Line #123 Main/InnocuouslyImportantEpisode


1	->''"...I've been stuck in the Quantum Realm since ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and guess what, the events of that film contain the secret to solving this entire decade-spanning narrative arc! In other words, FUCK ALL Y'ALL WHO DIDN’T SEE MY MOVIE, UNNECESSARY FILLER MY TINY ASS"''
2	-->-- '''Creator/PaulRudd''', ''Film/AvengersEndgame: [[Website/TheEditingRoom The Abridged Script]]''
3
4	An episode or installment that seems to have [[{{Filler}} little importance]] to the main StoryArc-- until [[TheReveal a major revelation]] turns out to have great significance. Basically, it's a WhamEpisode that hides its nature as one from the audience at first. It could be that TheStinger reveals the GreaterScopeVillain was [[TheManBehindTheMan involved behind the scenes]], or that a random trinket the hero picks up turns out six months later is what can unlock the SealedEvilInACan.
5
6	ChekhovsGun and [[ThisIndexWillBeImportantLater related tools]] are typically included, but what really makes this trope is that telegraphing is avoided or downplayed. In a HalfArcSeason an episode presents itself as a standalone encounter. There is minimal-to-no moves to suggest to the viewers that what they just witnessed will have any major ramifications, and it becomes more apparent when the audience [[RewatchBonus rewatches the episode]] after the consequences are known that this development was being laid down early. With that in mind, this trope can sometimes be the result of ArcWelding, where a story arc [[WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants is created retroactively]] from concepts present in prior, isolated episodes.
7
8	Some examples of JumpingTheShark and FranchiseOriginalSin demonstrate the negative aspect of this trope (minus creators' intention) in which an episode or gimmick that at first appears silly but harmless turns out to be an indicator of future problems with the work.
9
10	Contrast WhamEpisode, where the importance of the events to the overarching story is ''immediately'' made clear. Compare NotSoEpisodic for when multiple early episodes turn out to be more important than they first seemed. Also compare SmallRoleBigImpact when a character leaves a big impression despite little direct involvement.
11
12	The examples, naturally, contain '''''Major Spoilers.'''''
13
14	----
15	!!Example subpages:
16
17	[[index]]
18	* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode/AnimeAndManga
19	* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode/LiveActionTV
20	* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode/VideoGames
21	* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode/WesternAnimation
22	[[/index]]
23
24	!!Other examples:
25	[[foldercontrol]]
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29	%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new entries in the appropriate alphabetical order.
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33
34	[[folder:Comic Books]]
35	* ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel\|MarvelComics}}'': Issue #34 is the first appearance of Nitro, whom Mar-Vell and Rick Jones foil from stealing a nerve gas called Compound 13. The gas canister is ruptured in the explosion, but Mar-Vell seals it again. Everything all right? Wrong. [[spoiler:The gas turns out to be cancerous, which leads to Mar-Vell's terminal illness in ''The Death of Captain Marvel''.]] Nitro himself would also turn out to be important when he sets up the entire plot of ''ComicBook/CivilWar2006''.
36	* ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'': The story "The Corpse" appears to be a one-off adventure where Hellboy rescues a baby from faeries. The baby would [[MayflyDecemberRomance grow up]] to be Hellboy's LoveInterest and one of the faeries, Gruagach, would swear revenge and eventually kickstart Ragna Rok [[spoiler:which leads to Hellboy's death]].
37	* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': Issues #166-168 from the 1970s feature the League swapping bodies with the Secret Society of Super-Villains. No real significance at the time, but the 2000s mini-series ''ComicBook/IdentityCrisis2004'' revealed that this incident led the League to start wiping villains' memories (including Doctor Light, whose personality change significantly altered the character), and brought about severe distrust issues among the members of the League which culminated in the group's downfall.
38	* ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'': ''ComicBook/TheFlash'' #134 is a self-contained Jay Garrick story released between two major story arcs. It also marks the first appearance of Jakeem Thunder in a [[MeaningfulBackgroundEvent blink and you'll miss it]] panel where Jay accidentally gives him the pen containing Johnny Thunder's [[GenieInABottle Thunderbolt]].
