History Main / FaintInShock

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9666391/1/And-the-Stars-were-Shining-Bright And The Stars Were Shining Bright]]'', (now discontinued) A fanfic inspired by Khan from Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness, Maddie (exhausted from no sleep, hasn't eaten in a couple of days, not to mention worried sick for her captive father) faints when she sees that the man she's contracted to kill is the same man who helped her flee a dangerous situation some fifteen months previously.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2259557/1/Reading-Minds Reading Minds]]'', a ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' CrackFic, Beast Boy faints from the strain of asking Raven out to a movie. He barely has time to think he managed to do it without fainting.

* Mary Jo Putney's ''The China Bride'' has Troth faint at the sight of a man who looks exactly like her deceased husband. It is not until she revives that she discovers that he is actually a twin that she never knew about.

* Santuzza and Mamma Lucia in ''Theatre/CavalleriaRusticana'', when Turridu's death is announced.

** In the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' case "Turnabout Sisters," Phoenix faints once he sees Mia, who is dead and is the victim in the case. It's really Maya channeling Mia for the first time. Upon waking up and seeing her once more, he faints again. Lampshaded by Mia: "'GACK?!' Is that any way to treat your boss, Nick?"
** Miles Edgeworth loses consciousness a few times due to his extreme seismophobia. He developed a fear of earthquakes after a traumatic experience in his past that resulted in the murder of his father.
** Happens twice to [[spoiler: Ema Skye]], once as [[spoiler: she witnessed what she thought was a SerialKiller stabbing another man]], and then [[spoiler: two years later, when she realizes that she may have accidentally killed the aforementioned man.]]

** In the sixth game's final case, [[spoiler:Rayfa]] faints while trying to [[spoiler:perform the Divination Séance to show her father Inga's final moments]].

* Simmons in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', upon seeing a teammate's head blow up. He fervently denies this, but a later flashback confirms it.

* ''Daisy-Head Mayzie'': Downplayed. In the book, Mrs. [=McGrew=] ''says'', "I'm going to faint" when she sees that her daughter has a daisy growing from her head, and she's illustrated looking woozy, but she remains conscious. In the AnimatedAdaptation, however, she does pass out.

Older works sometimes call this "Swooning". [[{{Romanticism}} Romance period]] novels and GothicHorror provide plenty of examples of [[WomenAreDelicate feminine women or girls]] doing this, even if they are not a HystericalWoman. If a man faints in such works, he might be painted as cowardly or weak. More recently, '50s era monster films loved to have the pretty young heroine to faint upon seeing whatever horror the filmmakers decided to unleash upon her. In Opera, its less often a sign of weakness: Many strong, assertive characters, both men and women, faint in their moments of greatest stress.

* ''Film/{{Superman}}:''
** when Superman makes his first public appearance by catching and saving both Lois and the helicopter that she fell from. After he deposits her on the top of a building, she watches him fly away before collapsing atop the helipad in a dead faint.

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
** Miles Edgeworth loses consciousness a few times due to his extreme seismophobia. He developed a fear of earthquakes after a traumatic experience in his past that resulted in the murder of his father.
** Happens twice to [[spoiler: Ema Skye]], once as [[spoiler: she witnessed what she thought was a SerialKiller stabbing another man]], and then [[spoiler: two years later, when she realizes that she may have accidentally killed the aforementioned man.]]
** In the sixth game's final case, [[spoiler:Rayfa]] faints while trying to [[spoiler:perform the Divination Séance to show her father Inga's final moments]].
%%** Game 6: Wheelchair-bound shut-in Armie Buff from Case 5, whose pyrophobia becomes a plot point during her testimony.

* In the ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' case "Turnabout Sisters," Phoenix faints once he sees Mia, who is dead and is the victim in the case. It's really Maya channeling Mia for the first time. Upon waking up and seeing her once more, he faints again. Lampshaded by Mia: "'GACK?!' Is that any way to treat your boss, Nick?"

See {{Fainting}}, the SuperTrope.

