History CurbStompBattle / Literature

* Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/{{Starworld}}'': A crucial space battle involves TheEmpire and LaResistance fleet squaring off. The Earth fleet is better equipped (holo-screens) and armed (having a good number of nukes), while the rebel fleet is made up of a few dedicated warships with crews that have defected and the rest are former transports refitted for war. All space combat is done using missiles, which are used offensively and defensively (as screens and mines). Energy weapons have [[ArbitraryWeaponRange extremely short ranges]] and can only be used planet-side. However, rebel engineers have a [[SuperweaponSurprise trick up their sleeve]] in the form of [[MagneticWeapon mass drivers]]. The main guns are built to run the length of the ship, accelerating plain old cannonballs (without explosives) to extreme speeds. The protagonist (himself an engineer) helps them solve a programming issue with the magnets, which previously prevented them from spamming cannonballs. After some maneuvering and missile launches (which were all intercepted by other missiles), the rebel fleet gets close enough to unleash their SecretWeapon. The opening volley cripples the enemy fleet. The rebels then move in for the kill, opening up with the smaller, turreted mass drivers that fire explosive bullets, tearing the enemy to shreds. Oh, yeah, and there were no casualties on the rebel side. Nobody cheers on the winning side, though, as many of those officers used to be friends, including the two admirals.

** In ''Literature/StormFront'' when Harry goes to [[MagnificentBastard Marcone's]] club and confronts [[spoiler:Gimpy Lawrence a traitorous gangster.]] He tries to shot Harry, but Harry blocks the bullets with magic and [[spoiler:Gimpy]] is shot dead by Marcone's bodyguard Hendriks.

* The crucial SpaceBattle in Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/{{Starworld}}'' involves TheEmpire and LaResistance fleet squaring off. The Earth fleet is better equipped (holo-screens) and armed (having a good number of nukes), while the rebel fleet is made up of a few dedicated warships with crews that have defected and the rest are former transports refitted for war. All space combat is done using missiles, which are used offensively and defensively (as screens and mines). Energy weapons have [[ArbitraryWeaponRange extremely short ranges]] and can only be used planet-side. However, rebel engineers have a [[SuperweaponSurprise trick up their sleeve]] in the form of [[MagneticWeapon mass drivers]]. The main guns are built to run the length of the ship, accelerating plain old cannonballs (without explosives) to extreme speeds. The protagonist (himself an engineer) helps them solve a programming issue with the magnets, which previously prevented them from spamming cannonballs. After some maneuvering and missile launches (which were all intercepted by other missiles), the rebel fleet gets close enough to unleash their SecretWeapon. The opening volley cripples the enemy fleet. The rebels then move in for the kill, opening up with the smaller, turreted mass drivers that fire explosive bullets, tearing the enemy to shreds. Oh, yeah, and there were no casualties on the rebel side. Nobody cheers on the winning side, though, as many of those officers used to be friends, including the two admirals.

%%* Occurs in ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' essentially every time Porthos raises his fist.

* In the ''Literature/NamelessWar'', the ships of the Third Fleet are effectively caught and destroyed at their moorings when the Nameless, [[spoiler: make re-entry into real space far closer to the asteroid the fleet's base is built onto than is possible with human technology.]]

* ''Literature/KnightsOfTheBorrowedDark'' has a BrainwashedAndCrazy [[spoiler:[[MasterSwordsman Grey]]]] [[LetsYouAndHimFight forced to fight]] [[TheyCallHimSword Malleus]] [[LivingLegend Vivian Hardwick]]. The battle is over in a few seconds, with [[spoiler:Grey]] left beaten on the ground with a broken jaw to stop him speaking [[LanguageOfPower Cants]].

* In ''LightNovel/FateZero'', in order to gauge Alexander's prowess, Kotomine orders his Servant Assassin, who is split into several forms, to attack Alexander head-on. Even though Assassin had no chance against Alexander, they might be able to kill Waver and Irisviel. Sure enough, Alexander obliges and uses his most powerful attack on the group of assassins: Ionian Hetairoi -- Army of the King. A hundred Assassins? Meet the army that ''nearly conquered'' '''''the world'''''.

** A new student Julia at the evil WizardSchool known as Myth/TheScholomance challenges the top-ranked older student Morgan to a WizardDuel. Morgan devastates Julia and ultimately kills her in an excruciating manner, and none of Julia's attacks do even the slightest bit of damage during the fight.

* ''Every'' fight in ''LightNovel/IveBeenKillingSlimesFor300YearsAndMaxedOutMyLevel'' tends to be this, either from the protagonist Azusa intentionally fighting the most lowly fodder imaginable (slimes), or her eventually becoming so ''obscenely'' powerful that nothing can hope to match her.