39	* Creator/GrantMorrison's ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiersOfVictory2005'' series consists of seven miniseries that all initially seem to be telling different stories, but ultimately overlap. Also, the Leviathan, a monster made up of hundreds of feral kids that appears in one issue of the ''ComicBook/{{Klarion\|TheWitchBoy}}'' mini-series, later turns up in ''[[ComicBook/BatmanGrantMorrison Batman Incorporated]]'' as a sinister organization.
40	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'':
41	** The ''ComicBook/SecretWars1984'' crossover contains a small subplot where Spider-Man's costume is damaged and he needs to get a new one. He finds a neat black costume that enhances his powers and looks a bit like the newly-introduced Julia Carpenter's. Just an excuse to get the character a new look, right? Well, yes, until later when the black look proved unpopular and the writers needed to walk back on that decision, which they chose to do by revealing that the black costume was alive and making it a significant member of Spidey's rogues gallery as ComicBook/{{Venom}}.
42	** The ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott'' arc "I Killed Tomorrow" is a fast-paced, fun beat-the-clock arc rife with humour and energy. The two-issue arc deals with Grady Scraps' invention of a Time Door that allows for travel to and from the future, and neatly wraps itself up at the end. It plays like a "breather arc" in the period between the intensity of ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland'' and the epic sprawl of ComicBook/EndsOfTheEarth'. Flash forward to the ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' arc "Necessary Evil", and it turns out this Time Door [[spoiler:is the passage through which Miguel O'Hara, ComicBook/SpiderMan2099, comes to the present day and is subsequently stranded here]].
43	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
44	** The 1991 ''ComicBook/Armageddon2001'' Crossover had a bunch of tie-ins that occurred in that summer's annuals. Most of the annuals had standalone stories that did not affect their main books, but the ''Superman'' annual for that year ended up foreshadowing key events in the Super-books, such as Superman deciding to finally take down Intergang once and for all which happened later that year, and Superman leading the rest of the DC heroes against Brainiac's invasion of Earth in the "Panic in the Sky" story arc which happened a year later.
45	** The 9th issue of [[ComicBook/ActionComicsNew52 Grant Morrison's run]] on ''ComicBook/ActionComics'', sandwiched between "Superman Versus Brainiac, Fuck Yeah" and "Superman Versus Captain Comet (While ComicBook/{{Batman}} Chuckles At His Secret Identity Problems)" was an interlude involving parallel universes, a CorruptCorporateExecutive who creates a machine of incredible power allowing a monster to enter his world, and a black version of Superman who is the president of his America. [[spoiler:The monster, Superdoom, comes to fight the main universe Superman in issues 17 and 18. It also turns out that the machine's creation is the result of events in ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity''.]]
46	* ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}'': Spider Jerusalem goes looking at the Reservations! Creator/WarrenEllis gets to write social science fiction! Too bad Spider gets exposed to the substance that leads to his debilitating brain condition...
47	* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': Issue 45 is presented as another detour to meet the Necrobot and wouldn't have a larger impact on the story. The Necrobot's home ultimately becomes the setting of the season finale and plays a major role in the rest of the series onward.
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Fan Works]]
51	* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'': "The Wedding Reception" proves to be the catalyst for shipping Bolt and Mittens in a later fanfic. Made clear in "The Ship," where this earlier story's [[DanceOfRomance dance between the two characters]] is referenced as an establishing factor for Mittens’s growing attraction to Bolt.
52	* ''Fanfic/TheNewAdventuresOfInvaderZim'':
53	** Episode 5 seems like just another case of "Dib tries to find an edge on Zim and suffers EpicFail" like so many in canon. However, his actions cause the senior Swollen Eyeball agents to decide in the following episode to assign Steve and Viera to help him, thus significantly changing the status quo.
54	** Episode 8 is just filler about Viera and Gaz coming to blows (ultimately literally) due to clashing personalities. But Gaz maintains a serious grudge over this, to the point that come Episode 19 she [[spoiler: uses a [[MyCard phone number]] Norlock left her ([[ChekhovsGun also in Episode 8]]) to tell him and Zim where to find [[LostSuperweapon Project Domination]]]] just for a shot at payback.
