History Main / DefconFive

* Santa's Workshop gets it right in ''Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas'', of all places. The code for catastrophe is "Elf-con 1"

-->'''Dean Pelton''': From this moment, people, we are at DEFCON 4, if that's the highest DEFCON, and if high DEFCONs are worse than low ones.

* In ''{{Macross}} Plus'', when the BigBad activates Earth's defense grid, astonished operators gasp "The system's at DefconFive!", while armed satellites reorient themselves.
* The episode titles in ''AozoraShoujotai'' start with DEFCON I, counting up to DEFCON V... and beyond, with the final episode named DEFCON VI.

* One ''JusticeLeague'' issue had a rather glaring example; After seeing a city attacked by some kind of aliens and he himself was set aflame, resident angel Zariel responded by shrieking "We are now at Defcon Five!" Lord knows what needs to happen in the DCUniverse for Defcon 1...

* ''HowToLoseAGuyIn10Days'': "I have to crack this guy. I mean, this is Defcon Five, and I have to do something truly appalling. It's not funny." Which possibly makes sense in this context, since Ben is doing everything he can to keep the relationship peaceful while Andie is trying to get dumped.
* ''UndercoverBrother:'' "That's Right! It's goin' to the streets. Hey y'all! It's revolution up in this Bitch! Set the alarm for Defcon 5! It's on, baby... it's on!" To be fair, the character in this case is a ''little'' nuts.
* In the film ''CrimsonTide'', Defcon 2 is the level at which the ''USS Alabama'' is authorized and directed to launch its nuclear missiles at Russian military targets, particularly land-based silos that are prepping to launch themselves. Contrast to ''WarGames'', in which no strikes were ever authorized. This might be intentional, though, as the US is not at war with another nation--the nukes are aimed at a GeneralRipper who's commandeered a Russian nuclear base, not Russia in general.

* In the film ''CanadianBacon'', Defcon 4 means "imminent nuclear attack."
* Done correctly in ''TheSantaClause 2'', of all places, where the North Pole's "Elfcon" warning system goes from five to one.
* The horrible 1980's cold war film ''{{Defcon 4}}'' incorrectly gave Defcon 4 as the highest state of alert. The fact that they couldn't even be wrong in the usual manner was not the worst thing about this movie.
* The 2007 ''{{Transformers}}'' film handled this in an interesting fashion. The Secretary of Defense announces the country was now at "Defcon ''Delta'', our highest alert level." The oddness is reconciled given the depth of cooperation he received from the United States armed forces: in the real world, Threat Conditions Alpha through Delta are used in the military to denote the likelihood of a ''terrorist/surprise'' attack (as opposed to a general state of hostilities and war), with 'Alpha' meaning 'remotely possible' and Delta meaning 'attack imminent or has just taken place'. Most likely, it was kept as "Defcon" in the film because [[SmallReferencePools that's what people would recognize.]]

* Half-averted in ''BeavisAndButthead Do America''. When Cornholio talks into the red phone, the person in charge of the Defense Control Center becomes concerned and goes to Defcon 4 (''from'' 5). However, this incorrectly sets off the RedAlert klaxon and everyone scrambles around as if this meant war was imminent.

* ''TopGear'' got it wrong too, where Clarkson stepping up his Bugatti Veyron (the world's fastest-ever production car) to no-spoiler fast mode took him from Defcon 3 to 4.
** Of course, Clarkson has also announced that it's time to go to 'Defcon Stig' once.

* Parodied in ''{{Chuck}}'': "We're at Defcon 1, or 5, or whichever means HURRY!"
* In one episode of ''TheOffice'', [[JustifiedTrope Michael Scott]] declares DEFCON 10 because he is afraid of an upcoming meeting with Jan. Later in the episode, he "increases" it to DEFCON 20.

[[folder:Literature]]
* In ''Literature/{{Cryptonomicon}}'', the narrator refers to "some very high Defcon level, the one just short of all-out nuclear exchange." Its vagueness prevents it from falling down either way.
* TerryPratchett uses it metaphorically in ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad'': "Asking someone to repeat a phrase you'd not only heard very clearly but were also exceedingly angry about was around Defcon 2 in the lexicon of squabble."
* Also using metaphorically and correctly in StephenKing's non-fiction essay ''Head Down'' (about his son Owen's championship-winning Little League season) there is a scene where King is driving his son and a few of his friends back from a game. One of the boys really, ''really'' needs to take a leak. They find a gas station "just as [his] bladder is going to DEFCON-1".
[[/folder]]

* NoxArcana's ''Zombie Influx'' album contains the track "[[OffTheScale Defcon Six]]."

