History Main / HeroOnHiatus

* ComicBook/SpiderMan is completely absent from ''Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse'', which so far has functioned as ADayInTheLimelight for his RoguesGallery. TheStinger in ''Film/Morbius2022'' teased his involvement, but this ended up being an AbortedArc. Peter Parker finally makes an appearance in ''Film/MadameWeb2024'' [[spoiler:[[AgeLift as a newborn]]]], but this film took place in an AlternateUniverse to the others within the franchise.

* Happens to Izuku Midorya several times in ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' because of [[spoiler: his inherited Quirk, One For All. His body can't handle using the quirk at full power, and he doesn't have the control to use it at less than 100%]]. Aizawa even points out that he can't be a hero if he can't control it, since he's only good for one or two shots and then has to be rescued by someone else.

* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': Chapter 7 is mainly focused on Monarch and the humans, as they investigate where Alan Jonah has been hiding out since the events of ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019 and try to study the two new emergent Titans. The protagonists, [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX San and Vivienne Graham]], are indisposed while they're first, on the brink of a coma, second, [[PupatingPeril metamorphosing into their new form]].

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In this ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction; when [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX San and Vivienne Graham]] are indisposed during their [[PupatingPeril second]] {{Metamorphosis}}, the story's focus switches to Monarch and their human allies overall, as they investigate where Alan Jonah has been hiding out since [[Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019 the movie]] and deal with the discovery of the Vivienne-San hybrid.

* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'': After [[TheHero Pit]] [[spoiler: [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence burns up his wings]] [[SaveTheVillain saving the]] AntiHero, [[CloningBlues Dark Pit]]]], we spend a level as Dark Pit trying to get his counterpart back in the game [[DebtDetester so as to avoid owing him anything]]. Gameplay-wise, there's no difference, but this level is a good deal snarkier than most others. [[WorldOfSnark Not an unimpressive feat, considering the rest of the game.]]

* In Michael Robertson's ''The Brothers of Baker Street'', barrister Reggie Heath produces an alibi for a Black Cab driver accused of a robbery-double homicide. Reggie later goes in search of his recent client when another corpse turns up and is arrested [[spoiler:at the scene of the client's murder]]. The action turns to his brother Nigel and their sometime girlfriend Laura, who have to get him out on bail so the trio can work to clear Reggie of his own [[spoiler:murder]] charge.
* ''Literature/InCryptid'':
** In the second book, ''Midnight Blue-Light Special'', Verity is [[spoiler:captured by the Covenant]], and the POV switches to Sarah as she and [[spoiler:Dominic]] try to rescue her.
** In ''Imaginary Numbers'', Sarah herself is [[spoiler:kidnapped]], and several chapters are from Artie's POV as he, Annie, Sam, and [[spoiler:Mark]] try to find her and bring her home.
* In [[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresTheDyingDays The Dying Days]], the final novel in the ''Doctor Who New Adventures'' series uses this. For most of the novel [[spoiler: The eighth Doctor is mistakenly thought dead]], allowing companion Bernice Summerfield to act as the main character. This was, in part, intended to establish her as leading character material for her own spin-off series which was about to be launched.

* The series ''Series/MagnumPI'' was mostly about Thomas Magnum's casework, but more than once an episode revolved around Thomas being missing and /or injured, giving T.C., Rick, and Higgins their time in the spotlight. Notably:
** "Home from the Sea" begins with Thomas on his surf kayak when he's swept off it by the wake of a passing boat. He treads water for an extended period while his friends discover he's missing and go in search of him.
** In "Smaller than Life", Magnum is laid up in the hospital while Rick takes an investigating job with the aid of T.C. and Higgins.

* ''{{Series/Emergency}}'' used this a few times. Most often, Gage was the injured party. Once, he was hit by a car, once he was felled by a monkey virus. Roy had to cope with temporary partners like a guy who insisted on doing everything totally by the book.

* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' with the plot of "[[Recap/TorchwoodS2E13ExitWounds Exit Wounds]]", and appearance of Gray (Jack's brother), who [[spoiler: buries Jack alive for almost two ''thousand'' years]].
* A semi-regular trope in ''Series/StargateSG1'', and the overall franchise, appearing in "Brief Candle" (Jack is infected with nanites that age him to the point of being useless), "100 Days" (Jack is trapped offworld after a gate is buried), and so on.
* Several episodes of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' involve Gibbs being taken out of action (amnesia, getting captured, being shot and almost killed, etc.), leaving the rest of his team to solve the current case without him.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'': Fei is temporarily unavailable after he almost drowns. Even after you get him medical treatment, he takes a while to wake up.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': There is a section where the PlayerCharacter is in prison, and if you choose to wait for rescue, you will have to control a few of your other party characters and bust yourself out.

