History Main / ChanceActivation

* In ''[[{{Spelljammer}} The Cloakmaster Cycle]]'' Teldin was not amused to know some possible results of [[TimTaylorTechnology Tinker Gnomes]]' "thingfinder" malfunctions and when it got damaged he ordered another guy to quietly get rid of it. Thus the trinket ended up in a jettison (sort of catapult used as ShortRangeShotgun) and eventually was fired at an enemy. On impact, HilarityEnsues.

* In the ''Film/GreenLantern'' movie, Hal has been given a magic ring and a magic lantern by the dying Aben Sur, but no instructions on how to use either, nor what the Green Lantern oath is supposed to be. He fools around with both for the better part of an afternoon, offering a number of possible activation phrases (including [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 "By the power of Greyskull!"]] and [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory "To infinity and beyond!"]]) until he gets the connection ''just so'' and the ring and lantern take over for him.

* In DeltoraQuest Lief doesn't realise that the Belt of Deltora has to be activated at all - and then realises that the stones need to be in a very specific order. The Belt had been working at minimal strength until he figures that out.

* In the ''Film/GreenLantern'' movie, Hal has been given a magic ring and a magic lantern by the dying Aben Sur, but no instructions on how to use either, nor what the Green Lantern oath is supposed to be. He fools around with both for the better part of an afternoon, offering a number of possible activation phrases (including [[WesternAnimation/{{He-ManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse}} "By the power of Greyskull!"]] and [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory "To infinity and beyond!"]]) until he gets the connection ''just so'' and the ring and lantern take over for him.

* In ''[[CoolVsAwesome Batman Vs Dracula]]'', The Penguin just ''happens'' to cut his hand on his umbrella-sword, giving Dracula the drop of blood he needs to rise from the grave.
* In the ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' sequel ''The King of Thieves,'' the wicked guard attempts to break into the stronghold of the Forty Thieves, but he can't remember the password. After repeated failures ("Open -- ''carraway!''"), he leaves in disgust, only for one of his guards to offhandedly comment, "Wasn't it something like 'OpenSesame'?"

* At the end of the very first mission of ''MassEffect'', Shepard's squadmate (Ashley if Shepard is male, Kaiden if Shepard is female) activates the beacon they've been looking for by simply walking too close to it.

* In TheDeltoraQuest Lief doesn't realise that the Belt of Deltora has to be activated at all - and then realises that the stones need to be in a very specific order. The Belt had been working at minimal strength until he figures that out.

* In ''Literature/FiveChildrenAndIt'' by ENesbit, while everyone tries to figure out how to open the door, the baby is playing with the lock. The door swings open.

* In the Literature/{{Discworld}} book Discworld/{{Thud}}, [[spoiler:It's revealed that this is how MadArtist Methodia Rascal activated (and was subsequently driven even crazier by) the dwarfs' talking Cube. As he [[ItMakesSenseInContext thought he was a chicken]], the noises he would make (Awk! Awk!) happened to sound like the Dwarfish word that turned it on.]]

* In one episode of ''TheSimpsons'', after much [[HilarityEnsues hilarity ensuing]], Homer drops a priceless Egyptian artifact, which is then discovered to be a music box which nobody knew about. Lisa decides that it's best to keep it just between them.

* The gun over the bar at the Winchester in ''ShaunOfTheDead''. Slightly different, in that they knew how to use it, they just thought it wouldn't work. And then it goes off in Shaun's hands.

* Occurs in ''TreasurePlanet'', after the Benbow Inn has been burnt down and the Hawkinses are staying with [[TheSmartGuy Dr. Doppler]]. The good doctor is explaining that he has no clue of function of the [[PlotDevice "odd little sphere"]] which Jim now possesses. Cue Jim fiddling around with the sphere and unlocking it, thereby discovering its function; a map containing the location of the legendary Treasure Planet.
* The Air element stone in ''TheFifthElement'' is opened by pure dumb luck (some dude sighing at it in frustration), providing the key clue needed to open the three others.