* RonWhite had a joke about his mother calling him about a change in the "Heightened State of Awareness." He came up with a simple change.

* The aptly-named {{VideoGame/Defcon}} correctly goes through the entire scale as part of regular gameplay. The game starts at Defcon 5 (which is the phase where you place your assets on the map), non-nuclear attacks become available at Defcon 3, and nuclear launches are only authorized once the game has reached Defcon 1 (and continues until most of the nukes in the game are launched)

* During a CrossOver between the [[WebComic webcomics]] ''[[http://www.itswalky.com/ It's Walky!]]'' and ''[[{{Fans}} Fans!]]'', a strip was originally drawn with this error. When readers pointed this out, the strip was [[http://www.itswalky.com/d/20030508.html corrected]], with a note of thanks added to those who mentioned the error (though it was not included later in the StripArchive).

* ''{{Unskippable}}'' highlights the way that getting it wrong is bad for dramatic tension with more informed players when looking at ''Creator/TomClancy's VideoGame/GhostRecon Advanced Warfighter 2''.
-->Paul: (sarcastically) Oooh, Defcon 4. Just so you know, Defcon 4 is not that scary. The US is currently at Defcon 3.\\
Graham: Defcon 3 is worse, by the way.

* A version of this in ''AaahhRealMonsters'', has an alert system that starts at '[=DefDump=] 5' and correctly gets lower as the situation intensifies.
* Semi-correct in ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', when Skipper briefly considers declaring "Defcon Red", (the coordinating color to Defcon 2). When Marlene asks what that means, Skipper says "Classified. Just hope you never live to see one, sister."

----

* Used correctly in the last episode of ''[[Franchise/SentouYouseiYukikaze Yukikaze.]]''. The FAF fleet goes to DEFCON I as they approach the Passageway to evacuate Fairy... which is guarded by a literal ''[[ZergRush wall of JAM.]]''

* Done in an episode of ''TheAdventuresOfPeteAndPete'' with Little Pete's "LOVECON" alerts, with 5 being the highest level of "danger" (i.e., lovesickness).

* In ''MadMen'' (season 6 episode 1), Peggy knows the correct usage but she is annoyed by Burt Peterson who gets it wrong twice. First he uses DEFCON 4 as a synonym for a crisis and then when told he has it backwards he says they are at DEFCON 0.

* {{Lampshaded}} by ''Series/ThirtyRock'':

* ''ChicagoFire'' manages to avert this in the aptly named episode "Defcon One." The episode focus on the serial arsonist upping his campaign against Firehouse 51. In a sub plot line, a rival bar starts to actively sabotage Herrman's bar. When he mentions they just went to DEFCON 5, Otis quietly mentions that is in fact the lowest level.

* ''ByAnyMeans'' 1x06: Charlie is trying to persuade Jessica to take things easy, telling her "It's like that whole DEFCON thing. You have DEFCON 1 then DEFCON 2 - you don't just start at DEFCON 5, do you?" She corrects him: "Yeah, actually you do - you start at DEFCON 5, work your way up to 1!"

* The aptly-named ''VideoGame/Defcon'' correctly goes through the entire scale as part of regular gameplay. The game starts at Defcon 5 (which is the phase where you place your assets on the map), non-nuclear attacks become available at Defcon 3, and nuclear launches are only authorized once the game has reached Defcon 1 (and continues until most of the nukes in the game are launched)

* The aptly-named ''VideoGame/DEFCON'' correctly goes through the entire scale as part of regular gameplay. The game starts at Defcon 5 (which is the phase where you place your assets on the map), non-nuclear attacks become available at Defcon 3, and nuclear launches are only authorized once the game has reached Defcon 1 (and continues until most of the nukes in the game are launched)

* ''[[UltimateMarvel Ultimate]] [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]]'': The Defcon is raised to 4 when aliens are spotted, and then "raised" again to 5 once the aliens actually begin to attack military installations.