55	* ''Self-Discipline'' from ''Fanfic/YoungJusticeDarknessFalls''. The A plot is about the team investigating The Penguin. However, their investigation shows that Intergang is essentially destroyed due to Apokolips cutting off their supplies, and meanwhile on ComicBook/WarWorld, Desaad makes one request to Vandal Savage: None of the metahumans are to be harmed. Both these things would hold great significance down the line for villains and heroes alike.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Film — Live Action]]
59	* The ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' does this frequently, as several of the "smaller-scale" films will still include elements that tie into future arcs:
60	** ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' is far from one of the critical entries in the series, but TheStinger reveals that the MacGuffin of the film, the Aether, is actually a relic called an Infinity Stone; and so is the Tesseract from prior films. This was when the audience first realized that the whole franchise had an interconnected MythArc based on ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'' storyline (although ComicBook/{{Thanos}} appearing during TheStinger of ''Film/{{The Avengers\|2012}}'' at least set the stage for his involvement and he is most frequently connected to the Infinity Gauntlet). The death of [[spoiler:Frigga]] also had an unexpectedly large effect on Thor's and Loki's character arcs, with it being the first major loss of several for Thor that would cause him to develop a guilt complex by ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' and the start of the path to a HeelFaceTurn for Loki. Even more important after [[spoiler: Thor and Rocket travel back in time to the events of this film in search of the Reality Stone]] in ''Film/AvengersEndgame''.
61	** The ''ComicBook/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' films initially seem like {{Bizarro Episode}}s far-removed from most of the things going on in the rest of the MCU, but a lot of what happens in them ties in directly to the overall MythArc; especially the discovery of the Power Stone and the full explanation of the Infinity Stones in general, and Thanos' relation to two of the main characters, Gamora and Nebula. It all becomes crucial viewing by the time ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' and ''[[Film/AvengersEndgame Endgame]]'' roll around.
62	*** The first film also acts as the first real introduction to the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which up until then hadn't been explored much outside of the occasional glimpse of things happening beyond Earth, and would become more important to the overall plot as the franchise progressed.
63	** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' may seem like a VillainOfTheWeek episode at first, but the events of the film have serious repercussions for the MCU, to the point of having a ripple effect (it is the catalyst for virtually everything that makes up the "Phase 3" slate in some form or another). The casualties resulting from the fight in Sokovia leads to the Sokovia Accords being established and the Avengers [[BreakingTheFellowship splitting up]] in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', and the main antagonist of that film [[spoiler:lost his family in the battle at the end of ''Ultron'' and wants revenge]]. By the time ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'' starts, the heroes are still divided, which WordOfGod says [[TheBadGuyWins is why Thanos won]]. Even in more self-contained films like ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' and ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'', and television shows like ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'', the Accords have an impact. Lastly, ''Age of Ultron'' is also the point where the original team disbands and Cap's Avengers team takes over. It isn't until ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' that [[PuttingTheBandBackTogether the band truly gets back together]].
64	** ''Film/DoctorStrange2016'' is like ''Thor: The Dark World'' in that it has little to do with the rest of the MCU until the very end, where Wong mentions that the Eye of Agamotto holds an Infinity Stone (thereby connecting it to the now-established MythArc).
65	** While ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'' is for the most part a self-contained [[BreatherEpisode palate cleanser]] after the events of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', this movie was stated as "the most connected" to ''Film/AvengersEndgame''. The entire plot of ''Endgame'' gets started when Scott comes to the Avengers and explains how the Quantum Realm could potentially fix the problems Thanos caused in ''Infinity War''.
66	** ''Film/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'' has a scene where Wong and the Abomination appear as [[TheCameo cameos]], revealing they are involved in underground cage matches. While irrelevant to the plot of ''Shang-Chi'', it becomes relevant to ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'', where Jennifer Walters ends up representing the Abomination at his parole hearing and ends up coming across footage of the matches, leading to her to contact Wong in order for him to explain his actions to the parole board.
