History Main / EmptyElevator

* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness]]'', Michael has to thwart Cipher's raid on ONBS. During this, he gets on an elevator and rides it up a level - the elevator is completely empty when he boards, but when he leaves, ''[[ParanoiaFuel there's a Peon right behind him]]''!

* ''Film/{{Evolution}}''

* Subverted in ''X Men Origins: Wolverine'', as when the elevator door opens, the "heroes" are very much in the lift, right in the firing line. But it doesn't matter...
* In ''TimeChasers'', Nick and Lisa evade the bad guys this way. The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' crew are not particularly impressed: "They took the stairs! They're ''masters'' of evasion!"
* ''Film/MenInBlack II'': J, K and the worm guys arrive back at MIB Central, and the garbage can robot neatly peppers the elevator they arrive in with bullets... but they're all doing a CeilingCling.
* Played with in ''TheSilenceOfTheLambs''.

* ''ResidentEvilAfterlife''. The Umbrella Corporation mooks are pointing their guns at the elevator while Alice slips out of a roof vent behind them. In ''Film/ResidentEvilRetribution'' as the elevator pad descends to the level of the waiting mooks, a round frizbee-like gadget is tossed out which fires bullets in all directions. The infiltrators turn out to be lying flat on the pad so the bullets don't kill them.
* ''StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'', when Scotty beams the elevator's occupants out while the doors are closed.

* ''Leon''/''Film/TheProfessional'' ("Someone's coming up. Someone ''serious''.")

* ''ResidentEvilAfterlife''. The Umbrella Corporation mooks are pointing their guns at the elevator while Alice slips out of a roof vent behind them. In ''Film/ResidentEvilRetribution'' as the elevator pad descends to the level of the waiting mooks, a round frizbee-like gadget is tossed out which fires bullets in all directions. The infiltrators turn out to be lying on the pad so the bullets don't kill them.

* In ''[[VideoGame/PokemonColosseum Pokemon XD]]'', Michael has to thwart Cipher's raid on ONBS. During this, he gets on an elevator and rides it up a level - the elevator is completely empty when he boards, but when he leaves, ''[[ParanoiaFuel there's a Peon right behind him]]''!

[[folder:Live Action TV]]tor come down

* Near the end of ''BatmanArkhamCity'', Batman rides an elevator up to the observation deck of Wonder Tower. The BigBad's henchmen are waiting at the top with guns pointed at the doors. Fortunately, the access hatch is open, allowing Batman to climb out of the car and walk out onto the glass canopy above the armed henchmen and perform a takedown.

* ''{{Leon}}''/''Film/TheProfessional'' ("Someone's coming up. Someone ''serious''.")

* ''{{Leon}}''/''TheProfessional'' ("Someone's coming up. Someone ''serious''.")

* In ''TimeChasers'', Nick and Lisa evade the bad guys this way. The ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' crew are not particularly impressed: "They took the stairs! They're ''masters'' of evasion!"

[[folder:VideoGames]]

* The opening cut-scene in ''{{Perfect Dark}}'''s second mission shows a soldier guarding an elevator. Suddenly the door opens... but the guard doesn't see Joanna hiding on the ceiling, and when he goes to investigate, she knocks him out.

* ''{{Evolution}}''

* During the Asgard Manor section of ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'', there is a point when Max sees an elevator coming up, the doors open, and it's empty. And then a grenade flies out of it. [[spoiler:The enemy is actually on top of the elevator carriage, and jumps down through the trapdoor after the grenade explodes.]]
* In ''TimeChasers'', Nick and Lisa evade the bad guys this way. The ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' crew are not particularly impressed: "They took the stairs! They're ''masters'' of evasion!"

* The opening cut-scene in {{Perfect Dark}}'s second mission shows a soldier guarding an elevator. Suddenly the door opens... but the guard doesn't see Joanna hiding on the ceiling, and when he goes to investigate, she knocks him out.
* Near the end of ''BatmanArkhamCity'', Batman rides an elevator up to the observation deck of Wonder Tower. The BigBad's henchmen are waiting at the top with guns pointed at the doors. Fortunately, the access hatch is open, allowing Batman to climb out of the car and walk out onto the glass canopy above the armed henchmen and perform a takedown.

Depending on the context, the supposed occupant of the elevator may be the hero (in which case there'll be at least a platoon's worth of weaponry pointed at the door when it opens), the villain or the monster.

(c) already on this floor by another route\\
(d) something even worse.

* Men In Black 2: J, K and the worm guys arrive back at MIB Central, and the garbage can robot neatly peppers the elevator they arrive in with bullets... but they're all doing a CeilingCling.

* Men In Black 2: J, K and the worm guys arrive back at MIB Central, and the garbage can robot neatly peppers the elevator they arrive in with bullets... but they're all pinned to the ceiling, avoiding the fire.

* During the Asgard Manor section of ''MaxPayne'', there is a point when Max sees an elevator coming up, the doors open, and it's empty. And then a grenade flies out of it. [[spoiler:The enemy is actually on top of the elevator carriage, and jumps down through the trapdoor after the grenade explodes.]]

* During the Asgard Manor section of ''MaxPayne'', there is a point when Max sees an elevator coming up, the doors open, and it's empty. And then a grenade flies out of it. [[spoiler:The enemy is actually on top of the elevator carriage, and jumps down through the trapdoor after the grenade explodes.]]