* PowerMetal band Helstar has a line in the song ''Warball'' -

* A conservative radio show host has threatened to go to [[UpToEleven DEFCON 6]] if California's ban on same-sex marriage is overturned.

* ''{{Unskippable}}'' highlights the way that getting it wrong is bad for dramatic tension with more informed players qhen looking at ''TomClancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2''.
-->Paul: (sarcastically) Oooh, Defcon 4. Just so you know, Defcon 4 is not that scary. The US is currently at Defcon 3.
-->Graham: Defcon 3 is worse, by the way.

* ''EurekaSeven'' gets it right: Gekkostate announces they're going to DEFCON I several times before engaging enemy airships. But then again, they're just one ship, why the hell would they need defcons?

* Rare anime example (that got it ''right''): The last episode of ''SentouYouseiYukikaze'' has the supreme commander announcing "all ships, go into DEFCON 1".

* Another correct use: ''Comicbook/{{X-Factor}}'' v2 #26, where Cyclops refers to "the mutant equivalent of Defcon 1".
* One JusticeLeague issue had a rather glaring example; After seeing a city attacked by some kind of aliens and he himself was set aflame, resident angel Zariel responded by shrieking "We are now at Defcon Five!" Lord knows what needs to happen in the DCUniverse for Defcon 1...
* [[{{Foxtrot}} Jason Fox]] once set his mother's cellphone ringtone to an alarm [[LoudOfWar that took up the whole panel]], named "Defcon 1".

* Averted in ''WarGames''. In fact, it's explained quite clearly that DEFCON 5 = peace, DEFCON 1 = war.
** Although in the DVD commentary the writers believe (wrongly) that they got it backwards.

* In the film ''CrimsonTide'', Defcon 2 is the level at which the ''USS Alabama'' is authorized and directed to launch its nuclear missiles at Russian military targets, particularly land-based silos that are prepping to launch themselves. Contrast to ''WarGames'', in which no strikes were ever authorized.
** This might be intentional, though, as the US is not at war with another nation--the nukes are aimed at a GeneralRipper who's commandeered a Russian nuclear base, not Russia in general.

* Averted in ''Film/{{Watchmen}}'', when Nixon correctly tells his staff to 'take us to Defcon one'.

* Averted in ''Film/ThirteenDays''. The scale is shown in proper order. The US military first stands up to DEFCON 3, and later escalates to DEFCON 2.

* Another exception was in ''Series/StargateSG1'', where they correctly order the Defcon sequence in an episode where the US and Russia each believe the other has been infiltrated at the top levels by the Goa'uld. (This was done in several other episodes as well - they even have a set of Defcon lights on the wall so we can see them clicking downwards.) Having a military advisor on the show probably helped set that straight. Or just freakin' [[http://lmgtfy.com/?q=defcon+5 Googling]] it...
** An early episode, however, did have the Defcon system used erroneously.
** The [=DefCon=] lights on the wall are, in fact, ''identical'' to the ones that appear in ''WarGames''. Which makes sense, to a point, since the SGC and NORAD are both within the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.
** ''Stargate SG-1'' [[BackedByThePentagon asked for, got, and accepted gratefully a]] ''[[BackedByThePentagon lot]]'' [[BackedByThePentagon of help (material and advice) from the US military]] (mostly the USAF, but the USN did lend them a sub), so I'd imagine that their US Military accuracy was as high as the military would allow, taking into account various Rules (Cool, Funny, etc.)
*** The correctness when it came to military matters was a significant point in the relationship between the show and the USAF; one episode had production problems because a female officer wore her hair longer than permitted and the USAF wouldn't let it [[IncrediblyLamePun fly]].

*** Would that make the Stig a nobody? [[DontExplainTheJoke Since, zero is less than one and...]] yeah.

** Wolfram & Hart, being an extradimensional demonic law firm and not the US military, could actually have a scale that goes to 1000. More likely Lilah was just exaggerating.

* Parodied, [[ShownTheirWork predictably enough]], in ''TheBigBangTheory''. Howard describes an emergency as being "DEFCON 5" and as Leonard rushes everyone toward the door, Sheldon protests "DEFCON 5, well there's no need to worry then" and when his friends inquire he says "DEFCON 5 means 'no danger', DEFCON 1 is a crisis."

