History Main / WheresTheKaboom

* Subverted in ''Literature/{{Hogfather}}; the wizards of Unseen University are making the Ultimate HideousHangoverCure by mixing in every cure they can think of. Finally, Ridcully prepares to add a bunch of [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce Wow-Wow Sauce]] (Which was used in a previous book as an explosive), sending the other wizards diving for cover. When Ridcully dumps the stuff in, nothing happens, but just as Ridcully is berating the other wizards for their lack of backbone, the mixture lets off a fireball that sends the Archchancellor tumbling. Luckily, wizards are naturally-padded, so no serious harm.

* The {{Trope Namer|s}} is a ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon entitled WesternAnimation/{{Hare-Way To The Stars}}, where Marvin, unaware that Bugs took his Explosive Space Modulator, asks "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an [[EarthShatteringKaboom Earth-shattering kaboom!]]"

* The [[TropeNamers Trope Namer]] is an episode of ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', when Marvin the Martian's explosives fail. "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an [[EarthShatteringKaboom Earth-shattering kaboom!]]"

* Played for drama in ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. Android 16 attempts a TakingYouWithMe HeroicSacrifice against Cell by setting off the bomb inside himself (which in theory would have been powerful enough to destroy Cell though Cell bragged that such a weapon wouldn't kill him anyway). Only to realize moments later that he doesn't have a bomb anymore -- Bulma and her father had removed it while they were repairing him since they didn't trust him with it. Cell promptly destroys the defenseless 16.

* During Episode 60 Part 1 of ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' after attempting to [[TakingYouWithMe Self-destruct]] on Perfect Cell, Android 16 realizes his countdown went into the negatives, as Bulma had previously removed the nuclear device.

* ''In WebVideo/CodysLab'', [[https://youtu.be/eCiu1EyKir4?t=429 this happens]] on episode 6 of the Cody's mine series. He is trying mine in an abandoned mine on his land using black powder explosives, and the voltage from the blasting generator turned out to be insufficient to travel all the way into the mine to detonate the explosives. With a more powerful diesel generator [[https://youtu.be/eCiu1EyKir4?t=478 the kaboom finally happens]]. [[https://youtu.be/eCiu1EyKir4?t=855 Later]], they encounter a {{bat scare}}.

* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' episode "So Long, and Thanks For All The Smoothies"; In it, all sides are fighting over the Anihilargh, a weapon capable of destroying the entire universe if set off. Of course, it goes off, and Ben is forced to use [[RealityWarper Alien X]] to [[ResetButton recreate the universe]] [[CosmicRetcon (barring some slight changes)]]. Because the universe was recreated to before the Anihilargh went off, everyone minus Ben is confused when the weapon apparently doesn't work, and write the device off as a fake.

* During Episode 60 Part 1 of ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' after attempting to [[TakingYouWithMe Self-destruct]] on Perfect Cell, Android 16 realizes nothing happens, as Bulma had previously removed the nuclear device.

* In the fanfic ''Fanfic/ThisBites'', the Straw Hats rig an enemy ship to explode during a wedding. Cross triggers the detonation after putting on his usual LargeHam show, only for nothing to happen as he keeps trying the detonator.

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'': In the first part of episode 60 after realising his self-destruct count down went into the negatives, Android 16 says this verbatim.
-->'''Android 16:''' Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be a Cell-shattering kaboom!?!

--> [[spoiler: '''Squidward''': I spent the entire day doing stuff you wanted because you were supposed to explode!!]]

* Involving ''walking the plank'' happens in ''Disney/PeterPan''. Out of sight of the pirates, Pan rescues Wendy before she hits the water, and a CaptainObvious crewman remarks that there was no splash. Captain Hook seems annoyed at the insistence that there ''must'' be a splash when someone walks the plank, so he throws said crewman overboard to create one.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

''[[Film/TheDarkKnight Click]]''... ''[[Film/TheDarkKnight Click]]''... ''[[Film/TheDarkKnight Click-Click-Click]]''...

* In the fanfic ''Fanfic/ThisBites'', the Straw Hats rig an enemy ship to explode during a wedding. Cross triggers the detonation after putting on his usual LargHam show, only for nothing to happen as he keeps trying the detonator.

-->'''Android 16:''' Where's the kaboom!? There was supposed to be a Cell-shattering kaboom!

