->'''[[Film/{{Casablanca}} Rick Blaine]]:''' Fingal, it's up to you.\\
'''Aram Fingal:''' It's okay, buddy. I can handle it.\\
'''Crow T. Robot:''' And just what is the "it" which is to him "up" and which he can perhaps "handle"?
-->-- ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E22OverdrawnAtTheMemoryBank Overdrawn at the Memory Bank]]"

The lead has been captured by the bad guys and imprisoned, drugged or otherwise immobilized. The {{Sidekick}} and/or PluckyComicRelief are forced to step up, apply what they learned from their hero, and pull his hiney out of the fire.

Don't worry, once the main character has been rescued, [[SidekickGlassCeiling the sidekicks will return to their standard incompetent, moronic form]], leaving you to wonder if perhaps the main character shouldn't trade up.

On the flip side, when the allies of the hero truly show they're worthy of being in the [[BandOfBrothers group]], you can have a LetsGetDangerous moment.

A common plot of {{filler}} episodes, especially those of the ADayInTheLimelight variety. A side-effect of ItsUpToYou. See also PlanBResolution if the one it's all up to wasn't the first choice. DieHardOnAnX is this when a location is taken over by antagonists and (usually) only one person is able to stop them. Contrast ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself, when other people ''could'' do it, but choose to let the protagonist handle it.
----
!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Anime/{{Charlotte}}'': Subverted in episode 11. Due to extensive Black Mail, Yuu is tasked with stopping the rogue ability user group by himself with Shunsuke's group nearby to assist if needed. Unfortunately one of their members attacks him to prevent him from using his abilities properly. Though he nominally stops them after unconsciously triggering the "collapse" ability, Kumagami, one of the hostages, is killed shielding Nao from the falling debris. Shunsuke's group was also unfortunately unable to assist as Yuu used that ability rather quickly due to being stabbed by the girl attacking him, and they were wondering why he hadn't used the time-leap ability yet.
* In the Dark Masters arc of ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'', everyone but 8-year-old Takeru and Hikari (or T.K. and Kari as they're known in the U.S.) along with Angemon are captured and turned into keychains. The last older kid standing, Sora, makes T.K. promise to protect Kari, and gives him the keychain of his brother, Yamato (Matt), in hopes of giving the little boy the strength he needed to fight [[BigBad Piedmon.]] (Naturally, it ''does'') To be fair, this is ''Digimon'', specially ''the digital world'', where a person's beliefs can directly effect how great or weak a power they can manifest in that world. So having a symbolic link to his brother helped to give T.K. the emotional fortitude he needed to get Angemon to digivolve. And take on the villain.
* There's an interesting example in ''Manga/DNAngel'', where instead of the {{Sidekick}} having to save TheHero, a boy has to save his alter-ego. When Dark is trapped in a dream world by Satoshi, Daisuke (the mostly [[OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent normal boy]] that just happens to turn ''into'' Dark) has to enter it and save him.
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'':
** Frequently, the plot tries to push Goku out of the hero position and give the spotlight to Gohan and later Goten and Trunks. Goku almost always needs to come and save everyone in the end anyway.
** When Goku is too injured from his fight against Vegeta to continue, it is up to Krillin, Gohan, and Yajirobe to stop the Saiyan.
-->'''[[WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged Krillin]]:''' Holy crap! So ''this'' is what it feels like to be important!
** Later, Krillin and Gohan and Bulma have to go to Namek and look for the Dragon Balls while Goku is in the hospital recovering. It doesn't go very well.
** During the Cell Saga, Goku can't defeat Cell (and later ends up killing himself in a HeroicSacrifice), thus [[InvokedTrope forcing this trope]] on his son Gohan.
** When Goku comes back for the Buu Saga, he does the same thing again, giving up his chance to defeat Buu so that Goten and Trunks can do it instead. It doesn't work, and Goku has to come back to help yet again.
* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'', the last segments of the final battle has [[spoiler:Pucci obtaining Made In Heaven and utilizing it to [[RestartTheWorld reset the universe]] while killing Anasui, Ermes, and Jotaro in quick succession. Jolyne, heavily wounded, uses her remaining strength to get Emporio to safety while passing Weather Report's BequeathedPower, telling him that he's their only hope before sacrificing herself. It would later take a HeroicSecondWind for Emporio to defeat Pucci]].
* ''Anime/KanColle'': When the last Abyssal carrier shows up in episode 12, Fubuki is certain that's the last one they have to defeat. Sure enough, it's the same one she ran into back in episode 7, as the carrier is still missing an eye, and Nagato orders her to take it out, with Kongou as her only escort. This is made a little more jarring by the fact that just moments before, she ordered another group of girls to take out the previous carrier, and now she doesn't just order them to fire a few salvos at the third carrier.
* ''Literature/MagikaSwordsmanAndSummoner'': In Volume 14, Kazuki Hayashizaki has to face off against Lucifer alone to win Ragnarok and stop his plans for good.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': During the Dressrosa arc, Usopp is the only one left who can defeat Sugar and break the spell on all the humans-turned-toys. Unfortunately, that much pressure causes him to run away but the Tontattas repeating his lies of his greatness forces him to go back, admit the truth, and then try his damnedest to win against Sugar. He does, albeit accidentally, and Doflamingo gives him the highest bounty of the alliance.
* ''Anime/WolfsRain'': By way of being TheChosenOne, Kiba is the only one who can find the Flower Maiden.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''Franchise/TheDCU'':
** ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': This happens so often to ComicBook/{{Robin}} that when Dick Grayson left to be ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}, Batman couldn't succeed without him (eventually necessitating Jason Todd and Tim Drake to step up).
** ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': This is the premise of ''Bart Saves the Universe''. After the time-travelling supervillain Extant tricks the Linear Men into messing up the timestream, Bart is the only one who can stop him since his nature as a Kid from the Future renders him a time anomaly who is unaffected by the Butterfly Effect Extant caused.
** ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiersOfVictory'': Good thing ComicBook/GreenArrow's sidekick Speedy picked up that time travel device, or else the entire team would have remained in the past at the siege of Troy, where Dr. Doome tried to trap them. Score one for the sidekick.
** In ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}: Adventures of ComicBook/{{Superman}}'', Superman has been ambushed and captured by a gang of Kryptonian criminals as travelling across the PhantomZone, and it's up to ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} to rescue him and get both of them out of the Zone before the dimensional portal shuts off.
** At the climax of ''ComicBook/TheGreatDarknessSaga'', Darkseid has defeated almost all of the [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Legionnaires]], and ComicBook/{{Superboy}} and Supergirl are the only ones who can still fight him. Then Superboy falls first, and Supergirl is the only who can keep fighting.
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'': At the end of the initial 4-issue intro, Shockwave arrived and killed all the Autobots, except for Ratchet who happened to be delivering Sparkplug to the hospital at the time. For several issues thereafter, Ratchet was entirely responsible for resisting the Decepticons, and even when he resurrected some of the other Autobots, he still served as leader until they could regain Optimus Prime's head.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* This happens several times in ''Fanfic/{{Ancienverse}}'':
** One by one, the rest of Team Ketchum leaves the battle against Seamus up to Ash.
** Seamus turns over the battle against Dalton solely to Ash after giving him an opening.
** Diantha does this for Ash when she chooses to save Serena and Clemont over herself, dying and leaving the battle to Ash.
* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': At the end of "The Apokolips Agenda", nearly all heroes have been defeated by Darkseid, including Superman. There's only Supergirl left to save them. Unfortunately, she's also beaten by the Dark Lord, but her last stand not only saves her cousin but also gives Orion - the only one who can kill Darkseid - enough time to recover and defeat his father.
* ''Fanfic/TheShroudedPath'': Midway through ''The Shrouded Path'', Terra is put into an enchanted sleep while Aqua has already been captured by the BigBad, leaving Ven without his two best friends as he returns to ''Franchise/SilentHill''.
* ''Fanfic/KaraOfRokyn'': In "Last Waltz with Luthor", Lex has managed to capture Superman. It's up to Kara to rally the Justice League, look for and rescue her cousin.
* ''Fanfic/{{Cinderjuice}}'': Lydia is, in BJ's words, usually "the brains of the operation". However, in ''The Bug Princess'', Lady Delphine explains that he's the only one who can bring her back from where she's been magically sent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMoonMonsterMadness'', Daphne fills the role of being the one who has to save the day at the film's climax.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsFriendshipGames'': Sunset tries to get Pony Twilight's advice on how to handle the magic situation but the latter doesn't respond back due to some offscreen time-travel shenanigans, leaving her to try and resolve the situation herself with the help of the Human Five.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/AsOne'' is a film about the North Korean and South Korean teams competing as a unified team for the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. The North Korean head coach, a stern taskmaster, says this to the South Korean coach (who is #2 on the unified team, and much more the easygoing type) after the head coach gets ejected for protesting some dubious referee calls.
* In ''Film/Constantine2005'', John's {{sidekick}} briefly takes a surprisingly heroic action, only to then be killed while he is monologuing.
%%* The plot of the recent ''Film/{{Thunderbirds}}'' movie.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', Batman was at the mercy of the Joker after the former refused to run down the latter, but then Commissioner Gordon (who was originally thought to have died by TakingTheBullet for the mayor) manages to save Batman from Joker and arrest him. This is later revealed to be all part of the plan.
* In ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'', [[spoiler:Merlin, Roxy and Eggsy]] ultimately decide to go at stopping Valentine by themselves upon finding out that [[spoiler:Arthur had sided with Valentine]]. Justified in that they don't know who else among the Kingsmen have been compromised and that there's too little time to risk finding out.
* In ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', Evie and Jonathan stay on the high ground to provide cover fire while Rick and Alex try to get past the bad guys. When Evie tells her brother, the quintessential screw-up, "Jonathan, that's my husband and son, make me proud." He responds, "Today's the day," with an impressive gun-cock.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* Fortune, the hero of ''Literature/{{Dragoncharm}}'' finds himself unchaperoned occasionally. Given that he's a magicless dragon in a world with quite a lot of magic dragons, being unchaperoned by his Charmed companions was definitely not in the original plan. In particular, a maze, [[spoiler: which turns out to be ''conscious'', deliberately splits him up from Cumber]]. He also finds himself alone for [[spoiler: a confrontation with Wraith]].
* In Creator/GarthNix's Literature/OldKingdom trilogy, prince Sameth is much more talented than anyone realizes, but has a self-deprecating view of his own abilities. However, when Lirael takes a couple of long-term journeys into Death, Sam has to protect her frozen, soulless body, giving him a whole chapter to come to terms with himself.
* Cassie from ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' has two books dedicated to this, ''The Departure'' and ''The Sickness''. In the latter, Ax is taken out by an Andalite illness that will require brain surgery in the near future, and everyone but Cassie picks up a non-fatal version. Naturally, this happens at the exact same time as a vital mission. Cassie has to single-handedly infiltrate the Yeerk pool to rescue an anti-invasion Yeerk, escape, and then immediately perform brain surgery on Ax. Brought home by the last line of the book:
-->'''Jake:''' Sometimes we do win. This time? This time, Cassie, ''you'' won.
* Neville Longbottom in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, especially [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows book 7]], proves himself quite capable of holding down the fort at Hogwarts, even when it looks like everything's going to hell. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD-Huwlg2kY "It's all up to you now, Ron."]]
