History Main / IrrevocableOrder

** The same thing happens even earlier in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth". Barbara tries to order the Robomen to turn against the Daleks, but is stopped before she can say what the order that can't be countermanded actually is. In the movie ''Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD'', Creator/PeterCushing's character is more successful, and the Robomen are shown [[CuttingTheElectronicLeash removing their radio-control helmets]] to ensure that they ''can't'' receive a countermanding order.

** The same thing happens even earlier in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" when the rebels try to order the Robomen to turn against the Daleks, only the Daleks stop them. In the movie ''Film/DaleksInvasionEarth2150AD'', Creator/PeterCushing's character is more successful, and the Robomen are shown [[CuttingTheElectronicLeash removing their radio-control helmets]] to ensure that they ''can't'' receive a countermanding order.

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'': Every order given by [[AntiHero Lelouch]] through his Geass must be followed if the subject is able, and, since it only works once per person, cannot be taken back. Really comes back to bite him [[spoiler:when PowerIncontinence combines with a really unfunny joke on a person who is actually able to "kill all the Japanese".]] In ''R2'', he gains a means to reverse orders, via [[spoiler:Jeremiah's [[PowerNullifier Geass Canceller]]]].

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--->''Travis, as Tit Liquid'': "Please remember that if you do ask me, Tit Liquid, to kill your wife and you change your mind I am unstoppable and unreachable. I am the Japanese bullet train of assassins. There is no impediment that you can put in front of me will keep me from my dark goals. I am Tit Liquid."

* The ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series:
** Part of the intended ending for "[[VideoGame/FalloutVanBuren Project Van Buren]]" was a nuclear missile launch that couldn't be stopped about to eliminate what remains of human life AfterTheEnd and the PC would only be able to stop a number of missiles based on their repair skill, and must choose which places are struck (alternately, you could have blown them up in the silos, but take yourself with them).
** The ''Videogame/FalloutNewVegas'' DLC "Lonesome Road" has an attempt at this by Ulysses. He prepares some nuclear missiles to launch. After the player defeats him, it turns out all you can do is change the target; you can't prevent the launch, so you must either launch the missiles at the NCR, the Legion, or both... unless you rescued ED-E, and order the bot to perform a HeroicSacrifice.
* Averted in ''[[{{VideoGame/Tribes}} Tribes: Vengeance]]'', where Mercury's hit on Daniel is called off just before he takes the shot.

* This is a plot point in ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic VIII''. In a twist, the character that gave the order is the same person as the one carrying it out. [[spoiler: He -- Escaton -- a sapient robot -- autonomous, but still bound by his programming. Unfortunately, one part of that programming keeps him from stopping once he's started to destroy a planet (it's a failsafe to keep him from being subverted by the enemy), and this one time he misjudged the natives' ability to fight back against the enemy.]]

-->''Bomber'': "Roger that sir, coordinates LOCKED, orders received..... Bombs are away, good day sir!"

* The plot of ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' White March Part 2 Dlc is caused by this. The eyeless, an army of golems belonging to Abydon the forge god were ordered to protect ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow by Ondra, the goddess of forgetting after the former was defeated by the latter and had his memories edited to end the conflict between them. It ended up backfiring in Ondra's face when it turned out Abydon left conflicting orders and was the only one capable of reversing any orders the eyeless got, and she couldn't make the eyeless forget Abydons orders or tell Abydon what happened or he'd realize his memories were tampered with.

* One of the reasons people are reluctant to hire Ivo Sharktooth, Private Jager, in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' is that [[https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20170816 you can hire him, but you can't fire him.]] In a town like Mechanicsburg, he's likely to discover something that no one wanted uncovered.

* At the end of the third season of ''Series/{{Castle}}'', a major blow is dealt to whoever ordered Beckett's mother killed when his favorite hired gun is killed. The one who did that killing sent off a bunch of info to a fourth party so that there would be no retaliation against Beckett. Unfortunately, that mail arrived too late to prevent a sniper taking a shot at her.

[[folder:Web Comics]]