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Indy escapes a booby-trapped temple only to lose the golden idol to his rival. Here's the real question: who's going to repair the thousand-year-old temple that he practically destroyed? Seems like the ultimate artifact faux pas, considering archaeologists are supposed to preserve ancient sites, not demolish them! We're pretty sure that's not how the university tenure committee wanted him to "leave his mark" on history.

3. The Matrix – Neo

"The Matrix" is a mind-bending movie, but let's not forget the sheer amount of destruction caused by our hero, Neo. In his quest to free humanity from the machine-controlled Matrix, he causes an unfathomable amount of damage to the simulated cityscape. From demolished buildings to crushed cars and that infamous helicopter crash – the "real" insurance agents in the Matrix must've been working overtime. Looks like Neo took "break free" a little too literally.

2. Jurassic World – Owen Grady

Our penultimate entry features the dinosaur whisperer, Owen Grady, from "Jurassic World." The whole park goes downhill when Owen's genetically modified pet, the Indominus Rex, escapes and causes chaos. Yes, the villainous Hoskins had plans for military dinos, but it was Owen's "ingenious" idea to create this monstrous dino in the first place. Now, who's gonna pay for the park repairs, not to mention the therapy bills for the terrified guests?

1. Transformers Series – Autobots

Last, but not least in the slightest, we have the Autobots from the "Transformers" series. Sure, they're trying to save Earth from the Decepticons, but in the process, they've leveled cities, destroyed countless vehicles, and probably sent property values plummeting. There are more explosions in a single "Transformers" movie than in a fireworks factory! Optimus Prime might need to rebrand his team as the "Demolish-bots."