History Main / MissingMissionControl

Or, you could call them ''[[IncrediblyLamePun Missing Control]]''.

* Later on in ''Anime/LastExile'', Claus and Dio return to the Silvana after a successful mission and try to contact the bridge...only to find that no one is responding. Turns out that Maestro Delphine, the charmingly sadistic leader of the Guild, has pulled an AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs on them and is waiting...

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* Pretty much the central factor behind the plot of ''Film/CrimsonTide'': the [[CoolBoat USS]] ''[[CoolBoat Alabama]]'' suffers a radio equipment malfunction while in the middle of receiving a high-priority message: The crew does not know whether their orders are to launch their [[NuclearOption nuclear missiles]] or to abort, and TheCaptain and the CommanderContrarian end up unable to agree on their next course of action.

* The jammed communication between ''Film/{{Dredd}}'' and Mission Control is a key plot point in the movie.

* In one episode of ''Series/QuantumLeap'', Sam accidentally changes the past so that Al never joined the Quantum Leap Project, so he has to do without Al's help while he tries to put things right.

* Dan in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' becomes unavailable ''twice'': once in Sector [[spoiler:5]] and [[spoiler:6]] (communications failure), and again in Sector [[spoiler:8]] (kidnapped). [[spoiler:The second time also ends with his death if you aren't CrazyPrepared.]] Also an HarsherInHindsight example, since Iji initially expresses annoyance that she's the only one risking her life.
* The mysterious benefactor in ''VideoGame/{{Depict1}}'' loses the ability to communicate with you after the first few levels. [[spoiler:They come back for the endgame, though.]]
* ZigZagged in the final mission of ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge'': [[spoiler:Faith's original MissionControl Merc dies of a gunshot wound in the opening cutscene, so she sets off to storm the Shard on her own. Mid-mission, however, she meets Lieutenant Miller, who guides her through the more tricky parts of the building before being cut off (captured or worse) by the PK, so Faith has to go on on her own again]].
* In ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'', the "Angel" loses contact with you when the Echo network is shut down (or rather can no longer see you and is having to send its messages blind). You have to get the network back online ([[spoiler: which conveniently brings you to where she was guiding you to]]).

* ''VideoGame/Payday2'': [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Bain]] [[spoiler: is kidnapped by TheIlluminati at the end of the Reservoir Dogs Heist]], and [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Vernon Locke]] becomes the gang's MissionControl in all heists released afterwards. [[spoiler:Even when the the gang gets Bain back, Locke keeps the role as Bain has only days left to live.]]
* In ''VideoGame/PerfectDark Zero'', Joanna arrives at the Trinity Labs and is unable to contact Chandra. [[TheMole She's been a mole for a long time]] and sent Joanna to a death trap.

* In ''VideoGame/TheNamelessMod'' your handlers cannot reach you while deep underground or during the horror-based mission on each route. You can get a substitute in the first instance ([[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper though you may not want to]]) but in the latter cases you are alone (save for the mad AI in one of them) to increase the sense of isolation.
* In the ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: Double Agent'', Lambert serves as mission control most of the time on behalf of Third Echelon, while Dufraisne occasionally does the same for the JBA. During the penultimate mission, Lambert turns out to [[spoiler:have been kidnapped by the JBA for posing as an arms dealer]] and his role is filled by Third Echelon Director Tom Reed for the rest of the game.

* In ''Videogame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'', Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Tony Stark are directing the player character remotely. Two of them are kidnapped at one point in the story and the third runs things alone for a while until the others are recovered.

* In ''[[VideoGame/Persona5 Persona 5 Royal's]]'' third semester, all the Phantom Thieves besides Joker are unable to perceive the new Palace at first, including MissionControl Futaba. During the first few Palace visits, TokenEvilTeammate [[spoiler: Akechi]] takes over as navigator, and their dialogue is just as [[BlackComedy darkly hilarious]] as you'd imagine.

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* The mysterious benefactor in VideoGame/{{Depict1}} loses the ability to communicate with you after the first few levels. [[spoiler:They come back for the endgame, though.]]

* ''VideoGame/Payday2'': [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Bain]] [[spoiler: is kidnapped by TheIlluminati at the end of the Reservoir Dogs Heist]], and [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Vernon Locke]] becomes the gang's MissionControl in all heists released afterwards. [[spoiler: Even when the the gang gets Bain back, Locke keeps the role as Bain has only days left to live.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'', after defeating the third boss, Cap'n Cuttlefish ends up getting captured by the BigBad, forcing you to clear the next level without any guidance. Afterwards, Agents 1 and 2 (A.K.A. [[spoiler:the Squid Sisters]]) show up and act as your MissionControl for the rest of the adventure.

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[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''VideoGame/Payday2'' [[VoiceWithAnInternetConnection Bain]] [[spoiler: is kidnapped by what are pretty much TheIlluminati At the end of the Reservoir Dogs Heist]] This leads to [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor Vernon Locke]] becoming to the gangs MissionControl in all Heist released afterwards [[spoiler: even when the The gang gets Bain back, Locke keeps the role as Bain has only days left to live.]]

** Ditto for most of ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'', after John leaves Cortana in High Charity at the end of ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}''. This time, Cortana's also off her meds.

** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', the ''Normandy'' arrives at the Citadel to find themselves unable to reach any of the traffic controllers, this time due to [[spoiler: A Cerberus sneak-attack.]] In this case, the character who normally gives the ''Normandy'' clearance is back at her post later in the game.

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[[folder: Western Animation ]]

** In ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', this happens when John leaves Cortana in the Control Room while he goes to find the [[MacGuffin Index]].

* In the ''VideoGame/SplinterCellDoubleAgent'', Lambert serves as mission control most of the time on behalf of Third Echelon, while Dufraisne occasionally does the same for the JBA. During the penultimate mission, Lambert turns out to [[spoiler:have been kidnapped by the JBA for posing as an arms dealer]] and his role is filled by Third Echelon Director Tom Reed for the rest of the game.