History Main / DeathTrap

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

* In ''TableTopGame/Warhammer40000'', the Primarch of the [[WorkerUnit Iron Warriors]], Perturabo, is a master of deathtraps of all kinds. Tasked by the Emperor with the [[WarIsHell dirtiest, most unforgiving and unrewarding jobs]] during the Great Crusade, Perturabo not only became a master of defense and siege warfare, but also [[OldSoldier became a bitter soldier]], [[BrokenPedestal disillusioned with the Emperor]], and possibly suffers from [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]]. In his anger, Pert became quite creative and sadistic in fortress building, particularly setting up traps. His magnum opus is The Eternal Fortress, a labyrinth of landmines, [[SentryGun inward facing auto turrets]], and plenty of places to get ambushed. When Perturabo fled following Horus Heresy, [[TheRival Rogal Dorn]] followed suit. Blinded by [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge vengeance]], [[TheStoic Rogal and his Imperial Fist legion]] followed his Traitor brother to the Eternal Fortress, swearing he would bring him back to Terra in an "Iron Cage". [[spoiler:It ended in a [[CurbStompBattle blood bath]]. When the Imperial Fists were on the verge of annihilation, The [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs Ultra Marines]] [[TheCavalry swooped in and turned the tide of battle]]. ]]

However, the villains typically [[VillainBall make the mistake]] of not closely observing the heroes [[Left for Dead leaving assuming that the trap wll work]], and they figure out a way to escape just in time -- a form of GenreBlindness to which [[BondVillainStupidity supergenius supervillains are uniquely prone]].

However, the villains typically make the mistake of [[VillainBall not closely observing the heroes]] and they figure out a way to escape just in time -- a form of GenreBlindness to which [[BondVillainStupidity supergenius supervillains are uniquely prone]].

* L'ombre Jaune (Yellow Shade ?), an evil genius and recurring villain of the Bob Morane serie, can't seem to be able to choose how to kill the heroes. They are the main reason he never succeed, and he wants them dead, but in a way that befit their status as his biggest adversaries. Simply killing them when they get in his hand is not enough, so they have to do things like fighting robotic alligators... Of course, while they are not in his hand, a horde of mindless killers is par for the course.

* "Series/WonderWoman": Happens to Diana quite often, but she manages to still escape the villain's plans and save the day each time.

* The infamous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._H._Holmes#Chicago_and_the_.22Murder_Castle.22 H. H. Holmes]] converted a hotel into a building full of death traps, to the point it was dubbed the "Murder Castle". Special mention goes to the trapdoors leading straight down to the basement, stairways to nowhere, bedrooms in which gas could be pumped in to asphyxiate the victim at any time, and a bank vault where people were left until the air ran out.

* ''VideoGame/{{Forewarned}}'': The game, being set in Ancient Egyptian tombs, has the standard fare. There's swinging pendulum blades, giant archaeologist-crushing boulders, etc.

** Count 'em: Constricting ropes. Acid filling the room. Swinging blades of death. Lasers. [[TheWallsAreClosingIn Walls closing in]]. And just in case none of that worked, a ticking time bomb. Say what you will about Music Meister, but the man's thorough.

The hero is often (but not always) delivered to the Death Trap via a TrapDoor. See BoobyTrap or DeathCourse for death-traps used as protection rather than execution (never mind that such obstacles [[NoOSHACompliance tend to be more deadly]] to [[{{Mooks}} incompetent henchmen]] than the heroes).

** In ''ComicBook/HowLuthorMetSuperboy'', Luthor sets up an actually simple trap for his nemesis: a Kryptonite rock stashed away behind a lead wall panel. When ComicBook/{{Superboy walks}} into his lab, completely clueless to the fact that his former friend now wants to murder him, Lex presses a button on his deks and the panel slids upwards, letting the rock bathe Superboy in lethal radiation.

* In ''Literature/TheGraceYear'', Tierney digs a spiked pit to trap and kill the poacher trying to kill her. [[spoiler:She ends up killing Hans, the [[IfICantHaveYou guard obsessed with her.]]]]

