History Main / ScreeningTheCall

* [[Chrestomanci Eric Chant]] has the capacity to become a nine-lived enchanter and one of the most powerful magic users in the multiverse. Unfortunately, his big sister Gwendolyn [[spoiler: stole all his extra lives when he was a baby and has been using his magic to amplify her own talents,]] all without his knowing.

* The Seers of the Throne, the major antagonist group in the roleplaying game ''MageTheAwakening'', make it a point to interrupt Awakenings if the mage won't throw in their lot with the Seers. According to the game's KarmaMeter, this is a ''very bad thing''.

* Harry's foster family, [[MuggleFosterParents The Dursleys]], in the ''[[HarryPotter Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]''.

** And in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', the Order of the White Lotus tries to keep the new Avatar Korra safe by secluding her in the South Pole so she can train properly (and to avoid a repeat of the last Avatar where Aang went missing for a hundred years) and Tenzin explicitly forbids her from coming to Republic City where a new threat is building. Naturally, it doesn't work and she stows away to go there on her own.

* In Webcomic/GirlGenius Agatha's uncle gave her a locket that [[spoiler: seals her [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder Spark]]]] and her parents aren't who they seem.
** But without it, she would have been killed by a mob of angry villagers...or [[spoiler: had her personality wiped and replaced with that of her mother - which came awfully close to happening anyways]]...or would have been the cause of a civil war that she would have been ''very'' unlikely to survive. At least now, she has the resources and ingenuity to survive what's going to be thrown at her (hopefully).
** It was also a protection from opportunists (other than "The Other") who might use her as a political pawn, as they did with a more distant relation. Punch and Judy further delayed the call by sticking her in a university, where her mediocrity would stand out in contrast to all the Sparks while forcing her to learn the hard way what comes naturally to them. When the PowerNullifier came off, she had all that education at her disposal, and she was ready for the call.

* * Eas of ''Anime/FreshPrettyCure'' does this to herself. You see, [[spoiler:she was meant to be the user of Akarun and become the fourth Pretty Cure. But, her evil aura prevented Akarun from approaching her. Once she died, Akarun stepped in, revived her, and turned her into Cure Passion.]]

* Invoked in ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}''. Bruce gives [[Character/{{Azrael}}Jean-Paul]] the Mantle of the Bat because he knew that if he'd given it to [[Character/{{Nightwing}} Dick]], he'd try to get revenge against Bane and he didn't want him in the same position he was in.

* A {{Threshold Guardian|s}} will often prevent those who are not ready for {{The Call}} from receiving it, often needing to be defeated as proof of a [[{{Pun}} passing]] grade or simply as [[QuestGiver a judge of character]]. If they weren't there, the hero could be [[DifficultySpike overwhelmed]] by the following challenge, instead of rising to the occasion. Can appear as anything from a local the bully to a training course.

* The overprotective parent flavor shows up in the ''CodexAlera'', though it's at least partially an accident.

* In ''The Rowan'', all the [[PsychicPowers psychic]] [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Primes]] who handle interstellar teleportation were trained by the [[ThereAreNoTherapists neurotic, agoraphobic]] and overbearing Siglen who telepathically impressed her own inability to handle personal travel into all the other Primes, making travel off their homeworlds a [[HeroicBSOD mind-scarringly traumatic experience]] and leaving The Rowan unable to assist her [[MindlinkMates distant lover]] in a BugWar that threatens to kill his entire planet. Luckily, ThePowerOfLove leads her to ovecome the effects by [[EpiphanyTherapy realizing that it's just psychological baggage]], not an inherent trait of Primes.