* In ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion The End of Evangelion]]'', Ritsuko plots her revenge against Gendo by reprogramming the [=MAGI=] supercomputers to trigger NERV HQ's self-destruct sequence on her command. When Ritsuko then confronts Gendo by [[JustBetweenYouAndMe explaining the details of her revenge to him]] and tries to trigger said self-destruct, nothing happens, as the MAGI rejects the command. Not so much a technical issue as it is a LoveTriangle, though. Yeah, ''Eva'' is weird.

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'': In the first part of episode 60 after realising his self-destruct count down went into the negatives, Android 16 says this verbatim.
-->'''Android 16:''' Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be a Cell-shattering kaboom!?!

* ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged: In the first part of episode 60 after realising his self-destruct count down went into the negatives, Android 16 says this verbatim.

This is the trope you ''really'' want to invoke when a LandMineGoesClick.

* In ''Film/PearlHarbor'', the Japanese bomb that falls through the ''Arizona's'' mess decks lands in the ammo magazine below, giving one of the cooks time to look down the hole and then back up like "Wow, that was close." Then, its timer stops and it detonates all the ammo in the compartment, effectively blowing the ship in two.

[[quoteright:276:[[Franchise/{{Tintin}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/no_explosion.jpg]]]]

*** In the mid-story {{cliffhanger}}, [[spoiler:the Doctor is shot by a Dalek and begins to [[TheNthDoctor regenerate]]]]. The second episode opens with [[spoiler:the Doctor managing to avoid fully regenerating by channeling the excess energy into [[ChekhovsGun his spare hand]]]], resulting in this reaction from Jack and [[spoiler:Rose (especially so in her case as she's seen the Doctor regenerate before)]] in the form of a confused "huh?" (Donna, meanwhile is even more confused as she had no idea what was supposed to happen in the first place.

** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E3ThinIce Thin Ice]]": [[AristocratsAreEvil Lord Sutcliffe]] attempts to set off the explosives [[spoiler:that will destroy the ice and send people on the frozen Thames down to be fed to the giant serpent imprisoned underwater]] — and nothing happens. He's not pleased. It turns out that the Doctor [[spoiler:[[RelocatingTheExplosion moved]] the explosives underwater so they would destroy the serpent's chains, thus freeing it]].

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* In the HBO miniseries ''Series/BandOfBrothers'', two soldiers had a mortar round land ''in their foxhole'' and... smoke a little bit. The two are, understandably, quite shaken up.

** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E4TheSontaranStratagem The Sontaran Stratagem]]": The Doctor and a UNIT soldier are trapped in a car with an autopilot ready to dump them into a river. The Doctor [[LogicBomb confuses]] the autopilot, and both leap out of the car waiting for [[EveryCarIsAPinto the whole thing to blow up]] ... and the device simply shuts down with a fizzle.

** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E3ThinIce Thin Ice]]": [[AristocratsAreEvil Lord Sutcliffe]] attempts to set off the explosives [[spoiler:that will destroy the ice and send people on the frozen Thames down to be fed to the giant serpent imprisoned underwater]] -- and nothing happens. He's not pleased. It turns out that the Doctor [[spoiler:[[RelocatingTheExplosion moved]] the explosives underwater so they would destroy the serpent's chains, thus freeing it]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* PlayedWith in ''Film/ForceTenFromNavarone'' when the explosive charges fail to immediately blow the dam apart near the end of the movie.

* In ''The End of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]]'', Ritsuko plots her revenge against Gendo by reprogramming the [=MAGI=] supercomputers to trigger NERV HQ's self-destruct sequence on her command. When Ritsuko then confronts Gendo by [[JustBetweenYouAndMe explaining the details of her revenge to him]] and tries to trigger said self-destruct, nothing happens, as the MAGI rejects the command. Not so much a technical issue as it is a LoveTriangle, though. Yeah, ''Eva'' is weird.

* [[Manga/AhMyGoddess The Ah My Goddess]] [[TheMovie Movie.]] Toward the end, a giant bullet FIRED FROM HEAVEN impacts the earth, creating a massive bubble/magic explosion effect. The soundtrack? Empty.

* Played for tragedy in ''Manga/{{Heroman}}''. [[spoiler:Joey's father died when he tried to blast a passage clear for his fellow trapped miners. When the dynamite failed to detonate, he went to check what was wrong, and found out that faulty wiring caused a delay of a few secon- '''BOOM!''']]

