History TookALevelInBadass / RealLife

** Also, 1945-1991. Japan goes from a nation weakened by firebombing and two [[NukeEm atomic weapons]] with an economy in shambles to an industrial and technological power-house that dominated the computer and car-manufacturing industry.

* The SovietUnion in 1943. Before this time, it had a heavily outdated army devastated by internal strife, a populace that was uneducated and starving and a drought of scientific and technological progress. Hitler's armed forces almost destroyed the Soviet military, but after numerous counter-attacks (the most famous being Stalingrad) and a handy Russian Winter, the Soviets steam-rolled and conquered the Germans and invaded Japanese-held Manchuria. After that, they became a scientific, economic and military superpower, for a long time the only one capable of competing with the United States and the first nation to send a man into space.

** Deng Xiaoping's market reforms after Mao's death were what made China the regional superpower. Mao kept the country in the gutter for decades.

** actually considering china's previous wealth, technological advancements, and military size, It's been LOOSING levels in badass since the end of the Ming.

* Japan, 1850-1944, during which a fractious, feudal almost non-functional archipelago able to be bullied by private Portuguese, Dutch and British traders restored good government, rapidly industrialized, built a powerful army and navy which it used to assert its status a great power. As a great power, Japan was able to treat on equal terms with the likes of the United Kingdom, the German Empire, or the United States, and leveraged its power into an empire of its own in the Pacific, including, at its height, Korea, Manchuria, Taiwan, most of coastal China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sinapore, and the Phillipines.

* See: The History of Japan, 1850-1941.

*** During the war, the Germans referred to Canadian forces as Storm Troopers, the used by Germany's own elite assault troops.

*** During the war, the Germans referred to Canadian forces as Storm Troopers. The only other group referred to as Storm Troopers since then is a fictional army that defends an intergalactic empire. Seems like a fair comparison to me.
**** Actually, during WWI, the United States Marines were also classified as Storm Troopers by the Germans, most notably for there actions at Belleau wood. Of course, this doesn't fall under the trope, mainly because Marines are already the epitome of badassery.

* China. The country was arguably worse than Russia was through most of its existance. Then Mao Tse-tung came along with his take on Communism in the late 40's. In little over 60 years, it has become a superpower that rivals the USA.

* FrankSinatra was pretty unremarkable early in his career, being little more than the forties' equivalent of JustinBieber, being EstrogenBrigadeBait and appearing in a few musicals as the plucky young guy (though his performance was not bad by any standards). In TheFifties, noticing his career was starting to wane, he began injecting a upbeat jazz rhythm into his most well-known songs, and taking DarkerAndEdgier roles in films, such as a loose-cannon Army private in 1953's ''From Here To Eternity'' and a fresh-out-of-prison drug addict in 1955's ''The Man With The Golden Arm'' (although not remarkable today, [[HaysCode it was highly controversial back then]]). The FrankSinatra that was popular in TheFifties and TheSixties we immortalize today is a dice-playing, martini-swigging lounge-singer type, possibly with [[TheMafia a tommy gun stashed somewhere]], something none of his EstrogenBrigade would've seen coming back in [[WorldWarTwo WWII]].

* The British Army during The First World War. While it's standing army was one of the most professional forces the isles have ever produced, it was miniscule. However, with a mass recruitment drive and a realisation that the Royal Navy could not end the war quickly, the Army turned from a highly-drilled minnow to a juggernaut to equal the French and German Armies.

* The Kingdom of Prussia. What started out as merely one of the Electors of the HolyRomanEmpire went and unified Germany by 1870.

* Aron Ralston, upon whom [[OneHundredAndTwentySevenHours 127 Hours]] is based. He spent three days with his arm trapped under a boulder, basically dying[[spoiler:, then chopped his own arm off and legged it]]. He survived, obviously. As Cracked.com puts it, he did not just cheat death, but then [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16497_7-people-who-cheated-death-then-kicked-it-in-balls.html kicked it in the balls]].

* Wild animals start out as tiny and very weak babies, only for them to grow up (if they survive long enough) and have things like venom, razor sharp claws and teeth, horns, antlers, tusks, fast speed, huge strength etc.

* The Supreme Court took its level with Marbury v. Madison. It went from being the least powerful branch of the U.S. government to being able to nullify the actions of any of the other two (due to vagueness of the Constitution). Having a {{Chessmaster}} in John Marshall as a Chief Justice didn't hurt either.

* Aron Ralston, upon whom [[OneHundredAndTwentySevenHours 127 Hours]] is based. He spent three days with his arm trapped under a boulder, basically dying[[spoiler:, then chopped his own arm off and legged it]]. He survived, obviously. As Cracked.com puts it, he did not just cheat death, but then [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16497_7-people-who-cheated-death-then-kicked-it-in-balls.html kicked it in the balls]].

** Not ''entirely'' true. It grew into a Category 1 hurricane, hit Florida, weakened into a depression, and then crossed into the Gulf of Mexico... Two days later, it was a Category 5 '''monster''' that was roughly the size of Texas, [[OhCrap barreling straight for a many feet below sea level New Orleans...]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SLXYRJnYm0 Look for yourself.]]

** Not ''entirely'' true. It did grow into a Category 1 hurricane, hit Florida, weakened into a depression, and then crossed into the Gulf of Mexico... Two days later, it was a Category 5 '''monster''' that was roughly the size of Texas, [[OhCrap barreling straight for a many feet below sea level New Orleans...]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SLXYRJnYm0 Look for yourself.]]

* Aron Ralston, upon whom [[127Hours]] is based. He spent three days with his arm trapped under a boulder, basically dying[[spoiler:, then chopped his own arm off and legged it]]. He survived, obviously. As Cracked.com puts it, he did not just cheat death, but then [[http://www.cracked.com/article_16497_7-people-who-cheated-death-then-kicked-it-in-balls.html kicked it in the balls]].

* See: The History of Japan, 1850-1941.

* {{XKCD}} took a level in badass IRL when [[FoxTrot Bill Amend]] drew a guest comic for it. A well known, high profile artist drawing for YOUR webcomic gives you prestige +9000.

* America took a level during WorldWarTwo. Before the war, Denmark had a lager standing army then the USA. Then America [[NukeEm split the atom]], and from there, America became one of the two superpowers that would define the rest of the 20th century.