History Main / PostVictoryCollapse

* Happens regularly with users of Townsaver in the ''Literature/BookOfSwords'' series. Townsaver will keep its bearer on their feet and fighting so long as there are people to protect, but once the battle is over, the magic that allowed the wielder to ignore their wounds (Which are frequently numerous because Townsaver makes its owner attack those trying to harm the innocent without giving them the ability to defends themselves) goes away, often causing the owner to drop dead of blood loss on the spot.
* Tavi in ''Literature/CodexAlera'' passes out hard at least once from pushing himself way, ''way'' too far. When breaking Varg out of jail in the fourth book, by the time he got to a point where he could collapse, [[YouCanBarelyStand his arms and legs were about to stop working]].
* Vimes in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels is exceptionally fond of this.
** In ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', Vimes convinces his arch-rival Lord Rust that he's some sort of badass by handling hot coals (emulating a story about Film/{{Lawrence of Arabia}}). Then he waits until Rust leaves to clutch his hand in pain. ("Are you quite sure he can't see me?" "Not unless he can see through camels, sir.")
** ''Literature/TheFifthElephant'': In only his underwear, Vimes [[spoiler:wins a rigged contest against a pack of werewolves, which entails both outrunning and outfighting them in the snow.]] Carrot and Angua rescue him just in time for him to pass out.
** ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'': "I'll teach him to walk! I'm ''good'' at teaching people to walk!" *falls over* [[spoiler:Context; Vimes has just gotten back from an involuntary TimeTravel adventure to a war zone in time to see his newborn son. And he does teach watchmen how to walk with minimum effort, to make their patrols easier]]
** ''Literature/{{Snuff}}'': After [[spoiler:a fierce battle aboard a storm-tossed ship which eventually surfs ashore on a tidal wave]], Vimes has just enough time to send someone to make him several bacon sandwiches with some good old Ankh-Morpork sauce before he drops where he stands.
** ''Literature/FeetofClay'': Has a decidedly more lighthearted take on this trope, when introduced to prospective watchman Cheery Littlebottom, Vimes make polite conversation with her, correctly guessing the derivation of the name and eventually ushering her out. Only then does he finally break down laughing at the poor dwarf's name, repeating it over and over.

* In ''Literature/TheDreamsideRoad'', [[TheDrifter Orson]] barely sheathes his [[FlamingSword sword]] before collapsing, after finally defeating [[spoiler:Master Nine]].

* There's an example in ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'' #7, during a Hetwan-Olympus battle, and April babbles something incoherent before falling over.
* In Creator/GeneStrattonPorter's ''Literature/{{Freckles}}'', Freckles fights Wessner and then argues with [=McLean=] about finishing his round, before he collapses.
* In ''The Glass Inferno'' (one of the two books that became the movie ''Film/TheToweringInferno''), when everyone is rescued and they're no longer in danger, the junkie resumes having withdrawal symptoms which were suppressed while he and everyone else were trying to avoid burning to death.
* In Creator/RobertEHoward's "Literature/GodsOfTheNorth", Literature/ConanTheBarbarian suffers a touch of this after the fight.

** The final face-off at the end of [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone book one]] culminates with the agony in his scar reaching such high levels that he loses his sight and all rational function before falling into a three-day coma.
** A more minor example happens during the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets second book]], when he wins a Quidditch game by catching the Snitch, only for a Bludger to hit him on the arm hard enough to break it. He falls off of his broom and says "Ah, we won," before fainting.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban book three]], after a chase, a fight, a series of mind-blowing revelations, another fight, and almost getting his soul sucked out through his mouth, he faints and gets shipped off to the hospital wing before the second mini-climax.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire book four]], he is forced to watch a friend die, [[spoiler: witness Voldemort's return,]] gets tortured, and duels both physically and psychologically, all the while bleeding from a leg injury. He is semi-conscious when he gets back, gets even more danger and revelatory crap dumped on him and is mercifully put out with sleeping potion afterward.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix book five]] it's notably averted in contrast to book four. He goes on an extended rescue mission, gets into a huge melee chase, which later becomes an all-out brawl, with the Death Eaters, watches a loved one die, and gets possessed. However, this has traumatized him so badly he breaks down and goes into RageAgainstTheMentor mode.
** In [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows book seven]] during the final battle, he is temporarily refreshed [[spoiler: by ''dying'']], plucking him up enough to save the day, after which he stumbles off to bed on his own power for a sandwich and some sleep.