* L'ombre Jaune (Yellow Shade ?), an evil genius and reccuring villain of the Bob Morane serie, can't seem to be able to choose how to kill the heroes. They are the main reason he never succeed, and he want them dead, but in a way that befit their status as his biggest adversaries. Simply killing them when they get in his hand is not enough, so they have to do thing like fighting robotic alligator... Of course, while they are not in his hand, a horde of mindless killer is on par.

[[caption-width-right:350:Just another Tuesday night in Gotham.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/{{Batman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman_death_trap.jpg]]]]

* The ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' franchise is based entirely around a SerialKiller abducting a person or a group of people, and then placing them in a room where to escape death they must either mutilate themselves or kill someone else. Usually, once having done one of these two things, they die anyway, either because they had to do ''something else'', or, in the case of later movies, because a DeceptiveDisciple of the killer made the trap. This case is notable among examples of the trope as, more often than not, the characters fail to escape and we get to see the results in graphic detail.

* The ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' franchise is based entirely around a KnightTemplar abducting a person or a group of people, and then placing them in a room where to escape death they must either mutilate themselves or kill someone else. Usually, once having done one of these two things, they die anyway, either because they had to do ''something else'', or, in the case of later movies, because a DeceptiveDisciple of the killer made the trap. This case is notable among examples of the trope as, more often than not, the characters fail to escape and we get to see the results in graphic detail.

* The ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series of films are based entirely around a psychopath drugging a person or a group of people and placing them in a room where to escape death they must either kill someone else or mutilate themselves. Normally, once having done one of these two things, they die anyway, either because they had to do ''something else'', or because the DeceptiveDisciple made the trap. Notable among examples of the DeathTrap as, more often than not, the characters fail to escape and we get to see the results in graphic detail.

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

#Fisherman is so distressed, a milk bottle top flies out of his pocket, colliding with stray wasp.
#Wasp becomes disorientated and drops copy of ''ComicBook/TheBeano'' on pensioner's pen refill.
#Passing salesman sees this happen and rushes to help.
#Eyelash dislodgement causes lamp post to turn on for seven milliseconds.
#Power change helps Belgium win at Snap.
#Over-joyous reaction makes termite in carpet drop crisps.
#Widow in Greece senses termite's grief and raises flag.
#Flag blocks out sun, which Captain Kirk mistakes for Klingon Bird of Prey. He fires phasers, which hit corner of leopard's eye.
#This encourages swan to sell three bars of gold to cod.
#New wealth upsets whelk, who fires jet towards Poland.
#Buskers in Poland tie wool around barn to ward off evil spirit.
#In disgust, spirit throws can of Lynx at barn, can rebounds striking man on head.
#Man loses bookmark from book. Bookmark causes mass pile-up on M27.
#Han Solo quickly reacts and throws radish at Daley Thompson.
#Daley Thompson picks up phone and airs opinion about Communism.
#Neighbouring swordfish stops watching TV, which enables flower to jump from window box.
#It gets caught in helicopter blades, forcing helicopter to swerve 32 degrees.
#Change in wind causes zebra's side parting to waver.
#Zebra's third cousin mocks and falls down ravine. The splash makes a tornado in Kent which pulls up huge rock.
#Worm is released and crawls into man's briefcase.
#Man drops pint and piece of glass lodges in llama's ear.
#Llama spits at lamp stand. Stand falls on cactus. Cactus spine embarks on journey, hitting vicar's jaw.
#In great pain, vicar utters "Jesus!"
#God strikes down hero, mistaking him for clergyman.

#Mr Hero telepathically contacts eagle.
#Eagle drops cheese on rooftop.
#Slate becomes loose.
#Discarded chair begins squeaking.
#Entices mouse from route to Australia.
#Knocks over Barry Kencov's ice cream maker.
#Excess ice cream causes staple guns worldwide to rust.
#Rogue staple gun calls elephant's bluff.
#Elephant storms Mr. Evil Villain's hideout, freeing hero!

