History Main / CurbStompCushion

** Or even the low tech weaponry of the Humans working out for better, like when the Germans attack a grounded spaceship. The Lizards laugh the attack off as they launch their anti-missile missiles... OhCrap only to realise they're shells from [[{{BFG}} rail-mounted artillery]], [[OhCrap and their countermeasures are useless]]. The resultant explosion sprays chunks of alien tech and supplies - including '[[AtomicHate explosive metal]]' - [[HistoricalInJoke all over the Chernobyl area.]]

** Or even the low tech weaponry of the Humans working out for better, like when the Germans attack a grounded spaceship. The Lizards laugh the attack off as they launch their anti-missile missiles... OhCrap only to realise they're shells from [[BFG rail-mounted artillery]], [[OhCrap and their countermeasures are useless]]. The resultant explosion sprays chunks of alien tech and supplies - including '[[AtomicHate explosive metal]]' - [[HistoricalInJoke all over the Chernobyl area.]]

** Or even the low tech weaponry of the Humans working out for better, like the German railway guns being able to penetrate the lizard defences simply because the shells are too big to be intercepted with surface to air missiles.

We are witnessing a CurbStompBattle. Maybe the [[ToraToraTora Imperial Japanese Navy has]] [[PearlHarbor caught the American giant sleeping]]. Perhaps [[AIIsACrapShoot Skynet's]] [[TheTerminator forces are ripping the]] [[LaResistance TechCom troops]] a [[TeamFortress2 structurally superfluous new behind]]. Whatever the case, the losing side is getting it ''[[AccidentalInnuendo hard]]''.

** ''OutOfTheDark'' by DavidWeber, with a similar premise, takes this way too far. In nearly every battle the humans curbstomp the Shongairi ([[spoiler: save for the battle at Dracula's village]]), it actually looks like humanity is winning the war. In one case, one of the last U.S. Army tank platoons rips through a Shongairi armor group, then gets erased by a [[DeathFromAbove kinetic strike]].
** Out of the Dark doesn't fit the trope; it's made clear throughout that the aliens' ground warfare tactics and even their technology really suck compared to humans' equivalents to both, and the only reason that the aliens are ''overall'' curb stomping humanity is because they hold the orbitals and they ''started out'' by nuking every governmental and military resource they could pinpoint over the whole planet.

* Implied in the MiniSeries of the ''BattlestarGalactica'' remake. Boomer mentions that the only ships being effective at all in combat against the Cylons are obsolescent or overdue for refits, which of course indicates that somewhere amidst all that carnage, at least a few Colonial warriors were getting their own punches in.

* In the opening scenes of the WorldWar series, human troops get annihilated all over the world by the alien invaders. Then a plucky German Panzer squad ambush an alien tank column. In exchange for losing the last 4 tanks the main character is in command of, they kill a single enemy personnel carrier and a single enemy tank by exploiting the aliens poor tactics. [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome This is considered the most successful action against them of any kind, of the entire human-alien war so far.]]

* ''FanFic/TamersForeverSeries'': [[spoiler: Chaosgallantmon vs the Tamers]].

* ''TamersForeverSeries'': [[spoiler: Chaosgallantmon vs the Tamers]]

* Really, pick just about any shounen manga in the past 30 years where a side-character has gone toe to toe with a [[BigBadEvilGuy BBEG]] or TheRival. This trope will apply for every second or third fight before TheHero gets involved. {{Dragonball}} had it happen once or more per saga until the end, and more recent series like {{Naruto}} and {{Bleach}} have whole ''years'' of this stuff used to build up how insanely powerful the current villain is while still reminding readers that he can be beaten.

* Occurs in ''{{Godzilla}}, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack''. Baragon managed to catch Godzilla off-guarda few times. However, it's all in vain since Godzilla still manages to roast him alive.