67	* ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'' at first feels a lot smaller in scope compared to previous films, which deal with a galaxy spanning conflict against TheEmpire while this film is concerned with an invasion of a single planet. But this film involves the discovery of Anakin Skywalker and his induction into the Jedi Order while also showing a political shift in TheRepublic that allows Senator Palpatine to ascend to become Chancellor of the Galactic Senate, both of which are [[ForegoneConclusion known to fans as being Darth Vader and the Emperor]] of the original trilogy. ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' reveals that the MegaCorp villains of the first film became the financial backer of the Separatist movement, instigating The Clone Wars which was previously a CrypticBackgroundReference.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Literature]]
71	* The eighth ''Literature/AlexRider'' book, ''Crocodile Tears'', is largely a BreatherEpisode. However, it does establish that there has recently been a general election which resulted in a new government being voted in. At the time, this just seems to be a way of inconveniencing [=MI6=], as the new Prime Minister isn't aware of who Alex is and Blunt has to struggle to get Alex's warnings about the BigBad to be taken seriously. However, the Prime Minister's obvious discomfort with the idea of a minor working as a spy has a big payoff at the beginning of the next book,[[note]]which was originally intended to be the series' GrandFinale until author Anthony Horowitz had a change of heart several years later and decided to revive the series[[/note]] where he has forbidden Blunt from using Alex again and decided to have him retired as head of [=MI6=].
72	* ''Literature/BridgeOfBirds'': Every seeming WackyWaysideTribe turns out to be this by the end.
73	* ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'' at first glance seems to have no effect on the overall plot of the ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' series. However, it thoroughly establishes the Calormenes, a throwaway reference in ''Literature/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'', as the EvilEmpire; and it contains a chilling Foreshadowing of how the Calormenes will figure in ''Literature/TheLastBattle'': "On this venture you are to regard every drop of Narnian blood as more precious than a gallon of your own. ''On this venture, I say.'' The gods will send us a happier hour...."
74	* In the ''Literature/DirkGently'' series, Dirk's "holistic" philosophy isn't wrong in the context of the books — even the aside jokes are relevant later on.
75	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
76	** Book three, ''Literature/GravePeril'', has serious implications reaching all the way out until ''Literature/{{Changes}}''. (And likely beyond, as books continue to be released. WordOfGod says that all the guests at that little party will be seen again.)
77	** Going back to the ''first'' book, ''Literature/{{Storm Front\|DresdenFiles}}'', [[spoiler:the ritual used by Victor Sells is the same one the Red Court wants to aim at Harry in ''Changes'', the twelfth book]].
78	* ''Franchise/HarryPotter'':
79	** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'' set up ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'' seven years in advance. It set up the concepts of Horcruxes through [[spoiler: Riddle's diary]], it introduced the four Hogwarts founders and established Voldemort's connection to the Slytherin bloodline, the basilisk fang from the Chamber would later be used [[spoiler: to destroy two of the Horcruxes]], and the idea that Voldemort inadvertently passed some of his abilities to Harry would prove to be ''major'' {{foreshadowing}} for the revelation that [[spoiler: Harry was an accidental Horcrux]]. It introduced Ron's sister Ginny (who would become Harry's primary love interest by ''Half-Blood Prince''), and the concept of [[FantasticRacism "blood purity" and Pureblood supremacy]] would become major lynchpins of the mythos by the end. And in one scene, Nearly Headless Nick convinces Peeves to destroy a cabinet to distract Filch for Harry; the broken cabinet becomes a major plot point in ''Half-Blood Prince''. Not bad for a work that at first glance looks like a book-long WackyWaysideTribe.
