History Main / Anticlimax

* Some of ''[[LetsPlay/{{Dream}} Dream's]]'' Minecraft Manhunt videos end this way.
** At the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgdSJdeGF_0 "Minecraft Speedrunner VS 3 Hunters FINALE,"]] [[spoiler: after defeating Sapnap and George, Bad comes out of nowhere and kills Dream.]]

* The 1977 movie ''WesternAnimation/{{Wizards}}'' set up an epic conflict between the armies of darkness and the forces of good, building up to the fight between the heroic wizard of light and his arch nemesis when [[spoiler:the good guy pulls out a hand gun and shoots the bad guy, avoiding the promised epic magical duel]].
* ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', had this big time. When the final boss, [[spoiler: El Macho, injects himself with the serum, and becomes a huge monster]], you are expected to believe that ''[[LetsGetDangerous shit is going down.]]'' The fight lasts in less than a few minutes, and is defeated by something as simple as an electric shock from a lipstick compactor, followed by a [[{{Fartillery}} fart gun shot]].
* Zigzag from ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler''. After some fistfighting, he is defeated by having his clothes sewed.
* Tuma from ''WesternAnimation/{{Bionicle}}: The Legend Reborn''. Even accounting for his BadassDecay compared to his portrayal in the comics/novel/online serial, his defeat was truly pathetic, considering how the characters previously reacted to him. One of the serials at least gave retroactive justification for his weakness, showing how he got his injury that got exploited in the movie.

** A large, obviously unusual spider stalks Miles. It takes about five minutes, the tension and the music slowly ramping up, until it finally bites his hand, injecting him with its mutagenic venom and turning him into the next Spider-Man. The music then cuts out as Miles nonchalantly brushes it off. He doesn't even say "ow."

* ''WesternAnimation/TrollsWorldTour'': The Funk Trolls get ready for an all out battle with the Rock Trolls when they arrive, even having battle music play as the population grab their instruments and are heading off to face them. [[spoiler: Only for the Rock Trolls to [[CutTheJuice cut their power]] and they are sitting ducks.]]

* In ''Film/TwelveYearsASlave'', Solomon Northup's freedom does not come from a dramatic escape or revolt. Rather a sympathetic figure sends a letter to his family and they are able to send an independent witness who can identify Solomon as a free man and order his release.
* ''Film/BobLeFlambeur'' is a casino heist movie--with no heist! The gang shows up at the casino only to be met by the police, who have been tipped off. All but one of them are killed in a short firefight.
* Every fight scene in the movie ''Film/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. [[spoiler:Especially the way that TheDragon and the BigBad were killed. TheDragon practically just lets her kill him, then the BigBad shows about as much skill with a katana as a drunk sloth before he also gets killed in an anticlimactic way. While both were ostensibly played for comedy, it makes one wonder why the other slayers have been completely incapable of killing them.]]
* The horror-comedy ''Film/IdleHands'' has a hilarious Anti-Climax ending. The plucky teen heroes are trying to save their friend from demonic sacrifice, when the ActionGirl suddenly arrives and skewers the possessed hand with her magic knife. It writhes for a second then disappears in a little puff of smoke. Creator/SethGreen {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it, saying something like, "What, that's it? No explosions? No hellfire? No WRAAARGH? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad everyone's okay, but... that was weak!"
* The [[GainaxEnding ending]] of ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. The heroes are about to storm the castle and take the holy grail... and then the budget for the movie ran out. They never shot the epic battle that was intended. Instead, [[ItMakesSenseInContext everyone gets arrested]].
* The ending of the film ''Film/{{Next|2007}}''. It is revealed that half of the movie was [[AllJustADream a vision of the future]], where the nuclear bomb did go off. The film ends with Cris joining up with the FBI to stop the events of his vision from happening. To say audiences felt cheated by this would be an understatement.
* ''Film/FreddysDeadTheFinalNightmare'' would have been a lot more climactic if Freddy hadn't just walked away from being KilledOffForReal five films in a row without so much as even a flesh wound. Of course, it was kind of VindicatedByHistory in the sense that they didn't continue the main franchise, but still...
* The finale of ''Film/JackieBrown'' tensely heats up to an imminent confrontation with Jackie and Ordell as the latter comes to take back the money she stole from him and, presumably, eliminate Jackie for the trouble. We see her practicing drawing a pistol out of the desk she sits at and trying to calm her nerves. When Ordell does enter the room he barely has time to address her before [[spoiler: the police suddenly come in through the back, weapons drawn, Jackie screams that Ordell has a gun and he's immediately and unceremoniously shot dead]].
* The ending of the 1993 Creator/MichaelCrichton novel adaptation ''Literature/RisingSun'' sets up a great climax, as Lieutenant Smith (Wesley Snipes) and Captain Connor (Creator/SeanConnery) finally confront the man who murdered a high-priced call girl in an office tower. They confront the suspect, a sleazy lawyer, who manages to escape and run away. The detectives follow him, setting up either a great fight scene or a shocking twist where one of the pair dies...then the audience learns that he's been thrown into a pool of wet concrete by low-level Japanese thugs. ''Offscreen''. It's implied that he was killed to prevent him from testifying against the company bigwigs who ordered him to commit the murder.
* The apparent "climax" of ''Film/SpyKids2IslandOfLostDreams'' is a ProfessionalWrestling style fight between Creator/AntonioBanderas and Creator/MikeJudge, complete with everyone else shouting advice from the sidelines. Seriously.
* ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen'': [[spoiler:The main character gets killed offscreen, the other main character retires, the villain gets away with just a broken arm, and we never find out for sure what happens to the money]].
* A few of the [[Film/HammerHorror Hammer]] Dracula films have this problem. The worst offender is probably ''Film/TasteTheBloodOfDracula,'' which ends with [[spoiler: Dracula stumbling into a chapel by accident and collapsing to dust because of the holiness surrounding him]], rather than the usual uber-violent burning or impaling scene that most of the movies opted for.
* The ending of ''Film/KillBill''. While there was some great dialogue between the Bride and Bill, many people were expecting a kick ass fight scene. Blink for a second, Bill is dead.