* In the ''GreenLantern'' movie, Hal has been given a magic ring and a magic lantern by the dying Aben Sur, but no instructions on how to use either, nor what the Green Lantern oath is supposed to be. He fools around with both for the better part of an afternoon, offering a number of possible activation phrases (including [[WesternAnimation/{{He-ManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse}} "By the power of Greyskull!"]] and [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory "To infinity and beyond!"]]) until he gets the connection ''just so'' and the ring and lantern take over for him.
* Seen in ''TheCabinInTheWoods'', and exaggerated: the five teenagers go into the cellar, and ''each one'' starts fiddling with a different mysterious object (necklace, music box, puzzle sphere) -- and only when one girl reads aloud from a book does she "Activate" it. On the other side of the screen, the organizers of the scenario resolve their betting pool on which monster was going to be summoned.

* In the ''{{Aladdin}}'' sequel ''The King of Thieves,'' the wicked guard attempts to break into the stronghold of the Forty Thieves, but he can't remember the password. After repeated failures ("Open -- ''carraway!''"), he leaves in disgust, only for one of his guards to offhandedly comment, "Wasn't it something like 'OpenSesame'?"

* Seen in ''CabinInTheWoods'', and exaggerated: the five teenagers go into the cellar, and ''each one'' starts fiddling with a different mysterious object (necklace, music box, puzzle sphere) -- and only when one girl reads aloud from a book does she "Activate" it. On the other side of the screen, the organizers of the scenario resolve their betting pool on which monster was going to be summoned.

* In the ''GreenLantern'' movie, Hal has been given a magic ring and a magic lantern by the dying Aben Sur, but no instructions on how to use either, nor what the Green Lantern oath is supposed to be. He fools around with both for the better part of an afternoon, offering a number of possible activation phrases (including [[WesternAnimation/{{He-ManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse}} "By the power of Greyskull!"]] and [[ToyStory "To infinity and beyond!"]]) until he gets the connection ''just so'' and the ring and lantern take over for him.

* In the {{Discworld}} book [[{{Discworld/Thud}} Thud]], [[spoiler:It's revealed that this is how MadArtist Methodia Rascal activated (and was subsequently driven even crazier by) the dwarfs' talking Cube. As he [[ItMakesSenseInContext thought he was a chicken]], the noises he would make (Awk! Awk!) happened to sound like the Dwarfish word that turned it on.]]

[[AC:{{Video Games}}]]
* At the end of the very first mission of ''MassEffect'', Shepard's squadmate (Ashley if Shepard is male, Kaiden if Shepard is female) activates the beacon they've been looking for by simply walking too close to it.

[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]

* In the ''GreenLantern'' movie, Hal has been given a magic ring and a magic lantern by the dying Aben Sur, but no instructions on how to use either, nor what the Green Lantern oath is supposed to be. He fools around with both for the better part of an afternoon, offering a number of possible activation phrases (including [[{{He-Man AndThe Masters Of TheUniverse}} "By the power of Greyskull!"]] and [[ToyStory "To infinity and beyond!"]]) until he gets the connection ''just so'' and the ring and lantern take over for him.

* In ''Five Children and It'' by ENesbit, while everyone tries to figure out how to open the door, the baby is playing with the lock. The door swings open.

* In ''Five Children and It'' by [=~E. Nesbit~=], while everyone tries to figure out how to open the door, the baby is playing with the lock. The door swings open.

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* In the {{Discworld}} book [[{{Discworld}}/Thud Thud]], [[spoiler:It's revealed that this is how MadArtist Methodia Rascal activated (and was subsequently driven even crazier by) the dwarfs' talking Cube. As he [[ItMakesSenseInContext thought he was a chicken]], the noises he would make (Awk! Awk!) happened to sound like the Dwarfish word that turned it on.]]
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* In ''[[CoolVsAwesome Batman Vs Dracula]]'', The Penguin just ''happens'' to cut his hand on his umbrella-sword, giving [[Dracula]] the drop of blood he needs to rise from the grave.