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* The Marvel villain Arcade ''always'' uses elaborate death traps, intentionally providing his victims a chance at escape however slim, because he's in the business for the fun of it. After all, it's not really a game at all if there's no chance of losing. That is psychologically understandable, but considering that his business is assassin-for-hire, one wonders how he finds any customers.
** To be fair, Arcade is rich enough that he doesn't really need the money to begin with, and so his deathtraps are more for his entertainment than anything else. He also [[CutLexLuthoraCheck markets his deathtraps to others]], setting up obstacle courses that villains sometimes use to train themselves. When he uses Murderworld in that capacity, he ''still'' has at least some of the traps set for lethal effect...but the supervillains are informed of this in advance. Just not ''which'' parts are lethal.
*** Also, he does successfully assassinate non-superhero targets in his Murderworlds; one such is shown in an early issue of Excalibur.

** ComicBook/LexLuthor's submarine mecha's cockpit was armed with a network of lasers strong enough to kill Superman.
** Lex Luthor and ComicBook/DoctorOctopus' warehouse. When Franchise/SpiderMan sneaked in the place, he found himself in a dark corridor. Then the door shut behind him suddenly. Then he found out about the machine guns in the floorboards, the electrified walls and the red-hot ceiling, and his spider-sense warned him about wire screen designed to slice him apart.

* In ''{{ComicBook/Violine}}'', Muller has a TortureCellar complete with DeathTrap, consisting of a pool filled with crocodiles.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1464969329060410700
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

* An episode of ''Anime/DirtyPair'' has the villains capture one of the heroines, and strap her to a laser cutting table (mercifully aiming top-down instead of bottom-up) which they rig to their security system to lighten the guilt.

** In ''ComicBook/DeathOfTheFamily'', [[spoiler: Catwoman gets trapped in a centrifuge by the Joker. The idea is to be spin her around really fast until it kills her. Just when she's about to escape that, the centrifuge get flooded in an attempt to drown her. She escapes that too]].

** In ''ComicBook/StarfiresRevenge'', the titular crimelord throws Supergirl -who she believes helpless- and her minion Rodney -whom she no longer needs- into a pit where she keeps a savage gorilla and leaves the room. Then, Supergirl reveals she is not unconscious or depowered after all, and knocks the ape out.
* ''ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse'': In Creator/DonRosa's ''[=Scrooge McDuck=]]'' story "Treasure of the Ten Avatars", Scrooge and Donald have to get out of [[DeathCourse a series of these]]. Among other things there's a DescendingCeiling and FakePlatform with SpikesOfDoom, TheWallsAreClosingIn, FedToTheBeast, and a SnakePit. Donald even lampshades it by the end when he points out that they've already been through every B-movie cliché.
* The Marvel villain Arcade ''always'' uses elaborate death traps, intentionally providing his victims a chance at escape however slim, because he's in the business for the fun of it. After all, it's not really a game at all if there's no chance of losing. That is psychologically understandable, but considering that his business is assassin-for-hire, one wonders how he finds any customers.
** To be fair, Arcade is rich enough that he doesn't really need the money to begin with, and so his deathtraps are more for his entertainment than anything else. He also [[CutLexLuthoraCheck markets his deathtraps to others]], setting up obstacle courses that villains sometimes use to train themselves. When he uses Murderworld in that capacity, he ''still'' has at least some of the traps set for lethal effect...but the supervillains are informed of this in advance. Just not ''which'' parts are lethal.
*** Also, he does successfully assassinate non-superhero targets in his Murderworlds; one such is shown in an early issue of Excalibur.
* Lampshaded and played straight simultaneously in the ComicBook/XMen's first confrontation with Doctor Doom: He captures them, places them in situations which could kill them, then explains to his temporary ally Arcade that he doesn't care if they escape or not. If they don't, he's rid of them; if they do, he gains valuable information concerning their skills and powers. [[XanatosGambit Either way, he benefits]].
* [[MeaningfulName F.A. Schist]] has a scientist build one of these to end {{NighInvulnerab|ility}}le Comicbook/ManThing's meddling, once and for all.
* In an early Creator/JimShooter ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', a strike team of Legionnaires are captured and each put in a death trap designed especially for them by the minions of the Fatal Five. In this case, the Five ''wants'' them to escape and expend so much energy that they can harness for their own ends.
* In ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'', [[spoiler:AIQ Squared]] employs a deadly PowerNullifier on the moon. [[spoiler: It succeeds in killing Siphon.]]

