History Main / SuckSessor

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica'': John Walker during his stint as Captain America. In his defense, he ''tried'' to live up to the ideals Captain America represents, even if he disagreed with Steve Rodger's viewpoints on those ideals, but things quickly go off the rails when he beats a man to death on the job. Things go from bad to worse when two former buddies of his unveil his identity on national TV out of spite, and some of John's enemies go after his parents. The Walkers end up dead, and John goes quite, ''quite'' mad. Then it turns out the Red Skull had some part in this, as part of scheme to ruin the name of Captain America altogether.

* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'': After Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon refused to take on the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers gave him this role at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', the government decides to nominate their own successor for Steve and pass the mantle and shield to John Walker, a decorated soldier. However, John proves to be not the right man for the job, especially after [[spoiler:he took a experimantel form of the SuperSoldier [[SuperSerum Serum]] which [[PsychoSerum which turns him unhinged]]. After killing a terrorist in public, even the government decides he went to far and take the mantle back]].

* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'': After Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon refused to take on the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers gave him this role at the end of ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', the government decides to nominate their own successor for Steve and pass the mantle and shield to John Walker, a decorated soldier. However, John proves to be not the right man for the job, especially after [[spoiler:he took a experimantel form of the SuperSoldierSerum which [[PsychoSerum makes him unhinged. After killing a terrorist in public, even the government decides he went to far and take the mantle back]].

* Bob Chapek was this to Bob Iger as Disney CEO. At a glance, Chapek seemed like a natural fit given his decades of success running Disney's home entertainment and theme parks, which are the largest sources of revenue for the company. However, Chapek proved inadequate as head honcho with his decisions coming off as short-sighted and insensitive. In response to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic shutting down theaters and theme parks, Chapek pivoted to streaming by releasing completed movies on Creator/DisneyPlus and Creator/{{Hulu}} and greenlighting shows exclusive to streaming. However, Chapek's decision to shunt movies to Disney+, even as the pandemic was beginning to recede in 2022, damaged Disney's relationship with theaters and stars who lost out on box office grosses and royalties. Furthermore, Disney+ was not only proved unprofitable, but Chapek's demand for more streaming content lead to deteriorating quality and working conditions, especially among [=VFX=] artists. Likewise, his neutral stance on Florida's infamous "Don't Say Gay" law drew condemnation from Disney employees who feared that the law could hurt their families. Subsequently, Chapek's leadership damaged Disney's finances and public image to the point that Iger had to come back as CEO.

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* ''Manga/{{Bakuman}}'': After Mutou Ashirogi managed to get their first series on ''Weekly Shounen Jump'', Akira Hattori, the editor who helped to that success since the moment they met him, was assigned to other mangaka, and Goro Miura became Ashirogi's new editor. Unfortunately, Miura wasn't as good as an editor like Hattori was, as Miura's advice usually went against the style of Ashirogi and was geared towards Miura's personal taste. After losing their first series and creating a second series that neither satisfied them nor was popular with the readers, Hattori gave Ashirogi a wake-up call, which promptly led to Ashirogi abandoning their second series under the condition that they would be able to make a new series that could compete with Niizuma's ''CROW''. After gaining some experience by tailing Hattori, Ashirogi were able to create ''PCP'' and were lucky to get Hattori back as their editor. Miura would continue to be a bad successor of Hattori, this time being assigned to the ''+natural'' mangaka duo Minase and Niizuma, with Minase being especially displeased with Miura's poor job.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}''

* ''ComicBook/CaptainAmerica:'' John Walker during his stint as Captain America. In his defense, he ''tried'' to live up to the ideals Captain America represents, even if he disagreed with Steve Rodger's viewpoints on those ideals, but things quickly go off the rails when he beats a man to death on the job. Things go from bad to worse when two former buddies of his unveil his identity on national TV out of spite, and some of John's enemies go after his parents. The Walkers end up dead, and John goes quite, ''quite'' mad. Then it turns out the Red Skull had some part in this, as part of scheme to ruin the name of Captain America altogether.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'': In ''Recap/AsterixAndTheSecretWeapon'', Bravura briefly replaced Cacofonix as the village bard.