* Most of the plot threads in ''Film/MulhollandDrive'' have no conventional payoff.
* In the movie ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'', the battle between [[TheDragon Taye Diggs]] and Christian Bale has been led up to the entire movie. In a previous training sequence, they've been shown to be an even match. [[spoiler:Taye Diggs dies in a SingleStrokeBattle.]] The BigBad, however, puts up a much better fight.
* The 2005 ''Film/{{Fantastic Four|2005}}'' movie is often criticized for seeming like this. Dr. Doom is now a metallic being with lightning energy surging through his arms. How do the Fantastic Four stop him? Surely they would have to do something to put this power mad villain through hell. Using their all of their powers, the heroes... freeze him by turning him into a big metal statue. Movie over. Roll credits.
* The 1994 unreleased ''Film/TheFantasticFour'' had Doom step into the room and start doing some EvilGloating over his enemies, only to realize mid-sentence that they'd beaten all his goons and escaped and he was only talking to himself. He took it surprisingly well:
-->'''Doom''': [[DullSurprise Hm.]]
* Adaptations of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' comics [[RuleOfThree must be cursed to have anticlimactic battles]], as it happens yet again, ''except even worse'', with [[Film/{{FantasticFour|2015}} the 2015 film]]. Thanks to a combination of Josh Trank not knowing what he was doing and [[ExecutiveMeddling the team Fox put together to replace Trank]] having little time to fix [[TroubledProduction the mess Trank had left]], the final (and only) battle in the film takes less than five minutes, and pretty much consists of Doom [[CurbStompBattle curbstomping the four]] when they fight individually and then getting curbstomped himself when Reed realises that teamwork would be a more effective tactic.