** In ''Exile's Honor'', Alberich is nearly flattened when his Foresight kicks in unexpectedly, then goes full-berserk defending Princess Selenay from a Tedrel kidnap team, then forces himself to remain functional, alert, and on guard for over an hour while now-Queen Selenay grieves over her father's corpse. His friends are looking for a Mindhealer to knock him unconscious when he finally passes out on his own... right at Selenay's feet.
** In ''By the Sword'', Kerowyn takes a TapOnTheHead at the very end of a battle against Hardorn. She's okay, but there doesn't seem to be much point for it except to provide a convenient place to close the scene.
* In ''Literature/HoratioHornblower'' novel ''Lieutenant Hornblower'' (which is narrated from Bush's point of view), Bush manages to get through the Spanish prisoners about to seize the ship, but he's so full of fighting madness that he has no idea of the nine wounds he incurred in doing so. When Hornblower arrives with the prize crews to lead a counter-charge, Bush tries to join them and ends up flat on the deck with increasingly muddled thinking as he nearly bleeds to death.
* In ''Literature/{{Hurog}}'' [[spoiler:Tisala]] escapes from a torturer - after being tortured - walks miles in the ill-fitting shoes of a killed enemy, and kills a couple of bandits. Only ''then'' does she collapse. The farmer whose farm she defended against the bandits is very impressed.

** Naruto collapses after hitting Kabuto in the stomach with a Rasengan. Unfortunately for him, Kabuto is not actually unconscious even though he was smashed into a boulder, which ''shattered.'' He has, however, taken too much damage for even his [[HealThyself prodigious healing]] - as he finds out after trying to walk and then collapsing.

* Inverted in "The Long Walk" by Stephen King (published under the pseudonym Richard Bachmann), when the protagonist wins the Walk by being the only survivor and somehow finds the strength to run after the exhausting ordeal. [[spoiler: Played exaggeratedly straight at the same time. It's heavily implied that Garraty, the hero, is dying.]]

* Straha on [[http://www.wtfcomics.com/archive.html?348_203 this page]] of ''Webcomic/WTFComics''.
* In [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/be-okay/ this]] strip of ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'', Tina breaks down crying after a terrifying encounter with a sphinx.
* In ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'', Roan [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter002/ib013.html escapes to collapse]] and [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Chapter003/ib017.html sleep like the dead]].
* In ''Webcomic/{{Endstone}}'', [[http://endstone.net/2010/06/07/issue-3-webpage-40/ Cole collapses after her escape]].
* In ''Webcomic/AndShineHeavenNow'', Timothy [[http://hellsing.comicgenesis.com/d/20080413.html keels over]] after a particularly dramatic battle.

* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2011/05/15/saved-by-the-bell/ Nin Wah experiences this right after her fight with a huge army of Tagged goons.]]

* After the Battle of Shiloh, one of the largest and most important ever fought in the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, General UsefulNotes/Ulysses S. Grant chose not to pursue the defeated rebels after they had been driven off the battlefield. He explained that his inexperienced troops had begun doing this en masse after two days of fighting and suffering in the rain and so he couldn't press them any further.

* After the Battle of Shiloh, one of the largest and most important ever fought in the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, General UsefulNotes/UlyssessGrant chose not to pursue the defeated rebels after they had been driven off the battlefield. He explained that his inexperienced troops had begun doing this en masse after two days of fighting and suffering in the rain and so he couldn't press them any further.

TruthInTelevision, to an extent: Ever felt extremely tired in the hours that follow periods of high stress? This trope is a more significant form of that fatigue; Adrenaline and other stress hormones can enable people to go for a long time, despite their injuries and exertion, only to collapse once the danger is passed and the stress hormones wear off.

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Roy incinerates [[spoiler: Lust]], despite having just been stabbed twice through the side. He cauterizes his and his dying subordinates' wounds, comes back into the fray with all his badassery intact, and finally defeats [[spoiler: Lust]]. Then, of course, he falls to the floor, asking only some help for [[spoiler:Jean Havoc]], his wounded subordinate.

* In episode 13 of ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' Kotetsu makes a show of using his Hundred Power to accelerate his natural healing before leaving to help Barnaby fight Jake Martinez. As soon as he leaves the room he collapses against the door since only his superficial surface injuries were healed -- he still has ''severe'' internal injuries.

* In her first mission with ComicBook/XStatix, Venus Dee Milo rapidly teleports a bomb away from her teammates. When she teleports back, she laughs nervously about some eyeless fishes that have seen better days and then ''dissipates'' - it turns out that she's a sentient energy cloud, and the only thing keeping her together is her willpower and her suit.