* In Creator/JRRTolkien's ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the hero's sidekick, Sam Gamgee, continually demonstrates bravery, insight and loyalty exceeding that of the hero, Frodo. It's often joked about that if Sam had been chosen to bear the ring, the story would only be about 20 pages long. Of course, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yqVD0swvWU it could have been even shorter]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Alias}}'', Marshall, normally the MissionControl, was late to work, got locked out when the base went into lockdown, and consequently was the only one available to rescue Sydney, who had been exposed, captured, and BuriedAlive. Because she'd been exposed, he had to finish her mission even after he rescued her, which involved accidentally shooting a bad guy, then having to [[EyeScream gouge his eye out]] ''with a spork'' to [[BorrowedBiometricBypass use it in a retinal scanner]].
-->'''Marshall:''' Oh, oh, it's oozing, it's oozing everywhere, sir!\\
'''Jack:''' That means you've punctured the sclera. That eye is useless; move on to the next one.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** Several times, when Buffy is out of commission it is up to Xander Harris to save the day, despite having no special powers himself. Including but not limited to ''bringing Buffy back from the dead''. Twice.
** The most egregious case is probably "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E13TheZeppo The Zeppo]]", where everybody is so busy preventing the return of the SealedEvilInACan, that they overlook the more immediate threat of four zombie jocks (ItMakesSenseInContext) planning to blow up the school (incidentally killing the Scoobies and freeing said evil). Guess who's deemed too fragile to deal with the tentacled ancient evil, and ends up taking care of the bomb-making zombies, instead.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** The effectiveness of Rose Tyler appears to be almost exactly inversely proportional to her proximity to the Doctor -- especially notable when she near-singlehandedly ''saves the world'' at the end of season one... but in "The Christmas Invasion", which occurs less than twenty-four hours later, claims (and proves) to be completely useless on her own. This is, however, [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by the fact that at the end of series one, she [[spoiler:absorbed the time vortex, rendering her ''immensely'' powerful]], while in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2005CSTheChristmasInvasion The Christmas Invasion]]", that power is gone, she is completely on her own, and she doesn't really know what to do.
** Even more true in series 4 in that she A. warns the Doctor of the impending end of the universe B. sends Donna to the main dimension and C. kicks some Dalek can with her {{BFG}} all while having been trapped in an ''alternate dimension'' leading to several [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Crowning Moments of Awesome.]]
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink Blink]]" has the Doctor trapped in 1969, only being able to saved by ordinary girl Sally Sparrow. Indeed, the Doctor even tells her, "It's all up to you. Good luck."
* ''Series/KamenRiderWizard:'' In the final arc, [[SixthRanger Beast]] sacrifices his ability to transform in order to prevent the Sabbath, leaving Wizard the only one who can stand against Wiseman and Gremlin as the three Mages are grossly outmatched.
* ''Series/LazyTown'': In "Defeeted", with Sportacus completely unable to do anything in the climax, Pixel, a character rarely focused on in the episode at all, is left to figure out Robbie's method of controlling his feet, and ultimately save the day.
* It's mainly an ensemble show, but a good 1/4 of all ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' and ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' episodes tend to be about how 4 members of the team are poisoned/brainwashed/eaten/etc. by the gimmick of the monster of the week, with the one remaining member who is either conveniently not there when stuff goes down, or immune to it for whatever reason needing to save them.
* "[[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonVIOutOfTime Out of Time]]", the final episode of the sixth season of ''Series/RedDwarf'' sees each each of the main characters killed by their future selves until the only one left is the cowardly Rimmer, who must save the day all by himself... and remarkably, shows the cojones to do so.
* Somewhat parodied in the ''Series/StargateSG1'' episode "The Other Guys", in which a pair of scientists (Felger and Coombs) think it's up to them to save SG-1, but in reality the team had allowed themselves to be captured to meet up with a Tok'ra agent. Only to be ''really'' captured when said agent is caught.
* In one episode of ''Series/TheXFiles'', the Lone Gunmen are required to go in the field to save Mulder.
* In Season 3 of ''Series/{{Glee}}'', Rachel Berry, who has been the "Lead Female" in every competition, is suspended and banned from the next competition. Thus leaving the next competition up to the back ups.