* ''Film/TheWildWorldOfBatwoman'': The "climactic" "battle" at the "end" resembles nothing so much as a hybrid of a WimpFight and a square dance.
* In ''Film/IronMan3'' the Mark 42 flies in to save Tony, only to hit the side of a crane and fall apart.
-->'''Tony''': Whatever.
** Subverted because [[spoiler:Tony uses it to trap Killian, then tells Jarvis to blow it up]].
** Similar to ''Film/IronMan2''; when Rhodes brings the War Machine armor to Hammer for upgrades, Hammer installs a bunker-buster weapon he calls "The Ex-Wife" ("It takes everything!"). During the final battle with Vanko, Rhodes launches the Ex-Wife, which promptly bounces off Vanko's chest and lands sputtering on the ground.
--->'''Tony''': Hammer tech?\\
'''Rhodes''': Yeah.
** Vanko himself at the end. It takes all of two minutes to take him down with a ChekhovsGun.
* In ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', Loki confronts the Hulk, and begins yet another long-winded monologue about his superiority, how everyone are bugs beneath him, and how he will not be "bullied" by [[spoiler: '''[[MetronomicManMashing HULK SMASH]]''']].
-->'''Hulk''': Puny god...
* In the first ''Film/{{Thor}}'', after Thor [[spoiler: recovers his powers]] he winds up [[spoiler: taking down both the Destroyer and Loki]] within the span of five minutes.
* When Nick Fury appears in ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' he's yet to lose his eye and gain his iconic eyepatch, setting this movie up as the one where "[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier the last time he trusted someone he lost an eye]]." [[spoiler:It's clawed out by a cat in a bad mood when he tries to pet it.]]
* TheDragon in ''Film/District13Ultimatum'' ticks all the boxes on the Fight Scene Buildup Checklist; LeaveHimToMe, KnuckleCracking, PreAsskickingOneLiner... and is promptly finished with a single [[GroinAttack kick to the 'nads]].
* At the end of ''Film/{{Diggstown}}'', "Honey" Roy Palmer has fought his way through nine boxers in a row, including the seemingly invincible ringer "Hammerhead" Hagan. Then it is revealed that he must now fight Menoso Torres, who is "tough as nails" and "dirty as they come." So dirty, in fact, that when Palmer's manager Gabriel Caine orders Torres to take a fall, he immediately does so. This only partially counts, however, since Hammerhead is actually treated as the final boss until Torres's surprise appearance.

** Blofeld in the beginning of ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly''. In previous films he was established as Bond's arch nemesis, responsible for the death of his wife and master of disguise. So how does the final confrontation between him and Bond play out? He plays RC with Bond's helicopter before Bond gets back control and promptly drops Blofeld [[DroppedABridgeOnHim down a smoke stack.]] End of rivalry. This was necessary after Blofeld became off-limits due to the legal dispute between Kevin [=McClory=] and Eon Productions over the Thunderball copyrights, because DisneyOwnsThisTrope. Also note that the bald villain is never named in the movie or credits.
** The Bond vs. Nick Nack fight at the end of the ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun''. Of all the PostFinalBoss fights Bond has had, this was, by far, the easiest.
** This could certainly be argued with the final stand against Auric Film/{{Goldfinger}}. He essentially has Bond on the back foot throughout the second half of the film and comes closer to defeating him than Blofeld ever did... and it ends with him being sucked out of an aeroplane window after spending too long posturing how great he is.