* ''VideoGame/ElShaddaiAscensionOfTheMetatron'': [[spoiler: After your boss-fight with Armaros, Enoch gets swallowed by the [[TheCorruption Darkness]] while rescuing a little girl, and Armaros - remembering the friendship they once held, and impressed by Enoch's selfless action, has to dive into the darkness to find and [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight cure]] him.]] He's noticeably different to play as than Enoch, but far from underpowered...
* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga'': When Mario eats the Invincishroom and gets sick Luigi must travel alone to go find the cure.
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'': After [[TheHero Pit]] [[spoiler: [[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence burns up his wings]] [[SaveTheVillain saving the]] AntiHero, [[CloningBlues Dark Pit]]]], we spend a level as Dark Pit trying to get his counterpart back in the game [[DebtDetester so as to avoid owing him anything]]. Gameplay-wise, there's no difference, but this level is a good deal snarkier than most others. [[WorldOfSnark Not an unimpressive feat, considering the rest of the game.]]
* In the second ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'' game, [[TheHero Serph]] [[spoiler: got killed by Heat, but managed to drag Heat down the core of the EGG Installation]], giving [[MysteriousWaif Sera]] a HeroicBSOD. In the meanwhile, you control [[TheSmartGuy Gale]], until Sera recover from her HeroicBSOD and assumed control. [[spoiler: Turns out Serph is still alive and you control him again after rescuing him.]] Also, in the final dungeon, [[spoiler: Serph and Sera merged into Seraph]].
* Near the end of ''VideoGame/AtelierIris2'', [[TheHero Felt]] [[spoiler: got turned to stone by Chaos]], prompting Viese to leave Eden to find his whereabout.
* This happens to Rean Schwarzer in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' where after he pulls off a DivingSave and injures his arm against the boss to save both Machias and Jusis although he comes back to the spotlight after like ten or so minutes in gameplay. The speed of his recovery however is a foreshadowing moment for the character who healed him. In ''Cold Steel IV'', [[spoiler:he's not playable throughout the prologue and the first chapter of the game as he was captured at the end of the previous game. One of his students, Juna Crawford, has to take up the DecoyProtagonist mantle till he reunites with his friends and students.]]

* Near the end of ''VideoGame/AtelierIris2'', [[TheHero Felt]] [[spoiler: got turned to stone by Chaos]], prompting [[TheChick Viese]] to leave Eden to find his whereabout.

* ''{{Series/Angel}}'' and the plot with Angel being trapped in a box underwater.
** Similarly, ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' had a couple of episodes where Buffy was sidelined.

* Happens quite often to Luffy from ''Manga/OnePiece''. He is often out of action because he is drowning, beaten near death, eaten by a snake, asleep, lost, or stuck somewhere.

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' has the Forest of Death part of the Chunin Exams arc, where [[BigBad Orchimaru]]reveals himself and takes both Sasuke and Naruto out of action, leaving Sakura forced to defend herself and her two downed teammates on her own from assassins after their head. Fortunately, both Rock Lee and Team 10 show up to help her out.

Contrast AchillesInHisTent, where the Hero just decides he has had enough and quits until events force him to return. Contrast FeverDreamEpisode, which never even moves away from the character, just moves the location of the action to inside his mind. Compare '''and''' contrast SickEpisode: those instances in which the illness is severe enough to take the hero out for a time could count (when bringing about a recovery/cure is a new subplot), but those in which he [[WorkingThroughTheCold soldiers on regardless]] would not. See also AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent and TenMinuteRetirement.

* Fourth volume of ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' happens almost enteirly without Kaneda who is pressumed dead, focusing on Kei and giving more spotlight to Kiyoko, Ryu and Colonel.

** In ''The Counterfiet Crank'', resident playwright Edmund Hoode is laid low by a mysterious illness and the troupe solicits work from a new playwright while still encouraging their colleague to recover.
* In Michael Robertson's ''The Brothers of Baker Street'', barrister Reggie Heath produces an alibi for a Black Cab driver accused of a robbery-double homicide. Reggie later goes in search of his recent client when another corpse turns up and is arrested [[spoiler: at the scene of the client's murder]]. The action turns to his brother Nigel and their sometime girlfriend Laura, who have to get him out on bail so the trio can work to clear Reggie of his own [[spoiler: murder]] charge.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': You control Joker in order to save the Normandy from the Collectors.

* ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'' with the plot of "Exit Wounds", and appearance of Gray (Jack's brother), who [[spoiler: buries Jack alive for almost two ''thousand'' years]].

* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', the Destroyer Arc ends with [[TheHero Clare]] trapped [[spoiler: inside remains of Destroyer, with Priscilla]]. Therefore, she doesn't take a part in the Rebelion Arc, allowing [[TheCaptain Miria]] to take the lead.
* Fourth volume of ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' happens almost enteirly without Kaneda who is pressumed dead, focusing on Kei and giving more spotlight to Kiyoko, Ryu and Colonel.
* Happens quite often to Luffy from ''Manga/OnePiece''. He is often out of action because he is drowning, beaten near death, eaten by a snake, asleep, lost, or stuck somewhere.

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'': Crono dies fighting [[BigBad Lavos]]. But he is revived (or [[TimeyWimeyBall unkilled]]) thanks to the [[TitleDrop Chrono Trigger]].

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': The party is captured and put in two separate prisons. Tidus, the usual player character, is in charge of the party members put in the water prison. But in the dungeon prison, Yuna leads as the main player character in Tidus’s absence.

* ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': About halfway through the game, the PlayerCharacter, [[WellExcuseMePrincess Bastila]], and [[BrokenAce Carth]] are all imprisoned. Any remaining party member of your choice can be selected to break them out, and you play as them, they get to answer the DialogueTree options in conversations that are typically left for the PlayerCharacter only.

''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'': About halfway through the game, the PlayerCharacter, [[WellExcuseMePrincess Bastila]], and [[BrokenAce Carth]] are all imprisoned. Any remaining party member of your choice can be selected to break them out, and you play as them, they get to answer the DialogueTree options in conversations that are typically left for the PlayerCharacter only.