80	* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxyTrilogy'' sets up a few of them, mostly in [[Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1 the first book]]. A person is mentioned in the prologue and then dismissed with "but this is not her story"; the same prologue is used in [[Literature/SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish the fourth book]], only now it ''is'' her story (as well as Arthur's). Then there's Arthur's first encounter with Vogons, in which he says [[spoiler:that he wished he had a daughter so he could forbid her to marry one. [[Literature/MostlyHarmless Four books later]], he ''does'' have a daughter, and she's quite rebellious--though she and the sympathetic Vogon character introduced in the sixth book never actually meet]]. Finally, there's that bit about the bowl of petunias thinking "Oh no, not again", and the book says that if we knew why it was thinking that, we might know a lot more about the universe than we do now. We find out the answer in [[Literature/LifeTheUniverseAndEverything the third book]]. Notably, Douglas Adams was making it up as he went along, and would deliberately leave threads like these dangling with no idea of what, if anything, he was going to do with them. So when he did tie up a loose end, it was as much a surprise to him as to the rest of us. Another example is the implication from Arthur's encounter with Agrajag in ''Life, The Universe and Everything'' that [[spoiler:Arthur cannot die until he's been to Stavromula Beta]], which doesn't even seem to occur to Adams until two books later, when he has to construct a kind of ShaggyDogStory (and an incredibly lame pun) to wrap up a loose end he hadn't even acknowledged previously.
81	* ''Literature/JuniorJediKnights:'' The series has fairly low stakes, but it also introduces Tahiri Veila and sets the stage for her ChildhoodFriendRomance with Anakin, which plays a big role in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' books and beyond.
82	* At the start of the "Riddles in the Dark" chapter of ''Literature/TheHobbit'', Bilbo picks up a ring. The narration does call attention to this moment, but at the time it seems like that's only because the ring allowed him to become invisible (a useful ability when Bilbo's stated role is "burglar"). Fast forward to ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', and we discover that Bilbo picking up the ring was literally the most important moment in the entire novel. It turns out that Bilbo didn't find just any magic ring. He found the One Ring to Rule them All, perhaps fiction's best-known ArtifactOfDoom. Interestingly, when ''The Hobbit'' was written, Tolkien did not intend for the moment to be as significant as it was. In later editions, he [[OrwellianRetcon went back and changed]] some of the details of Bilbo finding the ring, with the Watsonian explanation that the original version was a lie that Bilbo told to Gandalf and the dwarves due to the Ring's influence.
83	* The prologue to ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'' is like this to the entire ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' series. The prologue to ''Literature/AFeastForCrows'' serves the same function within that book, setting up plot that doesn't truly get put into motion until the last chapter, some 900 pages later.
84	* The ''Literature/WarriorCats'' novel ''Dark River'' is one of these. At first it seems to be an interesting romp based on forbidden love, but looking back on it with ''Omen of the Stars'' completed and ''Dawn of the Clans'' coming soon it's one of the most important books in the series. It introduces the Ancients (the shared root of the Tribe and the Clans), Rock (who is revealed in ''The Last Hope'' as [[spoiler:the cat who gave [=StarClan=] the prophecies]]), Dark Forest cats entering the real world, and the Tunnels (a massive ChekhovsGun).
85	* Of all the short stories in ''Literature/TheLastWish'', "A Question of Price" is by far the most important one in retrospect after reading the rest of ''Franchise/TheWitcher'' saga. On its own, it's just a surprisingly lighthearted romance where a princess undoes the curse of her true love and it ends with their wedding. Their daughter Ciri becomes a major character in the saga and Pavetta's mysterious powers are a major plot point. Finally, [[spoiler: Duny turns out to be a lot more than what he seemed...]]
86	* Two ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' short stories, ''The Bronze Dragon'' and ''The Sword of Hades'', were included in a spin-off book titled ''The Demigod Files'' published before the fifth and final book in the original series. While the short stories have virtually no influence on the story of the original series, they have a ''massive'' impact on the sequel series ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'': particularly, the eponymous bronze dragon becomes the heroes’ main form of transport in the sequel series, [[spoiler: and a [[HeelFaceTurn reformed titan]] from ''The Sword of Hades'' is vital in helping Percy and Annabeth survive the depths of Tartarus.]]