* Gamelords Ltd. supplement ''Thieves' Guild 8'', adventure "Rescue from the Trolls' Hole". When the PlayerCharacters show up to rescue the girl Constance from the trolls, she will faint from the relief of seeing them.

* Timmy's dad faints from shock quite regularly on ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents''.

-->''Beware of fainting-fits; though at the time they may be refreshing and agreeable, yet believe me: they will, in the end, if too often repeated and at improper seasons, prove destructive to your constitution.''

Older works sometimes call this "Swooning." [[{{Romanticism}} Romance period]] novels and GothicHorror provide plenty of examples of [[WomenAreDelicate feminine women or girls]] doing this, even if they are not a HystericalWoman. If a man faints in such works, he might be painted as cowardly or weak. More recently, '50s era monster films loved to have the pretty young heroine to faint upon seeing whatever horror the filmmakers decided to unleash upon her. In Opera, its less often a sign of weakness: Many strong, assertive characters, both men and women, faint in their moments of greatest stress.

!!Examples

[[folder:Animation]]
* ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'': Slim Doc faints upon seeing a muscular Fat Doc in "Diet Doc".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* In ''{{ComicBook/Violine}}'', Violine faints when hearing that [[spoiler: Muller is Marushka's brother, and her "mother" is actually Marushka, her father's former governess]]

--> "Someone get a '''doctor!''' Women are faintin' like '''flies''' over here!!"

* ''ComicStrip/{{Curtis}}'' decides to prank his class one day for Show-And-Tell by bringing in a bag of "zombie brains." The things certainly look like brains, because they are. Curtis soon admits that they're just cow brains left over from a meat-packing plant. Then Curtis discovers that his teacher, Mrs. Nelson, is lying prone, with only her rounded belly and boobs showing in the panel. Curtis doesn't wait for her to regain consciousness, instead taking himself to the principal's office.

--->'''Garfield''': When you're done fainting, I'd like to know where you keep the tweezers, doc.

--->'''Jon''': Wimp.

** After the Little Red-Haired Girl moves away, Charlie Brown is devastated and faints...while still standing up.
--->'''Charlie Brown''': I just passed out. I'm still standing, but I've passed out.

--->'''Snoopy''': I think I'm going to faint...
--->'''Charlie Brown''': Don't faint!
--->''(Snoopy does exactly that.)''
--->'''Charlie Brown''': Didn't you hear me?
--->'''Snoopy''': [[LampshadeHanging Quiet, please! Never interrupt a good faint!]]

-->'''Naomi''': "I've probably been unconscious for at least half of this book."

[[folder:Films - Animated]]

[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]

--->'''Jennifer (seventeen):''' ''[gasps]'' I'M ''OLD!!''
--->'''Jennifer (forty-seven):''' ''[gasps]'' I'M ''YOUNG!!''
--->''[both faint simultaneously]''

--->'''Doc:''' ''[screams upon seeing Marty]''
--->'''Marty:''' Doc, calm down, okay, it's me! It's Marty!
--->'''Doc:''' It can't be! I just sent you [[TitleDrop back to the future!]]
--->'''Marty:''' I know, Doc, you ''did'' send me back to the future, but I'm back. I'm back ''from'' the future.
--->'''Doc:''' [[CatchPhrase Great... Scott!]] ''[faints dead away]''

* Happens twice in ''Film/Batman1989'':

* A classic example in ''Film/BeautyAndTheBeast1946'': Belle faints upon seeing the Beast for the first time, and he tenderly carries her through the castle to a bed, her peasant garb magically changing to a [[GorgeousPeriodDress princess-worthy gown]] along the way.

-->'''[[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Crow:]]''' Apparently women are devoid of the "fight-or-flight" reflex.