** In the book ''Cigars of the Pharaoh'', Thompson and Thomson hastily abandon the ship they are on when Snowy accidentally drops a grenade from a crate full of them. We then learn the grenade was not actually armed... and we see T&T a safe distance away, wondering what's taking the grenade so long. A few panels later, we see that they spent ''the whole night'' waiting for it to go off.
--->'''Thom(p)son''': Must be on a timer.
*** This is an example of TruthInTelevision. At the time, there were several countries and companies that didn't put the explosives in the grenades when they're being transported, in order to avoid accidents like that. Once the grenades reached their destination, they'd be unpacked and have their explosives put in when necessary.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

[[folder:Film — Animation]]

-->'''Computer:''' 3... 2... 1... (''beat'') Hmm, maybe my count was w--(''BOOM!'')

-->'''Hook''': So, you want a splash, Mr. Starkey? [[IWillShowYouX I'LL GIVE YA A SPLASH!]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

* In both ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'' and ''Film/DeepImpact'', destroying asteroids by remote control proves problematic.

* An [[ThrowItIn inadvertent]] example: the Joker's famous hospital-demolition scene from ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' in which he attempts to do an UnflinchingWalk to the getaway bus while the hospital implodes behind him, which turns into black comedy when midway through, the explosions suddenly stop. The scene was synchronized around the actual demolition of an old Brach's candy factory in that part of Chicago. It's heavily debated whether this was a RealLife case of "Where's the Kaboom" or if Creator/ChristopherNolan just decided not to tell Creator/HeathLedger that there would be a pause in the explosions, or if Heath Ledger just didn't tell anyone what he planned to do. Without once breaking character, Ledger flung up his arms and fiddled around with the detonator(including a little PercussiveMaintenance) for a few seconds until the explosions re-started... And then [[OhCrap he started running.]]

* ''Film/TheFifthElement'' subverts this nicely. After planting a bomb to evacuate the cruise ship, Zorg stops the countdown himself with only five seconds to spare - only to have his former underlings arm ''their'' bomb, right next to him, [[YankTheDogsChain on a five second timer]].

* ''Film/{{Help}}'' - the MadScientist hands a curling stone with an explosive charge into a game. When it's seen to be 'a fiendish thingie' everyone scatters...and the ticking stone clicks to a stop. The scientist fumes "Useless. Ex-army rubbish - I can't get the equipment!" and it explodes before he can finish talking.

-->'''Boris and Natasha''': Where is boom?

* In ''We Are From The Future 2'' four men are participating in the re-enactment of a World War 2 battle when they accidentally disturb a 70+ year old unexploded bomb which detonates right in their faces. They survive but are thrown back in time to 1943, shortly before the original battle is about to begin. They end up fighting a LastStand against the attacking Germans. A bomb lands in their midst but does not explode. They then realize that they have just completed a StableTimeLoop and the bomb will sit there unexploded for the next 70+ years, waiting for them to find it and accidentally cause it to explode.

* In ''Literature/WorldWarZ'', the Indian government is evacuating all surviving citizens into the Himalayas to escape the ZombieApocalypse. Unfortunately, the last bridge to blow before the safe zone is closed off has defective explosives. Between two problems - the possibility of the Indian Air Force {{nuk|eEm}}ing the area (and making the situation worse) and allowing zombies into the safe zone - [[FourStarBadass General Raj-Singh]] detonates the charges by hand in a HeroicSacrifice that probably saved everyone left in India.

* On ''Series/{{The 100}}'', the Grounder/Sky People alliance has a one minute window to set off the bomb they planted at Mount Weather's front gate, otherwise they'll never get the door open. Unfortunately, Mount Weather jams the signal from the remote detonator, and the guys who try to detonate it manually are shot down before they can get close. It takes Lincoln shooting the bomb with [[ArrowsOnFire a flaming arrow]] to save the day.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E4TheSontaranStratagem "The Sontaran Stratagem"]]: The Doctor and a UNIT soldier are trapped in a car with an autopilot ready to dump them into a river. The Doctor [[LogicBomb confuses]] the autopilot, and both leap out of the car waiting for [[EveryCarIsAPinto the whole thing to blow up]] ... and the device simply shuts down with a fizzle.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS36E3ThinIce "Thin Ice"]]: [[AristocratsAreEvil Lord Sutcliffe]] attempts to set off the explosives [[spoiler:that will destroy the ice and send people on the frozen Thames down to be fed to the giant serpent imprisoned underwater]] — and nothing happens. He's not pleased. It turns out that the Doctor [[spoiler:[[RelocatingTheExplosion moved]] the explosives underwater so they would destroy the serpent's chains, thus freeing it]].
* ''Series/HogansHeroes'' had a few instances when they would set a bomb and Carter (the team's munitions expert) would count down the explosion "5,4,3,2,1" and nothing would happen. He'd then say "I said 1!", and the bomb would go off.

* ''Series/{{MythBusters}}'':

** Another ''Mythbusters'' case happened when Kari, Grant and Tori were setting off explosives in a quarry to create a wave... and silence. The bomb squad then spends several tense minutes carefully fishing the tons of live explosives out of the lake to find the problem. A similar situation has happened to Jamie and Adam at least once. This is one of the most dangerous malfunctions a bomb squad can encounter because of the chance of a delayed explosion while someone is investigating the problem.
*** Heck, this trope seems to be invoked in at least half of the myths where an explosion is called for. Most of the time it's played straight (as with the surfing myth above), to the point that the phrase ''"Ah, [[ShoutOut Houston, we have a problem]]"'' has become something of a RunningGag. However, at least two times this trope has been {{subverted|Trope}}. In one case, an underwater detonation was not energetic enough to be noticed on the surface at all. (''"Sorry, Houston, we ''don't'' have a problem."'') In that particular episode, [[DoubleSubversion it's later played straight]], with a callback to the earlier subversion. (''"Ah, Houston...me again. This time we really ''do'' have a problem."'')
*** Not to mention the bit with the Hindenburg skin with Thermite paste, where it seemed to not ignite until their backs were turned, only to suddenly BURST into flames.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* Happens in [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-03-01 this strip]] of ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''. Hob, the demolitions guy, has to rig a quick bomb for a bunch of Amorphs to escape a dome being filled with Amorph nerve gas. It fails due to a bad primer.
-->'''Kevyn''': Maybe you've set my expectations too high, Hob. I was anticipating rather more noise.
** [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2010-09-07 In another instance]] the current crazy demolitions guy Pi sets up a few armour piercing proximity charges as trap for tanks. When the explosion doesn't occur as expected, he quotes Marvin the Martian.
* ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'': Happens to Torg in [[http://www.sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/100817 this strip]].

* During Episode 60 Part 1 of ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' after attempting to [[TakingYouWithMe Self-destruct]] on Perfect Cell, Android 16 realises nothing happens, as Bulma had previously removed the nuclear device.
--->'''Android 16:''' Where's the kaboom!? There was supposed to be a Cell shattering kaboom! \\

** A similar plot to bomb [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Times_Square_car_bombing_attempt Times Square in 2010]] failed because the bomb was disabled before it could do any damage.

* We have this to thank for the [[UsefulNotes/{{Columbine}} Columbine High School massacre]] not being as bad as it could've been. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's plot called for them to detonate a pair of giant propane tank bombs in the cafeteria, causing it to collapse and take with it the library and faculty lounge on the second floor right above it, killing hundreds of people. They also left similar bombs in their cars, timed to detonate after the police, paramedics, fire department, and reporters had arrived in order to take them out as well. Fortunately, thanks to Harris' lack of finesse at bomb-making (specifically, he screwed up the detonators), the bombs in the cafeteria and in their cars failed to explode. Unfortunately, this still left them with the guns they had brought for what would've been the second phase of their killing spree, allowing them to kill thirteen people and wound twenty-four more before committing suicide. (They also had some Molotov cocktails and homemade "cricket" grenades made with [=CO2=] canisters, which ''did'' detonate, but those didn't accomplish anything except to start some nuisance fires.)

[[Film/TheDarkKnight ''Click''...''Click''...''Click-Click-Click'']] ...

Nothing. The detonator has failed [[FinaglesLaw at the worst possible time]], [[HeroicSacrifice leading someone to have to go back and activate the explosive/device manually.]] Or worse, the enemy simply dismantled the bombs or jammed the detonator before they could be set off, and gets to rub the heroes' faces in it. Usually PlayedForDrama rather than [[PlayedForLaughs comedy]]. One exception is in cartoons, where the bomber will inevitably go back to check, and have it explode ([[NonFatalExplosions harmlessly]]) in his face.

[[folder:Fan Works]]

* In the Creator/AlanDeanFoster novel, ''{{Literature/Quozl}}'', a group of an alien settler dissident on Earth and some sympathetic humans face this situation when their expedition comrade, whom the ruling council insisted on accompanying them, reveals her bomb and her orders to blow herself up to kill the dissident and his human friends. With a maximum of drama, the agent hits the detonation button, but nothing happens. The dissident then reveals he discovered the bomb and disarmed it some time ago. It's pointed out though that had he sided with the agent, they'd all have been atomized.