87	* In ''Literature/ATaleOfTwoCities'' there is an early chapter that concerns a young lad observing a grave robbing. It's very atmospheric but has no connection to the plot whatsoever -- until a few hundred pages later when it is absolutely vital. Considering Creator/CharlesDickens wrote his books as serials, that's some top quality plotting right there.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Multiple Media]]
91	* The entire Bohrok-Kal arc of ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'' from the first half of 2003 is often dismissed as {{filler}}, because it only existed so that Toys/{{LEGO}} could sell {{palette swap}}s of the previous year's toys to fill out their release schedule before the DirectToVideo movie ''Mask of Light'' and its companion toy line. But its media provided opportunity to expand on the story, introduce things that had to be left out from earlier years and set up later events.
92	** The Mask of Time, which was actually the first mask designed for the franchise, was supposed to have a role in a scrapped 2001 video game. It was thus squeezed into the 2003 story and released as a promo-item, setting up not only its significance in the 2004 arc but also the concept of the Legendary Masks that would be important post-2006.
93	** This was the first time the six Turaga received development after being on the sidelines for two years, setting up the 2004-05 Metru Nui arc that focused on the Turaga's past lives as former Toa heroes. The Rahi Nui beast and the idea that there could be more Toa than just the main six were also introduced here, in preparation for the massive universe expansion in the following years. More importantly, it was the first time the franchise openly acknowledged the shadiness and secrecy of the Turaga, and began its lasting tradition of unveiling mysteries and challenging the characters' (and thus fans') understanding of the world.
94	** The Bahrag queens' cage was discovered after their defeat in the previous arc. This was followed up on when they had to be let loose four years later.
95	** As the Toa Nuva team lost their protagonist status for the following four years after the ''Mask of Light'' film, the Kal arc allowed the writers to flesh them out better.
96	** Some significant items however don't count as examples. Despite the main driving forces of the Kal story being the stolen Nuva Symbols (without which the Toa Nuva lost their ElementalPowers) and the [[GottaCatchThemAll hunt for the 36 Nuva masks]], these were completely forgotten after 2003. It was the other artifacts and the developments that unfolded ''around'' these plot points that became important later.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
100	* In the Attitude Era, it was told that [[Wrestling/VinceMcMahon each of]] [[Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon the]] [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon four]] [=McMahon=] family members owned one quarter of the WWF. And then came [[WhamEpisode 2001]]. Linda's loss of the WWF stock to Vince during her breakdown, combined with Shane and Stephanie's selling of their stock to purchase Wrestling/{{WCW}} and Wrestling/{{ECW}} during the Invasion, set up the Brand Extension and the return to the WWF of Vince [=McMahon=]'s new business partner and co-owner: [[spoiler:Wrestling/RicFlair]].
101	* Who would have imagined that news of a host of Wrestling/WrestleMania 27 would bring not [[PeripheryHatedom horrors]] of Music/JustinBieber, [[spoiler:but the return of the Rock after seven years and his year-long feud with Wrestling/JohnCena at Wrestling/WrestleMania 28]]?
102	* Wrestling/CMPunk's pipebomb would not only elevate him into a true main-eventer, but would also set up the debut of "douchebag yesman" Wrestling/JohnLaurinaitis[[note]][[RunningGag Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim/Permanent General Manger of Raw and Smackdown]][[/note]], plus the fact that he mentioned being a "Wrestling/PaulHeyman guy" would later come into play when [[spoiler:Heyman (also aligned with Wrestling/BrockLesnar) returned at Punk's side after beating up Wrestling/JohnCena (and the term "Paul Heyman guy" actually came into use)]].
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
106	* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'':
107	** The Mirrodin expansion had a villain named Memnarch, a golem driven mad by a weird, glistening oil. Memnarch was defeated, but the oil remained. It turned out to be Phyrexian oil, heralding the corruption of the plane of Mirrodin into New Phyrexia seven years later.
108	** For the first Hascon, Magic released a set of cards representing other Creator/{{Hasbro}} properties. One of these was for [[Franchise/{{Transformers}} Grimlock]]. One side was a Dinosaur (a then unused type), and it was three colors: red, green, and white. Since it's silver bordered (non-canon and not legal in official events), no one thought much of it. But a couple of months later, Ixalan was released, where Dinosaurs were a major theme, and they were in red, green, and white.
