History Main / ThreatBackfire

* In ''Film/MoneyTrain'', John and Charlie find Patterson's threat "I'll fuck ya dead" more confusing than intimidating. In private, Charlie asks John "do you think he's gonna fuck us [[InThatOrder before or after]] we're dead?" They later make a complete joke out of it by saying how they have to stay a step ahead of "That [[ILoveTheDead necrophiliac]] Patterson."

# The person being threatened has run out of fucks to give and does not even register the threat as words being strung together to form a sentence, much less as some horrible consequences that are about to befall them. Bonus points if the one making the threat is thrown completely off their game at this non-reaction.

* 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. Finally, in September, Ukraine submitted a request to join NATO, officially doing what Putin had hoped to avoid by invading.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsmgjBPtpOQ Hiiragi]] was having a one-sided relationship with Akamatsu. When confronted about this, he threatens to quit his job if he doesn't leave his wife. Akamatsu just goes with it, and it's treated as a voluntary retirement.

** The mirror universe version of Sulu threatens Spock if he doesn't carry out the Empire's secrets orders in the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E4MirrorMirror Mirror, Mirror]]". In return, Spock tells Sulu that his operatives would avenge his death and some of them were Vulcans. Sulu's facial expression says OhCrap as he realizes just how dangerous attacking Spock would be for him.

** The mirror universe version of Sulu threatens Spock if he doesn't carry out the Empire's secrets orders in the episode "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E4MirrorMirror Mirror, Mirror]]". In return, Spock tells Sulu that his operatives would avenge his death and some of them were Vulcans. Sulu's facial expression says OhCrap as he realizes just how dangerous attacking Spock would be for him.

* In ''Series/StarTrekPicard'', Picard relates that when the attempts to aid the Romulans evacuating their doomed homeworld hit a political brick wall, he told Starfleet to either help or accept his resignation. Picard admits he meant it as a bluff as he figured there was no way Starfleet would endure the public relations mess of cashiering one of their most revered officers who had saved the Federation a dozen times. To his shock, Starfleet didn't hesitate to accept Picard's resignation and calling the evacuation off.

** Sam Witwicky was arrested due to going to the junkyard and presumably for stealing a car (which the police were ironically responding to his call about someone stealing his car). While being interrogated at the police station, the Sheriff asks Sam if he was on drugs, but denies it, although the police man seems to find incriminating evidence of pills in him (although the pills were actually his dog's painkillers, which his parents backed him up). The Policeman then tries to threaten to bust him upon letting him go free, only for it to backfire when Sam Witwicky [[IronicEcho asks him if the policeman was on drugs]].

** The Transformers themselves also had one moment, when Jazz was threatening Megatron with the phrase "Do you wanna piece of me? Do you wanna piece?!". Megatron responds with "No, [[ExactWords I want TWO!]]" and [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe tears him in halves]].

-->'''Will:''' [[ExplainExplainOhCrap If he's not our man, and he's not your man... whose man IS he???]] ''[cue a dozen or so EITC soldiers kicking down the doors and opening fire]''

* In the 24th chapter of ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'':
-->'''[[DemonSlaying 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]''\\
'''Shendu:''' A member of the family, perhaps? All the more enjoyable.

* A dark version in ''Film/{{Ronin}}'' as Gregor meets Russian gangsters, one of whom is the boyfriend of gorgeous skater Natacha. Gregor tells them he has a sniper in the arena when Natacha is performing and that if the Russians don't pay up fast, she'll be killed. Too late, Gregor realizes the boyfriend has absolutely no qualms about letting his "love" die rather than pay up more money.

* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:

* Played with (and ultimately averted) in Rob Reiner's adaptation of ''Literature/{{Misery}}''. Annie withholds Paul's pain meds until he burns up the only copy of his book ''Fast Cars'', in manuscript form. He tries to save it by falsely claiming he's made other copies and that burning it up won't mean anything to him, but [[LoonyFan Annie]] knows too much about him--mainly, that he never makes more than one copy of a new manuscript out of superstition. When he still fails to comply, she proceeds with an oblique threat to "accidentally" set ''him'' on fire instead. That works. (In the novel, Paul doesn't have the presence of mind to consider this tactic, as he is in horrific pain--but later is grateful he didn't, because he realizes that to thwart Annie in her efforts to destroy the "bad book" might've resulted in a ''worse'' fate for ''him''.)

* Marco Guttierez, co-founder of an online group of Latinos supporting UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's candidacy, claimed that his culture was becoming too dominant. For an example, he said if Trump didn't become President, that there would be taco trucks on every corner. [[Memes/USPolitics The Internet saw that as a promise, not a threat]]. Trump's opponent, UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton, referenced this in her first debate with Trump.

** In a similar vein, a Fox News business correspondant ran a segment denounce Danish social programs, claiming (among other things) that they killed work ethic. leaving Danish students wanting to do nothing but start cupcake cafes. A Danish politician ran a response pointing out that, even if that were true, a country full of entrepreneurs starting small businesses is a good thing, and a country full of cupcake shops sounds even better.

* 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. Finally, in September, Ukraine officially submitted a request to join NATO, officially doing what Putin had hoped to avoid by invading.

* 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. Finally, in September, Ukraine officially submitted a request to join NATO.

* 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.

* In a similar vein, GOP Speaker of the House Paul Ryan [[http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/21/13358274/paul-ryan-bernie-sanders warned of]] Bernie Sanders becoming the chair of the Senate Budget Committee in the wake of a Democrat takeover of Congress. Sanders promptly ran with the idea, raising over $2 million in the span of two days and spawning the sarcastic [=#ThanksPaul=] hashtag.

'''Junior Monk''': If my ass is going to be kicked, then it will be kicked.

-->'''Payback:''' YourWorstNightmare.

* 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 Ayla 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 they stop treating her like shit with the ''most absolute'' sincerity before walking away.
-->'''Marinette, to Lila''': [[IWarnedYou I told you, didn't I?]] [[IronicEcho They'd lose me, too.]]

** Another strip, when Belkar and Haley's father Ian release an allosaurus to save a pair of gladiators from execution, [[TokenEvilTeammate Belkar]] [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain warns Ian that if he tells Roy it was his idea]], [[GroinAttack he'd find a sharp way to make sure Hayley stays an only child]].

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

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

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

-->'''Ian:''' Oh, you don't have to worry about that.\\

* In the Literature/GemmaDoyle Trilogy, a shadowy group called the Rakshana kidnap the titular character's brother, and tell Gemma that if she gives the group her magic, they'll let him go. This is after a phenomenally bad day. So, Gemma [[RantInducingSlight snaps]], and informs the Rakshana that their plan has backfired: up until then, she's been polite and played nice. And now, the only thing keeping her from kicking all of their asses is the fact that her brother is still alive. If they kill him, [[OneManArmy she'll kill]] ''[[OneManArmy them]]''. They call her on this, and she kicks their asses without killing them.