Line #7 PlayingWith/TheAce


1	'''Basic Trope''': A character who is effortlessly good at something.
2	* '''Straight''': Adam [=McAwesome=] is a SchoolIdol who is good looking enough to work as a model as his side job and is surrounded adoring fan girls and [[EvenTheGuysWantHim guys]] wherever he goes. He is also the top of his class (if not his entire school) in every single subject without having to study, is athletic enough to go toe-to-toe with professional players even though he's not a part of any athletic team (and therefore is not involved in their practices), and is a NiceGuy to boot.
3	* '''Exaggerated''': Adam [=McAwesome=] is physically perfect, has a {{leitmotif}} that sounds like a national anthem on steroids and a [[TwinkleSmile perfectly glinting set of teeth]]. He enters the scene to [[TheCavalry save the main characters]] from the BigBad's DeathTrap and absconds with TheBaroness (who [[ThePornomancer has instantly]] [[HighHeelFaceTurn fallen for him]]) after suplexing the villain's [[OneManArmy entire supply]] of EliteMook bodyguards all at once [[MadeOfExplodium so they explode]]. As Adam [[RidingIntoTheSunset rides off into the sunset]] he delivers a final and epic KirkSummation that leaves everyone present swooning after him.
4	* '''Downplayed''': Adam is a twelve-year-old who's widely regarded as extremely cool. Unlike his peers, he has no zits or braces, and he's got [[PuppyLove a girlfriend]] and good grades. He even has a job as junior coach of the Pee-Wee Teeball Team. He also wears CoolShades and gets a ride to school on his dad's CoolBike. However, aside from the teachers all being friendly to him, it's obvious that no adult gets that he's ''totally cool''.
5	* '''Justified''': The RuleOfCool and RuleOfFunny are actual rules of physics in the show, and Adam knows how to exploit it.
6	* '''Inverted''':
7	** The SociopathicHero. Adam still 'wins' constantly, but it's through being a bigger evil {{Jerkass}} than everyone else than being more heroic.
8	** Adam is a RidiculouslyAverageGuy who does not excel at anything.
9	** Adam is a ButtMonkey who is bad at everything he tries.
10	* '''Subverted''': [[BrokenAce Adam is shown to have some telling character flaws that give him areas where he is inferior to the protagonists.]]
11	* '''Double Subverted''': But these flaws are [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} comedic and non-serious]] and [[BunnyEarsLawyer have no impact on his ability to save the day]].
12	* '''Parodied''': ??? %% Note that while this trope is, by definition, a parody of the MartyStu, parodies of parodies are permissible.
13	* '''Zig Zagged''': Adam shows up and heroically rescues the cast in a dramatic over-the-top fashion, only to reveal after the fact that he was really scared crapless of the whole ordeal and only acted that way to one-up the villain. He then leaves the rest of the cast to their ordeals, stating that his heart won't take much more... Then, the moment the heroes are out of sight, Adam immediately leaps off to save someone else in a similar fashion. He only acts weak and insecure after the fact because he doesn't want the rest of the cast to feel inferior and unnecessary.
14	* '''Averted''': There's no Ace in the cast. The heroes are the most heroic people around.
15	* '''Enforced''': The writers respond to accusations by their audience that their characters 'aren't heroic enough' by adding a character who overcompensates and then some.
16	* '''Lampshaded''':
17	** "What a guy!" Swoon
18	** "[[GreenEyedMonster Who does that guy think he is anyway?]] He's too damn perfect, [[BreakingTheFourthWall and the fans are giving him more attention!]]"
19	* '''Invoked''': Adam was born a normal person, but takes special drugs or BioAugmentation to make himself smarter, stronger, more handsome, and generally better than everyone else.
20	* '''Exploited''': The heroes ''know'' that Adam is better at them at everything, so whenever he shows up, they pack it and leave to save resources.
21	* '''Defied''': The heroes chase off TheAce before he starts making them look bad (i.e. immediately after showing up).
22	* '''Discussed''': "Is this guy for real?" "You tell me; I'd hate to think of what we're in for if he turns out to be a deranged hallucination."
23	* '''Conversed''': "This show can't expect me to take someone that perfect seriously."
24	* '''Deconstructed''':
25	** Adam regularly has to deal with ThePerilsOfBeingTheBest.
26	** Adam turns out to be a BrokenAce: The perfection is only a facade used to compensate for and hide the emptiness and crippling mental issues inside.
27	** Adam is a {{Telepath\|y}}ic MasterOfIllusion who uses his powers to create a "perfect" image of himself in order to hide the fact that he's an [[{{Gonk}} incredibly ugly]] [[SelfDeprecation loser with huge self-esteem issues]].
28	** ... [[EvilAllAlong Or]] the BigBad, [[CutLexLuthorACheck using his incredible power to win the trust of the land and conquer the world without being]] ObviouslyEvil about it.
29	** Due to Adam outperforming [[TheHero Bob]], he feels [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter worthless]] and believes that he [[HeroicSelfDeprecation shouldn't be the main character]]. Bob's TrueCompanions became hostile to Adam for [[TallPoppySyndrome stripping away Bob's self-confidence]].
30	** Since Adam is so much better than his peers, they stop trying, leaving Adam to pick up their slack. Eventually, Adam burns out and his performance suffers or he abandons them.
31	** The crown is heavy, and Adam must keep training/studying to stay perfect, without showing how much pressure he's under.
32	** Being the Ace makes Adam decide that [[IWorkAlone he works better alone]] -- and he gets overwhelmed by opponents who are individually not as skilled but capable of working together.
33	* '''Reconstructed''':
34	** After getting therapy that cures the mental issues, Adam is back at work saving the day with his mind cleared of pesky distractions.
35	** Adam decides to do away with the illusions, puts himself through TrainingFromHell, gets a makeover and starts living up to his idealized self-image.
36	** Adam ends up BecomingTheMask and pulls a HeelFaceTurn, becoming TheGoodKing.
37	** Adam befriends Bob and tries to make Bob [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre feel more confident about his abilities and talents]].
38	* '''Played For Drama''': BrokenAce again.
39	----
40	Return to TheAce here. Adam could, of course, burst in there heroically and do it for you, but is that really worth the risk that he'll end up accidentally seducing your girlfriend/boyfriend/you in the process?
41	----
42	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
43	%%
44	%%* '''Implied''': ???

Context PlayingWith / TheAce