History Main / TheCallHasBadReception

* In ''Film/WhiteNoise'', Creator/MichaelKeaton's character is able to make contact with his dead wife, who he thinks is telling him about future tragedies in order to stop them. This belief is strengthened by the fact that she says things like "go now" and "leave now" after hearing and seeing future tragedies. In this one, the Call has bad reception, as it turns out that [[spoiler: the wife is saying to go away from ''her'' now, and to leave her where she is, as the husband's interference in the nether realm has allowed malevolent spirits to track him down and target him]].

* According to WordOfGod, in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', TheTeamNormal Sokka apparently had water-bending potential just like his sister, but his skeptic nature meant that he never developed it. However, he makes up for this by being TheSmartGuy and being ''really'' good with a boomerang, and a sword. And invasion strategy, though don't get him to try and [[DisorganizedOutlineSpeech explain]] a plan to an audience.

* According to WordOfGod, in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the TeamNormal Sokka apparently had water-bending potential just like his sister, but his skeptic nature meant that he never developed it. However, he makes up for this by being TheSmartGuy and being ''really'' good with a boomerang, and a sword. And invasion strategy, though don't get him to try and [[DisorganizedOutlineSpeech explain]] a plan to an audience.

* This is the driving force of the plot of ''Anime/GiantRoboTheDayTheEarthStoodStill''. The succinct version of the saga is thus: young Emmanuel Von Volger walks in on his father unsuccessfully attempting to stop an experiment that winds up destroying a country. His father shuts himself into a room for days, until he stumbles out of his room, randomly babbling that Emmanuel should stop the scientists he worked with at all costs, and hands him the tool he needs to do it before dying. As Emmanuel delivers what he believes is the death stroke to the entire world, the truth is revealed via hologram: [[spoiler:Dr. Volger wanted to stop the energy drive because the drive they created was faulty, and would have created an even greater catastrophe than the original explosion that set the whole story in motion]]. By this time Emmanuel has screwed up so badly that there's nothing left for him to do but kill himself.

* Zigzagged in ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}''. Overlord Stanley buys a spell to summon the "perfect warlord", but is too cheap to pay for it to be cast professionally, so his in-house caster tries to do her best. They were expecting a BarbarianHero type with all the knowledge of Erfworld. What they ''get'' is Parson Gotti, a fat Earthling war-gamer who thinks that he's having a stroke when he shows up in a universe populated by munchkins and running on turn-based strategy game mechanics. As it turns out though, he fulfills the core requirement of the spell perfectly--an ideal strategic mind--having studied wargames for most of his life. Part of the bad reception is due to Stanley adding last-minute specifications just before the spell is cast. He wants a "big guy" who "plans wars and kills his foes for fun". Well, Parson is definitely ''big'' (though not in the way Stanley had in mind), and as a wargamer ...

[[folder:Film]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'': Happens with the soul talisman, [[spoiler: rather than putting the necessary knowledge in their heads, or even writing it on a piece of paper, the inventor leaves cryptic clues on what needs to be done to stop the brain with 6, the talisman to stop the brain on the floor besides 9 when he awakes, the and the instructions on what to do in a locked box, which doesn't get found until the end of the movie]].
* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''. The Matrix is to be used by the Chosen One to light the Autobots' darkest hour. Problem is, no one knows who the chosen one is, and they just assume that it is whoever the leader of the Autobots happens to be at the time. They also don't know exactly when their darkest hour will be, which isn't helped by the fact that in this movie the Autobots day can be summed up in 3 words: things get worse. This results in Optimus Prime being killed, and Ultra Magnus getting killed while attempting to use the Matrix. Eventually it is revealed that Hot Rod is the one to open the Matrix, and their darkest hour is when Unicron tries to destroy Cybertron.
** Although another example may come in the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers television series]], and the two part "Return of Optimus Prime." In that case, the "Darkest Hour" in question was the release of the Hate Plague, which not only endangered the Autobots and Decepticons, but all sentient life in the cosmos. In that case, the Matrix was also used to light their Darkest Hour. It's just that the chosen one was dead at the time, and had to be revived before he could use the Matrix to save the day. And in fitting with the prophecy where "All are One," at the end the hostilities between the different factions were resolved. At least for the time being.

* In the third book of Creator/TamoraPierce's ''Literature/TheImmortals'' quartet: the heroine, Daine, is given the power to temporarily raise the dead. The person giving it to her, however, forgets to tell Daine that she is getting this new power, or how to use it without half-killing herself. Daine is disturbed to find that skeletons start moving when she touches them. This isn't an exact example, as gaining the power of necromancy was not the first or even the most important CalltoAdventure Daine receives.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* In some versions of Franchise/GreenLantern, the recipient of the ring gets it with little to no instruction, only to be told [[YouWillKnowWhatToDo "you'll know what to do when it's time."]] Most notably ''ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier''. Kyle Rayner's first days as a Green Lantern is a good example of this: Ganthet shows up after Hal Jordan goes nuts, gives Kyle the ring saying "You'll have to do," and disappears. Things are all fun and games until [[StuffedIntoTheFridge Major Force shows up...]]