* Inverted on ''Series/ADifferentWorld'', when Jalessa goes into labor. The panicking gang turns to pre-med student Kim. . .who promptly passes out. The scene cuts there, but by the time it's returned, the baby has been delivered and all is calm. The paramedics are there as well. Presumably, they got there in time to take care of everything.
* In the ''Series/{{Leverage}}'' episode "[[Recap/LeverageS05E08TheBrokenWingJob The Broken Wing Job]]", Parker is stuck at home with a broken leg while the others are [[NoodleIncident off doing a job in Japan]], so it's up to her to stop a robbery [[spoiler:and kidnapping]] on her own.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** The basic plot of both the {{Edutainment}} game ''VideoGame/MarioIsMissing'' and the more serious ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' games is that of Mario being captured, and having to be saved by Luigi.
** Princess Peach, the historic DamselInDistress of the ''Super Mario'' games, steps up in ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' when Mario and Luigi are kidnapped.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', in which a captured Solid Snake attempts to get Otacon to spring him from captivity. What he gets is a pack of ketchup and some food, and Otacon adamantly refuses to take out the guard despite Snake's request. Played straight in that he brought the [[ABloodyMess pack of ketchup so Snake can fake death]].
* ''VideoGame/DisneysVillainsRevenge'': Jiminy Cricket can offer advice, but it's up to the player to set things right across the books.
* This actually can be averted in the multiplayer of ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'', especially the first chapter. When searching for the 4 reagents, if a player other than you finds a reagent and turns it in, Aribeth will tell you that someone else has already discovered it. In other words, it's quite possible to sit your lazy ass back and allow the other players to find the cure while you watch and you'll still possibly advance.
* This happens in ''VideoGame/Sly2BandOfThieves'' for a while thanks to [[spoiler: Neyla pulling an EvilAllAlong (though it’s soon revealed she has a habit of betraying ''everybody'') and landing Sly and Murray in jail, forcing Bentley to strike out on his own for a while]].
* In the final stage of ''VideoGame/NightsIntoDreams'', [[spoiler: [=NiGHTS=] is captured and it's up to Elliot or Claris to clear the stage and rescue the title character. The exact same thing happens in the sequel, except this time it’s Will and Helen doing the rescuing]].
* Late in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[spoiler:the Collectors besiege the ''Normandy'' while Commander Shepard and co. are away, leaving the fate of the ship in the hands of the pilot Joker]].
* In ''VideoGame/SakuraWars2019'', with the rest of the Flower Division dead at the end of Chapter 7, Sakura Amamiya is the only one left to finish off Yaksha for good.
* A variant can be seen in the "Classic Trilogy" titles for ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon''; in contrast to the alternate interpretations of Spyro from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'' and ''WesternAnimation/SkylandersAcademy', the "Classic" Spyro is in no way TheChosenOne -- instead, circumstances conspire that he's just the only one available to do the job in each game, despite the fact that, as a teenage dragon, he is far smaller and weaker than anybody the dragons would send if they had any other choice:
** In ''VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon1998'', he's only the one saving the dragons because he was literally the only dragon whom Gnasty Gnorc missed with his [[TakenForGranite crystallizing spell]], so there was nobody else left.
** In ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage'', it was a complete fluke that the Avalar resistance's portal snatched Spryo instead of any other dragon, and then the portal to the Dragon Worlds was shut down by Ripto, leaving Spyro with no choice but to fight him.
** In ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'', Spyro was literally the only dragon small enough to fit down the tunnels used by the egg thieves.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* Brittnay says this nearly word-for-word to Trisha in the Season 2 finale of ''WebAnimation/TheMostPopularGirlsInSchool'', when the latter is the only one of the main trio left who can still curse out the Atchison cheerleaders (Brittnay can't because she's being filmed for television, and Mackenzie can't because the stress is making her hair fall out).
