History PlayingWith / SealedEvilinaCan

* '''Parodied''': The can the UltimateEvil is sealed in is a Campbell's Soup can, label and all.

** The SortingAlgorithmOfEvil has kicked in while the UltimateEvil was sealed, and he no longer measures up to today's standards for power or amibition. Time has left him behind, to the point where he's almost a tragic figure now.

** Time has marched on while the UltimateEvil has been sealed in his can... And upon emerging, he finds new opportunities ''everywhere''. New talents to learn, new domains to master... And with things like airplanes and the internet, he can be ''all over the world'' whenever he wants! It's all there. Just waiting for him to reach out and wrap a gauntlet around it.

** The SortingAlgorythymOfEvil has kicked in while the UltimateEvil was sealed, and he no longer measures up to today's standards for power or amibition. Time has left him behind, to the point where he's almost a tragic figure now.

** The SortingAlgorithymOfEvil has kicked in while the UltimateEvil was sealed, and he no longer measures up to today's standards for power or amibition. Time has left him behind, to the point where he's almost a tragic figure now.

** The SortingAlgorythmOfEvil has kicked in while the UltimateEvil was sealed, and he no longer measures up to today's standards for power or amibition. Time has left him behind, to the point where he's almost a tragic figure now.

* '''Defied''': [[{{Precursors}} The Ancients]] not only sealed away the UltimateEvil, they also made sure he could never come back, possibly by launching him into the sun.

** There are [[NumberOfTheBeast 666]] [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain racist]], [[OmnicidalManiac violent]], and [[AxCrazy unstable]] beings who have been imprisoned for eons. Once they are freed, each of them is shown to be a WalkingWasteland who joyfully [[ColdBloodedTorture torture]], [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking steal the lunch money]] of every single unfortunate soul that was unlucky enough to cross their path.

** Alternately: The UltimateEvil succeeds in destroying civilization. Then he seals himself in a can so he doesn't get bored waiting for another civilization to destroy.

** There are several hundred [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain racist]], [[OmnicidalManiac violent]], and [[AxCrazy unstable]] beings who have been imprisoned for eons. Once they are freed, each of them is shown to be a WalkingWasteland who joyfully [[ColdBloodedTorture torture]], [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking steal the lunch money]] of every single unfortunate soul that was unlucky enough to cross their path.

* '''Exploited''': ???

* '''Exaggerated''': The UltimateEvil is sealed inside the planet itself, and freeing him ''alone'' will entail an EarthShatteringKaboom. [[OmnicidalManiac Which the people trying to free him are all too happy to provide.]]
* '''Downplayed''': ???

* '''Double Subverted''': The UltimateEvil refuses to come out; he likes it better in his can. The current BigBad forces him out as part of her plan to rule the world; the UltimateEvil decides to destroy all of existence in revenge for having his nap interrupted.

** Alternately, the imprisonment was intended to be a temporary measure, but the Precursors were wiped out before they came back with a more permanent solution.
** Alternately, the Ancients thought the UltimateEvil was defeated for once and for all, but in fact it was merely dormant, waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc once again.
** Alternately, killing the UltimateEvil ''was'' possible, but it turns out that he is [[StayingAlive resurrectively immortal]] and that AsLongAsThereIsEvil, he will always come back, so sealing him was the only way to keep him from wreaking havoc upon the world.
** It was punishment for the actions of the evil in question, who even while imprisoned could not understand it. He assumed they were just keeping him away because they were jealous, rather than he doing something wrong. They didn't kill him because he still had a chance to HeelFaceTurn

** Or: rather than make a can, the UltimateEvil is sent onto exile, and a fence is built to keep it ''out''.
* '''Subverted''': The UltimateEvil refuses to come out; he likes it better in his can.

* '''Justified''': Killing the UltimateEvil was beyond the ability of the ancients (he's just too powerful).

* '''Inverted''': See SealedGoodInACan.

* '''Deconstructed''': What's in the can wasn't evil at all, merely an immensely powerful sentient being sealed by [[AbusivePrecursors the Ancients]] for no good reason. [[TheWoobie It went mad in the interim,]] and now seeks only [[MercyKill for someone to end its tortured existence.]]
* '''Reconstructed''': The being in there had very little empathy. Although it wasn't evil, it still could very easily commit acts of horror without remorse. It was sealed so it would start thinking of others when it had only itself as company. Although it didn't remove the tendencies, it did give it a better chance for a HeelFaceTurn due to the time spent in.

* '''Invoked''': The UltimateEvil made sure he couldn't be destroyed by [[{{Precursors}} the Ancients]] by sealing ''himself'' in a can, confident that he would be awakened in the future long after his enemies had all died off.

Back to SealedEvilInACan

* '''Reconstructed''': What's in the can wasn't evil at all, merely an immensely powerful sentient being sealed by [[AbusivePrecursors the Ancients]] for no good reason. [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds It went mad in the interim,]] and now seeks only [[OmnicidalManiac to end all of existence.]]
** It was a WellIntentionedExtremist and the Ancients are only the bad guys from its perspective. They didn't want to seal it away but had no other choice.

** Our world is sealed in a can to be protected from the UltimateEvil out there to get us.

** Our world is sealed in a can to be protected from the UltimateEvil running around the universe.

* '''Zig Zagged''': The UltimateEvil is unsealed, but it turns out it was a perfectly innocent being driven mad by its imprisonment; a CooldownHug mixed with some EpiphanyTherapy is all it takes to stop its RoaringRampageOfRevenge. Then it turns out that it was sealed because it had omnipotence but no concept of right and wrong; now that it's been cured of its insanity, it's back to [[RealityWarper warping reality]] [[ForTheEvulz for kicks and giggles]]. Someone takes advantage of its childish nature, though, and manages to distract and seemingly tame it by teaching it to play a game. Then it starts rewriting reality into a colossal version of said game...

** Alternately: Our universe is the can.