* Bond. Film/JamesBond. As with many things, this started out kinda-plausible in the Sean Connery years, got more and more ridiculous with Roger Moore, then gradually got clawed back.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc17zmeMlSI I'm thankful I haven't been shot.]]
** In ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'', the villain has Bond strapped to a table with a [[GroinAttack laser beam moving toward his private parts]]. Since it's an early film, Goldfinger stays to watch the death. Bond doesn't escape -- he convinces Goldfinger to keep him alive a bit longer.
* The ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' series of films are based entirely around a psychopath drugging a person or a group of people and placing them in a room where to escape death they must either kill someone else or mutilate themselves. Normally, once having done one of these two things, they die anyway, either because they had to do ''something else'', or because the DeceptiveDisciple made the trap. Notable among examples of the DeathTrap as, more often than not, the characters fail to escape and we get to see the results in graphic detail.

* Lampshade hung in ''Film/TheJewelOfTheNile''. Heroes Jack Colton and Joan Wilder (the latter an author of romantic adventure novels) wind up captured by the villain, who hangs them both over a well, then explains that Jack's rope has acid slowly being dripped on it, while Joan's rope is being gnawed on by rats, creating a race as to who will fall first. Jack starts ranting about what kind of sick mind would think up such a ridiculous setup, only for Joan to admit it's from one of her books.
* In ''Film/ReturnOfTheKillerTomatoes'', Dr. Putrid T. Gangrene leaves our heroes trapped in an experimental chamber where they will be turned into tomatoes after a timer runs out! Then he leaves. Just shooting them would be wrong for a mad scientist of his caliber.

* {{Discussed|Trope}} in ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'', [[spoiler:then averted immediately after]].
-->'''Valentine:''' You know what this is like? It's like those old movies we both love. Now, I'm going to tell you my whole plan, and then I'm going to come up with some absurd and convoluted way to kill you, and you'll find an equally convoluted way to escape.\\
'''Harry Hart:''' Sounds good to me.\\
'''Valentine:''' [[spoiler:[[ThisIsNotThatTrope Well, this ain't that kind of movie.]] *''Shoots Harry in the head''*]]

* In ''Film/LemonTreePassage'', [[spoiler:Toby]] is left tied up in a death trap that is designed to be triggered by his friends when they come looking for him: dropping a deadfall that will then hang him.
* ''Film/TheABCsOfDeath'': In the "H" segment, TheBaroness Frau Scheisse has prepared a particularly elaborate one for her nemesis Bertie. [[ComplexityAddiction Had she gone with something simpler, she might have succeeded]].

* Almost every frickin' installment in the Literature/AlexRider series includes a deathtrap at the critical plot point.
* Parodied several times in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', most notably in ''Literature/GuardsGuards'':
--> "The phrase 'Set a thief to catch a thief' had by this time (after strong representations from the Thieves' Guild) replaced a much older and quintessentially Ankh-Morporkian proverb, which was 'Set a deep hole with spring-loaded sides, tripwires, whirling knife blades driven by water power, broken glass and scorpions, to catch a thief.'"
* ''Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'': The back door to the Phantom's house leads into his "torture chamber," specifically built there to trap anyone who tries to sneak up on him. The walls, ceiling, and floor are mirrors, which (depending on what single object is placed in the room) drive a person insane until they kill themselves by hanging themselves on the conveniently provided iron tree... if the rising temperature doesn't roast them alive first. He once had a job building these for the [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment Cool And Unusual Execution]] of criminals as entertainment for a particularly sadistic Persian princess.
* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl: The Opal Deception'', Opal Koboi traps Artemis and Holly in an abandoned theme park overrun by trolls and leaves them to die, as revenge for [[spoiler:thwarting her world domination plan in The Arctic Incident.]]
* In Creator/RobertEHoward's Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian story "Literature/TheScarletCitadel", Tsotha captures Conan only to get him to AbdicateTheThrone; when that fails, he chains him where a giant snake will get him. Unfortunately, a {{Revenge}} seeking man intervenes.