* In ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'', Tails believes he fulfilled TheProphecy of the Great Harmony when he united the Tails of the multiverse to become Titan Tails and defeat Master Mogul. Turns out that wasn't the case at all when he finally figures it out when Eggman's turncoat A.I. A.D.A.M. brings all of the Chaos Emeralds to Mobius.

->'''Lady of the Lake:''' I didn't lie to you, Merlin. I told you the answer was at Joyous Gard.\\
'''Merlin:''' That's where I found Lancelot. ''(sighs)'' It ''wasn't'' Lancelot, was it? It was the boy. Galahad.\\
'''Lady of the Lake:''' It's human to make mistakes Merlin. And part of you is human. The best part.
-->-- ''Series/Merlin1998''

[[folder:Web Original]]
* This was the entire point behind the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' "Origins" campaign. The players didn't even know their characters developed superpowers until weird things began to happen around them. They had to figure out for themselves what their powers were, what the limits of those powers were, and how to effectively use those powers without endangering the people around them. Suffice to say, it took a while.
[[/folder]]

'''Merlin:''' That's where I found Lancelot. ''(sighs)'' It ''wasn't'' Lancelot, was it? It was [[JustAKid the boy]]. Galahad.\\

-->-- ''[[{{Series/Merlin1998}} Merlin (1998)]]''

* Half-truths, [[FromACertainPointOfView pretend-truths]], and the like do not count. Even if the person sending the hero on the mission ''purposely'' tells the hero half the story with good intent, because the very act of telling him the whole story would immediately doom the hero to failure, then it doesn't count.

* This is the driving force of the plot of ''Anime/GiantRoboTheDayTheEarthStoodStill''. The succinct version of the saga is thus: young Emmanuel Von Volger walks in on his father unsuccessfully attempting to stop an experiment that winds up destroying a country. His father shuts himself into a room for days, until he stumbles out of his room, randomly babbling that Emmanuel should stop the scientists he worked with at all costs, and hands him the tool he needs to do it before dying. As Emmanuel delivers what he believes is the death stroke to the entire world, the truth is revealed via hologram: [[spoiler:Dr. Volger wanted to stop the energy drive because the drive they created was faulty, and would have created an even greater catastrophe than the original explosion that set the whole story in motion.]] By this time Emmanuel has screwed up so badly that there's nothing left for him to do but kill himself.

* In some versions of ComicBook/GreenLantern, the recipient of the ring gets it with little to no instruction, only to be told [[YouWillKnowWhatToDo "you'll know what to do when it's time."]] Most notably ''ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier''.
** Kyle Rayner's first days as a Green Lantern is a good example of this: Ganthet shows up after Hal Jordan goes nuts, gives Kyle the ring saying "You'll have to do," and disappears. Things are all fun and games until [[StuffedInTheFridge Major Force shows up...]]

* This is the basis of the plot of the Christopher Nolan film ''Film/{{Memento}}''. [[spoiler:Having accepted TheCall from ''himself'' to find his wife's killer, Leonard's anterograde amnesia and [[NoteToSelf Notes To Self]] lead to all sorts of problems - some accidental due to his memory problems, but some deliberate due to his MemoryGambit.]]
* In the movie ''Film/WhiteNoise'', Michael Keaton's character is able to make contact with his dead wife, who he thinks is telling him about future tragedies in order to stop them. This belief is strengthened by the fact that she says things like "go now" and "leave now" after hearing and seeing future tragedies. In this one, the Call has bad reception, as it turns out that [[spoiler: the wife is saying to go away from ''her'' now, and to leave her where she is, as the husband's interference in the nether realm has allowed malevolent spirits to track him down and target him.]]

* Happens in ''Film/TheOrder.'' Heath Ledger is a genuinely good priest who just wants to exorcise demons and get rid of the Sin Eater. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, the ritual he thinks will kill the Sin Eater is actually the ritual to [[TomatoInTheMirror become one]].]]

* Happens in ''Literature/{{Monster}}''. Judy is the ChosenOne destined to save the universe, but her reception with the universe is rather crappy, leading to [[CosmicPlaything the universe consistently screwing up her life]].
* ''Literature/TheWarGods'': Tomanak doesn't like to lead his champions by the hand, so he generally nudges them toward where he wants them. Also, in the beginning Bahzell has only a vague notion that he's supposed to be heading west, and [[RefusalOfTheCall turns east]] when he realizes he's getting TheCall.