* ''Film/{{Water 1985}}''. Baxter Thwaites threatens to blow up the Spenco well using dynamite strapped to a member of the Cascaran Liberation Front. He holds a cigarette lighter to the fuse until everyone else puts down their weapons, whereupon the bomb guy promptly faints.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E7TheLongGame "The Long Game"]]: Adam Mitchell faints when he sees a view of the future Earth. The Doctor and Rose don't bother to look back and see what happened.
--->'''The Doctor:''' He's your ''boyfriend''.
--->'''Rose:''' Not anymore.
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E11TheCrimsonHorror "The Crimson Horror"]] has a RunningGag involving minor character Mr. Thursday coming face-to-face with things like [[LizardFolk Madame Vastra]] or [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Strax]] for the first time and immediately, noiselessly fainting. And he does it [[RuleOfThree a third time]] when he sees the TARDIS dematerializing.

-->'''Conker''': ''(gasps)'' Paradise...

[[folder:Webcomics]]

[[folder:Web Video]]

* The ''[[WebVideo.ThomasSanders Sanders Sides]]'' episode "Crofters - The MUSICAL!" has Logic of all people doing this when he sees that there's a new flavor of Crofters jam named after him.

-->'''Mabel:''' [[ThisIsThePartWhere Is this the part where]] one of us faints?
-->'''Soos:''' Oh, I am ''so'' on it, dude. ''[faints]''

--> '''Alexandra''': The next time you decide to faint, do it by an open window.

-->'''Rarity:''' [[WasntThatFun That was fun! Let's do it again!]]
-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' [[OhNoNotAgain Again?!]] (faints)

*** Twice during the episode "Bridle Gossip." First, when she hears that mysterious zebra Zecora's stripes are not a fashion choice, but something she was born with, and then again when the other ponies list the "horrors" of [[TheLostWoods The Everfree Forest]].
*** In "A Dog and Pony Show" when Sapphire Shores asks her to make five more dresses in addition to the one she just made.

*** In that same episode, this trope is parodied when a Flower Sister faints when faced with a bunny stampede (normal-sized bunnies, mind you, who were rather harmless).

--->'''Barnacles''': Tweak! I didn't think you'd take it ''that'' hard.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E17BlueShadowVirus "Blue Shadow Virus"]], Jar Jar Binks faints when the last virus bomb is defused, causing Ahsoka, Padmé and Rex to turn and stare.

[[folder:Other]]
* In nearly every version of ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', April O'Neil does this on her first sight of the turtles, whereupon they pick her up and take her home. In a possible RunningGag, Michelangelo asks "Can we keep her?" in both the first movie and the second series just after she faints.
** In the first movie, April did not faint upon seeing the Turtles for the first time -- her unconsciousness was due to being attacked by the Foot Clan before they got their ever-loving asses kicked by Raph. When she woke up in the sewer den, she freaked out instead, which ended up freaking the Turtles out as well.
** Splinter elicited a fainting reaction from Keno and Kenshin in the second and third movies, the latter being lampshaded.
--->'''Donatello:''' You sure have a strange effect on people, don't you, Master?
--->'''Splinter:''' Hmmmm... out cold.
[[/folder]]

Some characters are [[NervesOfSteel naturally calm]] in highly emotional situations. Others keep a StiffUpperLip. And some... faint dead away!

* ''Literature/Daisy-HeadMayzie'': Downplayed. In the book, Mrs. [=McGrew=] ''says'', "I'm going to faint" when she sees that her daughter has a daisy growing from her head, and she's illustrated looking woozy, but she remains conscious. In the AnimatedAdaptation, however, she does pass out.

* Mary Jo Putney's ''Literature/TheChinaBride'' has Troth faint at the sight of a man who looks exactly like her deceased husband. It is not until she revives that she discovers that he is actually a twin that she never knew about.
* ''Literature/DaisyHeadMayzie'': Downplayed. In the book, Mrs. [=McGrew=] ''says'', "I'm going to faint" when she sees that her daughter has a daisy growing from her head, and she's illustrated looking woozy, but she remains conscious. In the AnimatedAdaptation, however, she does pass out.

* In ''Fanfic/ReadingMinds''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2259557/1/Reading-Minds]], A ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' CrackFic, Beast Boy faints from the strain of asking Raven out to a movie. He barely has time to think he managed to do it without fainting.

