History Main / AtTheCrossroads

* The ''Comicbook/IncredibleHulk'' was banished to "The Crossroads" by Comicbook/DoctorStrange when he was "mindless" to (A) get him away from Earth and (B) let him choose where he wanted to live. But he never found a place he liked and eventually he was brought back to Earth.

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* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', deals with "crossroads demons", the ones that actually make deals that both parties are bound to, have to be made [[ShapedLikeItself at crossroads]]. These demons can be summoned with some personal effects, a bag of graveyard dirt, a black cat's bone, and a few other things. Once you've summoned the demon, just BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor when you make your DealWithTheDevil.

* Crossroads are important in several fantasy works by Creator/SeananMcGuire, but especially in the Literature/GhostRoads series, and by extension the Literature/InCryptid [[CanonWelding series]]. In that verse, the Crossroads itself is an entity, an EldritchAbomination responsible for many of the events in both series.

* Criminals were sometimes executed at crossroads, then buried there. Likewise, people who committed suicide and were therefore unqualified to enter Heaven were buried at a crossroads when available. Certainly those suspected of being vampires (also unqualified) were. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And until the 1800s]], [[TheWickedStage so were actors]].[note]At least according to Creator/DavidMamet[/note]

* Criminals were sometimes executed at crossroads, then buried there. Likewise, people who committed suicide and were therefore unqualified to enter Heaven were buried at a crossroads when available. Certainly those suspected of being vampires (also unqualified) were. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And until the 1800s, so were actors]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devilcrossroads.png]]

[[quoteright:232:[[http://www.zazzle.com/crossroads_poster-228192277601572932 https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crossroads_poster-p228192277601572932cldz_400_6149.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:232: I'm sure the raven isn't important.]]

** Robert wasn't even the first blues musician named Johnson to claim to have sold his soul - his predecessor, Tommy Johnson, made similiar claims. The film ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou'', as described above, features a fictionalized version of Tommy with aspects of Robert - namely, setting his DealWithTheDevil at a crossroads.

* ''Webcomic/TheNoob'' hangs [[LampshadeHanging a lampshade]] on this trope, mixing it with PatchworkMap in [[http://thenoobcomic.com/comic/225/ this comic]].

* According to legend, Music/RobertJohnson [[DealWithTheDevil sold his soul to the devil for the ability to play guitar]] at a Crossroads. Many other uses of crossroads (like on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'') are based on this legend.

''And that has made all the difference.''

* Crossroads are important in several fantasy works by Creator/SeananMcGuire, but especially in the Literature/GhostRoads series, and by extension the Literature/InCryptid [[SharedUniverse series]].

* In the MagicalGirl CrisisCrossover ''FanFic/ShatteredSkiesTheMorningLights'', [[spoiler:"The Crossroads" is the name for the center of [[InnBetweenTheWorlds the Lighthouse]], the room in which all five protagonists ([[Franchise/SailorMoon Usagi]], [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Sakura]], [[Franchise/PrettyCure Nagisa]], [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Nanoha]], and [[Franchise/MadokaMagica Madoka]]) meet for the first time.]]

* ''TabletopGame/HoodooBlues is a horror rpg based on Southern folklore, where one of the main character types is a "Crossroader". Someone who has made a literal DealWiththeDevil for supernatural abilities, usually at a crossroads.

* The 1986 Ralph Macchio movie ''Film/{{Crossroads}}'' mirrors the Music/RobertJohnson legend, and hinges on this trope.

* The 1986 Ralph Macchio movie ''Crossroads'' mirrors the Music/RobertJohnson legend, and hinges on this trope.

* This is where the brothers meet [[EyepatchOfPower Big Dan Teague]] in ''Film/OBrotherWhereArtThou?'' as well as well as Tommy Johnson after he made a DealWithTheDevil.

* ''Music/TheBlackRider'', a musical by Music/TomWaits and Creator/WilliamSBurroughs and adapted from a Weber opera, features this at the site of its DealWithTheDevil. There's even a song called "Crossroads".

* In Soviet propaganda film ''Film/{{Earth}}'', Khoma Bilokin kills Vasyl at the crossroads, symbolizing the choice that Ukranian peasantry has to make, between collectivization and sharing the land between everyone (what Vasyl wants), and to resist change and selfishly hold on to private land (the Bilokin family won't give up their land to the collective).

* In the AnimatedAdaptation of ''Discworld/SoulMusic'', Buddy is standing at the crossroads where the road from Llamedos forks to Quirm and Ankh-Morpork when he swears that one day ''everyone'' will know he's the greatest musician in the world, thereby allowing [[ThePowerOfRock Music With Rocks In]] into this reality. (In the book, choosing which road is an important choice, but beyond that the crossroads isn't significant.)

* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Discworld/SmallGods'', he cites as one example of a small god: "the spirits of places where two ant trails cross"
** ''Discworld/ReaperMan'' uses the burial part of the myth. The wizards are trying to send a zombie on to the afterlife and, after checking out the relevant myths, decide that burying him on a crossroad is worth a try. As it turns out, using the intersection of the two busiest roads in Ankh-Morpork will probably keep down even the most energetic zombie, but the carriage drivers are not all that happy about the wizards digging during rush hour.

** The Inn at the Crossroads has had a quiet impact on Westerosi history for quite a while. Before Harrenhal went up, it was the major notable establishment with elbow room to spare to be found in the region for everything from "lost a wheel" to "missed the boat" to surprise over-wintering or just to celebrate something, despite not being a traditional keep with a lord attached. And even since, it's not lost import. Guess where Rhaegar and Lyanna headed to first on their... elopement... for instance.

* Several significant events in ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' happen at The Inn at the Crossroads (between the kingsroad running north-south, the river road west to the Riverlands, and the high road east to the Vale of Arryn). Catelyn Stark encounters Tyrion Lannister there and decides to arrest him, triggering war between House Lannister and Stark/Tully. Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane have a fight with the Mountain's Men, causing them to part after Sandor is seriously wounded. And Brienne of Tarth is captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners, leading to a choice between ConflictingLoyalties.

* Shepard is faced with a crossroads on the Citadel at the very end of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''. S/he either goes left to control the Reapers, straight ahead to merge synthetic and organic life, or right to destroy the Reapers.

* There is a crossroads in front of Castle Oblivion in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories''. Inside, Sora [[spoiler: choses to forget everything from Castle Oblivion, including his new friend Namine, in order to regain his older memories]].
** At the end of [[spoiler:[[AnotherSideAnotherStory Reverse/Revith]], Riku's decision on the crossroads is different. He chooses to follow [[TakeAThirdOption neither the road to light nor the road to darkness]], but rather [[YinYangBomb the road to dawn]]]].

* In the MagicalGirl CrisisCrossover ''FanFic/ShatteredSkies'', [[spoiler:"The Crossroads" is the name for the center of [[InnBetweenTheWorlds the Lighthouse]], the room in which all five protagonists ([[Franchise/SailorMoon Usagi]], [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Sakura]], [[Franchise/PrettyCure Nagisa]], [[Franchise/LyricalNanoha Nanoha]], and [[Franchise/MadokaMagica Madoka]]) meet for the first time.]]

* Dean Koontz' novella "Strange Highways" has the protagonist, Joe Shannon, change his life when he returns to a crossroads where one of the roads, destroyed 20 years before, is there again. Naturally this is the one he takes.