History Main / TheCallKnowsWhereYoulive

-->-- '''Erik the Swift''', ''VideoGame/TheLostVikings'', [[TemptingFate moments before his alien abduction]].

* ''ComicBook/{{Daverdevil}}'': Matt Murdock loses his strict but loving father when the old man refuses to [[ThrowingTheFight take a dive in a prizefight]]. [[DeathByOriginStory Father is killed]], ergo super-hero alter ego.

** Jeremiah and Moses also both attempt to resist their calls to become prophets; the text Jeremiah in particular has passages making it clear that he had no choice. Unusually, the book of Jeremiah explicitly has sections where Jeremiah is speaking for himself, where he ''condemns'' the things God is forcing him to say and the message God is making him convey.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', not only does the Call know where you live...it will probably make certain that your hometown is destroyed and everyone you love is EatenAlive.

** To be fair, [[spoiler:the call targeted the town on purpose.]]

* Illya from ''Manga/FateKaleidLinerPrismaIllya''. In the first season she becomes a MagicalGirl by being forced, the second season starts with Rin and Luvia straight-up [[KidnappedByTheCall kidnapping her]] to force another mission.

* A good chunk of the first episode of the ''Anime/TenchiMuyo'' OVA has the title character being pursued by Ryoko, the being that was sealed away 700 years prior. After vanquishing her, Tenchi returns to his home in the city, only to find, to his horror, that Ryoko has not only managed to find his house, but is ''in his bed''.

* Without a doubt, the original example for this trope when it comes to comic books is Franchise/{{Batman}}.
* ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'': Peter Parker originally didn't want to use his powers to help others, instead trying to use them as a ticket to fame and fortune. Then a crook kills his beloved uncle, and when he tracks the guy down, he realizes that it's someone he ''could'' have stopped earlier, but didn't bother because he was on an ego trip.
* Matt Murdock loses his strict but loving father when the old man refuses to [[ThrowingTheFight take a dive in a prizefight]]. [[DeathByOriginStory Father is killed]], ''ergo'' Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}. (Spider-Man and Daredevil were created by [[Creator/StanLee the same person]].)
* Comicbook/ThePunisher exists because the mob knew where Frank Castle lived. ThatManIsDead now.
** Most conspicuous in the [[ComicBook/ThePunisherMAX MAX]] miniseries ''[[ComicBook/ThePunisherBorn Born]]'', set during Castle's time in Vietnam. Castle is seen having an internal monologue with himself, pushing him towards violence and guaranteeing that he could keep Castle's war going on forever. [[spoiler: Towards the end of the book, Castle is in the middle of a truly hopeless battle, alone versus a massive amount of VC. The voice says that it will let Castle live and continue to fight... if he pays a price. Castle agrees, goes on to murder the entire enemy force alone, but promptly leaves the service, planning to live in peace with his wife and children. The voice then reminds him, there's a price to be paid.]]
* In Creator/JossWhedon's comic ''{{ComicBook/Fray}}'', new slayer Melaka Fray drags her heels over her destiny until [[spoiler: her young friend Loo - TheCutie - is murdered]]. The really awful twist is that [[spoiler: she wasn't killed by vampires, but by MrExposition Urkonn, specifically in order to motivate her]].

* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Pretty much the entire point of the supervillain ''Zoom.'' He thinks that by killing off any surviving relatives or friends of a superhero that they have, they'll have more time to devote to hero-ing and will have nowhere else to turn to.

* ''Franchise/XMen'': Pity poor James Proudstar, AKA "Warpath". When ComicBook/{{Cable}} tried to recruit him into ''ComicBook/XForce'', James turns him down to go home and live a normal life. A few pages later, he discovers his entire reservation has been massacred.
* In the ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'' Tim Drake retires as Robin, which goes alright for maybe a month even though a villain does try to track him down and kill him in his civilian persona. Then his school gets shot up and his girlfriend is kidnapped and tortured. While he returns to being Robin his girlfriend and father are both dead within a week and his stepmother has to be institutionalized.

* After escaping the Facility, Comicbook/{{X 23}} went to ground with her aunt Debbie and cousin Megan. Unfortunately, unknown to Laura the Facility had set up a plant to watch the family, and they knew ''exactly'' where to find her. [[AxCrazy Kimura]] came calling, and though Laura managed to save her family, the only option was to send them into hiding and go on the run again. It would be some seven years in-universe (and over ''ten'' in publishing time) before she could reunite with them again.