* Happens twice near the finale of the Chorus Arc in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue''. First, Carolina tells Tucker that since he has the key to activate the communication tower, it's up to him to end the war. Then, right before they do that, they're attacked by Felix who crashes into the tower and when they ask Wash for help, he can only state that he believes in them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/WhenHeavenSpitsYouOut'', Ryan is faced with this when he is corralled into a boys-vs-girls baseball game by his new friend and roommate, Janie. To add to the pressure, the scores are tied.
* In the final arc of ''Webcomic/DarwinCarmichaelIsGoingToHell'', supporting characters Pat (Darwin's landlord) and Rhiva (Ella's girlfriend) team up to [[spoiler: stop the apocalypse and take up holy weapons to fight some of the gods]], as Darwin, Ella, and most other main characters have been kidnapped or otherwise distracted by magic.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In one story arc of ''Roleplay/AvatarAdventures'', Air, one of the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Elemental Dragons]], sucks all the air out of an area, causing most of the heroes to suffocate; the exception being Death, a skinny immortal teenager, who promptly [[TookALevelInBadass Takes A Level In Badass]] and mauls the dragon with a gunblade.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'': By the end of "And Then There Were None", Vilgax has successfully destroyed all timelines where the Omnitrix exists, including the main timeline. Before he's erased, Ben Prime gives his Omnitrix to No-Watch Ben, leaving it up to him to stop Vilgax and restore the timeline.
* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' episode "King Tuck" where only the PluckyComicRelief Tucker can commend the giant sphinx that's beating up the main [[TheHero hero]]. He later sics the creature on the main villain.
* ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'': In the climax of "Knot a Problem", Ord's rope being used to lift Winnie out of the hole starts to come lose; Emmy tries to tie it, but she cannot hold the rope and tie it at the same time. Max, the only one closes to her that can help, is uncertain as he's still convinced he can't tie a knot, but Emmy begs him to at least try since she can't tie the knot alone on the risk of Winnie falling. With that, Max realizes he can tie knots all along and successfully secures the rope, and they save Winnie.
* The ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'' episode "Divided We Fall" has the entire original core seven completely trounced by Brainthor... except for The [[PluckyComicRelief Flash]], who then proceeds to circle the ''globe'' in a matter of seconds in order to build up the momentum to beat the everloving crap out of him.
-->'''Brainthor''': Are you going to [[TemptingFate fight me, boy?]]
* Happens frequently on ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. It seems that as often as Kim saves the world from devastation, her sidekick, her sidekick's pet rodent, her brothers, grandmother, parents, homeroom teacher, or cheerleading squad-mates must pull her cookies out of the oven just as often. Usually, this teaches Kim a lesson about everyone having hidden talents and skills, and adds a bit of believability to the show's premise (no one person, no matter how talented, can do it all alone), [[{{Chickification}} albeit at the expense of robbing the protagonist of everything that gives her the right to be the protagonist]].
** The worst offender of this trope in the show is the episode with Felix, where Kim, due to the CompressedVice of the episode, spends the entire episode giving Felix special treatment because he sits in a wheelchair. But when the mission is on, Kim spends the entire fight needing rescue while Felix somehow shows that he'd be more competent at saving the world with his wheelchair than Kim. That's actually pretty justified considering... well, have you SEEN [[SuperWheelchair THIS THING]]?! It's like [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Dr. Octopus]] [[JustForFun/RecycledINSPACE ON WHEELS!]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMeetsCourageTheCowardlyDog'': Velma quotes this verbatim as she is whisked away by the cicadas, leaving only Shaggy, Scooby, and Courage to save the day. A few minutes later, Shaggy is captured as well, leaving only the two dogs.
* In ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', Richie officially broke the SidekickGlassCeiling and became the superhero Gear when he had to rescue Static, who couldn't bust out himself without exposing his SecretIdentity, from Ebon and his gang.
* Children's cartoons (such as ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'') often use this device to show that kids can be heroes too.
