History Main / BoardToDeath

* ''Series/BabylonFive'': In season 4, the new Centauri Emperor, Carthagia allows the Shadows to set up a base on the Centauri homeworld. The bill passed in the Centaurum but several of the Ministers/Senators tried to downvote it. What happened to these dissenters? They were beheaded, and their heads displayed inside Carthagia's secret room where he talks to them at night.
* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 3 episode 9, Wilson Fisk has the crooked FBI agents on his payroll round up a bunch of crime bosses and bring them all to a round table at a restaurant. Once they're all assembled, Fisk makes his appearance and announces [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse that he'll sell them his protection from federal prosecution in exchange for a 20% tax on all of their profits]]. One of the bosses, Everett Starr takes offense at the proposal, and refuses to buy in. Fisk promptly has him killed on the spot by Dex, and raises the tax to 25%, which the remaining gangsters quickly cave and agree to pay.

-->''[On cue, Dex enters the room, dressed in his Daredevil costume[[note]]which itself also has the double function of giving the impression to the gangsters that the guy who goes after criminals in Hell's Kitchen is doing so on Fisk's behalf, since of those at the table, only Fisk knows that the real Daredevil is Matt Murdock[[/note]], and lobs a baton that hits Starr right in his forehead. Starr pitches face forward, dead, and a pool of blood spreads out across the table. Fisk calmly stares at the pool of blood and clears his throat]''
-->'''Wilson Fisk:''' ....The tax is now 25%.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' really likes this trope:

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'': In season 1 episode 9, an instance happens that's similar to the ''Daredevil'' example. In this case, with her murder of her cousin Cottonmouth, Mariah Dillard needs to keep his business going. She has Cottonmouth's longtime business partner Domingo Colon agree to set up a meeting with Harlem's other gang bosses at his boxing gym so Mariah can sell off Cottonmouth's assets to them. Diamondback crashes the meeting and, after killing their guards outside, proceeds to kill all of the bosses assembled around the table except for Mariah and Shades (who he needs as business partners to help him get his Judas bullets sold on the streets), and Domingo (because the meeting is on his turf, and also so he can pass word to others as to what happens when you double cross him).

* In ''Video/Game/ElMatador'' the police are eavesdropping on a meeting of [[TheCartel Cartel]] members from an apartment across the street, the guy in charge tells the others that he's always a step ahead of the police. When one of the cops [[TemptingFate understandably shows scepticism]] the leader says [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IKnowYoureWatchingMe he knows the police is listening to them right now]], orders his men to fire a missle launcher at the apartment and continues without missing a beat.

** Much later on, Light makes sure to manipulate Takada into doing his bidding and having her stay on guard, in case she gets kidnapped by one of his opponents. When she does, she has been hiding a piece of the death note on her body and kills the opponent by writing his name down. Immediately after giving him the good news, Light forces Takada to commit suicide by writing it in the death note.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/DoctorWho https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vlcsnap_2019_07_19_22h59m53s769.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[Creator/JohnSimm Harold Saxon]]'s [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums first day]] as [[UsefulNotes/BritishPoliticalSystem Prime Minister]]]]

* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', the Magic Council gets bombed by Jackal right when the chairman decides that he and his fellow councilmen need to take action against Tartaros.

* ''ComicStrip/ModestyBlaise'': The BigBad in "Children of Lucifer" plans to do this to a group of mafiosi who have been his partners in crime. He seals them in the board room, and forces them to watch a HappierHomeMovie while he delivers a MotiveRant about why he is going to kill them. However, [[TheStarscream his treacherous lieutenant]] chooses this moment to literally knife him in the back and announce that he is taking over the operation.

* PlayedForLaughs in the Russian comedy ''Balls of Fate''. The BigBad of the movie is an [[CorruptCorporateExecutive oligarch]] in possession of the eponymous [[McGuffin artefact]] that allows him to warp reality in his favor. Of course, he can't resist showing off such an asset to his guests, but at the same time can't allow anybody to know. The solution? He invites some people, [[DoubleEntendre brags about his Balls]] to them, and then has his [[TheDragon Dragon]] kill them all.

* ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'' has [[spoiler:Khan]] [[PersonAsVerb pull a]] ''[[Film/TheGodfather Godfather III]]'' [[MoreDakka on the Starfleet High Command]].
* ''Film/SpiderMan1'': When Norman Osborn gets expelled from the company he built in preparation for a merger with a rival, Osborn (as the Green Goblin) makes sure to repay the board of directors...with a pumpkin bomb that disintegrates them.

* In the ''Literature/DirkPittAdventures'' spinoff ''Blue Gold'' the BigBad has a meeting describing her plans to monopolize the water ways. Congressman Jeremy Kinkaid angrily protests this as moral and vows to fight it in court, while a scientist named Dearborn also questions the ethics of it. They are told that their opinions are respected but after the meeting the Kradizak's (who were watching) are asked who they think they should kill, and name Kinkaid (who is later confirmed to have died in an "accident") and Dearborn.

* In ''El Matador'' the police are eavesdropping on a meeting of [[TheCartel Cartel]] members from an apartment across the street, the guy in charge tells the others that he's always a step ahead of the police. When one of the cops [[TemptingFate understandably shows scepticism]] the leader says [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IKnowYoureWatchingMe he knows the police is listening to them right now]], orders his men to fire a missle launcher at the apartment and continues without missing a beat.

* In ''Series/RoboCopPrimeDirectives'', [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Damian Lowe]] spearheads the project for developing a fully-functional AI. However, the [[MegaCorp OCP]] board decides fire Damian for defying the CEO and ordering a team of mercs after Murphy. Furious, Damian goes to the AI control console and orders the prototype AI to gas the board room. He later gets his comeuppance when the AI [[AIIsACrapshoot turns on him]] and cuts him in half with FrickinLaserBeams.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 3 episode 9, Wilson Fisk has the crooked FBI agents on his payroll round up a bunch of crime bosses and bring them all to a round table at a restaurant. Once they're all assembled, Fisk makes his appearance and announces that he'll sell them his protection from federal prosecution in exchange for a 20% tax on all of their profits. One of the bosses, Everett Starr takes offense at the proposal, and refuses to buy in, believing Fisk is trying to get them to do something that'll buy him more time in his new penthouse at the Presidential Hotel. At this, Dex appears rocking his fake Daredevil costume and kills the mouthy gangster by lobbing a baton at his forehead (which itself also has the double function of giving the impression to the gangsters that the guy who goes after criminals in Hell's Kitchen is doing so on Fisk's behalf, since of those at the table, only Fisk knows that the real Daredevil is Matt Murdock). Fisk looks at the pool of spreading blood that appears on the table, and calmly raises the proposed tax to 25%, [[AnOfferYouCantRefuse which the remaining gangsters quickly cave and agree to pay]].

* ''Film/AViewToAKill'' does the zeppelin kill. Zorin wants his investors to put up $100 million each into his company, which will wipe out Silicon Valley. One of them refuses to pay Zorin that much, so Zorin has May Day drop the guy out of the zeppelin.

[[caption-width-right:350:The Master's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums first day]] as [[UsefulNotes/BritishPoliticalSystem Prime Minister]]]]

* In ''Film/Batman1989'', ComicBook/TheJoker [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0H5Gy5yNb0 kills one of the crime bosses]] with a trick joy buzzer that fries the guy until he's a charred husk, and has his gang herd the others out with tommy guns. He then later kills another boss with a quill pen in the throat (presumably poisoned). As for the rest of the board, it's implied that Joker ultimately decides to "grease 'em now" offscreen... [[BadBoss that's just how he rolls.]] The original script called for one goon to take out another with ''[[IncendiaryExponent a flamethrower disguised as a helium container]]''.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 3 episode 9, Wilson Fisk has the crooked FBI agents on his payroll round up a bunch of crime bosses and bring them all to a round table at a restaurant. Once they're all assembled, Fisk makes his appearance and announces that he'll sell them his protection from federal prosecution in exchange for a 20% tax on all of their profits. One of the bosses takes offense at the proposal, and refuses to buy in, stating that he knows Fisk is trying to get them to do something that'll buy him more time in his new penthouse at the Presidential Hotel. At this, Dex appears rocking his fake Daredevil costume and kills the mouthy gangster by lobbing a baton at his forehead (which itself also has the double function of giving the impression to the gangsters that the guy who goes after criminals in Hell's Kitchen is doing so on Fisk's behalf, since of those at the table, only Fisk and Dex know that the real Daredevil is Matt Murdock). Fisk looks at the pool of spreading blood on the table, and calmly raises the proposed tax to 25%, which the remaining gangsters quickly cave and agree to pay.