* ''Film/{{Superman}}''

* ''Film/{{Superman Returns}}'' contains an homage to the original faint scene from the 1978 film: an aircraft malfunction almost kills all of the passengers, including Lois, who at this point has already given up the hope of Superman returning from his many-years-long absence and no longer believes that the world needs him. Superman makes his first public reappearance by saving the aircraft and landing it safely in a packed sports arena. He then personally speaks to Lois, echoing their conversation on the helipad in the original film. Completely overwhelmed, Lois follows him out of the aircraft's exit and once again watches speechlessly as he flies away into the sky before she drops and slides limply down the plane's inflated evacuation slide, dead unconscious.

** Played painfully straight in issue 148, when Kitty Pryde (thirteen years old if even that at the time) faints when kidnapped by Caliban in his first appearance.[[note]]Much creepier than his later appearances would make him, but ''still...''[[/note]]

* In ''And The Stars Were Shining Bright''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9666391/1/And-the-Stars-were-Shining-Bright]], (now discontinued) A fanfic inspired by Khan from Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness, Maddie (exhausted from no sleep, hasn't eaten in a couple of days, not to mention worried sick for her captive father) faints when she sees that the man she's contracted to kill is the same man who helped her flee a dangerous situation some fifteen months previously.

* In ''Fanfic/HappyNewYear''[[https://m.fanfiction.net/s/7712514/1/Happy-New-Year]], a ''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' fanfic, Alesha Philips faints in shock upon being greeted by the very much alive DS Matt Devlin, who she's been mourning for the past few months.[[note]]The backstory reveals that he was spirited away to recover from his injuries while his loved ones were told he was dead in order to protect them.[[/note]]

* In ''Fanfic/LincolnIsDone'', Clyde passes out when he sees or mentions his crush Lori.[[note]]In ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse canon'', this happens occasionally, but he's more likely to just act awkward and/or get a {{nosebleed}}.[[/note]]

* Discussed in ''Literature/TheBippoloSeedAndOtherLostStories'', the story "Steak for Supper" involves six strange creatures following a little boy home. He fears that his "mother would faint and [his] father would roar" if they saw the creatures. Thankfully, the creatures run away, so the mother remains conscious and the father keeps quiet.

* ''Literature/DaisyHeadMaisy'': Downplayed. In the book, Mrs. [=McGrew=] ''says'', "I'm going to faint" when she sees that her daughter has a daisy growing from her head, and she's illustrated looking woozy, but she remains conscious. In the AnimatedAdaptation, however, she does pass out.

* In the 1993 TV remake of the 1958 ''[[Film/AttackOfThe50FtWoman Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman]]'', Harry attempts to cause his wife Nancy to suffer a heart attack and die by deliberately insulting and angering her. Nancy only faints instead, but Harry believes himself to have succeeded in killing her and drives away from the scene. Nancy later comes back for revenge, but only after spending most of the night lying sprawled on top of the house she collapsed onto, completely passed out.

* Samuel Richardson?s ''Pamela, or: Virtue Rewarded'' sees its title character faint whenever Mr. B attempts to force himself onto her, with each faint lasting progressively longer (the first time she stays out for two hours, the next time for three) as though the depth of her unconsciousness corresponds with the audacity of Mr. B's actions and the severity of her plight.

* ''Film/TheBloodWatersOfDrZ,'' contains probably the most egregious example of this trope, with the kidnapped heroine managing to remain unconscious while being roughly carried through a hot, noisy, fetid swamp for ''several miles.''