** The third act of ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' is widely regarded as the weakest portion of the movie even by its fans. A leak of the script during the Sony hacking scandal revealed that the studio executives regarded the original ending as even worse (the suppression of an important document, deemed rather boring for the plot of a Bond movie) and the film ended up having five or six writers, one of whom was Daniel Craig himself. Doesn't help that the one we ended up with, [[spoiler:a nighttime chase in London between the hero and the leader of the resident NebulousEvilOrganization, which culminates in the latter being captured, while the hero and his allies prevent said organization from gaining control of encrypted data files]]- was ''very'' similar to the finale of ''Film/MissionImpossibleRogueNation'', released earlier the same year.
* Frog One at the very, very end of ''[[Film/TheFrenchConnection The French Connection II]]''. This being TheSeventies, when Doyle catches up with the Frenchman - after being humiliated and tortured for two ''long'' films - [[spoiler:he calls out his name and shoots him. Twice. Cut to credits. It takes all of four seconds]].
* Goro from ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie''. He's set up as a major threat but it's hard to take him seriously after Johnny Cage easily defeats him by [[GroinAttack punching him in the crotch]] and dropping him off a ledge.
* The Creator/JasonStatham film, ''Film/{{Safe 2012}}'', has its final conflict between Statham's Luke Wright, a OneManArmy who came out on top in the middle of a three-way war between [[TheTriadsAndTheTongs Chinese gangsters]], [[TheMafiya Russian gangsters]], and a squad of [[DirtyCop dirty cops]], versus his EvilCounterpart [[spoiler: Adam, TheDragon for the corrupt mayor. Before a single punch can be thrown, Mei, the little girl that Wright had been protecting throughout the film, picks up Adam's gun and shoots him in the leg. Wright then quickly picks up his own gun and finishes it with a few shots to the head. Mei [[JustifiedTrope justifies it]] by pointing out that she'd seen Adam single-handedly slaughter a group of Triads and knew that if they actually fought, Wright would be in serious danger]].
* The ending of the mostly mediocre and forgettable action film, ''Raging Angels'' (1998 Hong Kong movie). Most of the movie is rather dull, with its supposed action scenes (all three of them, consisting of a thirty-second shootout and two average fistfights) being short and passes by too quickly before audiences can really savour them, but the final 6 minutes had both its ActionGirl protagonists taking on the BigBad in an intense, actually rather decent and well choreographed fight scene... [[spoiler: and it ends right at its peak when the police suddenly arrives and breaks up the battle by arresting ''everyone'']], cue credits.
* ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' does this for laughs. Scott has just defeated his girlfriend's seventh and final evil ex, and it seems like all of the action is finished, until [[EnemyWithout Nega-Scott]] shows up out of nowhere and with only the vaguest of foreshadowing. Scott and Nega-Scott get into position for an epic final battle, but the scene suddenly cuts straight to Scott and Nega-Scott leaving the building, laughing like old friends and planning to get together for brunch the following week. When pressed for details, Scott shrugs and says they have a lot in common.
* The Fallen in ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen''. The final battle between Optimus Prime and the Fallen lasts [[CurbStompBattle about 45 seconds]].
* The Silver Samurai in ''Film/TheWolverine''. Most complaints are about his overhyped feature in the film yet his single fight scene did not last long in the climax. And he's the modern PoweredArmor version, to boot.
* The Goblin King in ''Film/TheHobbit''. Enormous and intimidating enough to warrant a similar threat level to a troll, and he is hyped up for an epic fight with Gandalf. [[CoolSword Glamdring]] ensures that the fight lasts a few seconds at most.
* ''Film/DjangoUnchained'': [[spoiler:One half of the BigBadDuumvirate, Calvin Candie is shot through the chest without seeing it coming. The other half, Stephen is knee capped and left to die with a stick of dynamite. Elaborate yes, but Stephen's men don't put up a fight and Stephen is more or less a NonActionBigBad]].
* ''Film/AmericanMary'' has [[spoiler:Ruby's husband. There is no confrontation, he and Mary don't know each other, so there is no emotional context. As for the "fight" itself, Mary gets stabbed and and she bites his throat out. Fight's over]].
* In each of the [[Creator/TimBurton Burton]]/[[Creator/JoelSchumacher Schumacher]] ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' films, all of the major villains except for [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Mister Freeze]] were physically weaker than their henchmen and not quite intelligent enough to make up for the deficiency. Particularly pathetic were [[Film/BatmanReturns the Penguin, who is defeated by a small flock of bats]], [[Film/BatmanForever and the Riddler, who is defeated]] ''[[Film/BatmanForever instantly]]'' [[NoOntologicalInertia when his brainwave-sucking machine is blown up]].
* The final battle with [[spoiler: [[DarkActionGirl Selena]]]] and [[BigBad Claudio Perrini]] in the Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger movie ''Film/CollateralDamage'' consists of a very short fistfight that ends with [[spoiler: Selena getting electrocuted and Gordon throwing a firefighter's axe toward Claudio's chest]].
* In ''Film/TheRunningMan'', it looks like there's going to be an epic final confrontation between Richards (Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's character) and Sven, the hulking bodyguard of the BigBad Killian. [[spoiler:Sven, apparently disgusted by the reveal of Killian's treachery and definitely ticked with Killian's insults to him earlier, [[BodyguardBetrayal simply walks away and leaves Killian to his fate]].]]

