History Main / CooperationGambit

* This is the entire basis of Kurosagi & Katsuragi's relationship in ''The Black Swindler''. Kuro needs information to hunt down swindlers and Katsuragi gives it to him if it's someone he wants taken care of.

* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) and ComicBook/TheFlash force each other into one. Snart has learned the Flash's SecretIdentity and will tell (or broadcast it to) the world if Flash captures him or gets him arrested. Flash grudgingly lets him go, but sternly warns him that [[ThouShaltNotKill if he kills anyone]] or [[ItsPersonal harms any of his friends/family]], then all bets are off and he'll put Snart away regardless of him revealing his identity.

* This happens several times on ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'':

** In "Time Teasers", Scrooge cooperates with the Beagles to escape pirates and get BackToTheFuture.

* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) and TheFlash force each other into one. Snart has learned the Flash's SecretIdentity and will tell (or broadcast it to) the world if Flash captures him or gets him arrested. Flash grudgingly lets him go, but sternly warns him that [[ThouShaltNotKill if he kills anyone]] or [[ItsPersonal harms any of his friends/family]], then all bets are off and he'll put Snart away regardless of him revealing his identity.

->'''Homer:''' All right, brain; you don't like me and I don't like you. But lets just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.\\

* [[MysteriousInformant Providing information]] to the opposition where they can find an important artefact, hoping that this can keep them distracted enough that you can find a more important or useful item.

* Making a temporary truce on the understanding it'll be business as usual afterwards. Working together for [[MacGuffin a goal]] they know only one of them can obtain in the end (with the benefits of cooperating outweighing the risks of the other side snatching it first) is a common cause.

This sort of thing is ''never'' a HeelFaceTurn[=/=]FaceHeelTurn (although it can be part of a HazyFeelTurn, especially if a WildCard's involved) - the character or faction in question is still working towards their original goals. A low level hero or minion might still work against the boss's wishes (e.g. they let a prisoner go because they think they're more effort to keep imprisoned than they could get from holding them hostage...or maybe to keep their leader from JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope), however. At its most extreme, a character might join up as TheSixthRanger (either as a representative of their side or working on their own initiative).

The EnigmaticMinion is especially prone to these with the heroes, while a hero attempting this might make themselves a PoisonousFriend (and someone of any morality might suffer a NeutralityBacklash). If both sides join forces, it might lead to TeethClenchedTeamwork. Compare PunchclockVillain[=/=]PunchclockHero, GoKartingWithBowser, DealWithTheDevil, VillainTeamup and PragmaticVillainy. Contrast HostageForMacGuffin and BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord (for unfair deals).

* In ''Anime/OnePiece'', Trafalgar Law, (who previously considered himself a rival to the other Supernovas. The Straw Hats in particular), forms an alliance with the Straw Hats to defeat Kaido (one of the Four Emperors) by cutting the weapons supply from his client, Doflamingo. [[spoiler:Turns out Law was really after Doflamingo himself. Kaido is merely his backup plan and he used the Straw Hats to destroy Doflamingo's weapons factory so that Kaido will punish him for it.]]
* This is the entire basis of Kurosagi & Katsuragi's relationship in The Black Swindler. Kuro needs information to hunt down swindlers and Katsuragi gives it to him if it's someone he wants taken care of.

* ''Film/TheGreatRace''. After Professor Fate and Maggie [=DuBois=] are kidnapped by some bad guys, Fate's minion Max joins forces with the Great Leslie to rescue them. Of course, being a villain Max betrays the heroes during the rescue.

* In Creator/JulesVerne's ''Literature/AroundTheWorldinEightyDays'', the valet and the police inspector come to an agreement to help each other as long as Fogg is out of British territory - the inspector wants to arrest Fogg for a bank robbery, the valet is trying to help his boss finish his world trip.

* In the ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novel "For the Emperor", Cain's unit is stationed on a planet that's [[PowderKegCrowd on the verge of civil war]] thanks to the Tau attempting to annex it. Neither side wants it to break out (yet), leading to a lot of this. Early on, a Kroot mercenary saves Cain from being beaten to death by Tau sympathisers. Much later, Cain helps a Tau ambassador get medical treatment and escorts him back to his compound (even [[spoiler: having to [[ShootTheDog order the guardsmen under his command to shoot some loyalists]] who wanted to lynch the Tau]]).

* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'', Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) and TheFlash force each other into one. Snart has learned the Flash's SecretIdentity and will tell (or broadcast it to) the world if Flash captures him or gets him arrested. Flash grudgingly lets him go, but sternly warns him that [[ThouShaltNotKill if he kills anyone]] or [[ItsPersonal harms any of his friends/family]] then all bets are off and he'll put Snart away regardless of him revealing his identity.

* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[CuteMonsterGirl Therkla]] the half-orc {{ninja}} tries to [[TakeAThirdOption find a compromise]] between [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Hinjo]] and her master Daimyo Kubota's agendas (albeit because [[InLoveWithTheMark she had a crush on Elan]]). [[spoiler: Kubota kills her so he can use her as a scapegoat.]]

** In "Magica's Shadow War", Scrooge teams up with Magica to stop her [[ItMakesSenseInContext magically animated shadow, and ''its'' shadows,]] from taking over the world.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' episode that introduces Dexter's rival Mandark, when Mandark falls in love with Dee Dee and finds out she's Dexter's sister, he begs Dexter to help get them together. At first Dexter is hesitant to help him, until he realises if Dee Dee gets into Mandark's lab she will end up accidentally destroying it.

This trope is about making a deal with or helping the enemy or the opposition in order to further one's own goals. Often, the thought behind this is to give up a short-term advantage or benefit for a more long-term or lasting one. The cooperation need not be mutual or [[MotiveMisidentification completely honest]], as long as the terms of the deal are honored and no coercion is involved. Some hypothetical examples include:

* In TheFlash2014, Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) and TheFlash force each other into one. Snart has learned the Flash's SecretIdentity and will tell (or broadcast it to) the world if Flash captures him or gets him arrested. Flash grudgingly lets him go, but sternly warns him that [[ThouShaltNotKill if he kills anyone]] or [[ItsPersonal harms any of his friends/family]] then all bets are off and he'll put Snart away regardless of him revealing his identity.

* In TheFlash2014, Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) and TheFlash force each other into one. Snart has learned the Flash's SecretIdentity and will tell (or broadcast it to) the world if Flash captures him or gets him arrested. Flash grudgingly lets him go, but sternly warns him that [[ThouShaltNotKill if he kills ''anyone'']] or [[ItsPersonal harms any of his friends/family]] then all bets are off and he'll put Snart away regardless of him revealing his identity.

This trope is about making a deal with or helping the enemy or the opposition in order to further one's own goals. Often, the thought behind this is to give up a short-term advantage or benefit for a more longer-term or lasting one. The cooperation need not be mutual or [[MotiveMisidentification completely honest]], as long as the terms of the deal are honoured and no coercion is involved. Some hypothetical examples include:

->'''Homer:''' All right, [[GhostInTheMachine brain]]; you don't like me and I don't like you. But lets just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.\\

* One of the main strategies adopted by Mike Stearns in the ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'' books. The time-displaced Americans, for example, teach everyone they meet (friends, opponents, or enemies) how to make the antibiotic chloramphenicol. They know that any major production will require them to educate their workforce, and thus let in more radical ideas. Stearns also directly advises his political rival Wilhelm Wettin in how to build an effective political party that could rival his own.

-->-- '''''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'''''

-----

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Film]]

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder:Multiple Media]]
* In the ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', Fantöm gets to a point where he has to repeat one of his biggest feats, single-handedly beating an ex-FinalBoss meant for a group of at least four players. However, the boss in question got a few updates since he last did it, including [[spoiler:a big explosion that happens after the boss gets beaten]]. He survived that surprise only thanks to Spectre, the top player from another faction, who didn't like the idea of Fantöm's effort being ruined by a last-minute snarl. According to the novel version, the reason Spectre was present in the first place was that he was studying Fantöm from a distance to prepare for a future battle against him.

[[folder: Web Comics]]
* In ''WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[CuteMonsterGirl Therkla]] the half-orc {{ninja}} tries to [[TakeAThirdOption find a compromise]] between [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Hinjo]] and her master Daimyo Kubota's agendas (albeit because [[InLoveWithTheMark she had a crush on Elan]]). [[spoiler: Kubota kills her so he can use her as a scapegoat.]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

-----

->'''Homer:''' All right, [[GhostInTheMachine brain]]; you don't like me and I don't like you. But lets just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.
'''Homer's Brain:''' It's a deal!\\

-->'''Homer:''' All right, [[GhostInTheMachine brain]]; you don't like me and I don't like you. But lets just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer.
-->'''Homer's Brain:''' It's a deal!

* In the ''Franchise/{{Noob}}'', Fantöm gets to a point where he has to repeat one of his biggest feats, single-handedly beating an ex-FinalBoss meant for a group of at least four players. However, the boss in question got a few updates since he last did it, including [[spoiler:a big explosion that happens after the boss gets beaten]]. He survived that surprise only thanks to Spectre, the top player from another faction, who didn't like the idea of Fantöm's effort being ruined by a last-minute snarl. According to the novel version, the reason Spectre was present in the first place was that he was spying on Fantöm to find info he could use for a future battle against him.

This trope is about making a deal with or helping the enemy or the opposition in order to further one's own goals. Often, the thought behind this is to give up a short-term advantage or benefit for a more longer-term or lasting one. The cooperation need not be mutual or completely honest, as long as the terms of the deal are honoured and no coercion is involved. Some hypothetical examples include: