History MuggingTheMonster / Literature

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' novel ''The Siege'', a PsychoForHire Shapeshifter Meta turns into a girl and befriends a Bajoran girl and her mother. At this point a Cardassian barges in and decides to rape them all, starting with Meta. The Cardassian is ripped apart. ''From the inside.''

* Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga''
** In ''Literature/ACivilCampaign'', some well-meaning but clueless relatives are trying to forcibly drag a child away from his unwilling mother. He barricades himself in the bathroom and makes a phone call to a person who invited him to call earlier... Cue one of the biggest OhCrap moments in literature when they find out [[spoiler:that the person on the other end of the call was the Emperor of Barrayar, who is ''not pleased!'']]
** In ''Literature/TheVorGame'', a opportunistic merc chieftainess thinks she can outwit Gregor and Miles together in order to bring her near the Barryaran throne. She thinks she can be a better ManipulativeBastard than two of the cleverest Vor on [[DecadentCourt Barrayar]].

* In ''Wolfblade'', a ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novel, while on Terra, three Space Wolves are out at a pub having a quiet dinner. Some morons try to start a brawl with them. Note, said Wolves are [[SuperSoldier Astartes]], about 8 or 9 feet tall, super strong and fast, and were wearing their power armor. Needless to say, the morons got their brawl.

[[folder:Discworld]]

** An interesting example in ''Literature/TheWayOfKings''. Jasnah deliberately sets herself up for this — strolls down a dark alley, decked out in jewels, carrying no visible weapons, etc. When the muggers (and attempted rapists/murderers), do show up, Jasnah naturally destroys them. Jasnah is a Soulcaster, and that jeweled bracelet is an artifact that lets her transmute her muggers into smoke, fire, and crystal. Shallan is horrified by the moral implications of this baiting, but is also alarmed by Jasnah's [[EmotionlessGirl unusually passionate]] hatred of her attackers. It's implied Jasnah may take these little excursions to dangerous parts of town because of a deeply traumatizing time she was mugged when she ''wasn't'' a "monster".

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHpuAAnHdEc The Terrible Old Man]]" by Creator/HPLovecraft. Some burglars decided to go for an easy target: that weird old retired sea captain who lives on the edge of town, has a garden full of creepy statues, and talks to a collection of jars with little pendulums inside. [[FateWorseThanDeath It doesn't go well]].

** The heir of a Pelosian noble tries to show off to his friends by harassing travelers for a fee to pass through his father's land, even though they're on the king's road. Said travelers are fully armored Church Knights who point out that he's endangering both life and soul in doing so. The heir is too proud to admit he doesn't know about Church Knights until his very unamused father arrives to bawl him out.

* In ''The Visitor'', the second book in the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' series, a young man attempts to persuade [[ActionGirl Rachel]] to get into his car. When the creep doesn't take no for an answer, she scares the living daylights out of him by morphing halfway into an elephant. Considering that she could have completed the morph and stomped him flat, the jerk got off easy.

** In the original past of ''Literature/{{Night Watch|Discworld}}'' some thieves tried to rob John Keel; he made short work of them. In the modified past, [[KnifeNut Carcer claims]] that some thieves tried to attack ''him'' -- "at least, they had some money with them". [[spoiler:He was among the thieves who attacked Keel and killed him.]]

* The first ''Literature/JackReacher'' novel ''Killing Ground'' essentially uses a slow-burning version of this, as the criminal conspiracy behind events decides to frame a murder they're responsible for on some random drifter who wandered into town that morning who no one will care about or miss and who'll easily be silenced in prison before the matter even comes to court. Unfortunately for them, they discover a bit too late that said random drifter is in fact Reacher, a former military police investigator and all-round built-like-a-brick-shithouse {{Badass}}, who is not only perfectly capable of clearing his own name but of going after the people who set him up...

* ''Literature/SpySchool'': In the seventh book, when a group of garden-variety muggers accost the group of CIA and Mi6 agents (which includes Catherine, Erica and Zoe), Mike lampshades the situation between bursts of laughter, then just sits back and serenely watches the girls wipe the floor with those muggers.

** [[ThoseTwoBadGuys The New Firm]] in ''Literature/TheTruth'' end up on (almost) both sides of this trope -- they're subject to a (legally sanctioned) mugging attempt by a member of the Thieves' Guild, which does not go well for the thief, and later walk into Biers during business hours and openly try to intimidate a Werewolf into working for them -- this would normally be suicidal but thanks to Mr Tulip's almost inhuman ability to intimidate people without trying they manage to walk out alive (but without the werewolf).

** In ''Without Remorse,'' that same former SEAL is much younger and going about his RoaringRampageOfRevenge for his [[StuffedIntoTheFridge murdered]] LoveInterest. He is staggering down the street disguised as a wino when a cop grabs him by the shoulder, thinking [[TooDumbToLive he might be the serial crook-killer]] they're looking for. Said cop finds himself pinned face down on the concrete before he can figure out what happened.

** Discussed in ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'': the LightningBruiser vampire Maladict [[spoiler: (actually Maladicta)]] wears a sword so that people won't mistake him, a slim PrettyBoy [[spoiler: (actually a slender girl)]] for an easy target... because [[spoiler: s]]he doesn't know how to use it and would "probably settle for just ripping their heads off."

** Discussed in ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'': the LightningBruiser vampire Maladict [[spoiler: (actually Maladicta)]] wears a sword so that people won't mistake him, a slim PrettyBoy [[spoiler: (actually a slender girl)]] for an easy target... because she doesn't know how to use it and would "probably settle for just ripping their heads off."

* In Robert Newman's novel ''The Case of the Baker Street Irregular'', a thug tries to rob a blind fiddler. It doesn't not go well. "I may be blind, but I can still take you or any three like you." [[spoiler: As you may have guessed from the book's title, the fiddler was Sherlock Holmes in disguise.]]

* Creator/DavidEddings
** Eddings subverted this early in ''Literature/TheElenium''. Some street thugs decide to mug that guy on the warhorse who just rode into town. Sparhawk tells them he's not interested in playing, as he throws back his cape to reveal armor and broadsword. The thugs decide to go elsewhere.
** And then played it straight (but as a non-mugging example) in the sequel, ''Literature/TheTamuli''. A character makes a not-quite-audible, but clearly offensive remark about Ehlana, Sparhawk's queen [[spoiler:and also his wife]]. Another character calls for a moment of silence in memory of the loud-mouthed oaf who made the comment; the oaf doesn't get the hint until he's told just exactly who Sparhawk is.
** In ''[[Literature/TheBelgariad Polgara the Sorceress]]'', the title character is riding alone through a forest when two bandits attempt to rob/rape her. She calmly states that she is glad that she finally found some food and disguises herself and her horse as monsters with an illusion, sending the pair running.
* Creator/MercedesLackey's works:
** In ''Literature/ChildrenOfTheNight'', a shapeshifting souleater vampire who leaves a group and comes back sated is said by the group's leader to have been "trolling for rapists" in the form of an attractive young woman. The doubting member of the group, who is repulsed and uncomfortable about basically murdering random people but needs to feed, thinks this sounds like a good idea, and so he wanders Central Park until a junkie attacks him and is killed.
** In ''[[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Brightly Burning]]'', Lavan's Firestarting gift manifests for the first time when he is cornered and about to be beaten by school bullies; the resulting fire kills everyone but himself. Unfortunately, Lan comes out of this so traumatized that his sanity is basically being held together by his Companion; when she dies, he triggers another firestorm on a much larger scale, saving Valdemar but killing himself.
** In ''[[http://www.baen.com/Chapters/0671578057/0671578057___6.htm The Last of the Season]]'', what could be more helpless than a cute six-year-old girl holding a teddy bear?
* ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'': Doesn't it sound like nice recreation for overworked sixteenth-century mercenaries to RapePillageAndBurn around this one small peaceful town, in which everybody just happens to own and know how to use twentieth century firearms?
* In ''The Visitor'', the second book in the ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' series, a young man attempts to persuade [[ActionGirl Rachel]] to get into his car. When the creep doesn't take no for an answer, she scares the living daylights out of him by morphing halfway into an elephant. Considering that she could have completed the morph and stomped him flat, the jerk got off easy.
** Marco also does it in ''The Predator''...he begins morphing gorilla and pounds a couple bullies in an alleyway, even though it's quite dangerous morphing like that in public.
* In the first chapter of ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'', a man tries to pickpocket Butler. Due to Butler being massive and strong, said pickpocket gets his fingers broken without Butler even looking down.
* Has bittersweet results for Lale in ''Literature/TheAssassinsOfTamurin''. The sweet -- she kills the guy. The bitter -- the subsequent "MyGodWhatHaveIDone"
* Played straight and inverted in ''Literature/{{Below}}'', all in the same chapter. A water nymph who uses lies and misdirection to rob adventurers tries her charms against a thief whose own talent for dishonesty is legendary, who also knows enough lore to figure out what she is. Then he mugs her.
* In Creator/TanyaHuff's ''[[Literature/BloodBooks Blood Debt]]'', an unfortunate car thief makes off with a van, moments before sundown... unaware that there's a vampire [[DangerTakesABackseat asleep in the back]].
* ''Brotherhood of the Rose'' by David Morrell has a group of street thugs gang up on Saul. [[CurbStompBattle He then breaks their fingers]], [[FiveFingerDiscount takes their wallets]], [[LaserGuidedKarma and comes up with seventy dollars]].
* In ''Literature/{{Carrie}}'', young Carrie White is a girl who has been abused her whole life by bullies and her mother, who also starts to develop PsychicPowers. Things come to a head when a prank played on her on prom night causes her to snap, and [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge the entire town of Chamberlain]] [[PersonOfMassDestruction pays the price]].
* ''Literature/TheCatsOfUlthar'': An old couple really, ''really'' hate cats, and kill any cat they can get their hands on; it is implied that they go about it viciously. One day a caravan of mysterious strangers arrives, and a couple days later the old couple lays hands on the treasured kitten of a young orphan in the caravan. Oops. He places a curse on the old couple when he gets the bad news and the next night, they [the old couple] find every cat in town approaching their cottage with a strange fixity of purpose; the next anyone ever sees of the old couple is "two cleanly-picked skeletons".
* In Robert Newman's novel ''The Case of the Baker Street Irregular'', a thug tries to rob a blind fiddler. It doesn't not go well. "I may be blind, but I can still take you or any three like you." [[spoiler: As you may have guessed from the book's title, the fiddler was Sherlock Holmes in disguise.]]
* In the Creator/MichaelConnelly book ''Literature/TheClosers'', a pair of homeless men attempt to mug [[CowboyCop Harry Bosch]]. One of them sees the look in Harry's eyes and wisely thinks better of it.
* Ramou Lazarian of Christopher Stasheff's ''A Company of Stars'' is an ace martial artist who loves fighting, but needs the other guy to start it ... so when he's confronted, he presents himself as a nice-guy pushover in order to invite the opening punch.
** Subverted in one instance, however, where Ramou takes apart a street gang that decided he was a good mugging victim ... only to get knocked on the head from behind and robbed by one he didn't see.
* ''Literature/CurseOfTheWolfGirl'' has a couple of rather yobbish {{Alpha Bitch}}es relentlessly bully Agrivex, a young fire-demon currently pretending to be human to attend college, which surprisingly works out all right for them since 'Vex is a sweet natured girl who really doesn't understand nastiness or is prepared to hurt people. Then they try it on 'Vex's friend Kalix. Kalix is a werewolf with [[UnstoppableRage anger issues]]. This works out substantially less well for them.
* In Creator/JackVance's ''Literature/TheDemonPrinces'' cycle, there's a brief description of the time a thirteen-year-old Kirth Gersen -- who is being trained for his eventual RoaringRampageOfRevenge -- and his grandfather -- [[OldMaster who is doing the training]] -- are attacked by a mugger. Gersen breaks a number of the man's bones, ending with his neck, while grandfather watches.
* In ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'', a group of thugs tries to beat up Karyl -- who's disguising himself as a mute street performer at the time -- to chase him out of their city, not knowing that for one, he's one of the best fighters in the Empire, and two, his cane hides a sword. Suffice to say, it ends with a lot of blood, and none of it Karyl's.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

* In ''Literature/TheDinosaurLords'', a group of thugs tries to beat up Karyl - who's disguising himself as a mute street performer at the time - to chase him out of their city, not knowing that for one, he's one of the best fighters in the Empire, and two, his cane hides a sword. Suffice to say, it ends with a lot of blood, and none of it Karyl's.
* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels tend to feature (a) supernatural or at least surprisingly skilled protagonists, (b) comical misunderstandings, and (c) a high crime rate. In other words, Mugging the Monster is almost certain to happen - or rather, humorously fail to happen - at some point.

*** Implied to also be the reason why one of Unseen University's otherwise-inviolable annual traditions - that of students venturing out into the city and giving any red-haired men with whom they cross paths "a good thrumping" - was hastily revised with the addendum "except of course for Captain Carrot Ironfounderson of the Watch".

*** Subverted in that she isn't the one to dispatch said muggers (though she was about to) - that honor goes to the Ghost. But since Granny Weatherwax is a [[GoodIsNotNice good witch]], she has to do ''something'' about those nasty wounds they sustained, even if all she has is a very dull needle for sewing them up...

* In the first chapter of ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'', a man tries to pickpocket Butler. Due to Butler being hugely strong, said pickpocket gets his fingers broken without Butler even looking down.

* In ''Literature/TheHistoryOfTheGalaxy'', when the Terran Alliance fleet attacks the largely agrarian LostColony Dabog, they figure they can just roll over the farmers with their tanks and troopers. What they don't realize is that when the colonists first landed, the planet was a DeathWorld, with swamps and dangerous dinosaur-like lizards. The settlers had to improvise and use every ounce of their ingenuity to adapt. They developed walking machines after being inspired by the lizards' leg joints. This allowed them to clear land for farming and cities and to fight off the lizards. By the time the Terrans arrive, much of that is ancient history, though, and only a single [[AMechByAnyOtherName servomachine]], the ''Aquila'', remains in operation, and only as a museum exhibit. The Terran ground forces are shocked when the ''Aquila'' makes mincemeat of their mighty army and forces them to withdraw into orbit.