History Main / AttackBackfire

* In ''{{Minecraft}}'', throwing a Splash Potion of Instant Damage at a zombie or skeleton will heal them. [[ReviveKillsZombie Likewise, throwing a Splash Potion of Instant Health will hurt them]]

* In ''Film/TheFifthElement'', the big dark planet of evil is attacked by Earth's military with several rockets. Instead of the rockets hurting it, they cause it to get bigger.

* One episode of ''GodzillaTheSeries'' had some hispanic army use a biological weapon against the MonsterOfTheWeek, but it turns out to strengthen it. Then [[TooDumbToLive they try it again]].

** This could be a nod to the fact that Tony's arc reactor is based on the Tesseract technology of, possibly, Asgardian origin. As is Thor's Mjolnir.

->They say they hate me; they wanna hold me down.\\
I guess they're scared of the rebel; the [[TitleDrop rebel of the underground]]!\\
But I never let it get me.\\
[[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity I just make another record 'bout the punks trying to sweat me!]]
-->- TupacShakur, in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71en8nZDLrA Rebel Of The Underground.]]

-->- TupacShakur, in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08ciieHddkw Rebel Of The Underground.]]

** In fact, all ''FinalFantasy'' games after the first one have a system of elemental absorb.

[[quoteright:346:[[VgCats http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/attackbackfire_6892.jpg]]]]

* RanmaHalf: Ranma kicks Taro into a rock. Rock shatters revealing a water spring. OhCrap moment. Pissed flying minotaur.

* In a gamebook from the ''GrailQuest'' saga, there's a sort of humanoid insect that you can fight. However, despite having only 25 health points, each of your attacks will give him more health. However, he'll let you go if you give him enough health points.

* In the ''SuperSmashBros'' games, Ness' and Lucas' PSI Magnets absorb energy projectiles (i.e. Mario's fireballs, Samus' charge shot) and heal by the amount of damage the attack would have caused.

* The ''{{Pokemon}}'' abilities Volt Absorb and Water Absorb not only make Pokémon with these abilities immune to Electric- or Water-type attacks respectively, but also heal them by one-quarter of their maximum HP each time they are hit by attacks of the corresponding type.

* The page image from ''VGCats'' involves using fire in cold weather; pleasant for obvious reasons. (Unless you were to set the clothes on fire... [[DoubleSubversion in which case you'd be setting yourself up to get arrested]].)

* On ''TheSimpsons'', one episode was a series of stories from Literature/TheBible. When Moses (Milhouse) sends a plague of frogs to vex the Pharoah (Principal Skinner), he and the other Egyptians just end up eating the frogs' legs. The Pharoah comments that Ra must be rewarding them for punishing their slaves.
* ''SpongebobSquarepants:'' Mermaid Man mistakes Spongebob for evil and attacks with his trademark Water Balls. Spongebob enjoys it, because as a sponge, he absorbs it.

* ''{{Tomorrow Never Dies}}'' gives us Mr. Stamper, whose insides are rewired so that any intended painful action he receives (such as stabbing with a knife) gives him pleasure. Conversely, any intended pleasuring action he receives (such as tickling) gives him pain.

* This trope is pretty much what makes ''ShinMegamiTensei'' games earn their reputation as [[NintendoHard fiendishly hard]]. There are too many monsters that have the ability to absorb one or more elements that yours character can use, and there are too few attacks that are guaranteed deal meaningful damage all the time. On top of it, some games have a system that gleefully punishes you for using the elements the monsters absorb.

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* In ''Anime/DragonBallGT,'' Goku tries to take down [[BigBad Super 17]] with a variety of ki- based attacks, only to discover that he can increase his strength level by absorbing them.

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* ''SpongebobSquarepants:'' Mermaid Man mistakes Spongebob for evil and attacks with his trademark Water Balls. Spongebob enjoys it.

* The ''{{Pokémon}}'' abilities Volt Absorb and Water Absorb not only make Pokémon with these abilities immune to Electric- or Water-type attacks respectively, but also heal them by one-quarter of their maximum HP each time they are hit by attacks of the corresponding type.

* On ''TheSimpsons'', one episode was a series of stories from TheBible. When Moses (Milhouse) sends a plague of frogs to vex the Pharoah (Principal Skinner), he and the other Egyptians just end up eating the frogs' legs. The Pharoah comments that Ra must be rewarding them for punishing their slaves.

* In ''DragonBallGT,'' Goku tries to take down [[BigBad Super 17]] with a variety of ki- based attacks, only to discover that he can increase his strength level by absorbing them.

* In ''TheFifthElement'', the big dark planet of evil is attacked by Earth's military with several rockets. Instead of the rockets hurting it, they cause it to get bigger.

* In the ''DoctorWho'' episode ''Vincent and the Doctor'', the MonsterOfTheWeek [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything seemed to enjoy]] the sonic screwdriver.

* In ''FinalFantasyII,'' attacking enemies with the wrong spell (eg Ice monsters with Ice magic, Undead with Drain and Osmose or BlobMonster with Poison) will actually heal the monster. In case of Drain or the Blood Swords results will be ugly.

->They say they hate me; they wanna hold me down.
->I guess they're scared of the rebel; the [[TitleDrop rebel of the underground]]!
->But I never let it get me.
->[[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity I just make another record 'bout the punks trying to sweat me!]]

* ''SpongebobSquarepants:'' Mermaid Man mistakes Spongebob for evil and attacks with his trademark Water Balls. Spongebob enjoys it.

* In the ''SuperSmashBros'' games, Ness and Lucas' PSI Magnets absorbs energy projectiles (i.e. Mario's fireballs, Samus' charge shot) and heals him by the amount of damage the attack would have caused.

* When ''CalvinAndHobbes'' fought the [[EldritchAbomination Snow Goons]], they tried throwing snowballs at them, but that just allowed them to grow bigger.

** In fact, all ''FinalFantasy'' games have a system of elemental absorb.

* The page image from ''VgCats'' involves using fire in cold weather; pleasant for obvious reasons. (Unless you were to set the clothes on fire... [[DoubleSubversion in which case you'd be setting yourself up to get arrested]].)