* In ''ComicBook/FiftyTwo'', ComicBook/BoosterGold tries to become Superman's replacement after the latter's temporary retirement, but is soon overshadowed by the mysterious Supernova, who is much better at superheroing and has a cleaner record. [[spoiler:Subverted, it turns out that Supernova ''is'' Booster Gold due to time travel.]]

* During the original ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' event, ComicBook/{{Thanos}} was confronted by Quasar, who had been given both the title Protector of the Universe and the Nega-Bands once held by ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}. Thanos viewed Mar-Vell as a WorthyOpponent and dismissed Quasar as an inferior replacement.
** Monica Rambeau had fears that she was this due to taking up the Captain Marvel name, and the weight of Mar-Vell's legacy weighed on her. One of the worst beatings she took was during a battle with an iteration of the Legion of the Unliving that was made up of deceased Avengers... including Mar-Vell himself. He subjected her to a BreakingSpeech about "tarnishing (his) legacy" before killing her.

* In ''Fanfic/TheBlacksmithsApprentice'', Snotlout officially replaced Hiccup as Stoick's Heir a few years before the narrative begins, but Stoick has been forced to acknowledge over time that while Snotlout is physically stronger, he has all the tact of a rampaging dragon and gets bored when taking any kind of lessons, to the point that Stoick twice has to arrange for Hiccup to 'pretend' to be his heir when other tribes visit Berk to avoid Snotlout insulting them and provoking war.

* When Gaius Baltar is elected President of the Colonial Fleet (unseating Laura Roslin) in ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'', he gives the people what they want (and elected him for) and settles the fleet on New Caprica. A year later with the Cylon occupation of that planet and Baltar's collaboration with them, most of the Colonials view his Presidency as a disaster. In a deal with Baltar's VP Tom Zarek (who had resigned that office rather than cooperate with the Cylon occupation), Laura Roslin reassumes the Presidency upon exodus from New Caprica.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'': June meets a witch who is nice, cheerful, knowledgable, and ''[[UnwantedAssistance annoying]]''. Eventually, she can't bear working with her anymore and shoves [[TheHero her]] duties on her. Things go downhill when she feeds a human cookie (yes, the distinction is important) to a troll that, when it eats human food, grows twelve feet tall and everything it touches turns to stone.

* Mordecai and Rigby are almost fired and replaced in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' due to their tardiness and incompetence. However, their potential replacements decide the job is not worth the hassle after experiencing some of the craziness that comes with working at the park.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'' episode "From Here To Machinery", a JerkAss professor invents a robotic pilot called the Auto-Aviator. Despite his best efforts, Baloo loses a race to the machine because he needs to sleep and the Auto-Aviator doesn't. Shere Khan signs a contract with the professor to build a thousand of the robots. However, the Air Pirates led by Don Karnage take advantage of the Auto-Aviator's style of flying, and attack Shere Khan's plane. Even after coming under attack, the Auto-Aviator refuses to deviate from its flight path and get them out of danger. Shere Khan radios for help, to which Baloo answers. Not only does Baloo save Shere Khan from the pirates, but Shere Khan 'convinces' the professor to give back his money.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' episode "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E2Armstrong Armstrong]]", the titular character is a JobStealingRobot invented by Gyro Gearloose. He can do so much (flying, running the office, vacuuming) that Scrooge replaces much of his staff, and even the triplets are impressed by his capabilities. Of course, as might be expected, Armstrong [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters turns on his masters]] and Scrooge rehires everybody after Launchpad confronts the rogue robot to rescue him.
* In the Grand Finale of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'', Vlad creates a new team of ghost fighters called Masters' Blasters. The new team proves better at catching ghosts and humiliate Danny at every turn, to the point where he decides to give up his powers. However, when a humongous asteroid that was released due to the first battle of the episode threatens Earth, no one can stop it and Vlad deliberately makes the Blasters (and Jack) fail at trying to destroy it so that he can save the day and become ruler of the earth. When that fails, Danny comes up with a plan to turn the entire planet intangible. In the process of gaining every ghost's help, Danny regains his powers and saves the planet.
* Happens in ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' with a classical FlyingBrick named Major Man. However, it eventually proves that he's running a scam, as all of the threats that he defused were set up. Doing some EngineeredHeroics of their own with a monster Major can't handle, the Girls are able to save the day and regain the town's favor.

