History Main / DefensiveWhat

** When Dimo realizes that the self-powered coach they've been used is being cannibalized by Agatha for her latest invention, just as they're trying to escape Parisian clanks, Agatha's sole response to his glare is a dismissive "What?" Then again, she's in {{the Madness Place}}, so it shouldn't be too surprising.

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': Pulled by Klaus Wulfenbach (who is definitely ''not'' a HeroicComedicSociopath), of all people, [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080523 here]].

* During Marvel's ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' event, ComicBook/{{the Punisher}} of all people winds up in ComicBook/CaptainAmerica's anti-registration camp. When two super-villains show up and offer their support, Cap is on the verge of accepting, when the Punisher guns them both down. One panel of shocked looks from all the anti-reg heroes, followed by a panel of Castle looking at them, still-smoking guns in his hands, and asking "What?" Cap proceeds to beat the stuffing out of him.

(''Piccolo glares back at Gohan'')\\

--> '''Lance:''' "General's Fried Chicken, it's butt-kickin', General's Fried..." ''(sees the others staring)'' What? It's catchy!

-->'''Owen''': It's Central America! It's hot!

'''Polly:''' (''knowingly'') And why was he doing that, Sarge?\\
'''Jackrum:''' (''approvingly'') Oh, you-- all right, I'd just given Madame the old "quietus"...

(''{{beat}}, as Sinclair and Garibaldi wordlessly walk away'')\\

--->'''Cordelia:''' I'm looking forward to the SATs. I do well on standardized tests. ...What, I can't have layers?
* Norm Peterson did this at least once on ''Series/{{Cheers}}''.
* [[JerkAss Ken Titus]] tended to do these on ''Series/{{Titus}}'', usually in response to someone's reacting to [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood something he'd done to Christopher]].

[[folder: Radio]]

** A frequent response by panellists when the audience judges a joke is TooSoon.

--->'''Soldier:''' "What? It was obvious, he's the RED Spy!" [[spoiler: (He isn't.)]]

--->'''Demoman:''' WOOOOOOOOO! Woo!... (''sees his team-mates expressions'') What?

-->''What? You think I'm just gonna stand there and take it?''

'''Belkar:''' Well, I just figured we'd wander around, kill some sentient creatures [[FantasticRacism because they had green skin and fangs and we don't]], and then [[KleptomaniacHero take their stuff]]. (''everyone else in the party glares at him'') What?

--->'''Soldier:''' What? It was obvious, he's the RED Spy!

** And that one time when the team thought they had teleportitis cancer:
--->'''Demoman:''' WOOOOOOOOO [I BROUGHT BACK THE BEER]! Woo!... What?

* When [[BigBad Gideon]] [[KickTheDog kicks Ramona down a flight of stairs]] in the climax of ''Film/ScottPilgrimVersusTheWorld'', Scott and Knives give him an appalled look and he responds with this. Then they beat him to a pulp.

* In ''Film/JurassicWorld'', after Owen and Claire had talked about their failed first date, Claire asks him who would wear broad shorts on a date.
-->'''Owen''': What? it's Central America! it's hot!

* In the ''Meet the Spy'' video for ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', the BLU Soldier delivers one of these after shooting [[spoiler:the BLU Spy]].
-->'''Soldier:''' What? It was obvious, he's the RED Spy! [[spoiler:(He wasn't.)]]
* And that one time when the team thought they had teleportitis cancer:
-->'''Demoman:''' WOOOOOOOOO [I BROUGHT BACK THE BEER]! Woo!... What?

[[folder:Web Original]]
* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' Episode 36, Gohan does this when Piccolo glares at him after Dr. Gero berates Android 19 for using "dodge" as a complicated subroutine. It ties into the RunningGag that Gohan has never learned to dodge attacks, and that's why Piccolo has to frequently save his bacon.
-->'''Dr. Gero:''' WHY IS DODGING A SUBROUTINE?! IT'S NOT THAT COMPLEX!!\\
(Piccolo glares back at Gohan)\\
'''Gohan:''' What? ...''What?!''

[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'': "What did I do?" was one of Eustace's catchphrases, usually after receiving a [[RollingPinOfDoom rolling pin to the head]] by Muriel.

-->'''Soldier:''' What? It was obvious, he's the RED Spy!

* Notoriously sports-averse Sandi Toksvig does this to the audience in the 2011 ''Radio/TheNewsQuiz'' {{Panto}} when, for plot-convenient reasons, she just happens to know about England cricketer Graham Onions.

!!Examples

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

-->'''Girodelle:''' "Are you eating rose petals?"
-->'''Oscar:''' "What?! Is it forbidden?!"

[[folder: Comics ]]
* During Marvel's Civil War event, the Punisher of all people winds up in Captain America's anti-registration camp. When two super-villians show up and offer their support, Cap is on the verge of accepting, when the Punisher guns them both down. One panel of shocked looks from all the anti-reg heroes, followed by a panel of Castle looking at them, still-smoking guns in his hands, and asking "What?" Cap proceeds to beat the stuffing out of him.

