Basic Trope: A person can only use a superpower in a life-threatening situation.
- Straight: Bob has Super-Strength, but he can only use it if he will die without it.
- Exaggerated: Bob has the power to warp reality, but he can only use it on the verge of death.
- Downplayed:
- Bob has Super-Strength, but he can only use it if he will get badly hurt without it.
- Bob gets a noticeable strength boost when he's in danger.
- Justified:
- The powers were granted by an entity that sets these limitations.
- Bob's increase in strength comes from the adrenaline that's released when he's afraid for his life.
- Inverted: Bob is in a life-or-death situation and he cannot use his superpowers.
- Subverted: Bob has recently developed super strength, which he has only been able to use when he will die without it...but then Alice falls into danger and his Super-Strength activates.
- Double Subverted: However, he had already run into the fight when the superpower activated. He put himself in peril when he tried to rescue Alice, so it might still only activate when he's in danger.
- Zig Zagged: Bob has Super-Strength which he has only been able to use in situations where he will die without it. However, then Alice falls into danger and his super-strength activates...but he had already run into the fight to protect her, so it might have been his superpowers activating to protect him. Then Bob's super strength activates at a fighting tournament when he's nervous, but a few minutes later, the roof starts caving in...
- Lampshaded:Alice: So you have this strength, but only when you're in trouble?Bob: That sums it up.
- Enforced: ???
- Invoked: ???
- Exploited: ???
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
Back to Defence Mechanism Superpower