** ''Literature/FeetofClay'': Has a decidedly more lighthearted take on this trope, when introduced to prospective watchman Cheery Littlebottom, Vimes make polite conversation with her, correctly guessing the derivation of the name and eventually ushering her out. Only then does he finally breakdown laughing at the poor dwarf's name, repeating it over and over.

* ''Literature/WarriorCats'': In ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsTheDarkestHour The Darkest Hour]]'', after defeating Scourge, Firestar collapses due to exhaustion and blood loss. Graystripe worries that Firestar's dying, but he only needs rest.

* Takeshi in ''VisualNovel/{{Ever17}}'' actually gets two of these. The first and more minor is [[spoiler:instantly collapsing after rescuing Tsugumi despite coughing up lots of blood, flu-like symptoms, decompression sickness, swimming through frigid water and some other minor things after not eating for a good day or so.]] The second comes just a little later when [[spoiler:he basically comes back from the dead and does the same thing again only this time after being under pressurized water and not breathing for a good half an hour or so at least, rescuing Coco and a couple other impossible things before 'getting tired' and entering a cryogenic chamber which keeps him alive while his body fights off TB.]]
* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. Immediately after defeat Nero Chaos, Shiki collapses and returns to bleeding to death. By his own earlier admission, his entire body is basically one giant wound by this point, so it's hardly surprising. He only lives because Arcueid knows how to heal him with Chaos' remnants. Or Ciel saves him in her route.

* The hero of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' almost makes [[spoiler:a HeroicSacrifice in order to let the rest of the residents of Haven evacuate]]. After successfully deterring the BigBad, s/he must plod through a swirling blizzard in order to reach everyone else. In true {{Determinator}} fashion, they only allow themselves to lose consciousness once they're within sight of the camp.

* Angora collapses [[spoiler:after the first time using her nature powers]] in ''Webcomic/TheMeek''. The author based it off of an actual collapse of hers, where she fainted but was only out for a few seconds.

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'': Para Ventura, newly restored to the company as coxswain to their gunship (which would only take orders from her), promptly issues out a series of brisk orders like a seasoned officer, stunning most of the assembled crew. Once that's done, she immediately goes to the medlab and has Tailor find her [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2013-04-01 something to stop the shakes]] she'd developed out of stress. Turns out Bristlecone, the ship itself, had been feeding her the appropriate lines through an earpiece, and her confident commander act was just that.

* In ''VideoGame/SuikodenIV'', every time the main character used the CutscenePowerToTheMax of the Rune of Punishment, he'd collapse immediately afterward due to the rune's soul-draining side-effects. [[spoiler:Depending on which ending you get, it ends up killing him after the final battle, or he manages to push the rune into its rarely seen 'Forgiveness' form, where it's got all the ass-kicking with none of the side effects.]]

** In "[[Recap/TotalDramaChineseFakeOut Chinese Fake-Out]]", after it was revealed that Blaineley got the finish line first via rickshaw, ''and'' got a tour of the surrounding area, ''and'' did some shopping, we see a shot of Chef collapsing on a bed, exhausted.
--> '''Chef''': ''(winded)'' If she's a size zero, then I'm the Emperor of China.''
** Lightning fights with mutant alligators while his hands are bound in "[[Recap/TotalDramaTheTreasureIslandOfDrMcLean The Treasure Island of Doctor McLean]]". He wins and regroups with Jo, but only has the strength left to declare his greatness before he collapses.

* In ''Film/{{Arthur}}'', after Arthur's confrontation with Susan and Burt Johnson is over and he's taken the altar to explain to the guests that there isn't going to be a wedding, he says, "Now that there's a good chance, I should go to the hospital," and promptly collapses.

** After killing King Piccolo Goku falls asleep in Yajirobe's car, completely exhausted from his epic match.
** Goku was unable to move after overusing the [[DeadlyUpgrade Kaioken]] technique during his first bout with Vegeta. Being [[{{Determinator}} Goku]], he didn't collapse or anything, but a congratulatory pat on the back made him scream in pain.
** Happened to Gohan at the end of the Cell Saga and in one of the ''Anime/DragonballZ'' movies.

TruthInTelevision, to an extent: Adrenaline and other stress hormones can enable people to go for a long time, despite injuries, only to collapse once the danger is passed and the stress hormones wear off.

* The Bluesmobile from ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' pull off all sorts of crazy stunts throughout the film, but after a 120-mile mad-dash to the city tax office with just about ''every law officer in the state'' hot on their tail (plus a few other groups they pissed off along the way), the car quite literally [[CriticalExistenceFailure falls to pieces]] after pulling up in front of the building; it's mission complete.

* Film/MissionImpossibleFallout makes a point of Ethan's quiet collapse after the climax scene.