* In Fredric R. Stewart's ''Literature/{{Cerberon}}'', Merlen and Oethelzeiren face off on the ground level of a colossal tower in the center of a city. After discussing the futility of a direct fight between them, Oethelzeiren improvises a DeathTrap for Merlen by blasting out all the supports to the tower above them, leaving Merlen to hold up the tower with his magic while people inside the tower escape, and while an unstoppable GiantWallOfWateryDoom bears down on the city. Becomes NoOneCouldSurviveThat when Merlen is still there when the flood water blasts through.
* In Creator/PGWodehouse's "Do Thrillers Need Heroines?", he complains of how the villains, the natural person to rid the thriller of its TooDumbToLive DumbBlonde, resort to this -- for her, only for her, he can kill a ''man'', in a straightforward manner.
* Can actually be {{justified}} in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': if a wizard sees their death coming, they can cast a powerful DyingCurse at their enemy. However, if you leave the wizard in a Death Trap and then slip away [[LayeredWorld to another plane of reality]] before the wizard dies you'll be beyond the reach of their curse.

* In ''TableTopGame/Warhammer40000'', the Primarch of the [[WorkerUnit Iron Warriors]], Perturabo, is a master of deathtraps of all kinds. Tasked by the Emperor with the [[WarIsHell dirtiest, most unforgiving and unrewarding jobs]] during the Great Crusade, Perturabo not only became a master of defense and siege warfare, but also [[OldSoldier became a bitter soldier]], [[BrokenPedestal disillusioned with the Emperor]], and possibly suffers from [[ShellShockedVeteran PTSD]]. In his anger, Pert became quite creative and sadistic in fortress building, particularly setting up traps. His magnum opus is The Eternal Fortress, a labyrinth of landmines, [[SentryGun inward facing auto turrets]], and plenty of places to get ambushed. When Perturabo fled following Horus Heresy, [[TheRival Rogal Dorn]] followed suit. Blinded by [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge vengeance]], [[TheStoic Rogal and his Imperial Fist legion]] followed his Traitor brother to the Eternal Fortress, swearing he would bring him back to Terra in an "Iron Cage". [[spoiler:It ended in a [[CurbStompBattle blood bath]]. When the Imperial Fists were on the verge of annihilation, The [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs Ultra Marines]] [[TheCavalry swooped in and turned the tide of battle]]. ]]
* Short form games in ''TabletopGame/TheSplinter''. Players have to complete an objective and escape the S.P.L.I.N.T.E.R. within 8 hours. If they don’t meet that objective, neurotoxins are released into their bloodstreams.
* The ''TabletopGame/GrimtoothsTraps'' books from Flying Buffalo were death trap after death trap, just waiting for a GM to install them in his dungeon. (And to come up with game stats for them.)

* ''TabletopGame/TimeLord'' RPG (based on ''Series/DoctorWho''), supplement ''Journies''. A captured PlayerCharacter could use the "Master Effect" to make the BigBad [[JustBetweenYouAndMe tell the PC their plan]] and put them in a DeathTrap instead of just killing him.

* There are numerous death traps in ''VideoGame/Portal2'', set up by [=GLaDOS=] in the first portion of the game, and [[spoiler: Wheatley]] later on. [[spoiler: Wheatley]]'s last trap deserves a special mention for how he refers to it.
-->'''[[spoiler: Wheatley]]:''' Just jump into that [[BuffySpeak masher]]! Less a death trap, more of a... Death option for you!
* There are countless in ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}''. Some of them will have an item that you usually don't get until much later in the game or an invincibility power up, but failure to get said item perfectly results in death somehow. These are also in multiplayer.
* A particularly {{JustForFun/egregious}} example from ''VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing'': the villain captures Franchise/JamesBond and takes him to his underground mine, where he straps him to a table, points a large mining laser at him, turns the laser on, and then ''leaves the room'', leaving not so much as a guard to notice when Bond inevitably escapes.
* The game ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' allows you to construct several different kinds of death traps for your enemies [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential and / or residents]], including most of the ones listed on this page.

