History BadBoss / Film

->'''Thanos:''' Rain fire!\\
'''Glaive:''' But sir, the troops!\\

* In ''Film/HorrorsOfTheBlackMuseum'', Edmond Bancroft brainwashes his assistant Rick, then uses him as a test subject for a PsychoSerum and sending him out to commit murders on his behalf. This culminates in Rick being ordered to kill his own finacee, Angela. And when Rick isn't been mind controlled, Bancroft is using him as general dogsbody and castigating him for the slightest slip.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[PsychicStrangle I find your lack of faith disturbing.]]]]

** Actually [[spoiler: Carrigan accidentally killed herself while trying to kill Dibbs. Then she kills him since (as a ghost) she no longer needs his services]].

->'''Thanos:''' ''"Rain fire!"''\\
'''Glaive:''' ''"But sir, the troops!"''\\
'''Thanos:''' ''"Just do it!''"

->'''Thanos:''' Rain fire!\\
'''Glaive:''' But sir, the troops!\\
'''Thanos:''' Just do it!

[[quoteright:350:[[Film/ANewHope https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/39ebaa65940a43f8e693e210096ba9b0.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[PsychicStrangle I find your lack of faith disturbing.]]]]

** In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', Vader indicates that Emperor Palpatine is ''even worse'' about this. Moff Jerjerrod's visible reaction gives a good indication of how horrifying that prospect is.

** Creator/JackNicholson's ComicBook/TheJoker from Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/{{Batman}}''. When he gets angry at Batman, he asks Bob --his most loyal henchman-- for a gun; Bob gives Joker the gun, and the Joker kills him with it, for no reason other than he feels like killing ''someone''.
** Creator/HeathLedger's Joker in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' is arguably even worse. In the first scene, he has his entire gang slaughter each other, and later plants a phone bomb into one of his men. To even join the gang, there are tryouts which involve having the recruitees fight each other with halves of a broken pool cue.

** Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the TropeNamer for TheBlofeldPloy, in which he threatens to shoot a mook, only to suddenly kill another after scaring the shit out of the 1st. Running [[NebulousEvilOrganization SPECTRE]] like an iron-fisted tyrannical dictator by demanding absolute and unquestionable loyalty from his minions, he rarely gives them a second chance, and isn't hesitant to kill anyone [[YouHaveFailedMe who fails him]], [[DefectorFromDecadence defects from SPECTRE]], or [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder plans to cheat him]]. Fail your tasks? [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove Get a poisoned dagger to your leg.]] Dare to question him? [[Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice Get thrown into a piranha-infested water pool.]] Thinking of cheating him? [[Film/{{Thunderball}} Get zapped in an electric chair]]. Defect from SPECTRE? ''[[Film/{{Spectre}} A goon squad will be sent to hunt you down]] [[TheDeterminator no matter where you're hiding or located.]]'' Organizational discipline within SPECTRE is notoriously draconian, and to heighten the impact of those who fail him, he often scares a random but innocent mook, only to suddenly kill the actual target when the supposed one is off-guard. For example:

** Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the TropeNamer for TheBlofeldPloy, in which he threatens to shoot a mook, only to suddenly kill another mook after scaring the shit out of the 1st mook. Running [[NebulousEvilOrganization SPECTRE]] like an iron-fisted tyrannical dictator by demanding absolute and unquestionable loyalty from his minions, he rarely gives them a second chance, and isn't hesitant to kill anyone [[YouHaveFailedMe who fails him]], [[DefectorFromDecadence defects from SPECTRE]], or [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder plans to cheat him]]. Fail your tasks? [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove Get a poisoned dagger to your leg.]] Dare to question him? [[Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice Get thrown into a piranha-infested water pool.]] Thinking of cheating him? [[Film/{{Thunderball}} Get zapped in an electric chair]]. Defect from SPECTRE? ''[[Film/{{Spectre}} A goon squad will be sent to hunt you down]] [[TheDeterminator no matter where you're hiding or located.]]'' Organizational discipline within SPECTRE is notoriously draconian, and to heighten the impact of those who fail him, he often scares a random but innocent mook, only to suddenly kill the actual target when the supposed one is off-guard. For example:

*** ''Film/{{Spectre}}'': Blofeld does it again to a henchman who was supposed to have the Pale King/[[spoiler:Mr. White]] eliminated by ordering his NumberTwo to [[SickeningCrunch have his skull bashed on the table]], [[EyePoke eyes gouged out]], before killing him with a NeckSnap. And the way Blofeld also deals with the Pale King/[[spoiler:Mr. White]] for defecting also qualifies, as he had poisoned his cell phone so that he dies a slow but painful death, watching his own body deteriorate via radiation poisoning.

** Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the TropeNamer for TheBlofeldPloy, in which he threatens to shoot a mook for disobedience, only to shoot another random mook after scaring the shit out them. He runs [[NebulousEvilOrganization SPECTRE]] like an iron-fisted tyrannical dictator by demanding absolute and unquestionable loyalty from his minions, rarely giving them a second chance, and not hesitating to kill anyone [[YouHaveFailedMe who fails him]], [[DefectorFromDecadence defects from SPECTRE]], or [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder plans to cheat him]]. Fail your tasks? [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove Get a poisoned dagger to your leg.]] Dare to question him? [[Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice Get thrown into a piranha-infested water pool.]] Thinking of cheating him? [[Film/{{Thunderball}} Get zapped in an electric chair]]. Defect from SPECTRE? ''[[Film/{{Spectre}} A goon squad will be sent to hunt you down]] [[TheDeterminator no matter where you're hiding or located.]]'' Organizational discipline within SPECTRE is notoriously draconian, and to heighten the impact of those who fail him, he often scares a random but innocent mook, only to suddenly kill the actual target when the supposed one is off-guard. For example:

** Zorin machine guns a group of his own employees in ''Film/AViewToAKill'', even betraying his [[TheDragon Dragon]] and lover May-Day. [[spoiler: She survives long enough to make a HeroicSacrifice that ruins his plan, and her last words, directed towards Bond, are "Get Zorin for me!"]]
** Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the TropeNamer for TheBlofeldPloy. He runs [[NebulousEvilOrganization SPECTRE]] like an iron-fisted tyrannical dictator — demanding absolute and unquestionable loyalty from his minions, rarely giving them a second chance, and not hesitating to kill anyone [[YouHaveFailedMe who fails]], [[DefectorFromDecadence defects from SPECTRE]], or [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder plans to cheat him]]. Fail your tasks? [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove Get a poisoned dagger to your leg.]] Dare to question him? [[Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice Get thrown into a piranha-infested water pool.]] Thinking of cheating him? [[Film/{{Thunderball}} Get zapped in an electric chair]]. Defect from SPECTRE? ''[[Film/{{Spectre}} A goon squad will be sent to hunt you down]] [[TheDeterminator no matter where you're hiding or located.]]'' Organizational discipline within SPECTRE is notoriously draconian, and to heighten the impact of those who fail him, he often scares a random but innocent mook, only to suddenly kill the actual target when the supposed one is off-guard. For example:
*** ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'': EvilGenius Kronsteen looks on smugly, confident that fellow underling Rosa Klebb is being held terminally accountable for their scheme's failure — only for the poisoned blade from Morzeny's shoe to change direction. Klebb is visibly terrified of facing Blofeld's wrath after Number One executed Kronsteen.

* In the TV movie ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuestVersusTheCyberInsects'', Dr. Zin provides several good examples of how ''not'' to treat your henchmen. Specifically, he continually kills them for very minor failures, including two occasions where the executed minion ''wasn't responsible''.
* When we first meet Synonamess Botch, the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/TwiceUponATime'', we see him cussing out his vulture minions and telling them not to slack off, which is apparently his idea of a RousingSpeech. Even in the tamer director's cut, he bluntly admits that some of his vulture minions might not make it out alive from their latest mission, [[WeHaveReserves but that's a sacrifice he's willing to live with]].

