History Main / CombAtUNInterruptUS

[[AC:{{Roleplay}}]]

* [[MemeticMutation If there were such a thing]] as [[TabletopGame/{{Exalted}} White Veil Style]], then it would have continuous combat as one of its central abilities.

* [[MemeticMutation If there were such a thing]] as [[TabletopGame/{{Exalted}} White Veil Style]], it would have this as one of its central abilities.

* [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070611 This]] ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' page is particularly illustrative- one character does it and, seconds later, another one does something that ''would'' be it if he hadn't only just arrived.

Alice and Bob are fighting. Carol enters with a message for Alice, who calmly carries on a conversation just as if Bob character weren't trying to kill her. Usually used to demonstrate just how much better Alice is than Bob, but if she ''kills'' Bob without taking notice, it can also show [[KickTheDog disregard for life]].

* ''DragonBallZ'': King Kai and Guru are telepathically discussing a plan to move everyone on Namek to Earth. Then Goku, in the middle of his fight with Frieza, interrupts ''them'', telling them to leave him on Namek to defeat Frieza.

* A RunningGag in ''PS238'' is that, whenever almost anyone phones The Revenant, he is busy fighting some supervillain or other and calmly carries on the conversation while fighting.

* ''UnderSiege'': The hero is in a ferocious firefight with the villains when he gets a satphone call. He takes the call while blasting the baddies. This example does use the trope to add humour to the proceedings by having Ryback's SideKick initially take the call as though she were a bad PA: "Is Ryback there?" "I'm sorry he's in a gun fight right now. I'll have to take a message."
* Used brilliantly in ''GrossePointeBlank'', with John Cusack blasting a houseful of assassins to death one by one, while conversationally exploring the meaning of his own existence and declaring his love for Minnie Driver's character.

* [[MemeticMutation If there were such a thing]] as [[{{Exalted}} White Veil Style]], it would have this as one of its central abilities.

* Used in the first ''OsuTatakaeOuendan'' game in the Salaryman stage. Our hero receives a phone call in the midst of battle with a giant mouse. Failing to perform well here actually means he gets his ass kicked, while passing this portion plays the trope straight.

* Played for laughs by Cary Elwes in ''RobinHoodMenInTights'', from Creator/MelBrooks.

* ''UnderSiege'': The hero is in a ferocious firefight with the villains when he gets a satphone call. He takes the call while blasting the baddies. This example does use the trope to add humour to the proceedings by having Ryback's SideKick initially take the call as though she were a bad PA: "Is Ryback there?" "I'm sorry he's in a gun fight right now. Hold on I'll put him on for you."

* ''DragonBallZ'': Taken UpToEleven; King Kai and Guru are telepathically discussing a plan to move everyone on Namek to Earth. Then Goku, in the middle of his fight with Frieza, interrupts ''them'', telling them to leave him on Namek to defeat Frieza.

Related to DissonantSerenity. For a "make love, not war" version, see CoitusUninterruptus. Compare KindaBusyHere, when the messenger is on a phone.

* In ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', in the first part of season 3's [[SeasonFinale finale]], Buffy hands Giles a newspaper article about a murder while he's practicing fencing with Wesley. Giles effortlessly parries all of Wesley's advances with one hand and almost no attention.

* Used in the first ''[[OsuTatakaeOuendan Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan]]'' game in the Salaryman stage. Our hero receives a phone call in the midst of battle with a giant mouse. Failing to perform well here actually means he gets his ass kicked, while passing this portion plays the trope straight.

* [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070611 This]] ''GirlGenius'' page is particularly illustrative- one character does it and, seconds later, another one does something that ''would'' be it if he hadn't only just arrived.

Alice and Bob are fighting. Carol enters with a message for Alice, who calmly carries on a conversation just as if Bob character weren't trying to kill her. Usually used to demonstrate just how much more {{Badass}} Alice is than Bob, but if she ''kills'' Bob without taking notice, it can also show [[KickTheDog disregard for life]].

Related to DissonantSerenity. For a "make love, not war" version, see CoitusUninterruptus. Compare KindaBusyHere, when the messenger is on a phone.

* A RunningGag in ''{{PS238}}'' is that, whenever almost anyone phones The Revenant, he is busy fighting some supervillain or other and calmly carries on the conversation while fighting.

* Played for laughs by Cary Elwes in ''RobinHoodMenInTights'', from MelBrooks.

Two characters are fighting, and a third enters with a message for the first, who calmly carries on a conversation just as if the second character were ''not'' trying to kill him/her. Usually used to demonstrate just how much more {{Badass}} the first character is than the second, but if they ''kill'' their opponent without taking notice, it can also show [[KickTheDog disregard for life]].

* Used brilliantly in ''Grosse Pointe Blank'', with John Cusack blasting a houseful of assassins to death one by one, while conversationally exploring the meaning of his own existence and declaring his love for Minnie Driver's character.

* Done in ''[[{{Ptitle4sx0pqptj9fe}} Zot!]]''. Zot is fighting two thugs while Jenny berates him for selling out.

* [[TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja Dr. McNinja]] does a variation of this at one point; the Doc calls Gordito and the clone of Ben Franklin on his cellphone while fighting ninjas, and at one point one of the ninjas grabs the phone from him.

Related to DissonantSerenity. For a "make love, not war" version, see CoitusUninterruptus. Compare KindaBusyHere.

'''Examples:'''

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<<|CombatTropes|>>

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* Subverted in the Firefly episode WarStories. When Zoe and Wash come across Mal in deathly combat with his torturer.
--> '''Zoe''': This is something the Captain has to do for himself
--> '''Mal''': No it's not!
--> '''Zoe & Wash''': *bang*bang*bang*bang*

--> '''Zoe''' This is something the Captain has to do for himself
--> '''Mal''' No it's not!
--> '''Zoe & Wash''' *bang*bang*bang*bang*

* ''UnderSiege'': The hero is in a ferocious firefight with the villains when he gets a satphone call. He takes the call while blasting the baddies.