* ''VideoGame/{{Nightshade}}'' uses these in place of continues--if you lose a fight, you need to escape a trap in order to avoid a game-over. There are a total of seven traps (counting the one you start in at the beginning of the game), and each one is harder to escape than the last. [[ControllableHelplessness The seventh is impossible to escape]].

* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/CrashMindOverMutant'' when [[BigBad Doctor Cortex]] orders the Grimlies to kill Crash quickly. "No games, no foolishness, no death traps that take ten flipping hours."
* In ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', [[spoiler:there's the part where Freeman gets knocked out and [[TheWallsAreClosingIn thrown into a garbage crusher]]. By using the conveniently placed crates that are to be crushed along with you, you can jump up above the compressing walls. The whole thing could have been averted by a simple bullet to the head.]]
** They try to HandWave it by having the soldiers say they're supposed to bring you in alive, but don't want to. The DeathTrap is meant to ensure there's no body to prove they killed the person they were supposed to capture. Exactly why they don't shoot you ''then'' throw you in, or why they don't stick around after throwing you in, is not explained.
* Part of the fun in ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'' is making elaborate death traps for unwitting foreign agents.
* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has tons of these, such as bomb-ridden rooms, arrow shooters, pitfalls, drowning traps, one-way doors... Some spawn naturally, some are set by players for other players, and some are built to [[IndustrializedEvil harvest enemy mobs]].
* In ''Cadenza 4: Fame, Theft and Betrayal'' Adam sticks Martha in one of those magician's tables, with interlocking swords shoved into the holes above her and a slowly-descending electric saw suspended overhead.

* In [[https://web.archive.org/web/20080613175155/http://www.goats.com/archive/050412.html this webcomic]], [[StupidJetpackHitler Space Hitler]] [[spoiler:''actually'' pulls one of these off]]. Much to his own surprise.

* Honorable mention goes to ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'''s deathtraps, which are not to be confused with actual airships. Despite the name, the one the Light Warriors end up using and crashing repeatedly failed to actually kill anyone.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': [[MadScientist Sparks]] love installing these in their lairs; Castle Heterodyne is one big self-aware pile of death traps. Lucrezia-in-Agatha activates one to seal off her lair and kill intruders Tarvek and Zola, not realizing that during her (mental) absence a giant hole had been blown in the ceiling.

* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Mephisto the Mentalist once [[DiscussedTrope explains at great length]] the psychology of death traps: most of them are meant to either [[KansasCityShuffle distract the heroes]] while the villain sets up some other, more mundane plot, or to scare the victim into compliance without actually killing them. In both of those instances, the victims are actually ''meant'' to be rescued as [[ThePowerOfActing part of the intended effect]]. He does admit that a lot of death traps are, in fact, actually meant to kill the victim, usually with the goal of scaring the piss out of someone else who is the real target of their plot. Also the idea that heroes always escape deathtraps is "UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode version"--in reality supervillains are playing for keeps. He also mentions that a delayed trap can be useful for establishing an alibi, though the circumstances rarely made that feasible.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** Parodied on an episode where Homer's new boss, an AffablyEvil Bond villain type, has a James Bond lookalike strapped to a deadly trap, and leaves him to die without watching. The Bond lookalike escapes in a suitably ludicrous manner, but is tackled to the ground by Homer during his escape. Homer and his boss depart, while his guards simply walk up and shoot the man dead.
** And again, in an episode spoofing the story of Moses, Lisa and Milhouse (as Moses and Aaron) are thrown in a room with [[TheWallsAreClosingIn spiked walls that close in on them]]. However, the spikes have all been installed opposite each other, so that the walls stop when the tips touch, leaving plenty of room for them to climb to safety (and for Lisa to remark, "Slave labor. You get what you pay for.").
%%* They made up the eponymous "Perils" of the old cartoon ''WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop''.
* Common in ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', whenever it (frequently) pays homage to spy movies. Especially common from villain cliché devotee Señor Senior, Sr. On one occasion of LampshadeHanging, as she and Ron are being lowered into a moat of electric eels, Kim asks the villain, who's comfortably sitting back and watching, "Uh, aren't you going to leave now?"
* Regular occurrence in ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies''.
** "This machine will force-feed you cookies until you explode! ...Bye!"