* ''Film/The47Ronin'': So, the movie, which is 4 hours long, is about UsefulNotes/The47Ronin, and their efforts to exact revenge on Lord Kira for the death of their master, Lord Asano. One might imagine that the end of the film would be the ronin getting their revenge and taking out Lord Kira. Nope. First, the attack on Lord Kira's estate and the ronin murdering Lord Kira takes place about 3/4 of the way through. Second, the attack is not even shown, being instead recounted after the fact in a letter. Third, as noted above, the film meanders for nearly an hour after the killing of Lord Kira. The ronin bring Kira's head to Asano's grave. They wait around for a while at another lord's house. After getting flowers from Lady Asano that are a signal that they will be forced to commit harakiri, the ronin proceed to--put on a variety show. (One of them dances). There's a subplot in which Mino, a character who is neither seen nor mentioned until the last half-hour of the movie, sneaks into the compound to find out if the ronin that romanced her really loved her. Then the ronin commit harakiri. Then the film ends.
* The fight with O'Hara in ''Film/EnterTheDragon''. Up to that point, O'Hara was built up as some sort of ImplacableMan who had CharlesAtlasSuperpower level strength and endurance ([[ItsPersonal also, he was responsible for the death of Lee's sister]]) but Lee took him down with just a couple of kicks.
* ''Film/{{Ticker}}'' ends with Nettles and Glass placidly defusing two bombs whilst mumbling to each other in hushed tones, succeeding, and then strolling about in the night by what appears to be some big stadium.
* ''Film/TheLastJedi'' has this multiple times as part of its CentralTheme of failures. Most notably with TheReveal of [[spoiler:Rey's parentage. All the build-up and suspicion that she was part of some mythical legacy was all just fantasy on her part. Her parents were scrap-trading junkies who sold their daughter into slavery for money and ended up dead in a ditch on Jakku. No dramatic reveal, no complex plot, no justification... just a pair of scumbags who abandoned their kid]]. [[spoiler: However, [[Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker the next film]] reveals there is more to the story.]]
* ''Film/{{Downfall}}'', the 2004 German historical drama starring the late Bruno Ganz, gives no drama or fanfare or final speech to the suicide of the most evil man in the history of western civilisation. Hitler simply eats his gun offscreen during a random dinner scene and the moment his death is announced, [[CigaretteOfAnxiety every single person in the bunker lights up a smoke]].

* This is {{defied|trope}} in ''Film/{{Ophelia}}''. Having [[SparedByTheAdaptation faked her death]] to save her own life but returned to Elsinore in disguise to save Hamlet, Ophelia pleads with her beloved to abandon his quest for vengeance and leave with her while they have a chance, stating [[LampshadeHanging "Not every story must end with a battle."]] Hamlet refuses and the story subsequently plays out much as it does in [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Shakespeare's tale]], ending in a bloodbath that leaves [[CharactersDroppingLikeFlies nearly every named character dead]].
* ''Film/SnowFallingOnCedars'': Kabuo's trial ends in one; Ishmael finds his conscience and brings to attention evidence exonerating him, and the trial simply ends and he's freed without the matter even going to the jury.

* ''Fanfic/PokemonResetBloodlines'': Ash's Charizard feels this way both times he evolves during the story, due to his opponents at the time being small bugs. The first time, it happens against Lt. Surge's Joltik, and the second when [OffhandBackhand he casually flicks a Weedle trying to attack him from behind without even looking]]. Both times he decides to make up a more exciting story about it.

* When ''WebVideo/JonTron'' is reviewing Food Games and is gearing up to review ''Kool-Aid Man'' on UsefulNotes/{{Atari|2600}}, the camera dramatically focuses on a brick wall... and then deftly moves to the right as a man in a shoddy Kool-Aid Man costume meekly comes through the door to hand Jon the game.