* The very first episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' had a trio of ghosts disguising themselves as human exterminators calling themselves "Ghosts 'R' Us", to eventually drive the Ghostbusters out of business by answering all ghost calls first. It helps that they were the ones who staged each attack they answered.

* The second episode involving Venom in ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012'' is this trope. A black-suited Spider-Man appears which is more physically powerful than Spidey and people like more (even Jonah Jameson likes him), and this leaves Spidey more than a little distraught... especially because the 'black suit' is the Symbiote, and sure enough it possesses its host Harry Osborn by the third act of the episode, forcing Spidey to fight him.
** Another example appears on ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'', with J. Jonah Jameson's son John getting superpowers. Nice enough guy, very competent, wants to help Spidey... driven insane by his powers on the third act, Spidey fights him, and ends the episode becoming a powerless, catatonic patient on some hospital as a side-effect of his forceful depowering.
* This is the plot of the ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourWorldsGreatestHeroes'' episode "Frightful". A new superhero team appears in town and begins stealing the Four's spotlight -- not to mention insulting them at every turn. The Four become hated after being framed for "attacking" them. However, Reed exposes them as villains via an EngineeredPublicConfession and everything returns to normal.
* One ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon by MGM Studios is "Push Button Kitty," in which the homeowner buys a [[JobStealingRobot robot cat]] to dispose of the pesky mouse, Jerry. Within seconds of being activated, Mechano catches Jerry and ejects him from the house. Poor Tom can only grab a BindleStick and depart morosely. By the end of the cartoon, however, the homeowner is crying for Tom to return, because Jerry Mouse has found the kryptonite of a robot cat: [[spoiler:mechanical mice.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' has Billy Billions assembling a team of "superheroes" (for the most part actually former heroes turned villains) in an attempt to invoke this trope against Ben. For his part, Ben finds them so [[PretenderDiss unimpressive]] that he [[NotWorthKilling doesn't even bother opposing them]]. Instead, he sits back and waits for the group to inevitably fail and self-destruct. Sure enough, as the team is filled with SmallNameBigEgo villains who wants to be in charge, it doesn't take long before everyone turns on each other when they no longer have a common enemy.
* ''WesternAnimation/KipoAndTheAgeOfWonderbeasts'': {{Downplayed}}, Molly Yarnchopper tries to be a good leader but she isn't able to keep the Timbercats in line through sheer willpower like Yumyan. Any time she tries to act as leader leads to huge all out brawls.
* ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'': This is basically parodied during Operation I.T, as when Numbuh 362 wants to step down from her job, the selection for the new Supreme Leader is a game of tag...that ''[[BigBad Father]]'' ends up winning. Surprisingly, he manages to convince nearly everyone minus Numbuhs 1 and 362 that he will do a good job when he claims he wants to get rid of broccoli...by [[spoiler:making all the kids eat it.]]

** Deconstructed with the NinetiesAntiHero and MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks in ''ComicBook/KingdomCome''. Although the new generation of heroes has been willing to kill (Something their predecessors would never do) and have effectively ended crime, they bring about a problem much worse than supervillains: their own reckless civil wars, equally capable of devastating entire cities. Most blatant of these is Magog, who publicly called Superman outdated by adhering to his no-killing code. However, this doesn't help when the people who supported these heroes who kill died in the Kansas explosion. Eventually, the old and new generations clash when Superman leads the old guard back to Earth and active duty while dealing with Batman's third party and the schemes of the villains, such as Lex Luthor.