109	* The ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' core rulebook began with a story about mechanical angels serving the enigmatic [[DeusEstMachina God-Machine]]. While popular, this didn't seem important until ten years later, with the release of the second edition, the God-Machine Chronicle, and TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent, both of which involve the God-Machine heavily.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:WebOriginal]]
113	* ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'': Pretty much the entire Blood Gulch Chronicles qualifies as this. While these first five seasons were mostly played for comedy, Season 6 used some expert ArcWelding and made even the one-off jokes important. Some major examples include:
114	** Church's death in Season 1 was originally just a bizarre piece of paranormal humor, but it actually ended up being the main clue that lead to Washington realizing that [[spoiler: Church is the Alpha]].
115	** The Season 2 finale had a hilarious joke about both Reds and Blues having the same contact. This is eventually revealed to be because [[spoiler: the Reds and Blues were just used as Freelancer target practice]].
116	** One of the biggest instances of this was Season 3's "Let's Get Together", which contained a random joke about there being only forty-nine states and UsefulNotes/{{Florida}} not existing for some reason. Season 10 reveals that this is because [[spoiler: the Director sunk Florida so that no one would notice the disappearance of Agent Florida, also known as Captain Butch Flowers]].
117	** Tucker's "quest" in Season 4 actually played an important role in the Chorus Trilogy, as his connection to the aliens helps the people of Chorus gain an upper hand.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Webcomics]]
121	* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': A griffon showed up as a [[http://egscomics.com/index.php?id=1732 two-panel joke]] in a comic from 2013, where it's an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome alongside a bunch of in-story {{Flashback}}s. Two years later, it turns out that the griffon actually ''was'' [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2015-08-26-2 pretty noteworthy]].
122	* ''Webcomic/EnnuiGo'' has a knack for taking what initially seem to be one-off joke comics and revealing that they're actually plot relevant. One such example is [[https://ennuigo.thecomicseries.com/comics/634#content-start "Vacation Destination"]]; what looks like a humorous information video parody at first turned out to be foreshadowing for both [[ArcVillain Captain Orca's]] motives and a major overarching plot point in Part Two.
123	* In ''Webcomic/GeneralProtectionFault'', a brief Year 1 storyline involved Nick and Ki joking about taking over the world using their Internet skills. In the mega-arc "To Thine Own Self" years later, it's revealed that in an AlternateUniverse, that universe's Nick and Ki actually were serious at the time and successfully carried out their plan, resulting in Emperor Nicholas becoming a major antagonist in the series.
124	* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' seems to be using this heavily, as several chapters, characters and plot points that seemed to have nothing to do with the overall MythArc at the time (particularly [[spoiler:Aly's transformation]] in [[Recap/GunnerkriggCourtChapter13AWeekForKat "A Week for Kat"]]) have taken on greater importance later, especially after the events of [[Recap/GunnerkriggCourtChapter20CoyoteStories Chapter 20]]. Even the [[Recap/GunnerkriggCourtChapter2SchoolyardMyths second chapter]], which looks like {{filler}}, contained set-up for what [[WordOfGod is now confirmed]] to be an AbortedArc.
125	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'''s intermission at first seems to be a completely unrelated, silly tangent that has no bearing whatsoever on the plot. Of course, ''everything'' in Homestuck is plot-relevant, and said intermission turned out to have a big impact on [[spoiler:the trolls' session, especially after the [=EOA5=] flash when Spades Slick kills Snowman and destroys their universe. In fact, the Intermission includes the first mention of the comic's eventual BigBad]]. For some, as much as ''the first three acts'' could be considered this, appearing to be nothing more than a bunch of pointless gags, but in actuality setting up a ''lot'' for later on such as [[spoiler:the bunny John receives as a birthday present, which ends up becoming incredibly powerful, reaching the hands of a villain, and in doing so causes at least half of the terrible things that happen during the kids' and trolls' sessions]].
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Context Main / InnocuouslyImportantEpisode