* ''Fanfic/TheGoodHunter'': Poor Cyril. Finds a shelter in Lescatie? The city later finds itself under assault by monster armies, so he has to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere GTFO]]. Finds a home in Sheffield? With some acquaintances and a couple friends? It is attacked by [[TheFundamentalist Order zealots]] during a FictionalHoliday (though not outright destroyed), [[spoiler:one friend is injured but decides to leave for family business, and the other is in a catatonic state]]. Then he takes up the call.
* Invoked in ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', when ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} states she's sick of heroing and wants to retire and lead a normal life, and Franchise/{{Superman}} reminds her that trouble ''always'' comes looking for them. Needless to say, he was proven right when the Legion of Super-Heroes asks her assistance again and the situation is too dangerous for her refusing.

* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', Frodo Baggins never ''actively'' resists the Call, but he drags his feet about leaving the Shire to the point that he just avoids meeting a Nazgûl on (literally) his front doorstep. (And it turns out that, at the same time, Saruman's thugs were invading the Shire from a different direction...)
** You could say that this happened ''literally'' to his uncle Bilbo in ''Literature/TheHobbit'', since Gandalf invited the dwarf party, which provided the Call, right into Bilbo's house (without Bilbo's permission). It would've been tough for Bilbo to refuse the Call without injuring his pride or insulting his (unexpected) houseguests.

* Literature/SherlockHolmes overworked himself on more than one occasion, which usually prompted [[TheWatson Dr. Watson]] to take him on a vacation so he could relax. Unfortunately, no matter where Watson seemed to choose as their vacation spot, there would inevitably be a mystery and people seeking Holmes' help. The good Doctor was never very happy at this, but ironically enough Holmes' investigating the problem actually seemed to revitalize him. See ''The Adventure of the Reigate Squire'', ''The Adventure of the Devil's Foot'', and any number of pastiches as examples of when Watson and Holmes try to relax on vacation, only for Holmes' reputation as a detective to precede him.
** Literature/HerculePoirot and Literature/MissMarple tended to have similar problems. As did Jessica Fletcher of ''Literature/MurderSheWrote''. Come to think about it, if you're a literary detective, amateur or professional, all vacations are [[BusmansHoliday working vacations]].
** At least in Watson's case, we can guess he just didn't write about the times when they went on holiday and there ''wasn't'' a murder.

* ''VideoGame/{{Summoner}}'' is funny because it unites JumpedAtTheCall, RefusedTheCall, and TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: Joseph is identified as a summoner by a passing monk, who offers him a summoner's ring and to help him study his power. Joseph gladly takes the offer. Raiders attack the village, and Joseph calls forth the demon of darkness that resides inside the ring. The demon slays everyone in town, raider & villager alike, except for Joseph and the monk and one other guy. Joseph decides he wants nothing to do with the summoner's legacy and tosses the ring down a well, fleeing to live as a farmer in another village. Then TheEmpire attacks the village, looking for the one with the mark of the summoner, who is prophesied to kill the emperor. Joseph has no choice but to take on the legacy he threw away earlier if he wants to live and save TheGoodKingdom.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Poor Link. No matter [[LegacyCharacter which incarnation]] it is, the poor guy just can't seem to catch a break and be allowed to live his life in peace. Either he [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaNES is walking along minding his own business when he comes across an old lady being mugged]] (It's AllThereInTheManual), [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast is woken up in the middle of the night by a telepathic distress call]], [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime is dragged off by the local tree-deity first thing in the morning]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker has his sister kidnapped on his birthday]], or [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess his idyllic life as a rancher is interrupted when his village is raided and he gets shape-shifted and dragged off]]. Of course, there's a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword reason for that]] as a [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil curse]] was placed on that Link's descendants and on the fledgling Hyrule.

* ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'': Peter Parker was taught that power comes with [[ComesGreatResponsibility responsibility]] through the [[DeathByOriginStory death of his Uncle Ben]], who was murdered by a thief that he refused to stop.

* In ''Manga/NanatsuNoTaizai: Seven Days'', the human Ban is vacationing in a peaceful elven forest when a seed of its Great Tree drops right on his head. The local saint thinks this is very important and asks him if he's ''sure'' he doesn't want to stay and plant it. He refuses, saying that that seems like a fairy job and he doesn't understand why they can't do it. Then an invasion burns the forest to the ground and [[ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin kills all the fairies]]. Ban takes the seed.

** Eren Yeager wanted to answer the call, and had argued with his mother over this. Cue the Colossal Titan kicking in the Wall, and a chunk of debris landing on the Yeager house. Eren and his foster sister, Mikasa, are forced to helplessly watch their mother be EatenAlive by a Titan.