* In ''Series/RoboCopPrimeDirectives'', [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Damian Lowe]] spearheads the project for developing a fully-functional AI. However, the [[MegaCorp OCP]] board decides fire Damian for defying the CEO and ordering a team of mercs after Muprhy. Furious, Damian goes to the AI control console and orders the prototype AI to gas the board room. He later gets his comeuppance when the AI [[AIIsACrapshoot turns on him]] and cuts him in half with FrickinLaserBeams.

** In Season 7, Arya Stark impersonates Walder Frey after having assassinated him in Season 6. She summons all the male members of House Frey to the Twin Towers for a feast, and poisons them all while giving them a stealth ReasonYouSuckSpeech disguised as praise from their lord.

** In ''Videogame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun'' ''Firestorm'', Nods Inner Circle's meet via transmission. When they meet again to question CABAL's actions, CABAL has his cyborg army kill 4 of the members save for Slavik.

[[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused]] with EndingFatigue in a TabletopGame. Or [[TwoByFore beating someone to death with a two-by-four]]. And certainly not with getting ''[[FullBoarAction boared]]'' to death.

[[caption-width-right:350:The Master's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums first day in office]]]]

* In ''Film/Batman1989'', ComicBook/TheJoker kills one of the crime bosses with a trick joy buzzer and has his gang herd the others out with tommy guns. He then later kills another boss with a quill pen in the throat (presumably poisoned). As for the rest of the board, it's implied that Joker ultimately decides to "grease 'em now" offscreen... [[BadBoss that's just how he rolls.]] The original script called for one goon to take out another with ''[[IncendiaryExponent a flamethrower disguised as a helium container]]''.

* The assassination of the Romulan Senate after they refuse Shinzon's proposal in the beginning of ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' probably counts.

* Played with in one of the ''Literature/AlexRider'' novels. [[TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness The board]] needs a villain for Alex to investigate, so they kill one of their own and set him up somewhere MI6 will know to look.

* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': In ''[[Literature/JediAcademyTrilogy Darksaber]]'', Admiral Daala gets all the Imperial Remnant faction leaders together in a meeting and then gases them all so she can assume control over all their forces. She does make an honest effort to tell them her plan and get them to sign on willingly; since Imperial leaders strongly tend to be short-sighted egomaniacs, it rapidly becomes clear that it'd be easier just to kill them all and do it herself. When she did and then [[GeneralFailure failed miserably in her campaign against the New Republic]], she fled in a huff and left the Empire to Captain Pellaeon, the shining exception to the rule, who only killed board members if they attacked him.

* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 3 episode 9, Wilson Fisk has the crooked FBI agents on his payroll round up a bunch of crime bosses and bring them all to a round table at a restaurant. Once they're all assembled, Fisk makes his appearance and announces that he'll sell them his protection from federal prosecution in exchange for a 20% tax on all of their profits. One of the bosses takes offense at the proposal, and refuses to buy in, stating that he knows Fisk is trying to get them to do something that'll buy him more time in his new penthouse at the Presidential Hotel. At this, Dex appears rocking his fake Daredevil costume and kills the mouthy gangster by lobbing a baton at his forehead. Fisk looks at the pool of spreading blood on the table, and calmly raises the proposed tax to 25%, which the remaining gangsters quickly cave and agree to pay.

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'': In season 1 episode 9, Mariah Dillard calls a secret meeting of Harlem's crime lords at Colon's Gym so she can sell off Cottonmouth's criminal enterprise to them. Diamondback crashes the meeting and proceeds to kill all of the bosses assembled around the table except for Mariah and Shades (who he needs as business partners to help him get his Judas bullets sold on the streets), and Domingo (to send word to others as to what happens when you double cross him).