We are witnessing a CurbStompBattle. Maybe the [[ToraToraTora Imperial Japanese Navy has]] [[PearlHarbor caught the American giant sleeping]]. Perhaps [[AIIsACrapShoot Skynet's]] [[TheTerminator forces are ripping the]] [[LaResistance ComTech troops]] a [[TeamFortress2 structurally superfluous new behind]]. Whatever the case, the losing side is getting it ''[[AccidentalInnuendo hard]]''.

* The fans of [[LadyOfWar Signum]], who has been curb-stomped recently in ''[[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha Force]]'', find a little solace in the fact that she managed to chop her attacker's right arm off in the process.

* In ''{{Holyland}}'', the [[spoiler: Masaki vs Yuu]] fight is clearly one-sided, but Yuu still manages to get in a few hits, including a solid kick that the other thinks might have cost a rib.

* Occurs in ''{{Godzilla}}, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack''. Baragon managed to catch Godzilla off-guarda few times. However, it's all in vain since Godzilla still manages to roast him alive.

Basically, we are witnessing a CurbStompBattle. Maybe the [[ToraToraTora Imperial Japanese Navy has]] [[PearlHarbor caught the American giant sleeping]]. Perhaps [[AIIsACrapShoot Skynet's]] [[TheTerminator forces are ripping the]] [[LaResistance ComTech troops]] a [[TeamFortress2 structurally superfluous new behind]]. Whatever the case, the losing side is getting it ''[[AccidentalInnuendo hard]]''.

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* Several battle scenes in ''[[BabylonFive Babylon 5]]'' have this element. Most notably, the Season 2 episode ''The Long, Twilight Struggle'' features a fleet of ships being ambushed by a large Shadow fleet. Amidst the ships getting cut apart left and right, we do see two of the ships concentrating their fire to wound a single Shadow [[FanNickname Battlecrab]] - the first time we ever see one of these ships damaged in battle.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:{{Manga}} & {{Anime}}]]
* In ''VisionOfEscaflowne'' when young pup Van and experienced knight Allen duel in their Humongous Mecha for the first time, everyone expects Allen to curb stomp Van, and he does. But as he's standing over Van, he's shocked to suddenly notice a gash in the side of his own mech.
* The fans of [[LadyOfWar Signum]], who has been curb-stomped recently in ''[[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha Force]]'', find a little solace in the fact that she managed to chop her attacker's right arm off in the process.
* Really, pick just about any shounen manga in the past 30 years where a side-character has gone toe to toe with a [[BigBadEvilGuy BBEG]] or TheRival. This trope will apply for every second or third fight before TheHero gets involved. {{Dragonball}} had it happen once or more per saga until the end, and more recent series like {{Naruto}} and {{Bleach}} have whole ''years'' of this stuff used to build up how insanely powerful the current villain is while still reminding readers that he can be beaten.

[[AC:TruthInTelevision]]

* Several battle scenes in ''[[BabylonFive Babylon 5]]'' have this element. Most notably, the Season 2 episode ''The Long, Twilight Struggle'' features a fleet of ships being ambushed by a large Shadow fleet. Amidst the ships getting cut apart left and right, we do see two of the ships concentrating their fire to wound a single Shadow [[FanNickname Battlecrab]].

How do we show that it's not hopeless, or that the losing side isn't utterly incompetent? Give them some small victory to help counterbalance the stomping they're getting. A CurbStompCushion is kind of like a HopeSpot, except that it doesn't necessarily give the impression that the good guys are gonna ''win'', just that they're still capable of [[TakingYouWithMe taking a few bad guys down with them.]] This can also serve to [[ForeShadowing foreshadow]] that the until-now nigh-invincible enemies may not truly be as invincible as they seem.

Basically, we are witnessing a CurbStompBattle. Maybe the [[ToraToraTora Imperial Japanese Navy has]] [[PearlHarbor caught the American giant sleeping]]. Perhaps [[AIIsACrapShoot Skynet's]] [[TheTerminator forces are ripping the]] [[LaResistance ComTech troops]] a [[TeamFortress2 structurally superfluous new behind]]. Whatever the case, the losing side is getting it ''hard''.