History Main / RashEquilibrium

One common result, especially in more comic situations, is for one character to guilt-trip the other over the betrayal, before revealing their own cheating.

A common result of the ScarpiaUltimatum. A classic instance of this is PrisonersDilemma, where each party would gain if they're the betrayer, but lose if they're the betrayed. Also compare HostageForMacGuffin, a more specific situation where the heroes wait for the villain to betray them before doing likewise.

* In the final few episodes of the first season of ''{{Transformers}}: WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', Optimus and Megatron initiate a truce. Of course, neither side believes the other will keep their word, so while they both stick to the letter of the agreement ("no weapons") they unashamedly violate its spirit; treating us to several {{slapstick}} fights and several humorous spying montages.

* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}} vs. UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli'': An alien race called the Scrubb challenges Earth to CombatByChampion. After defeating Superman in a boxing match (Superman was depowered by red sunlight), Muhammad Ali becomes Earth's champion and faces the Scrubb champion Hun'Ya in a boxing match. After Ali wins, the Scrubb ruler angrily orders Earth invaded anyway, only for a recovered Superman to reveal he anticipated their treachery and sabotaged the Scrubb's space armada.

A common result of the ScarpiaUltimatum. Also compare HostageForMacGuffin, a more specific situation where the heroes wait for the villain to betray them before doing likewise.

* In ''Film/ANewHope'', Leia lies to Tarkin about the location of the rebel base, and then discovers he was going to blow up Alderaan anyway, even if she told it to him. Tarkin then has the nerve to be affronted that she lied and furiously orders her executed in a fit of pique.

* ''Literature/ChrysalisRinoZ'': Anthony makes a deal with [[spoiler:the queen of Liria, to help her reclaim her throne]], then steals the payment before the job is done, anticipating that she won't keep faith with a monster. Sure enough, as soon as she has what she wants, she declares, "You can only blame yourself for trusting too easily, creature!" and summons her guards. While running away with the loot, Anthony internally admits that it would have been pretty embarrassing if she had actually kept to the deal, since he caused massive property damage preparing his escape tunnel -- but it was plain from her manner and tone that that wasn't going to happen.

* The game show ''Series/GoldenBalls'' uses this trope in a PrisonersDilemma type scenario. The two remaining contestants have a set amount of money which they have won and they can either share or steal the money. If they both share they get equal amounts, if one shares and the other steals then the one that stole will get all the money, if they both steal then they both lose the money. Of course a lot of the time both people steal after having a five minute discussion with the other contestant about how they're not greedy and they want them both to have money.[[note]]As a side note: ''Radio/{{Radiolab}}'' had a discussion of this show in which they interviewed a "professional game show player", who figured out the secret to the show: if someone said they were not going to steal, they ''would'', every time. He went on the show and spent ''45 minutes'' convincing his partner ''that he would steal'', by saying he would split the profits after the show. His partner eventually agreed after being harangued for seemingly ever, and chose the "share" ball, while the professional player did the same.[[/note]]

* In ''Series/{{Lost}}'' season 3, Ben agrees to send Jack home in return for Jack surgically removing his spinal tumor. Once into the operating room, Jack uses his momentary advantage to facilitate Kate and Sawyer's escape, risking Ben's life. Later, Ben reveals he never had any intention of letting Jack leave the island.

* PlayedForLaughs (as usual) in ''Series/GetSmart'' when Max and Siegfried meet to [[HostageForMacGuffin trade a prototype secret weapon for the return of the kidnapped Chief]]. Max hands off a dummy prototype, and discovers that Siegfried gave him a dummy Chief.

* In ''Theatre/MeasureForMeasure'', Angelo tries to get Isabella to [[ScarpiaUltimatum sleep with him in exchange for the life of her brother]]. She convinces his old fiancée to go instead under a PaperThinDisguise. He doesn't notice the difference, but orders the execution of her brother anyway.

* At one point in ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', BigBad Aku decides to skip the mooks and simply challenge Jack to a duel, provided Jack does NOT use his holy sword, the only thing that can kill him. Jack agrees as long as Aku maintains a human form and does not use magic or minions to cheat. When Aku begins losing the duel, he starts cheating by blasting Jack with magic. Jack reveals he knew this would happen and reveals he buried the sword near the duel site--[[CrazyPrepared along with many, many replica]].

