8/7/2023 0 Comments Godzilla enemies weapons![]() What he didn't know was that this was exactly what Red Hood wanted. Same thing happens in Batman: Under the Red Hood, when Black Mask breaks Joker out of Arkham in order to deal with the Red Hood.He laments having been pushed to the point where it's necessary, and Joker kills him to bait the real killer. In Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Salvatore Valestra tries to hire the Joker to take out Batman, under the belief that Batman is knocking off people connected to Beaumont (it's someone else), and hopes that since Joker is one of these people, he will take up the job.Batman Grabs a Gun is a subtrope for cases where the threat convinces a character to set aside an otherwise rigorously obeyed personal rule. On the other axis is Once is Not Enough, where a character clings to their limits even when they should be beating down the villain with everything they have, and usually pays for it. Contrast The Unfettered, who lives and acts as though the situation is always past the Threshold, even when there's no good reason to do so. Also compare The Tyson Zone, Disproportionate Retribution, and Evil Versus Oblivion (where the "Godzilla" of the situation is likely to be the "Evil"). In video games, this is the time to use items that are Too Awesome to Use.Ĭompare Lesser of Two Evils (which Godzilla Threshold could be a subtrope of), and Enemy Mine, for situations where it may be useful to team up with a lesser foe to combat a far greater mutual threat. When begged, the All-Powerful Bystander may even be willing to lend a hand. Situations of this nature include the Willfully Weak character giving the "No More Holding Back" Speech and turning the Power Limiter off, using the Forbidden Chekhov's Gun, using lethal powers, turning to the Nuclear Option, or casting Summon Bigger Fish. Named for the Godzilla films of the late 1980s and 1990s, in which Godzilla was again the destructive side of nature personified, if not outright evil (in contrast to his heroic characterizations during the '60s and '70s), but people were still happy to see him because he was usually fighting something far worse and he was the only thing that stood a hope in hell of defeating it. Of course, these only apply when the consequences are shown - if they pull it off without problems, you may have an Informed Flaw. Nice Job Breaking It, Hero and Won the War, Lost the Peace can be related in larger-scale stories. Note that, as the Real Life section below attempts to show, using such options tends to create more problems if the solution ultimately causes more/worse problems than you had before, you may have a case of Pyrrhic Victory. Some plots center around avoiding the Godzilla Threshold and keeping the trigger-happy person in charge of the " failsafe" from pushing the button. ![]() For situations like this, there's an Idiot Ball or Poor Communication Kills to thank for the dire mess of things. General Ripper is also a likely candidate. This can be the case when the heroes' actions or failures to act cause the situation to cross the threshold. Sometimes, the threshold is engineered or handled poorly. So the author contrives to make the situation call for its use in such clear terms the audience understands this was done as a last resort - and, if it's handled properly, the audience doesn't even notice. The powers that be have to use it, but it can't be done lightly without portraying them as either careless or cruel. Or the only ones left who are in a position to try and save the day are the Ragtag Bunch of Misfits who've been bumbling their way in the background the whole time. Or one knows a Dangerous Forbidden Technique that will put their life at risk. Or they have an awesome weapon that nonetheless causes a lot of property damage, like a Kill Sat. ![]() Suppose the heroes are given Emergency Authority. ![]() This serves both narrative and authorial purposes. Once the Threshold is crossed, any plan, with even the smallest possibility of success, no matter how ludicrous, dangerous, or abhorrent, suddenly becomes a valid option. ![]() Every so often, the situation crosses the Godzilla Threshold. When even the summoning of Godzilla, king of the monsters and patron saint of collateral damage, could not possibly make the crisis any worse. When circumstances are so dire as to justify the use of any and every thing that might solve it, no matter how reckless, nonsensical, or horrific, regardless of cost. But every so often, the time comes when the threat is so great, the situation has gone so horribly wrong, that there is no proportionate response. Sure, There Is No Kill like Overkill, but it will likely cause a lot of avoidable collateral damage, and it will guarantee that tomorrow the next threat is stronger. There is wisdom in facing a threat with a proportionate response. ![]()
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