* When we first meet Synonamess Botch, the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/TwiceUponATime'', we see him cussing out his vulture minions and telling them not to slack off, which is apparently his idea of a RousingSpeech.

* ''Film/UnderSiege2DarkTerritory'': Mr. Penn rips out the throat of one of his subordinates after the latter suggests [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere just splitting]] before the hero, Casey Ryback, comes for them.

** ''[[Film/MarvelOneShots Agent Carter]]'' - OneWomanArmy Peggy Carter is treated as a glorified secretary by her StrawMisogynist boss, Agent Flynn, who believes that her post-WWII placement in the Strategic Scientific Reserve was out of pity for her mourning the loss of Captain America (despite, just from what was seen on-screen in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Carter already having a distinguished military/espionage career during the war). Just as Flynn is about to bring the hammer down on Carter for taking on a mission without authorization, he is handed a large slice of HumblePie in the form of orders for Carter's transfer to command of the fledgling S.H.I.E.L.D organization--along with orders for Flynn himself to inform Carter of the transfer politely and in full view of the other agents.

** Kylo Ren has thus far been slightly better about this, usually opting to take out his frustrations [[DieChairDie on the environment around him]] rather than his subordinates. However, at one point he does become enraged enough to telekenetically drag a First Order officer across the room and choke him.

* ''[[Film/MarvelOneShots Agent Carter]]'' - OneWomanArmy Peggy Carter is treated as a glorified secretary by her StrawMisogynist boss, Agent Flynn, who believes that her post-WWII placement in the Strategic Scientific Reserve was out of pity for her mourning the loss of Captain America (despite, just from what was seen on-screen in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', Carter already having a distinguished military/espionage career during the war). Just as Flynn is about to bring the hammer down on Carter for taking on a mission without authorization, he is handed a large slice of HumblePie in the form of orders for Carter's transfer to command of the fledgling S.H.I.E.L.D organization--along with orders for Flynn himself to inform Carter of the transfer politely and in full view of the other agents.

* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'': Johann Schmidt, aka the ComicBook/RedSkull, continually shows no concern for the welfare of his men, despite their fanatical devotion to Schmidt, having them chomp {{cyanide pill}}s when captured to avoid giving out information on him, [[YouHaveFailedMe executing one merely for surviving an attack on a HYDRA base]], and activating the self-destruct sequence at another [=HYDRA=] base when the Allied forces overrun it, not caring that hundreds of his troops will be killed in the blast

* In ''Judgement Night'', the BigBad kills one of his men, after the guy kept complaining about how pointless it is to hunt down and kill innocent civilians in the middle of the night. [[spoiler: Granted, those civilians did witness them commit a murder.]]
* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'': The Collector imprisoned one of his assistants in one of the glass cages of his museum for disappointing him, and uses her as an example to another to keep her from doing a disappointing job as well. [[spoiler: This bites him in the caboose later on, as the mistreated assistant grabs the Infinity Stone, which is known to cause extremely violent explosions when touched by living beings, in an attempt to kill both herself and the Collector.]]

* Timothy, who runs the [[SaturdayNightLive SNL]] {{Expy}} in ''DontThinkTwice'' has a reputation for this, although the moments we see of him onscreen portray him as more harsh, but not ill-meaning.

** Darth Vader, the TropeNamer and the TropeCodifier for YouHaveFailedMe. While prone to {{Flanderization}}, as he only kills two subordinates (in the films anyway), he would have killed the officer that mocked the power of [[SentientCosmicForce The Force]] had Tarkin not intervened, and the palpable fear that nearly everyone around him exudes indicates he at least has a strong reputation for this.