* Barnaby in Anime/TigerAndBunny faints in Episode 19: He's been plagued by recurring nightmares about his parents' death (which he thought he'd begun to put behind him after [[spoiler:seemingly finding their killer]]). When trying to discuss his fears with Kotetsu, Barnaby breaks down in tears and then passes out. [[note]]Probably exacerbated by exhaustion and lack of food, as he hasn't been able to eat or sleep due to the nightmares.[[/note]]

* In ''And The Stars Were Shining Bright''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9666391/1/And-the-Stars-were-Shining-Bright]], (now discontinued) A fanfic inspired by Khan from Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness, Maddie[[note]]Exhausted from no sleep, hasn't eaten in a couple of days, not to mention worried sick for her captive father.[[/note]] faints when she sees that the man she's contracted to kill is the same man who helped her flee a dangerous situation some fifteen months previously.

*** Izuku proceeds to have a brief mental shutdown when Tenya starts accusing him of being a serial philanderer after Nora reveals to Team TABY that he has an entire box of condoms. [[note]]His mother sent them not long after he officially began attending Beacon.[[/note//

* ''Film/TheBloodWatersOfDrZ,'' contains probably the most egregious example of this trope, with the kidnapped heroine managing to remain unconscious while being roughly carried through a hot, noisy, fetid swamp for ''several miles.''[[labelnote:Spoofed]] on MysteryScienceTheater3000, the response is:
-->'''Crow:''' Apparently women are devoid of the "fight-or-flight" reflex.[[/labelnote]]

* ''Film/TheFlintstonesInVivaRockVegas''

* ''Film/MurderByDeath'': Moments after her boss Sam Diamond is apparently crushed to death by a falling gargoyle (he gets better), Tess announces she's going to faint and orders the butler to catch her. The butler (who's blind), misses her completely and she thuds to the floor. [[note]]Becomes an ActorAllusion in ''Film/{{Clue}}'', when Mrs Peacock (Eileen Brennan, who also played Tess) begins to faint at the sight of another murder. This time the butler catches her... and then she slips through his arms and thuds to the floor again.[[/note]]

* ''Film/ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore'': When Lara Jean learns that the secret love letters that she never intended anyone to read have all been sent out to their respective suitors, she faints in the middle of the school track.[[note]]By contrast, in [[Literature/ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore the book]] Lara Jean just feels like fainting and [[LampshadeHanging points out that fainting would be just like being in a movie]].[[/note]]

* In ''Film/APlaceInTheSun'', Elizabeth Taylor's character Angela is told that her LoveInterest George is likely to be sentenced to the electric chair. She calmly thanks her mother for allowing her to hear this information before walking back into her room. There, she stands dazed for a few seconds, and, in what is widely considered perhaps the single best faint in film history, crashes ''hard'' and limp onto the floor without the even tiniest movement to break her fall, as though already utterly out like a light before she even began to plunge down. [[note]]''[[Film/LizAndDick Liz & Dick]]'' possibly pays homage to this by having Liz faint in a similarly no-nonsense manner upon hearing of Dick's death.[[/note]]

* PlayedForComedy in a Christmastime television commercial for M&M candies, which has the Red and Yellow M's discuss Santa Claus in someone's living room. They suddenly come upon the man himself. Red exclaims, "He does exist!" and faints from shock. Santa Claus also burbles, "They do exist!" and topples over supine. Poor Yellow is left to inquire "Santa?" uncomfortably.
* A commercial in the late 80s/early 90s advertised a spread called Polaner All-Fruit, and featured a well-to-do family passing the jar back and forth between themselves on a silver platter. They repeatedly asked one another to "pass the All-Fruit." Finally, a more CountryMouse relation sitting at the table politely asked, "Would you please pass the jelly?" Cue the wealthy family reacting in horror, including the matriarch fainting dead away at the horror of the All-Fruit being mistaken for ''common jelly''!

* Lampshaded at the end of the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' episode "Not What He Seems", when [[spoiler:''the Author of the journals'' comes out of the portal in Stan's secret lab, on top of him being ''Stan's long-lost twin brother''.]]

** Parodied in "A Star is Scorned", when Lola tells her teddy bear [[EdibleThemeNaming Mr. Sprinkles]] that Lily is a finalist for a cuteness competition, and Mr. Sprinkles coincidentally flops over. Lola responds with, "I know, it's shocking!".