* ''Literature/TheWitchOfKnightcharm'': A new student Julia at the evil WizardSchool known as Myth/TheScholomance challenges the top-ranked older student Morgan to a WizardDuel. Morgan devastates Julia and ultimately kills her in an excruciating manner, and none of Julia's attacks do even the slightest bit of damage during the fight.

* ''Literature/TheWitchOfKnightcharm'': A new student Julia at the evil WizardSchool Myth/TheScholomance challenges the top-ranked older student Morgan to a WizardDuel. Morgan devastates Julia and ultimately kills her in an excruciating manner.

** The Battle of the Prime-Ajay Hyper Bridge has on the Manticore side a dozen heavy cruisers, 6 destroyers, a CLAC, a support ship, and some LACs. The SLN has 46 Battlecruisers and 62 cruisers and destroyers. The Manicorians lose 4 people. The Sollies lose 105,800 as KIA, MIA or POWs.

* The crucial SpaceBattle in Creator/HarryHarrison's ''Literature/{{Starworld}}'' involves TheEmpire and LaResistance fleet squaring off. The Earth fleet is better equipped (holo-screens) and armed (having a good number of nukes), while the rebel fleet is made up of a few dedicated warships with crews that have defected and the rest are former transports refitted for war. All space combat is done using missiles, which are used offensively and defensively (as screens and mines). Energy weapons have [[ArbitraryMaximumRange extremely short ranges]] and can only be used planet-side. However, rebel engineers have a [[SuperweaponSurprise trick up their sleave]] in the form of [[MagneticWeapon mass drivers]]. The main guns are built to run the length of the ship, accelerating plain old cannonballs (without explosives) to extreme speeds. The protagonist (himself an engineer) helps them solve a programming issue with the magnets, which previously prevented them from spamming cannonballs. After some maneuvering and missile launches (which were all intercepted by other missiles), the rebel fleet gets close enough to unleash their SecretWeapon. The opening volley cripples the enemy fleet. The rebels then move in for the kill, opening up with the smaller, turreted mass drivers that fire explosive bullets, tearing the enemy to shreds. Oh, yeah, and there were no casualties on the rebel side. Nobody cheers on the winning side, though, as many of those officers used to be friends, including the two admirals.

** In the ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'' series, Luke does this to Jacen. Twice.

* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', the Battle of the Sudden Flame is probably the greatest curb stomp in the book. The fortress of Angband is surrounded by the combined armies of the high elf lords of the Noldor and friendly tribes of men. Melkor, [[spoiler: the original bad guy of Middle Earth and Sauron's master,]] starts off by covering the fields where the elves are with fire, then lets loose an army he's been spending years building. Led by the Glaurung, the father of all dragons, an awesome tide of orcs spews forth to crush the armies of the elves. [[spoiler:The elves are so crushed by this battle that they never regain the momentum. Kingdom after kingdom falls to the hand of Melkor. The only way to save Middle Earth is to get the gods come and save them.]]
** The Battle of Unnumbered Tears was ''even worse.'' It started as a noble effort of the Elves, Men, and Dwarves to defeat Melkor forever and was the greatest host ever seen outside that of the gods. They were defeated so horribly and so many people died that Melkor literally made a mountain of their corpses. That was the point that everyone realized they could not win the war.
** But when the Valar finally respond to Earendil's embassy, they come in mob-handed, personally heading up an army of all the Elves in the Undying Lands who were willing to sign up, head for Thangorodrim in basically a straight line, shrug off all attempts by Orcs and Trolls and Balrogs and even freakin' ''Dragons'' to so much as slow them down, whereupon Tulkas personally makes Morgoth his bitch and the Valar throw him out of the cosmic door into the Outer Darkness. The collateral damage is ''immense'', though.

%%* Occurs in {{Literature/The Three Musketeers}} essentially every time Porthos raises his fist.

* ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar'':

** In episode 8 of the anime, Queenvale's 35th ranked fighter [[AlphaBitch Violet Weinberg]] challenges [[ReiAyanamiExpy Saya]] to a duel when Saya takes her to task for bullying Kirin. Saya is unranked (she doesn't care about the ranking system so she doesn't participate in ranking matches), but on the same level of fighting skill as Ayato and Julis, and [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blasts Weinberg across the room on the word "go"]].

* ''Literature/TheAsteriskWar'':

* In ''LightNovel/ArifuretaFromCommonplaceToWorldsStrongest'', pretty much any battle involving [[{{Determinator}} Hajime]] after he [[TrainingFromHell escapes]] from the [[DungeonCrawling Great Orcus Labyrinth]] unless he's fighting a [[BossBattle Labyrinth Boss]].

* ''LightNovel/TheAsteriskWar'':