History Main / ThreatBackfire

* In the ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/21417982 to lose someone]]'', Lila Rossi makes her canon threat that she will destroy Marinette and make her lose all of her friends with her lies and Marinette answers back that [[VetinariJobSecurity the class needs her more than she needs them]] before walking out of the bathroom. [[TimeSkip Skip to several weeks later]] and Lila's latest plan (convince Alya and some other goons to tear apart Marinette's sketchbook in retaliation to Mari "bullying" Lila) hits [[VandalismBackfire a very severe snag]] when Mari points out that the sketchbook was the one she used to fulfill all of the class' personal requests and her work as class president, and now not only will she have to cancel all of the planned class trips, but they also destroyed all of the clothing, webpage, music set and comic book designs she was doing for them for free and she will ''not'' make them again without being paid the proper price for them (which, with her high quality, is in the ballpark of thousands of dollars ''at the least'') and [[FairWeatherFriend they stop treating her like shit]] with the ''most absolute'' sincerity before walking away.

** At the climax of ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', the BigBad tries to get Natasha to stop uploading all of SHIELD and HYDRA's secrets onto the internet on the grounds it'll reveal all her dirty secrets as well. Natasha doesn't stop. Later on, this means she has to go up against a senate committee, and warned that after all she's done they could very well arrest her then and there (especially if she keeps mouthing off at them). Natasha calmly tells the committee they're not going to, and then walks out telling them if they do change their mind they know where to find her. They do not arrest her.

* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'', on the day before Monica and Chandler's wedding, [[BigBrotherInstinct Ross]] threatens Chandler [[IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer that he would kick his ass if he ever hurts Monica]]; however, Chandler's only response is to burst into laughter in disbelief, followed by everyone else laughing too. Ross is understandly annoyed.

* At the climax of ''Film/GoneInSixtySeconds2000'', Raymond Calitri gets the drop on Detective Castlebeck and gets ready to shoot him. Castlebeck tries to get him to think it over by pointing out that it would cause a CopKillerManhunt (Calitri is also a person of interest in a lot of other crimes, explained in a minor JurisdictionFriction sub-plot). Calitri supplies further proof that he is a [[RuthlessForeignGangsters Ruthless Foreign Gangster]] by telling Castlebeck he does not cares and only Memphis Raines [[BigDamnHeroes pushing Calitri over the edge of the walkway]] saves the detective.

* ''ALambInHell'' has the titular [[VideoGame/CultOfTheLamb Lamb]] get ambushed by a group of minotaur-like Sinners upon arriving in [[Franchise/{{Hellaverse}} Hell]], who gleefully tell the little cult leader that they'll be able to kill him again and again and nobody will care. Lambert, aware that they're MuggingTheMonster, point out that this means it also works the other way around and promptly delivers a CurbStompBattle.

* When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, they claimed it was to put a stop to NATO's eastward expansion, even though Ukraine was not in the process of applying for membership. However, it has become clear that this was also meant to intimidate Russia's other neighbors from joining...except it backfired with Sweden and Finland both announcing plans to join NATO in response to Russian aggression. The invasion also rejuvenated NATO, causing member states to increase their defense budgets rather than cowering as Putin had expected. Finally, in September, Ukraine submitted a request to join NATO, officially doing what Putin had hoped to avoid by invading.

->'''Darwin Mayflower:''' I'll kill your friends, your family, and the bitch you took to the prom!
->'''Hudson Hawk:''' Betty Jo Biarski? I can get you an address on that if you want.

-->'''Nat''': Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slit your throat!\\
'''Shendu''': Because I'll be sure to [[DemonicPossession make my next body]] ''yours''. Perhaps I'll then let you watch as your Tutor runs the blade through you, ''demon-hunter''. ''(Nat flinches slightly at the thought of her father and grandfather, prompting Shendu to grin)'' A member of the family, perhaps? All the more enjoyable.

--->'''Azurite General:''' You will never take this city while I am alive!\\

SuperTrope to BlackmailBackfire, which is when the threat is a blackmailing attempt. See also MachiavelliWasWrong, for when fear as a general means of control doesn't work.

* ''Fanfic/KarmaOverbalance'' [[RecursiveFanfiction spins off]] ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'' in this fashion. During her final chat with Lila, Ladybug implied that she'd visited the future and seen Lila meeting a terrible end. While this ParanoiaGambit was meant to make Lila consider changing her ways, she instead decides to return to Paris, intending to bring Marinette down. Unfortunately for all involved, Lila then runs into Adrien and attempts to recruit him into her anti-Marinette scheme; Adrien, blaming her for completely destroying his life, promptly strangles Lila to death, leaving Marinette horrified at the unexpected outcome of her gambit and leaving her the SadisticChoice of either using the WorldHealingWave to undo Lila's death or leaving it as is and dealing with the fallout.