** [[spoiler:The first is if V takes too long during the opening mission to rescue President Myers. Myers will be unceremoniously KilledOffscreen by Kurt Hansen's forces, Songbird will furiously chew out V for their failure, and simply cut off all contact.]]
** [[spoiler:The second occurs if V succeeds in rescuing Myers and brings FIA agent Solomon Reed to her. At this point, Reed will give V the chance to [[LeaveYourQuestTest back out from any further dealings with the NUSA]], though Myers makes it clear that this will also cost them the cure Songbird promised. If V backs out nonetheless, the story ends right there, and the NUSA cuts off all contact.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'':
** Vilgax cements his BadassDecay during the finale. With his ship crippled and flooding, and Ben in one of his new ultimate alien forms, Vilgax decides to reveal his true form...a giant squid. Yes, Vilgax, feared throughout the galaxy, conqueror of worlds Vilgax, morphs into a squid. What's worse, the fight wasn't even shown onscreen, as it immediately cut to Ben escaping before the ship exploded.
** For most of the season, [[WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien Aggregor]] was unstoppable, easily manipulating the heroes and defeating them when forced to fight. Yet, in the finale confrontation, he is easily beaten up and depowered by Kevin, who then replaces him as the BigBad for the remain of the season. When the heroes defeat Kevin in the finale and bring him back to his sane state, his powers are stolen by Darkstar... who immediately loses them when it turns out Ben saw it coming and was ready for it.

* {{Subverted|Trope}} in ''WebAnimation/TheGastonTrilogy''. It looks like the third video is going to end with [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Lefou and Gaston]] giving up on their Taco Bell plans, but then that's just a CreditsGag right before the episode's intermission.

(''Pelican transport goes pop'')\\

-->'''Donut:''' Whoa! What a cool explosion!
-->'''Grif:''' What explosion?! What explosion!? I missed it! Do it again!!!
* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': There is never a fight with Psycho Man in [='VRcade'=], which he promised when he appears in the middle of the episode if the gang defeats all his Mooks. He just ends up leaving like a DirtyCoward. Amber even lampshades this.
* Played for laughs in ''WebAnimation/SonicManiaAdventures''. [[spoiler:Sonic and Tails are able to defeat a Chaos Emerald-powered Metal Sonic, but Eggman pulls out the Master Emerald and Metal Sonic prepares to super-charge himself, complete with a remix of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3''[='s=] final boss music, making it seem like it's going to be Sonic, Tails, Mighty and Ray vs. Super Metal Sonic... until Knuckles suddenly rushes, smashes Metal Sonic in the face, punching him into Eggman and sending the villains out of Eggman's base. The four heroes can only stand there and gawk as Knuckles walks out with the Master Emerald with Sonic shrugging his shoulders in confusion. Cue JumpCut to the four eating chili dogs while the Zone Clear theme plays.]]