** It has happened that a couple each had their on-line lovers, made arrangements to meet, and discovered that their on-line lovers were their own spouses. Unlike ''Escape (The Pina Colada Song)'', this has invariably led to hostile divorces.

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In the ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' series Zeus, Poseidon and Hades - the Big Trio of gods exhibiting sibling rivalry of divine proportions - make an oath not to have any more children with mortal women, since said children become too powerful and could be used against each other. As even gods cannot be expected to keep it in their pants for too long, Zeus and Poseidon both break the oath and father children. (Hades had fathered children before they made the oath, and he hides them in a PlaceBeyondTime to protect them from the other two.) When the children or 'demigods' are found, it escalates the rivalry from divine proportions to... [[BuffySpeak something even more divine]].

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* In season 3 of ''Series/TheWire'', [[spoiler:Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale, who've been partners since the beginning of the series,]] end up simultaneously betraying each other. [[spoiler:Stringer]] gives [[spoiler:Avon]] up to the police; [[spoiler: Avon]] arranges for [[spoiler:Stringer]] to be killed. Both continue to swear that they're brothers, reminisce, and embrace, even after their mutual betrayal.

* If you decide to side with CardCarryingVillain Charnel or [[spoiler: SmugSnake Stratos]] in the ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}'' campaign, the two of them are the last two gods left by the penultimate mission.
-->[[spoiler: '''Stratos:''']] We both knew this alliance would end, and we've both been preparing for it. Now let's see which of us has miscalculated.

-->'''Stewie''': You came unarmed?
-->'''Bertram''': As we agreed.
-->'''Stewie''': Admirable - but foolish! ''(pulls out a gun)''
-->'''Bertram''': ''(immediately pulls out his own gun)''

* ''Literature/ChrysalisRinoZ'': Anthony makes a deal with [[spoiler:the queen of Liria, to help her reclaim her throne]], then steals the payment before the job is done, anticipating that she won't keep faith with a monster. Sure enough, as soon as she has what she wants, she declares, "You can only blame yourself for trusting too easily, creature!" and summons her guards. While running away, Anthony internally admits that it would have been pretty embarrassing if she had actually kept to the deal, but it was plain from her manner and tone that that wasn't going to happen.

* This happens in the Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''Literature/{{Mort}}'' when [[TheGrimReaper Death]] and Mort are getting a countdown to begin their fight. Both of them attack on two.

** It has happened that a couple each had their on-line lovers, made arrangements to meet, and discovered that their on-line lovers were their own spouses. Unlike ''[[RefrainFromAssuming Escape (The Pina Colada Song)]]'', this has invariably led to hostile divorces.

** One of the best examples is the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} Triple Threat match]] between Wrestling/{{Edge}}, Wrestling/RandyOrton, and Wrestling/ShawnMichaels in 2007. Before the match Edge and Orton, who were heel tag team partners, pledged not to fight each other during the match, and actually avoided this for the first 3/4ths of the match. When they finally turned on each other, they both tried to calm the other down, turned away to lure the other into a false sense of security, [[CrossCounter and started whaling away on each other]].

The name is a pun on the game-theoretic notion of "Nash equilibrium", which [[PrisonersDilemma in certain settings leads to this kind of behavior]]. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_equilibrium See]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma these]] pages on Wiki/TheOtherWiki for more details.

* At one point in ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', BigBad Aku decides to skip the mooks and simply challenge Jack to a duel, provided Jack does NOT use his holy sword, the only thing that can kill him. Jack agrees as long as Aku maintains a human form and does not use magic or minions to cheat. When Aku begins losing the duel, he starts cheating by blasting Jack with magic. Jack reveals he knew this would happen and reveals he buried the sword near the duel site.

->'''Ho Yinsen:''' ''(translating for Abu Bakaar)'' He says you are to start working immediately, and when you're done he'll set you free.\\
''[Abu Bakaar and [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] shake hands]''\\

The name is a pun on the game-theoretic notion of "Nash equilibrium", which in certain settings leads to this kind of behavior. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_equilibrium See]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma these]] pages on Wiki/TheOtherWiki for more details.

''[Abu Bakaar and Tony Stark shake hands]''\\