History Main / DamselInDistress

[[caption-width-right:350:[[SaveThePrincess Just another Wednesday for]] [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Princess Peach.]]]]

** In "Introducing Anata", [[Anime/LoveLiveNijigasakiHighSchoolIdolClub Yuu Takasaki]] is cornered by a new model of [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog SWAT]][[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics bot]] that [[MadScientist Dr. Eggman]] has created with Eggman daring Yuu to battle the robot with her Pokémon despite Yuu not being a Trainer. Thankfully, her fellow [=NijiGaku=] classmates/friends Hilda White and Shiori Fujisaki accompanied her and [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome made short work of the bot with their Samurott and Mega Charizard X respectively]]!

* ComicBook/{{Zatanna}} frequently finds herself BoundAndGagged due to the fact that she needs to speak backwards in order to cast her spells. [[https://i.imgur.com/Due6qoT.png Being gagged renders her powerless and leaves at the mercy of her enemies]]. Her rogues gallery seem to be very appear of her AchillesHeel and often place her in these positions of peril. When Zatanna works with other superheroes, she often plays the role of Damsel in Distress due to her WeaksauceWeakness, typically fuelled by AuthorAppeal.

* In ''ComicBook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan'', ComicBook/LexLuthor and ComicBook/DoctorOctopus kidnap ComicBook/LoisLane and Mary Jane Watson and admit openly that they are bait to lure the heroes into their trap. Both women are understandably pissed off about it.

* In ''Fanfic/DamonaInTheDetails'', [[VideoGame/YokaiWatch Damona]] is kidnapped by Komane and an excorist who want to put her back in the Crank-a-Kai, requiring Nate to rescue her.

* In ''Fanfic/DamonaInTheDetails'', [[VideoGame/YoukaiWatch Damona]] is kidnapped by Komane and an excorist who want to put her back in the Crank-a-Kai, requiring Nate to rescue her.

* ComicBook/LoisLane is probably the most famous damsel in distress, and in almost all versions (comics, cartoon, films) needs to be saved frequently by Franchise/{{Superman}}.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12049888/1/The-True-Villain The True Villain]], [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Marinette]] becomes one after being kidnapped by a trafficker and separated from Tikki in the process.

* In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/23368747/chapters/55991638 hear the sirens calling/and the bombs are falling in the streets (we're all screwed)]]'', [[Franchise/Transformers Starscream]] (who is a human female in the story) is kidnapped and held hostage by MECH.

* Subverted with Jadina from [''ComicBook/LesLegendaires''; her natural clumsiness and the fact she's a princess seems to make her designed for this role, and [[TheHero Danael]] even mentioned she has been this at least once; however, she never falls into that role, and actually ''is'' the one saving her friends most of the time, sometimes even doing so when weakened. This reaches its paroxysm in Book 14, where [[spoiler:after she got temporary depowered and had her friends saving her, but still saves her friends from the new BigBad Abyss, who none of her friend could even scratch. And all of this while still depowered. Wow.]]

* In the ''ComicBook/SilentHill Silent Hill comic book series "Sinner's Reward"'', this is how Jack meets Sara in Silent Hill (she's being tied up before Jack frees her).

* Discussed in ''Fanfic/FateReachOut'':

* ''Fanfic/TheNightmareHouse'', [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse Leni Loud]] has a nightmare where she's immobilised and dragged away by giant, talking spiders.
* In ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged'', Suguha ''wants'' to be this as part of her [[TheRoleplayer roleplaying]] in ''Alfheim Online'' as Princess Leafa. Unfortunately she can't get over her real-life kendo instincts, so even when a trio of Salamanders are [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty menacing]] her and she's begging for her life in a SouthernBelle accent, [[GameplayAndStorySegregation she can't stop herself from brandishing a sword at them,]] much to their annoyance.

** In her defense, '''it rarely happens''' and is usually because of some stronger magic [[DePower de-powering]] her or cosmic asshole pulling some tricks. In the early days, Diana is often seen bound and gagged in her comics (thanks to her creator being a bondage fetish) but this subverted as she's the one who breaks herself free which, which was incidentally at the time an allegory for the slavery of Africans.

* The main character of ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'' almost always ends up captured by villains, as a parody of {{Faux Action Girl}}s. Naturally this leads to her being the laughingstock of the superhero community. Nonetheless, despite all the ridicule she receives and her general lack of success as a superheroine, she proves to be a {{Determinator}} who [[IronWoobie refuses to quit]].

** In "Introducing Anata", [[Anime/LoveLiveNijigasakiHighSchoolIdolClub Yuu Takasaki]] is cornered by a new model of [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog SWAT]][[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog bot]] that [[MadScientist Dr. Eggman]] has created with Eggman daring Yuu to battle the robot with her Pokémon despite Yuu not being a Trainer. Thankfully, her fellow [=NijiGaku=] classmates/friends Hilda White and Shiori Fujisaki accompanied her and [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome made short work of the bot with their Samurott and Mega Charizard X respectively]]!
** In "A Friend Indeed!", [[Anime/PokemonThePowerOfUs Margo]] is cornered by three young teenage bullies and as part a MythologyGag to Margo's debut ''{{Anime/Pokemon}}'' movie, ''The Power of Us'', one of the girls throws the lid of the ice cream they were carrying towards Margo, but [[VideoGame/SonicGenerations Classic]] [[VideoGame/SonicMania Sonic]] arrives just in time to prevent the lid from hitting Margo in the face and also manages to chase the girls off after beating their Phanpy!

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