* In ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX Punisher Max]]'', The Punisher's fight with The Heavy/[[spoiler:Jigsaw]] in "''Girls in White Dresses''" is a three-page fight scene that ends with Frank knocking him out a window and onto a passing freight train.
* In the ''ComicBook/TheSupermanAdventures'' issue "Jimmy Olsen vs. Darkseid". Seconds after Jimmy breaks Superman out of Desaad's bindings and reverses the body swap, the lord of Apokolips himself shows up. The two heroes brace themselves for a battle, only for Darkseid to tell them he doesn't want to fight Superman now and let them go home.
* ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'': [[spoiler:"Do you seriously think I'd explain my masterstroke if there remained the slightest chance of you affecting its outcome? [[YouAreTooLate I did it 35 minutes ago.]]"]] Long story short, without giving too much away: the way things end up going, none of the characters you've really been following constantly for the entire run end up having any kind of impact at all.
* This is the case with the penultimate issue of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' as [[spoiler:Doc Ock just gives up and gives Peter back control of his body when things go belly up]].
* An all-too-frequent occurrence in the post-Vaughan ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' arcs. "Dead End Kids" builds up to a huge battle between the Upward Path and the Sinners that the Runaways choose to flee, while "Rock Zombies" ends with the ArcVillain disappearing, his second-in-command stealing Nico's Staff of One and then immediately dying from [[AssPull its new magical anti-theft enchantment]], and Molly somehow figuring out a way to undo the enchantment that has turned most of the population of LA into zombies. And then the final arc got cut off halfway through, leaving the series on a cliffhanger that was later halfheartedly resolved in other series. ''ComicBook/{{Runaways 2015}}'' continues this grand tradition, with Team Puce being allowed to run away after Sanna defects and Bucky agrees to take the fall for their escape. [[spoiler:He is killed by the Doombots, and Valeria, disheartened at the loss of her favorite minion, decides to shut down the Institute.]]
* An issue commonly cited about the ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'' comic was how easily Mega Man took down each of the first six Robot Masters, wiping them out in two issues with relative ease, making Mega Man look like an InvincibleHero. It may be justified in that Mega Man was using their weakness weapons and gaining more combat experience while the original six were meant to be maintenance robots. This was remedied by later foes like the fortress bosses, Oil Man and Time Man and the second game Robot Masters being much tougher.
* In ''ComicBook/ScottPilgrim'', Lucas Lee is defeated when [[spoiler:Scott goads him into an impossible skating trick and he fails]]. Also, [[spoiler:Roxanne]] is beaten with a SingleStrokeBattle, but there's plenty of buildup.
* Mr. Rictus in ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}''. At least one character told Wesley that Rictus would eat him alive if they fought, and Wesley [[spoiler: kills him in less time than it took for me to write this sentence.]] Add to that the mass of supervillains which Wesley takes down just prior to this and ''just'' as easily and it's a rather disappointing climax.
* ComicBook/UltimateMarvel:
** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': Kraven the Hunter, although it comes immediately after a genuinely intense fight. Spider-Man has just beaten Doc Ock when Kraven arrives (after promising to kill Spidey on live television) and demands they fight. Spidey would rather Kraven helped him get someone out of a trashed car, has no idea what his deal is, and eventually gets fed up and one-shots him, declaring, "Huh. I thought he had super-powers or something. Showbiz phony." Kraven does gain super-powers later on. And is taken down, if anything, even ''swifter''.
** ''ComicBook/UltimateFF'': Sue's baby is born, Ben and Jonny are there with her... and a bizarre cyclops monster storms into the room.
---> '''Johnny:''' Can't we have one major life event in this family without a villain-monster-whatever charging in to...?
* ''ComicBook/SinCity'' does this from time to time:
** The Yellow Bastard is pretty ineffectual in battle and the final scene is no different. He is quickly stabbed, dismembered, castrated, and beaten to death.
** Manute is set up as the main villain in ''A Dame To Kill For'' [[spoiler: but it turns out he's more of a MiniBoss]]. When it comes time for his first battle against Marv, a similar MadeOfIron character, he's beaten senseless and gets an eye torn out. He does get to come back for the climax, however.
** The Colonel, the BigBad from ''Hell And Back'' ends up captured off-panel and we see him briefly before he gets a bullet through his head. The protagonist, meanwhile is [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl rescuing his love interest]] and relegates himself to diving for cover with her in his arms while his friend blows up the attacking BlackHelicopter that had caused him trouble earlier. This was all orchestrated by the main character but it serves as a little anti-climatic considering how badass the story had been up until that point.
** Jackie Boy in ''The Big Fat Kill'' combines this with DiscOneFinalBoss, formerly named Decoy Antagonist. He shows up with a few of his friends to menace Dwight's girlfriend Shelly and then leaves for Old Town. Dwight decides to follow with the firm belief that he and his friends were going to harm more women that night. This seemingly sets Jackie Boy up as the BigBad of the story until he and his friends are slaughtered by DarkActionGirl Miho mere moments after entering Old Town. The conflict occurs when [[spoiler: they realize Jackie Boy was a cop and his murder might start a mob war]].
* Pete Blute in ''ComicBook/JenniferBlood'' is built up as the smartest, toughest, and all-around deadliest of the eponymous [[{{Antihero}} antiheroine's]] uncles, so much so that she repeatedly says she's not sure if she can kill him. Issue seven ''begins'' with her already having given him a mortal wound. Of course, she then proceeds to taunt him as he lies dying by giving a major [[EvilGloating anti-villainous monologue]], so readers spend the issue waiting for the other shoe to drop....