* [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DistressedDamsel easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has received training, and TookALevelInBadass, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

* Toph's parents in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Aang and friends invite her to join their team, but her parents (who can't comprehend that their blind daughter is [[DisabilitySuperpower far from helpless]]) want to keep her isolated and protected. Luckily, it's hard to keep tabs on the world's greatest [[DishingOutDirt Earthbender]].
** Well after she leaves, Toph's parents still can't give up on keeping her out of the adventure; they hire a pair of highly skilled adult Earthbenders to find Toph and bring her back. The Earthbenders do find her... but then she kicks their asses and sends ''them'' back in their own steel box that was meant to hold her. [[BeyondTheImpossible By doing something thought to be impossible.]]

* ''DragonBallZ'': Good luck getting Gohan to help save the world if Chi-Chi's nearby.
* ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'': [[DarkMagicalGirl Akemi Homura]] is actively trying to prevent Madoka from becoming a Magical Girl. [[spoiler: It doesn't work, but that turns out to be good. [[MindScrew Sort of.]]]]

* The Fan Fiction ''WhiteDevilOfTheMoon,'' has Fate preventing the [[SailorMoon Sailor Senshi]] from finding [[MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha Nanoha]] because a) Nanoha has just been badly injured ''and'' is a workaholic, and b) if Nanoha gets involved, she will overwork herself trying to solve the Senshi's problem, putting her back in the hospital.

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* In the third {{Film/Transformers}} movie, Dark of the Moon, Sam's new girlfriend Carly is playing this trope when Sam starts assembling the clues to a new adventure. She would prefer that he leave his dangerous ways in the past while he safely basks in their glory in the present. She fears that if he goes off to war again that it will be a repeat of the tragedy that claimed her brother. Unfortunately for her when she leaves Sam she unwittingly walks straight into the thick of the plot and becomes a DamselInDistress.

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* Harry's foster family, [[MuggleFosterParents The Dursleys]], in the ''[[HarryPotter Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone]]''.

* Lyra's mother in ''HisDarkMaterials'' hides her in a cave and keeps her in a drugged sleep to prevent her from fulfilling her destiny.

* In ''The Rowan'', all the [[PsychicPowers psychic]] [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Primes]] who handle interstellar teleportation were trained by the [[ThereAreNoTherapists neurotic, agoraphobic]] and overbearing Siglen who telepathically impressed her own inability to handle personal travel into all the other Primes, making travel off their homeworlds a [[{{HeroicBSOD}} mind-scarringly traumatic experience]] and leaving The Rowan unable to assist her [[MindlinkMates distant lover]] in a BugWar that threatens to kill his entire planet. Luckily, ThePowerOfLove leads her to ovecome the effects by [[EpiphanyTherapy realizing that it's just psychological baggage]], not an inherent trait of Primes.

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[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* The Seers of the Throne, the major antagonist group in the roleplaying game ''[[MageTheAwakening Mage: the Awakening]]'', make it a point to interrupt Awakenings if the mage won't throw in their lot with the Seers. According to the game's KarmaMeter, this is a ''very bad thing''.

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[[folder:{{Webcomics}}]]
* In GirlGenius Agatha's uncle gave her a locket that [[spoiler: seals her [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder Spark]]]] and her parents aren't who they seem.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* Toph's parents in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Aang and friends invite her to join their team, but her parents (who can't comprehend that their blind daughter is [[DisabilitySuperpower far from helpless]]) want to keep her isolated and protected. Luckily, it's hard to keep tabs on the world's greatest [[DishingOutDirt Earthbender]].

* Toph's parents in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Aang and friends invite her to join their team, but her parents (who can't comprehend that their blind daughter is [[DisabilitySuperpower far from helpless]]) want to keep her isolated and protected. Luckily, it's hard to keep tabs on the world's greatest [[ExtraOreDinary Earthbender]].