* {{Lampshaded}} on ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'': When Dr. Gene Splicer leaves the room where he has left the heroes in his Death Trap, he [[NoFourthWall asks the viewers]] if they've ever noticed this trope.
* {{Lampshaded}} on ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'': Yzma traps a transformed-into-a-squirrel Kuzco along with a bunch of other squirrels and begins to lower them into a vat of acid. She sits down to watch, saying "I'm not going to leave the room like any other villain would." [[DoubleSubversion And then she ends up leaving the room anyway]] to get a refill on her drink.
* {{Lampshaded}} in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' -- Xanatos has Goliath and Angela bolted to the ground and has a vat of boiling [[TechnicolorScience green acid]] hooked up to a timer. After ten minutes, the timer will tip the vat over, killing them. Says Xanatos "This is my first real stab at cliché villainy. How am I doing?"
** [[AncientConspiracy The Illuminati]] also have the Hotel Cabal, a fake hotel that is [[EverythingTryingToKillYou nothing BUT deathtraps]], a different one in every room, and hallway, and elevator..... All designed to kill anyone trapped inside or drive them to near madness.

* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' episode "Read It and Weep" has, in its [[ShowWithinAShow Book Within a Show]], [[Franchise/IndianaJones Daring]] [[AffectionateParody Do]] encounters a huge variety of these, ranging from dart traps to throwing axes to flame pits to the entire chamber flooding with lava. Then Ahuizotl has perhaps the most awesomely silly -- it has [[SpikesOfDoom spikes]] on [[TheWallsAreClosingIn advancing walls]], quicksand, spiders ''and cobras''. While Daring is tied to a table, no less. It's like he got everything from the "Cliché Deathtrap" aisle at Murdermart, and decided to use as many of them as possible at once.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}''

* In ''Comicbook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan'':
** Comicbook/LexLuthor's submarine mecha's cockpit was armed with a network of lasers strong enough to kill Franchise/{{Superman}}.
** Lex Luthor and Comicbook/DoctorOctopus' warehouse. When Franchise/SpiderMan sneaked in the place, he found himself in a dark corridor. Then the door shut behind him suddenly. Then he found out about the machine guns in the floorboards, the electrified walls and the red-hot ceiling, and his spider-sense warned him about wire screen designed to slice him apart.
* Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}:
** In ''Adventure Comics'' #400, the titular heroine is at the mercy of revenge-hungry villain Black Flame: trapped in a locked room, unconscious and sprinkled with Green Kryptonite. However Black Flame doesn't "want her go that easily", so she orders her hired guns to hurry up and bring Supergirl to an elaborate death trap involving a giant bowling lane and oversized bowling pins. Supergirl survives but she is immobilized, rendered unconscious and brought to another death trap (this time consisting of a giant crossbow) from which she also breaks free.
** In ''[[Comicbook/{{Supergirl 1982}} Supergirl Volume 2]]'' #20 super-villain Parasite builds a floating metal coffin to throw a depowered Supergirl in.
* In the Creator/DonRosa ''[[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Scrooge McDuck]]'' story "Treasure of the Ten Avatars", Scrooge and Donald have to get out of [[DeathCourse a series of these]]. Among other things there's a DescendingCeiling and FakePlatform with SpikesOfDoom, TheWallsAreClosingIn, FedToTheBeast, and a SnakePit. Donald even lampshades it by the end when he points out that they've already been through every B-movie cliché.

However, the villains typically make the mistake of [[VillainBall not closely observing the heroes]] and they figure out a way to escape just in time -- a form of GenreBlindness to which [[BondVillainStupidity supergenius supervillains are uniquely prone]]. Not that I'd do that; I'd much rather stick around to watch the show.