* Averted in ''Series/DoctorWho'' "The Poison Sky". UNIT is said to be at Defcon 1 as they prepare to launch nuclear missiles at the Sontaran ship.

* Averted in ''GeneralHospital'' by Spinelli. When his computer is hacked...which, for the PlayfulHacker, is a FateWorseThanDeath...he keeps repeating "Defcon 1".
* Averted in the ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' episode "Bargaining" when Xander declares "This place is NORAD, and we're at DefCon 1."
* [[AllBlueEntry Due to]] [[ShownTheirWork its almost unerring dedication to accurately portraying]] GovernmentProcedural, ''TheWestWing'' [[AvertedTrope avoids this particular pitfall.]]
** Generally true, although DEFCON/THREATCON mistake did occur occasionally in the show, with even military characters using expressions like "DEFCON Alpha" and "Threatcon Five". When advising his sole survivor cabinet secretary what to do if he were to become Acting President in the event of the Capitol Building being destroyed, Bartlet counselled that he should take the U.S. to DEFCON 4 (arguably wrong even if Bartlet meant "up from five", because such an event would likely put the country at two or three)
* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}'' has Conditions Three to One, Condition Three meaning everything's normal, Condition Two a state of alert, and Condition One "launch the Vipers, it's going to get hot". This mirrors the system used aboard some US Navy ships for certain weapons systems. Condition 1 is ready to fire. 2, 3 etc. are for less ready-to-go states.
* In MadMen season 6 episode 1 Peggy knows the correct usage but she is annoyed by Burt Peterson who gets it wrong twice, first he uses DEFCON 4 as a synonym for a crisis and then when told he has it backwards he says they are at DEFCON 0.

* In ''Literature/{{Cryptonomicon}}'', the narrator refers to "some very high Defcon level, the one just short of all-out nuclear exchange." Its vagueness means it could either be an aversion (with "very high" referring to the state of alertness) or playing it straight (with "very high" meaning the ''numerical'' alert status).
* Averted by Terry Pratchett: in ''Discworld/WitchesAbroad'' he writes "Asking someone to repeat a phrase you'd not only heard very clearly but were also exceedingly angry about was around Defcon 2 in the lexicon of squabble."
* Averted in ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'', where Foaly is mentioned as being paranoid enough to repeatedly send the LEP's alert level to Defcon Two when he panics. In all fairness to the centaur, it makes somewhat more sense in context given that a lot of the bad guys have plans that could wipe out civilizations and it's better to be safe than sorry.
** It's stated Foaly has never actually implemented his Defcon One plan because it would cripple the LEP from the inside. Considering that Defcon Two managed to nearly do this when he couldn't reverse it for a few days, Defcon One is both firmly the highest level and taken UpToEleven in regards to security.
* Used in a metaphorical sense, but correctly: In Stephen King's non-fiction essay ''Head Down'' (about his son Owen's championship-winning Little League season) there is a scene where King is driving his son and a few of his friends back from a game. One of the boys really, ''really'' needs to take a leak. They find a gas station "just as [his] bladder is going to DEFCON-1".

* Platinum Blonde's 1983 hit "Standing in the Dark" contains the line "Defcon 5 / We're ready to explode."
* Subverted by the song "Defcon 1" by Pop Will Eat Itself.
* Another musical Subversion: the Devqon.1 Dance festival.

[[folder:Print Media]]
* [[http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a8b24e9a7-b21b-4f69-87dd-71afa4039770 Averted in this article]]. As the author points out, he was stating that the rhetoric had become boring.

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Averted in the board game ''TwilightStruggle'', a two-player game about political tensions during the ColdWar. The DEFCON level starts at 5, and gets lowered as tensions mount between the two superpowers. Lower DEFCON levels restrict actions that can be taken (for example, below DEFCON 5 no coups or realignment attempts are allowed in Europe). If it ever goes to 1, though, the game is over and the player who triggered WorldWarIII has lost. This could be seen as a variant of YouLoseAtZeroTrust.