Why? Maybe the Hero's LoveInterest knows the TheHerosJourney is dangerous and, [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy well...]] Maybe the Hero has [[MyBelovedSmother really]] [[OverprotectiveDad overprotective]] [[MeddlingParents parents]] who [[MamaBear don't want]] their child harmed. Maybe some [[DownerEnding tragedy]] has occurred in the past and it's known that [[TurnOutLikeHisFather adventure]] [[ItRunsInTheFamily runs in the family]]. Maybe the Hero is in store for some [[AFateWorseThanDeath really nasty fate]]. Maybe the town is uncomfortable with the Hero's StockSuperpowers and would really rather he were [[WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent just normal]]. Maybe they have an interest in making sure NothingExcitingEverHappensHere (after all, adventure is [[NoEndorHolocaust really bad for property values]]). In really extreme circumstances, those Screening the Call might take the Hero [[OffingTheOffspring out of the equation]].

* In the latest {{Film/Transformers}} movie, Dark of the Moon, Sam's new girlfriend Carly is playing this trope when Sam starts assembling the clues to a new adventure. She would prefer that he leave his dangerous ways in the past while he safely basks in their glory in the present. She fears that if he goes off to war again that it will be a repeat of the tragedy that claimed her brother. Unfortunately for her when she leaves Sam she unwittingly walks straight into the thick of the plot and becomes a DamselInDistress.

** The more benign version of this is done by the Guardians of the Veil, who (quite understandably) believe Awakening should be a [[ComesGreatResponsibility privilege, not a gift to be handed out willy-nilly]]. As a result, they create a sort of pseudo-conspiracy, called the Labyrinth (a trail of supposedly world-controlling organizations and conspiracies that also happen to be [[TheSchizophreniaConspiracy complete bunk]]) meant to mislead people only in it for the power away from Awakening and people GenreSavvy enough to realize they're being fooled towards it. More than one Guardian is proof that it works.

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* [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DistressedDamsel easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has recieved training, and TookALevelInBadass, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

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*** Unfortunately, ''way'' too many Guardians come to the conclusion that they're wise enough to pick who should Awaken and who shouldn't, and start playing the Labyrinth to their own ends. This is why ''nobody'' likes the Guardians (they're third after the Seers and the Free Council on the "least popular group" list, and they're not far behind the latter at all).

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*** It was also a protection from opportunists (other than "The Other") who might use her as a political pawn, as they did with a more distant relation. Punch and Judy further delayed the call by sticking her in a university, where her mediocrity would stand out in contrast to all the Sparks while forcing her to learn the hard way what comes naturally to them. When the PowerNullifier came off, she had all that education at her disposal, and she was ready for the call.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* Toph's parents in ''AvatarTheLastAirbender''. Aang and friends invite her to join their team, but her parents (who can't comprehend that their blind daughter is [[DisabilitySuperpower far from helpless]]) want to keep her isolated and protected. Luckily, it's hard to keep tabs on the world's greatest Earthbender.
** Well after she leaves, Toph's parents still can't give up on keeping her out of the adventure; they hire a pair of highly skilled adult Earthbenders to find Toph and bring her back. The Earthbenders do find her... but then she kicks their asses and sends ''them'' back in their own steel box that was meant to hold her.

* In {{Psychonauts}}, Raz's father forces Raz into rigorous acrobatics training in order to keep him from mastering his psychic potential. Not because he's overprotective but due to his prejudices against psychics. [[spoiler:It turns out, during TheReveal, that the father he meets in the mental realm was built on Raz's exaggerated perceptions of his father and his real father appears to tell Raz he really was trying to protect him.]]

* [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DistressedDamsel easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has recieved training, and TakenALevelInBadass, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

* [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSibling Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DistressedDamsel easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has recieved training, and TakenALevelInBadAss, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.

* [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]] is adamant about keeping [[AnnoyingYoungerSister Dawn]] out of combat. That's all well and good, but considering Dawn's a MacGuffinGirl and the sister of the Slayer who is quite literally bound by destiny to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and fight the evil that results, it becomes fairly obvious to everyone that trying to keep Dawn out of danger only serves to make her an [[DistressedDamsel easy target]]. By season 7 and the comics, Dawn has recieved training, and TakenALevelInBadAss, becoming a hell of a lot more useful and less likely to be kidnapped.