History Main / CrisisMakesPerfect

* ''Film/TheBlob1988'': At the beginning of the film, Brian is trying to jump a broken bridge at the edge of town on his motorcycle, but he chickens out at the last second and ends up crashing. Later in the film, he's being pursued by government agents because HeKnowsTooMuch, and is chased towards the same bridge by armed soldiers on trucks, ATVs, and helicopter (under the impression he's a possible infectee to a non-existent disease). This time, he makes the jump, but his pursuers are not so lucky.

* In the 1997 movie ''[[Film/RocketMan1997 RocketMan]]'', [[GeniusDitz Randall]] has proven that he's an absolute genius, having designed several of the pieces of equipment in the Mars lander, but he can't rewire them when spinning around. Sure enough, the craft gets sent into a flat spin when they're trying to leave and he has to rewire the entire electrical system in less than two minutes. With some encouragement from the mission director after a brief moment of panic, [[LetsGetDangerous he pulls it off flawlessly.]]

* An episode of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' involves a guest character's two Bellossom failing to perform a stunt for a performance--until a Team Rocket attack prompts them to try it again, and they succeed.
** Several times in the series, a Pokemon will learn a new attack when they're on the losing end of a battle.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheTiggerMovie'', Tigger shows Roo the Whoopty-Dooper Loopty Looper Alley Ooper bounce. Roo can't do it at first, nor later when he's practicing before bedtime. At the end, he has to do it to save Tigger from an avalanche.

* In ''Film/ManOfSteel'', it takes quite some time (years) to Kal-El/Clark to master his yellow sun-powered SuperpowerLottery (XRayVision, {{Flight}} and so on). Perhaps also due to his military upbringing, General Zod masters them way faster during his brutal fights against Clark/Superman.

** When an amnesiac [[GodSaveusFromTheQueen Big Mom]] puts Luffy in a situation where the collars around his neck and that of Hyogoro, an old man who has been training him, [[ExplosiveLeash are about to explode]], he is able to briefly use an advanced application of [[KiManipulation Busoshoku Haki]] that he had been unable to use willingly throughout his training, allowing him to destroy the collars before they explode. Hyogoro then challenges Luffy to do it again in order to defend himself from Big Mom, stating that [[InvokedTrope power blooms in adversity]]. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments He]] [[HammeredIntoTheGround fails]], but is later able to master the skill with more training.

** Luffy is able to figure out during his fight with [[WorldsStrongestMan Kaido]] that the latter can [[spoiler:infuse his attacks with [[AwesomenessIsAForce Haoshoku Haki]]]]. Realizing that such a thing is possible, Luffy immediately masters the skill and, where he failed to deal significant damage before, is now able to fight on even terms.

** When an amnesiac [[GodSaveusFromTheQueen Big Mom]] puts Luffy in a situation where the collars around his neck and that of Hyogoro, an old man who has been training him, [[ExplosiveLeash are about to explode]], he is able to briefly use an advanced application of [[KiManipulation Busoshoku Haki]] that he had been unable to use willingly throughout his training, allowing him to destroy the collars before they explode. Hyogoro then challenges Luffy to do it again in order to defend himself from Big Mom, stating that [[InvokedTrope power blooms in adversity]]. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments He fails]], but is later able to master the skill with more training.

* In ''Film/RocketMan'', [[GeniusDitz Randall]] has proven that he's an absolute genius, having designed several of the pieces of equipment in the Mars lander, but he can't rewire them when spinning around. Sure enough, the craft gets sent into a flat spin when they're trying to leave and he has to rewire the entire electrical system in less than two minutes. With some encouragement from the mission director after a brief moment of panic, [[LetsGetDangerous he pulls it off flawlessly.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': In "[[Recap/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteersS1E4SkummLord Skumm Lord]]", before taking the controls of the geo-cruiser while escaping from Skumm, Ma-Ti had only done one simulation and had apparently crashed (which Kwame only learns ''after'' the chase begins). Despite Kwame's terror, Ma-Ti manages just fine.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' sequel, Madellaine struggles with her ambition to become a tightrope walker. At the end, she pulls it off to save Zephyr.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'', Peter B. provides the page quote while he and Miles are fleeing from Alchemax and [[spoiler:Dr. Octopus]]. Sure enough, Miles is forced to web-swing and succeeds, however briefly, after Peter's attempts to walk him through it failed. In the climax, [[spoiler:Miles develops his own web-swinging style while rushing to the Super-Collider after everyone else left him behind.]]

->''"Everybody knows that the best way to learn is under intense, life-threatening pressure!"''
-->-- '''Peter B. Parker''', ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse''

* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'', Peter B. provides the page quote while he and Miles are fleeing from Alchemax and [[spoiler:Dr. Octopus]]. Sure enough, Miles is forced to web-swing and succeeds, however briefly, after Peter's attempts to walk him through it failed. In the climax, [[spoiler:Miles develops his own web-swinging style while rushing to the Super-Collider after everyone else left him behind.]]

* ''Webcomic/VillainToKill'': As far as Cassian is concerned, the best way to learn how to use his new powers is trial by fire. He purposefully picks a fight with Screwdriver, a Villain with three times his raw power at the time, to get a better handle on using his abilities against a superior opponent. That's why he's almost excited to fight Screwdriver and test his handling of his powers.

** Bolin [[spoiler: lava-bending]] in the season 3 finale.

Compare BecomingTheBoast, where a character who has been boasting about their ability all story is called on to demonstrate it, admits they can't, and then has to do it anyway; DieOrFly, where a crisis brings out a previously-unsuspected ability; and OneBulletLeft, another trope demonstrating that the hero can do amazing things when the climax of the story depends on it.

[[AC:Anime/Manga]]

[[AC:Film -- Animated]]

* In the ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' sequel, Madellaine struggles with her ambition to become a tightrope walker. At the end, she pulls it off to save Zephyr.

* In ''Disney/TheTiggerMovie'', Tigger shows Roo the Whoopty-Dooper Loopty Looper Alley Ooper bounce. Roo can't do it at first, nor later when he's practicing before bedtime. At the end, he has to do it to save Tigger from an avalanche.

[[AC:Film -- Live Action]]

[[AC:Literature]]

[[AC:Live-Action TV]]

[[AC:Web Original]]
* PlayedForLaughs in the [[RealTrailerFakeMovie real trailer for the fake reboot]] of ''Series/RaumschiffGamestar'': the AU!Captain Langer tries to reproduce the original Captain's CatchPhrase ("Oh God, we are all going to die!") but repeatedly mispronounces it. Then, in the end of the trailer, he finally gets it right--just as his entire ship blows up to smithereens.

[[AC:Western Animation TV]]