* In the final episode before the series finale of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Beast Boy is the last member of the original team not to have been captured by the Brotherhood of Evil. He and a group of second-stringers have to rescue the rest of the teen heroes.
** Turns out the trope was played with. Every Titan except Robin survived, assembled small team and rushed to a Legion of Doom HQ on their own thinking it was all up to them. Kind of was to be expected after Robin destroyed all means of communication they used.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985'': Mumm-Ra once captures all of them and it is up to Snarf to do the needful. He steps up to the plate, and as the trope explains, then goes back to being his irritating self.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/DangerMouse'' episode "Beware Of Mexicans Delivering Milk," Colonel K puts the burden of the assignment on Penfold after DM's energy is sapped from spiked milk.
* Episode 14 of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' has Scooby and the mascots from ''Jabberjaw, Speed Buggy, Captain Caveman'' and ''The Funky Phantom'' teaming up to find their kidnapped teenage pals. Episode 26 has Scooby vowing to get the gang back together and hunt down Professor Pericles after revelations about Fred's past and the two parts of the Planispheric Disc are brought up and cause the gang to break up acrimoniously. Episode 33 has Velma and Scooby taking on the mystery when Shaggy, Fred and Daphne are otherwise pre-occupied.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'', XR has at least 2 instances of this:
** The episode "Enemy Without A Face", where the entire Star Command base is infected with parasites that make whoever they attach to violently hot-tempered towards others; as a robot, he is the only one unaffected and has to find the cure.
** The episode "Devolutionaries", where his entire team is exposed to a gas that makes them devolve into their respective species primitive forms (Buzz a caveman, Booster a giant Triceratops and Mira a slime...thing); again, he is unaffected due to being a robot, and has to defeat Warp (the villain responsible for all this) and get the antidote.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' episode "Three Girls And A Monster" has Bubbles stepping up to the plate to defeat a monster (asking it politely to leave, and it complies) because Blossom and Buttercup are too busy having a classic "Brains Vs. Brawns" argument with each other.
* ''WesternAnimation/ClueClub'': "The Walking House Caper" had Larry, Pepper and D.D. locked in a house by a creature (a perp in a costume, natch), so Larry contacts junior member Dotty at home via his wrist communicator in hopes she'll call the police. Dotty and the two canine mascots, Woofer and Wimper, instead go to the scene of the crime to distract the creature and rescue the team. And Dotty does have the foresight to call the police as well.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', it happens to whichever hero has to work with Hawkeye in saving the rest of the team before the BigDamnHeroes moment. (It happens three times in a ''four-episode'' span!)
** “Gamma World, Part 2”: The Hulk has to join Hawkeye to go up against the villain (and rescue Thor).
** “Masters Of Evil”: Hawkeye teams up with Black Panther to give Ant-Man enough time in his lab for the Big Damn Heroes moment against a team full of the Avengers' enemies.
** “Widow's Sting”: Hawkeye and Mockingbird team up to go after Hydra Captain America and Black Panther provide this episode's Big Damn Heroes moment.
** “Hail Hydra!”: Hawkeye, Black Widow, Black Panther, and Ant-Man.
** “The Fall of Asgard”: Hawkeye and an elf from one of the realms.
** “A Day Unlike Any Other”: Until Iron Man shows up in his new armor, a shield-less Captain America and Hawkeye are the last Avengers still fighting.
* In the opening of ''[[Franchise/{{Peanuts}} He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown]]'', Snoopy's antics so get on the nerves of the other Peanuts characters that they take their anger out on Charlie , who is forced to do something about Snoopy:
-->'''Lucy:''' Charlie Brown, you've got to do something about that dog.\\
'''Linus:''' It's up to you, Charlie Brown.\\
'''Charlie:''' Why me?\\
'''[[SpeakInUnison Peanuts gang]]:''' Because [[TitleDrop HE'S YOUR DOG, CHARLIE BROWN!]]
[[/folder]]
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