History Main / ThwartedCoupDeGrace

* The first episode of ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'' ends with Nanoha about to have [[DropTheHammer her head caved in]] by Vita, only for Fate to teleport in at the last second with Yuuno and block it.

* ''Film/{{Serenity}}'' does this twice with Mal's confrontations with the Operative. The first time, Mal is surely beaten, and the Operative is about to finish him off with his sword when Inara's flashbomb goes off and stuns him. The second time, the Operative is about to kill Mal after having paralyzed him by grabbing a specific nerve cluster. [[spoiler:Mal had that nerve cluster removed by shrapnel in the Unification War, and right as the Operative strikes, he twists out of the way and ''dislocates his shoulders''.]]

* Lurtz, the head Uruk-Hai in the movie version of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'', has shot Boromir full of holes and is ready to deliver the killing shot when Aragorn leaps in and kills Lurtz. This gives Boromir enough time to deliver his dying speech.
** ''Fellowship'' loved this trope. A few minutes earlier, Aragorn had been knocked flat by an Uruk getting impaled on (thereby trapping) his sword; Gimli and Legolas arrive before the rest of the orcs can take advantage of the situation. Then Boromir himself pulls a BigDamnHeroes when a group of Uruks charge at Merry and Pippin; one has his axe raised to do Pippin in when Boromir arrives from offscreen to deflect the blow.

** In ''Episode II: Film/AttackOfTheClones'', [[MasterSwordsman Dooku]] brings down Obi-Wan, but before he can deliver the final blow, a previously electrocuted Anakin gets better and jumps across the room to block it.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_at_the_Meadowlands The Miracle at the Meadowlands]] saw the New York Giants leading the Philadelphia Eagles 17-12 in a 1979 UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball game. The Giants had possession of the ball with less than thirty seconds left, the Eagles had no timeouts, and [[AssumedWin the telecast was already rolling credits]]. All the Giants had to do was kneel down. Instead, they tried to run a handoff at the insistence of Giants offensive coordinator Bob Gibson. The handoff was fumbled, and Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards returned the loose ball for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 19-17 win. Gibson was promptly fired and never called another play in any level of football again. As a result, this led to the development of the victory formation -- now when the quarterback takes a knee, two running backs will flank him immediately behind him and a third will sit five or seven yards back as a safety. It also legitimized taking a knee when a team was assured they would win.

* The most famous sports-world example is the 1978 [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_at_the_Meadowlands Miracle at the Meadowlands]]. The New York Giants were leading the Philadelphia Eagles 17-12, they had possession of the ball with less than thirty seconds left in play after Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski was picked off, the Eagles had no timeouts, and [[AssumedWin the telecast was already rolling credits]]; all the Giants had to do was kneel down. Instead, they tried to run a handoff (which no Giant on the field wanted, but Giants QB Joe Pisarcik had gotten into hot water with Giants offensive coordinator Bob Gibson over changing the play at the line in previous weeks), the handoff was fumbled, and Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards returned the loose ball for the game-winning touchdown. Gibson was promptly fired and never called another play in any level of football again. This play was so epic, it actually caused the development of the victory formation (now when the quarterback takes a knee, two running backs will flank him immediately behind him and a third will sit five or seven yards back as a safety) and legitimized taking a knee (before this, a lot of football people thought taking a knee was cowardly).

* The climax of the Battle of Cowpens at the end of ''Film/ThePatriot'' has Colonel Tavington ready to deliver the killing strike to Benjamin Martin. Martin ducks under the sword and impales Tavington on his bayonet.

* In the climax of ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', [[TheUsurper Jewelius]] tries to decapitate his subdued aunt Celestia with a sword after [[spoiler:his army is [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] by the Elements of Harmony]]. Fortunately, the sword is magically blasted away by his cousin Cadance.

* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': At the climax of ''The Apokolips Agenda'', Darkseid has curbstomped Supergirl and is about to deliver the killing blow when his son Orion suddenly shows up from behind and blasts Darkseid into atoms.
* ''Fanfic/FairyDanceOfDeath'': Kibaou is about to deliver a killing blow to Klein when his monologue is cut short (literally) by a Big Damn Heroes moment.