* In ''Literature/LegendOfTheGalacticHeroes'', [[BrilliantButLazy Yang Wen-li]] doesn't have any other ambition than to be a historian and to enjoy his tea. However, circumstances force him to join the military, where he has to use his tactical genius time and time again to survive in the long conflict against a rejuvenating Galactic Empire, cultimating in [[spoiler: him becoming the military leader of [[TheRemnant the only remaining pro-democracy force in the universe]]]]

* At the beginning of the XY arc of ''Manga/PokemonAdventures''; Team Flare effectively burns Vaniville Town to the ground in an attempt to steal X's key stone and Kanghaskhanite. While X remains in a stupor in the early chapters due to his backstory's nature; it's effectively made clear to the main characters YouCantGoHomeAgain.

* In the [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]][=/=][[Series/StargateSG1 Stargate]] Fan Fiction ''[[http://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-4301/Kei+Trick+Or+Treat.htm Trick or Treat]]'', Xander is told point blank by an agent of the PowersThatBe that he is going to go along with their plan, one way or another. {{Subverted}} in that once his girls are attacked, he dedicates a remarkable amount of insight into [[ScrewDestiny derailing]] not only their grand plans for him, but for a few of their favorite champions as well. [[spoiler:He succeeds.]]

* In the ''Anime/SailorMoon''[=/=]''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' crossover fanfic ''FanFic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon'', Fate tries her damnedest to keep The Call away because Nanoha's still recovering from the damage to her Linker Core. Unfortunately, the Sailor Senshi are adamant in meeting [[spoiler:their Princess]]... and the Dark Kingdom decides to drop in on a wedding Nanoha was attending.

* In ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'', the titular character yearned for a peaceful, normal life, so she abandoned her hero identity and moved to another world. Then she found out the hard way that her and her cousin's Rogues didn't intend to leave her alone.
* In ''Fanfic/ImOkayEvenIfILeaveMyGrinBehind'': Even when she attempts to avoid any necessary fights, Marinette will join the battle as Cheshire when the other parisian Heroes make a hash of it.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11057301/1/Unspeakably-retired Unspeakably retired]]'' Harry initially refuses Neville's request to come out of retirement and help the Unspeakables with a new terrorist group called the Red Hand, only to be forced to kill forty of them after a family friend betrays him, leading to an attack on his home.

* ''Literature/TheMessengerSeries'': When Rose speculates whether it's possible to [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse]] to become Favour's messenger, she is told that this is impossible. Favour exists outside space and time and so can travel anywhere and anywhen. No matter where someone runs or how they hide, they can ''never'' avoid Favour. Rose receives messages in a variety of different ways such as a message from the TV that only she can hear, in a developing polaroid picture only she can see, music suddenly transforming into Favour's melody, and even in her dreams. Her very first mission consists of breaking a haunting curse on the hotel her parents own; as long as the curse exists, strange things happen, people are flooded with despair, and die either through accidents or suicide. There is no way for Rose to avoid her destiny, her very home is part of it.

* ''Literature/TheMessengerSeries'': Discussed. When Rose speculates whether it's possible to [[RefusalOfTheCall refuse]] to become Favour's messenger, she is told that this is impossible. Favour exists outside space and time and so can travel anywhere and anywhen. No matter where someone runs or how they hide, they can ''never'' avoid Favour. Rose herself receives messages in a variety of different ways so she knows how unavoidable he is. Examples include a message from the TV that only she can hear, in a developing polaroid picture only she can see, music suddenly transforming into Favour's melody, and even in her dreams.

* in ''Fanfic/ImOkayEvenIfILeaveMyGrinBehind'': Even when she attempts to avoid any necessary fights, Marinette will join the battle as Cheshire when the other parisian Heroes make a hash of it.

* In the [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]][=/=][[Series/StargateSG1 Stargate]] Fan Fiction ''[[http://www.tthfanfic.org/Story-4301/Kei+Trick+Or+Treat.htm Trick or Treat]]'', Xander is told point blank by an agent of the PowersThatBe that he is going to go along with their plan, one way or another. {{Subverted}} in that once his [[BerserkButton girls are attacked]], he dedicates a remarkable amount of insight into [[ScrewDestiny derailing]] not only their grand plans for him, but for a few of their favorite champions as well. [[spoiler:He succeeds.]]

* Happens in 2011's ''ComicBook/IncredibleHulk''. Whereas Hulk, after separating himself from Banner, has finally found peace and acceptance among a community of Moloids, Banner has become a MadScientist obsessed with recreating the Hulk. When a MadScientist-hunting agency tries to recruit Hulk to go after Banner, he initially declines, but then some of Banner's gamma-mutated monsters, viewing Hulk as a rival for their creator's attention, attack the Moloids.

* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' [[Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse novel]] "[[Literature/StarTrekExMachina Ex Machina]]", which was set shortly after ''[[Film/StarTrekTheMotionPicture The Motion Picture]]'', Dr. McCoy still has no idea how Admiral Nogura's people managed to find him as he was living largely [[OffTheGrid off the grid]]

* Fei from ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', not only is his [[spoiler:mother (who was taken over by one of the {{Big Bad}}s) is killed by his father (who is taken over by a previous incarnation of Fei)]]. Then, his [[spoiler:adopted hometown is burned to the ground]] by a battle from the ongoing war.
** Of course, a great deal of the damage to the town was done by [[spoiler:[[SuperPoweredEvilSide Fei himself]]]]!

* In ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'', [[BrilliantButLazy Yang Wen-li]] doesn't have any other ambition than to be a historian and to enjoy his tea. However, circumstances force him to join the military, where he has to use his tactical genius time and time again to survive in the long conflict against a rejuvenating Galactic Empire, cultimating in [[spoiler: him becoming the military leader of [[TheRemnant the only remaining pro-democracy force in the universe]]]]

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Poor Link. No matter [[LegacyCharacter which incarnation]] it is, the poor guy just can't seem to catch a break and be allowed to live his life in peace. Either he [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda is walking along minding his own business when he comes across an old lady being mugged]] (It's AllThereInTheManual), [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast is woken up in the middle of the night by a telepathic distress call]], [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime is dragged off by the local tree-deity first thing in the morning]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker has his sister kidnapped on his birthday]], or [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess his idyllic life as a rancher is interrupted when his village is raided and he gets shape-shifted and dragged off]]. Of course, there's a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword reason for that]] as a [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil curse]] was placed on that Link's descendants and on the fledgling Hyrule.

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Poor Link. No matter [[LegacyCharacter which incarnation]] it is, the poor guy just can't seem to catch a break and be allowed to live his life in peace. Either he's [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda walking along minding his own business when he comes across an old lady being mugged]] (It's AllThereInTheManual), [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast woken up in the middle of the night by a telepathic distress call]], [[Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime dragged off by the local tree-deity first thing in the morning]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker has his sister kidnapped on his birthday]], [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess or his idyllic life as a rancher is interrupted when his village is raided and he gets shape-shifted and dragged off]]. Of course, there's a [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword reason for that]] as a [[AsLongAsThereIsEvil curse]] was placed on that Link's descendants and on the fledgling Hyrule.

-->-- '''Erik the Swift''',[[note]][[TemptingFate Moments before his alien abduction]][[/note]] ''VideoGame/TheLostVikings''

* ''WebComic/ScarletLady'': Marinette may have MissedTheCall without realizing it when Chloé [[ForWantOfANail stole the Earrings out of her purse]], but she still lives in Paris. And with Chloé going out of her way to cause akumas so she can show off as the titular '[[NominalHero heroine]]', Mari frequently finds herself getting caught in the crossfire.

* In ''Manga/{{Beelzebub}}'' Furuichi is ''not'' allowed to avoid participating in the plot of the day, as Oga will simply send the transfer demon Alaindelion to kidnap him if he's not already present. Including when Furuichi was vacationing far away.

* In the Stardust Crusaders part of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Jotaro's mother develops a Stand that's slowly killing her; the only way to save her is to destroy [[BigBad DIO]].
** Done twice in the Diamond is Unbreakable part. The first time, Josuke's beloved grandfather is murdered by a Stand-using criminal, inspiring Josuke to vow to defend Morioh in his honor, starting with tracking down the murderer, the arrow that gave him his powers, and the various other crooks that gained powers from said arrow. The second time, Josuke's friends learn about a serial killer that's still at large, but aren't exactly eager to jump into investigating since 1)they're not sure that they have a Stand and 2)they don't even have a lead to go on. They soon get their first lead...[[spoiler: from a schoolmate who manages to get a vital piece of evidence to them before the Stand-wielding serial killer kills him for stumbling onto his secret.]]

* Active in ''Roleplay/DeptHeavenApocrypha'', where [[BecauseDestinySaysSo fate]] was so insistent that Nessiah wind up exactly as messed-up as [[VideoGame/YggdraUnion his canon self]], his only place of sanctuary--his previous school--was destroyed when [[spoiler:his unstable magic went out of control]].

%%See thread to discuss a new image.

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/ANewHope https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e8781fcebf4a5bca39faf1f95f57b5d6.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Uncle Owen?! Aunt Beru?!]]