[[folder: Film ]]
* At the start of ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' The Big Bad Wolf says this when he is caught sleeping in the title character's bed.

* When [[BigBad Gideon]] [[KickTheDog kicks Ramona down a flight of stairs]] in the climax of ''ScottPilgrimVersusTheWorld'', Scott and Knives give him an appalled look and he responds with this. Then they beat him to a pulp.
* In the first ''Film/MenInBlack'', K snaps off a defensive "''What?''" when J gets mad at him for being too trigger-happy with the [[LaserGuidedAmnesia neuralyser]].
* Darcy Lewis does this after zapping Film/{{Thor}} with her tazer - with Jane Foster and Erik Selvig staring at her in horror:
-->"What?! He was freaking me out!"

[[folder: Literature ]]

--> '''Jackrum''': What? What! He was coming in here with his club!
--> '''Polly''': ''[knowingly]'' And why was he doing that, Sarge?
--> '''Jackrum''': ''[approvingly]'' Oh, you-- all right, I'd just given Madame the old 'quietus'...

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

-->'''Ivanova''': No boom ''today''. Boom tomorrow. [[GenreSavvy There's always a Boom tomorrow.]]
-->'''[{{Beat}}], as Sinclair and Garibaldi wordlessly walk away.'''
-->'''Ivanova''': What? Look, somebody's gotta have some damn perspective around here! Boom. Sooner or later. '''BOOM!'''
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': In one case, used to lampshade that [[TheFool Xander]] was the one to know some key bit of information.
-->'''Xander:''' What, I can't have information sometimes?
-->'''Giles:''' It's just somewhat unprecedented.

-->'''Cordelia:''' I'm looking forward to the SATs. I do well on standardized tests. ...What, I can't have layers?

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* In the ''Meet the Spy'' video for ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', the BLU Soldier delivers one of these after shooting [[spoiler: the BLU Spy]].

* The first SaintsRow has Troy lighting his signature cigarette using a recently [[KillItWithFire killed-with]][[BuffySpeak -fire]] enemy's corpse to light a cigarette. Made hilarious by the horrified reaction of his teammate.

[[folder: Webcomics ]]
* Tedd of ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' frequently finds the need to use these. [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-04-23 Here]] and [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2008-04-25 here]] are good examples. Catalina Bobcat gets one [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2011-01-07 here]], oddly enough Susan seems to be a cause of these.

* As does Fuzzy in ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy''. It's even on the page picture! Probably goes with HeroicComedicSociopath territory.

* Pulled by [[Webcomic/GirlGenius Klaus Wulfenbach]] (Who is definitely ''not'' a HeroicComedicSociopath), of all people, [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20080523 here]].

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* In the premiere episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', this is Pinkie Pie's reply to the others' stares after she eats a cupcake smothered in [[BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce hot sauce.]]
** Rarity also does this in the episode ''Lesson Zero'', after the third time she dramatically declares "the worst possible thing".
--> "What? I really mean it this time!"
** In the season 4 episode "Three's A Crowd", when [[spoiler:Discord]] asks for a fainting couch, everyone turns to Rarity.
--> "...What?"

--> "What? I'm a supervillain."

-->'''Quagmire''': Well, you could whore yourself out to 1,000 fat chicks for $50 apiece. Or 50 really fat chicks for $1,000! What? Don't look at me like that. Fat chicks need love, too. But they got to pay.

* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' an evil senator Tal Merrick openly declares he's going to blow up a station, killing countless people, knowing that [[ActualPacifist Satine]] and [[MartialPacifist Kenobi]] cannot kill him due to their "pathetic ideals." [[DynamicEntry Cue]] a lightsaber [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice exiting his chest]] courtesy of Anakin, who doesn't [[PragmaticHero share their reservations]]. Obi-Wan shoots him an [[WhatTheHellHero accusatory look]] for this, only for Skywalker to point out he just [[IDidWhatIHadToDo saved everyone on-board]].
--> '''Anakin:''' "What? He was gonna blow up the ship."

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': robot buddy Bender compliments Fry on his metaphorically robotic heart, and then compares it to his own ''physical'' human heart, to the dismay of the rest of the crew. He has to ask the question twice.

''Man, that WhiteMagicianGirl is hot. What I wouldn't give to have twenty minutes alone with her and a [[NoodleImplements packing crate of spam]]. ''

'''''[{{Beat}}]'''''

''What!?''

* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' a corrupt senator Tal Merrick threatens to blow up a station, killing countless innocents, knowing that [[ActualPacifist Satine]] and [[MartialPacifist Kenobi]] cannot kill him due to their "pathetic ideals." Cue a lightsaber exiting his chest courtesy of Anakin, who doesn't share their reservations. Obi-Wan shoots him an accusatory look for this, only for Skywalker to point out he just saved everyone on-board.