[[folder:Videogames]]
* Done correctly in ''SamAndMax Save The World'', using Defcon 1 (North, South and West Dakota were at war with each other).
* An aversion ''right there in the title'': The PC, [=PlayStation=], and Sega Saturn game ''Defcon 5''! You wouldn't think it, but within the backstory, Defcon 5 is precisely what's going on... [[spoiler:even if the company in charge of the base you're automating does not want that.]]
* Averted in ''RiseOfNations: Thrones and Patriots:'' the threat meter in the Cold War scenario accurately starts from DEFCON 5, and counts down the more reckless you are. If your threat meter reaches DEFCON 1, both sides will launch the nukes.
* Averted, obviously, in ''{{DEFCON}}''. All [=DEFCONs=] prior to One is spent building silos, fleets, and generally preparing for nuclear holocaust. When it gets to one, the nukes start flying.
* Averted in the browser-based nation simulation game ''CyberNations'', in which DEFCON 5 yields a happy population but weakened and more expensive military and DEFCON 1 makes your nation ready for battle at the cost of citizen income.
* Averted in ''EndWar''. "If the mission Condition becomes critical", DEFCON 1 starts. (In Conquest mode, it starts when one side takes more than half the uplinks; In assault, it starts when one side starts running out of units; and in siege mode, it starts when 10 minutes pass and the defender gets access to support.)
** Also interesting in that the player that is ''winning'' doesn't go to DEFCON 1 first. The ''losing'' player does, and therefore gets the WMD capability first. And the winning player can't use a WMD until the losing player has, in a sort of retributive strike.
*** Probably for balance; in universe, the explanation is probably that high command doesn't think the use of WMD's are necessary if you're ''winning''. Also, both sides go into DEFCON 1 at the same time; but the losing side still gets authorization to use [=WMDs=] first. (The losing side also does get one perk - the ability to permanently disable one uplink for the rest of the match.)
* Used correctly in ''WarGames'', loosely (very loosely) inspired by the movie of the same name. The DEFCON system started at 5, and got lower over time as enemy attacks landed. Once it reached DEFCON 1, that began the launch countdown for a nuclear response that would set off World War III.
* Presumably averted in ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}'', in which one of the levels is titled "We are now at LEMCON 1" - the fact that this was worth announcing makes it clear that they didn't think it meant peacetime. (It also helps that the lemmings start out about two seconds from [[MalevolentArchitecture walking into a bottomless pit]] and have a [[EverythingTryingToKillYou spinning deathtrap]] right behind them.)
* ''CommandAndConquer[[ColonCancer : Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge]]'' gets it right: the first spoken word in the intro cutscene is "We are now at DEFCON 2" about a minute before the BigBad threatens to MindControl the entire planet all at once.
* ''Act of War: Direct Action'' (as well as its expansion pack ''High Treason''), a RTS produced by Eugen Systems, gets it right when the player plays as the US Army side, except that in the beginning of a game, the DEFCON mode starts at 3, not 5 (it's a wargame, after all), and successively goes to 2 and 1 as the player pays for those modes with the in-game currency. The lower the DEFCON condition, the more powerful and expensive the units become available. - effectively, DEFCON 1 allows for a nuclear missile strike.
* ''Universe at War'' uses this in an odd fashion, with the DEFCON mode new units and powers are available through time, it uses it in the right order but not for the correct powers granted.
* ''[[CallOfDuty Call of Duty: Black Ops]]'' averts this. During the campaign, the DEFCON level will be shown increasing toward 1 during cutscenes, in response to the time limit. Then, during the 'Five' level of zombie mode the team must lower the DEFCON level from 1 to 5 end the map's security lockdown and open an important door to a weapon upgrade machine.
* Averted, in all places, in the arcade version of ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'' - throughout one level, you see DEFCON numbers posted. They go down from four as you get further into the level, reflecting the increasing threat of the Battletoads getting deeper.
* ''CommandAndConquerGenerals'' has, of all things, a map named "Defcon ''[[UpToEleven Six]]''". One imagines this might make the opposing sides ''catatonic'' in their tranquility, but the map is a frantic, six-player melee.
* Averted in one scenario of ''VideoGame/{{Tropico}} 4'': though an adviser at the beginning of the scenario assumes that "DEFCON" is a new American doomsday weapon, DEFCON starts at 5 and increments after certain actions that threaten the peace (like building weapon and chemical factories). You lose the scenario at DEFCON 1, but have the opportunity to raise the level through certain decisions and holding Pan-Caribbean Summits.