** ''Fanfic/KarmicBacklash'', another recursive fic of ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'', takes it even further to the extent [[spoiler: that Lila ''succeeds''. Not only does she steal the Miracle Box, leaving ''all'' the Miraculous at her disposal but this starts a chain of events that undoes all the gains Marinette made in ''The Karma of Lies" and destroys her whole life permanently. This trope is zigzagged as her triumph is short-lived; Lila ends up brutally murdered by the next girl she tried to destroy, just as Marinette predicted.]]

* ''Fanfic/KarmaOverbalance'' [[RecursiveFanfiction spins off]] ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'' in this fashion. During her final chat with Lila, Ladybug implied that she'd visited the future and seen Lila meeting a terrible end. While this ParanoiaGambit was meant to make Lila consider changing her ways, she instead decides to return to Paris, intending to bring Marinette down. Unfortunately for all involved, Lila then runs into Adrien and attempts to recruit him into her anti-Marinette scheme; Adrien, blaming her for completely destroying his life, promptly strangles Lila to death, leaving Marinette horrified at the unexpected outcome of her gambit.

* [[{{WorldWarII/WarInAsiaAndThePacific}} The Attack on Pearl Harbor]] is a partial example. One of the reasons the Japanese launched their surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet was to demoralize the American public so much that they would want to back down from any conflict with Japan and instead sue for peace on the Japanese terms rather than suffer another devastating loss. Needless to say, while the attack was indeed a shock, [[BullyingTheDragon it ultimately had the]] ''[[BullyingTheDragon Opposite]]'' [[BullyingTheDragon effect in this regard]]. It instead [[{{RememberTheAlamo}} became a rallying cry]] for the American People to fight & defeat the Empire of Japan to avenge those lost at Pearl Harbor.

--->'''[=McGavin=]:''' I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast.\\

'''[=McGavin=]:''' ''[{{beat}}]'' ...no.

* [[{{WorldWarII/WarInAsiaAndThePacific}} The Attack on Pearl Harbor]] is a partial example. One of the reasons the Japanese launched their surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet was to demoralize the American public so much that they would want to back down from any conflict with Japan and instead sue for peace on the Japanese terms rather than suffer another devastating loss. Needless to say, while the attack was indeed a shock, [[BullyingTheDragon it ultimately had the OPPOSITE effect in this regard. ]] It instead [[{{RememberTheAlamo}} became a rallying cry]] for the American People to fight & defeat the Empire of Japan to avenge those lost at Pearl Harbor.

* [[{{WorldWarII/WarInAsiaAndThePacific}} The Attack on Pearl Harbor]] is a partial example. One of the reasons the Japanese launched their surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet was to demoralize the American public so much that they would want to back down from any conflict with Japan and instead sue for peace on the Japanese terms rather than suffer another devastating loss. Needless to say, while the attack was indeed a shock, [[BullyingTheDragon it ultimately had the ''opposite'' effect in this regard. ]] It instead [[{{RememberTheAlamo}} became a rallying cry]] for the American People to fight & defeat the Empire of Japan to avenge those lost at Pearl Harbor.

* [[{{WorldWarII/WarInAsiaAndThePacific}} The Attack on Pearl Harbor]] is a partial example. One of the reasons the Japanese launched their surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet was to demoralize the American public so much that they would want to back down from any conflict with Japan and instead sue for peace on the Japanese terms rather than suffer another devastating loss. Needless to say, while the attack was indeed a shock, it ultimately had the ''opposite'' effect in this regard. It instead [[{{RememberTheAlamo}} became a rallying cry]] for the American People to fight & defeat the Empire of Japan to avenge those lost at Pearl Harbor.

* On ''Series/{{Glee}}'' Sue tries to force Principal Figgins to back one of her insane plans by threatening to post a video Figgins made years earlier of an embarrassing flight attendant tryout. At first, Figgins seems cowed but later ends up refusing to aid Sue. When Sue threatens to leak the video, Figgins scoffs that he already put it up on You Tube and it got only three views.

* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower''': Galadriel tries to secretly escape Numenor only to be greeted by Elendil at the docks, who was expecting Galadriel to try something. He nicely informs her that if she tries to escape, he will alert his watchmen to which Galadriel responds by threatening Elendil with cutting his throat before he does that. Elendil is not impressed or intimated at all, because for him is like dealing with his own children, and compares Galadriel to them. And once he speaks in Quenia with her, she calms down completely, finding an ally in Elendil.