[[caption-width-right:350:Harold Saxon's [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums first day in office]]]]

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]]: The Master kills the entire [[UsefulNotes/BritishPoliticalSystem Cabinet]] in his role as Prime Minister. In a variation that plays even more to office fantasies, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERd_EnQqtKE he doesn't explain anything; he just insults them (hilariously) and then gasses them to death.]] Read the full exchange on the [[Quotes/BoardToDeath quotes page]].

* ''Film/SpiderMan'': When Norman Osborn gets expelled from the company he built in preparation for a merger with a rival, Osborn (as the Green Goblin) makes sure to repay the board of directors...with a pumpkin bomb that disintegrates them.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E12TheSoundOfDrums "The Sound of Drums"]]: The Master kills the entire [[UsefulNotes/BritishPoliticalSystem Cabinet]] in his role as Prime Minister. In a variation that plays even more to office fantasies, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKT_sE4B7WI he doesn't explain anything; he just insults them (hilariously) and then kills them.]] Read the full exchange on the [[Quotes/BoardToDeath quotes page]].

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[[folder:Film]]

* ''Film/AustinPowersInternationalManOfMystery'': Dr. Evil's underground lair is designed with these sorts of boardroom chairs for disposing of freakin' idiots. But they don't always get the job done quickly, as shown when he literally fires Mustafa. Mustafa's fate is a fire pit, which fails to kill him, only leaving him very badly burnt. After listening to his screams of agony for a minute, Dr. Evil does what he should've done from the start and just has him shot.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/LukeCage2016'': In season 1 episode 9, Mariah Dillard calls a secret meeting of Harlem's crime lords at Colon's Gym so she can sell off Cottonmouth's criminal enterprise to them. Diamondback crashes the meeting and proceeds to kill all of the bosses assembled around the table except for Mariah and Shades (who he needs as business partners to help him get his Judas bullets sold on the streets), and Domingo (to send word to others as to what happens when you double cross him).
* ''Series/Daredevil2015'': In season 3 episode 9, Wilson Fisk has the crooked FBI agents on his payroll round up a bunch of crime bosses and bring them all to a round table at a restaurant. Once they're all assembled, Fisk makes his appearance and announces that he'll sell them his protection from federal prosecution in exchange for a 20% tax on all of their profits. One of the bosses takes offense at the proposal, and refuses to buy in, stating that he knows Fisk is trying to get them to do something that'll buy him more time in his new penthouse at the Presidential Hotel. At this, Dex appears rocking his fake Daredevil costume and kills the mouthy gangster by lobbing a baton at his forehead. Fisk looks at the pool of spreading blood on the table, and calmly raises the proposed tax to 25%, which the remaining gangsters quickly cave and agree to pay.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/ModestyBlaise'': The BigBad in "Children of Lucifer" plans to do this to a group of mafiosi who have been his partners in crime. He seals them in the board room, and forces them to watch a HappierHomeMovie while he delivers a MotiveRant about why he is going to kill them. However, [[TheStarscream his treacherous lieutenant]] chooses this moment to literally knife him in the back and announce that he is taking over the operation.
[[/folder]]

** Ernst Stavro Blofeld does this to a few of his {{Mooks}} in ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' (one of the henchmen was stealing money, and he gets zapped to death) and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' (a henchman who was supposed to kill Mr. White gets an EyePoke and his skull bashed, before he is killed by a NeckSnap). In both cases, the other henchmen can only watch in horror as the guy gets killed.

* ''Film/{{Wonder Woman|2017}}'': General Ludendorff barges in on a meeting of the German High Command, who are preparing to accept an armistice with the Allies, and exposes them all to the new toxic gas developed by Doctor Poison, wiping them out.

* In ''Film/{{Dogma}}'', Loki lists off the various sins of Mooby Inc.'s board of directors before executing them in general for idolatry -- with the exception of [[WomenAreWiser one woman, whom he declares to be an innocent]] and leaves unharmed. Bartleby does have to stop him from killing her, too, because she didn't say "God bless you" when he sneezed. Loki ''may'' have been joking about that. Granting the supposition that the sneeze wasn't the least convincing acting Damon's done in his entire career, Loki probably faked the sneeze so he could do that, and the otherwise nice lady just assumed (rightly) that it was fake and didn't warrant a blessing.