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* Parodied in the flash cartoon ''[[http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/267776 BadGuys]]'', where one of the characters activates an alarm and shouts "Go to Defcon 62!"

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* During a CrossOver between the [[WebComic webcomics]] ''[[http://www.itswalky.com/ It's Walky!]]'' and ''[[{{Fans}} Fans!]]'', a strip was originally drawn with this error. When readers pointed this out, the strip was [[http://www.itswalky.com/d/20030508.html corrected]], with a note of thanks added to those who mentioned the error (though it was not included later in the StripArchive).

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Averted when Unskippable did ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2''.
-->Paul: (sarcastically) Oooh, Defcon 4. Just so you know, Defcon 4 is not that scary. The US is currently at Defcon 3.
-->Graham: Defcon 3 is worse, by the way.
* ''The Young Turks'' have a running gag of mocking people who invoke this trope with the SarcasmMode declaration, "Defcon 28 is imminent!"

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', Stan keeps a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_Alert_Level colour coordinated terror alert system]] on his fridge, which he'll adjust according to his paranoid delusions.
* Used correctly in ''AaahhRealMonsters'', wherein the alert system starts at '[=DefDump=] 5' and gets lower as the situation intensifies.
* Averted in a way on ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', when Skipper briefly considers declaring "Defcon Red", (the coordinating color to Defcon 2). When Marlene asks what that means, Skipper says "Classified. Just hope you never live to see one, sister."
* Santa's Workshop gets it right in Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, where the code for catastrophe is "Elf-con 1"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* According to some accounts of the 1981 shooting of RonaldReagan, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger wanted to go to DEFCON 2. He believed it meant a low state of military readiness, slightly higher than DEFCON 1, which to him meant tranquil peacetime.
* A conservative radio show host has threatened to go to [[UpToEleven DEFCON 6]] if California's ban on same-sex marriage is overturned.
[[/folder]]

The UK did once operate a 'Queen's Order' level which escalated from 1 to 5, [=QO1=] being the peacetime default and [=QO5=] meaning (at the time) that the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_bombers V-bombers]] had started their one way trip to Russia. The current system, dubbed the UK Threat Levels, doesn't use numbers at all, instead ranking the current likelihood of attack on a scale from Low to Critical (its most recent predecessor, the now-defunct [=BIKINI=] scale, used colours). However, these levels do not correspond to US DEFCON levels - for example, the UK reached a "critical" Threat Level in 2006 and 2007. Thus, there is no real UK equivalent to the US system.

The UK did once operate a 'Queen's Order' level which escalated from 1 to 5, [=QO1=] being the peacetime default and [=QO5=] meaning (at the time) that the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_bombers V-bombers]] had started their one way trip to Russia. The current system, dubbed the UK Threat Levels, doesn't use numbers at all, instead ranking the current likelihood of attack on a scale from Low to Critical (its most recent predecessor, the now-defunct [=BIKINI=] scale, used colours).

* In one episode of ''TheOffice'', Michael Scott declares DEFCON 10 because he is afraid of an upcoming meeting with Jan. Later in the episode, he "increases" it to DEFCON 20.

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. Defcon 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. Defcon 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was Defcon 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), but the Gulf War led to forces in the Middle East reaching Defcon 1, for obvious reasons -- like being at war. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at Defcon 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. Currently the Defcon level is at 4 (codename "DOUBLE TAKE").

* Averted in the board game ''TwilightStruggle'', a two-player game about political tensions during the ColdWar. The Defcon level starts at 5, and gets lowered as tensions mount between the two superpowers. If it ever goes to 1, though, the game is over and the player who triggered WorldWarIII has lost. This could be seen as a variant of YouLoseAtZeroTrust.

* Averted in one scenario of ''{{Tropico}} 4'': though an adviser at the beginning of the scenario assumes that "DEFCON" is a new American doomsday weapon, DEFCON starts at 5 and increments after certain actions that threaten the peace (like building weapon and chemical factories). You lose the scenario at DEFCON 1, but have the opportunity to raise the level through certain decisions and holding Pan-Caribbean Summits.