* The return of [[ComicBook/BatmanTheCult Deacon Blackfire]] was built up ''huge'' in ComicBook/BatmanEternal, his rise from hell being one of the story's longest running subplots. How does it conclude? [[spoiler: After being sufficiently beaten, ComicBook/TheSpectre awakens within Jim Corrigan, gives Blackfire a big fat "nope" and boots him and his legions of hellspawns right back to the other side like it's nothing.]]
* The second ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'' series involves the titular character traversing across Battleworld during the events of ''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|2015}}'', where he gradually begins to learn that God Doom, the supposed BigGood and ruler of Battleworld, is actually the BigBad. The final issue has ComicBook/EmmaFrost inform him that a massive revolution against Doom's regime will soon be at hand, and that Logan will be the one leading the charge. Before any of this can occur, Logan blacks out and wakes up on the newly restored Comicbook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel Earth, with the (seemingly successful) final battle against Doom long over.
* The "World Engine" arc Creator/WarrenEllis did for ''[[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]]''. The story involves Thor contracting a mysterious illness and someone tampering with Yggdrasil to create a new race of humans. Thor assumes this is the work of one of his well-known foes like ComicBook/{{Loki}}, but instead, the mastermind is revealed to be a new villain named Price, an ex-college professor who gained strange visions after eating psychedelic mushrooms. The new humans all die due to a biological flaw Price failed to predict, and Price himself is then killed by his clone assistants. The whole thing was {{lampshade|Hanging}}d and foreshadowed just a few pages earlier.
-->'''Enchantress''': I must confess, I was expecting someone a little more ''dramatic'', Mr. Price.
-->'''Price''': Am I an anti-climax, madam? Well, it is often the way of things.
* ''ComicBook/RedSonja'': ''The Art of Blood and Fire'' has Sonja chasing six world-famous artists with a 30-day deadline. With one day to go, she kicks in the door of the inn where her last target performs stating that she's taking him and killing anyone who gets in the way. The innkeeper informs her that everyone already knows her quest and wants to help; the target comes along willingly. Sonja herself finds it underwhelming.
* Played for laughs in ''ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}''. Tommy finds video of a man who's the son of the only gunman Tommy has ever feared, a master marksman Tommy beat by pure luck. He sees the guy is even better than his father, a master shooter who hits the bulls-eye without even looking. In a huge shootout, Tommy finds the guy getting the drop on him, gun to his head, no way he can miss...*click*. He's forgotten to remove the safety. It hits Tommy (and the reader) that we've only seen this guy shooting targets as he's never shot a real person in a real gunfight in his life. Grinning, Tommy empties his chamber into the guy.
* ''ComicBook/ScoobyApocalypse'': Secret Squirrel's self-proclaimed arch-enemy Le Loup Astucieux a.k.a. the Wily Wolf spends a few chapters preparing for an eventual confrontation between them. [[spoiler:When it finally happens, he's so perplexed by Secret not remembering him Agent Bea easily knocks him down.]]
* It's established at the end of the first story arc of ''[[ComicBook/BatmanBeyond Batman Beyond 2016]]'' that the Joker is still alive. His eventual return follows him terrorising the city once again, effortlessly outmanoeuvring the police, taking command of the remnants of the Jokerz, setting a psychotic cyborg on Terry and torturing the location of the Batcave out of Matt. When he arrives at the cave, he squares off with Bruce for a final showdown, and after a few panels of cane vs. crowbar duelling, keels over dead of a heart attack. An autopsy in the next issue confirms that this is definitely the real Joker and he is definitely dead, and he will not be coming back to life.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' when Wheatley is telling you his "scary" "ghost" story (note the quotations. Every single time he gives the slightest bit of build-up he immediately gives the next bit of info that completely negates it, culminating in a story about a bunch of robots screaming for no reason:

** For most of the season, Aggregor was unstoppable, easily manipulating the heroes and defeating them when forced to fight. Yet, in the finale confrontation, he is easily beaten up and depowered by Kevin, who then replaces him as the BigBad for the remain of the season. When the heroes defeat Kevin in the finale and bring him back to his sane state, his powers are stolen by Darkstar... who immediately loses them when it turns out Ben saw it coming and was ready for it.