* In Literature/TheWheelOfTime, the Guide noted that in the Age of Legends, many people had themselves tested for aptitude in [[FunctionalMagic the One Power]], but failed and never took a second test, leaving their hidden potential untapped.

* The premise of the TV series ''Series/TheGreatestAmericanHero'': SufficientlyAdvancedAliens deliver a supersuit to earth, but the young man who gets it loses the instruction manual, and thus has no idea what it can do or how to use it effectively.

* Zigzagged in ''Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}''. Overlord Stanley buys a spell to summon the "perfect warlord", but is too cheap to pay for it to be cast professionally, so his in-house caster tries to do her best. They were expecting a BarbarianHero type with all the knowledge of Erfworld. What they ''get'' is Parson Gotti, a fat Earthling war-gamer who thinks that he's having a stroke when he shows up in a universe populated by munchkins and running on turn-based strategy game mechanics. As it turns out though, he fulfills the core requirement of the spell perfectly--an ideal strategic mind--having studied wargames for most of his life.
** Part of the bad reception is due to Stanley adding last-minute specifications just before the spell is cast. He wants a "big guy" who "plans wars and kills his foes for fun". Well, Parson is definitely ''big'' (though not in the way Stanley had in mind), and as a wargamer ...

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'': Happens with the soul talisman, [[spoiler: rather than putting the necessary knowledge in their heads, or even writing it on a piece of paper, the inventor leaves cryptic clues on what needs to be done to stop the brain with 6, the talisman to stop the brain on the floor besides 9 when he awakes, the and the instructions on what to do in a locked box, which doesn't get found until the end of the movie.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie'' '86. The Matrix is to be used by the Chosen One to light the Autobots' darkest hour. Problem is, no one knows who the chosen one is, and they just assume that it is whoever the leader of the Autobots happens to be at the time. They also don't know exactly when their darkest hour will be, which isn't helped by the fact that in this movie the Autobots day can be summed up in 3 words: things get worse. This results in Optimus Prime being killed, and Ultra Magnus getting killed while attempting to use the Matrix. Eventually it is revealed that Hot Rod is the one to open the Matrix, and their darkest hour is when Unicron tries to destroy Cybertron.

* In some versions of GreenLantern, the recipient of the ring gets it with little to no instruction, only to be told [[YouWillKnowWhatToDo "you'll know what to do when it's time."]] Most notably ''ComicBook/DCTheNewFrontier''.

** However, the goddess in question who gave Daine the necromancy power says that she intended for her to [[DemBones raise human skeletons]] and send them "dancing in the streets" to scare people into believing that the Emperor's rule is cursed. Being A NatureHero and currently on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, she decides to skip that part and goes straight to the [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome dinosaur museum, using them to demolish the palace.]]

* According to WordOfGod, in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', the TeamNormal Sokka apparently had water-bending potential just like his sister, but his skeptic nature meant that he never developed it. However, he makes up for this by being TheSmartGuy and being ''really'' good with a boomerang, and a sword. And invasion strategy, though don't get him to try and [[DisorganizedOutlineSpeech explain]] [[CrowningMomentOfFunny a plan]] to an audience.

** Kyle Rayner's first days as a Green Lantern is a good example of this: Ganthet shows up after Hal Jordan goes nuts, gives Kyle the ring saying "You'll have to do." and disappears. Things are all fun and games until [[StuffedInTheFridge Major Force shows up...]]

* Zigzagged in Webcomic/{{Erfworld}}. Overlord Stanley buys a spell to summon the "perfect warlord", but is too cheap to pay for it to be cast professionally, so his in-house caster tries to do her best. They were expecting a BarbarianHero type with all the knowledge of Erfworld. What they ''get'' is Parson Gotti, a fat Earthling war-gamer who thinks that he's having a stroke when he shows up in a universe populated by munchkins and running on turn-based strategy game mechanics. As it turns out though, he fulfills the core requirement of the spell perfectly--an ideal strategic mind--having studied wargames for most of his life.

* Webcomic/TheLastHalloween: Doctor Fugue explains it pretty well: The Phagocyte is the man who keeps monsters in the shadow realm, preventing them from invading and wiping out humanity, but he's been killed, and monsters are murdering everyone. Fortunately, the Phagocyte has an heir, and Fugue knows the heir's mother, so he sends Mona (a ten-year-old girl) and company out into the middle of the invasion to go find him. [[spoiler: It turns out Fugue was wrong about pretty much everything. The Phagocyte had more than one son, the one that Fugue knew wasn't the heir, and it wouldn't have mattered if he was, because the Phagocyte wasn't dead, just incapacitated. [[ShootTheShaggyDog This mistaken caused the death of a major character, and the dismemberment of two more.]]]]