History Main / HoldingBackThePhlebotinum

* ''Literature/{{HarryPotter}}'' has the Time Turners, which are used for ''Literature/{{Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban}}'' and never again in the original series. The plot of ''Theatre/HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild'', however, revolves around them.

* Characters/{{Cable|NathanSummers}} has a techno-organic virus that his powers are constantly engaged in holding back, lest it overtake his body. The little left to him is enough to occasionally summon [[SuperheroPackingHeat his oversize futuristic rifle]] back to him. Occasionally he boosts his powers with a staff called a Psimitar, but that just brings him up to normal PsychicPowers level (again, see Franklin). His ''full'' power is about the same as [[PhysicalGod Jean in Phoenix mode.]] Naturally, he only gets to use it on rare occasions before whatever's stopping the TO virus proves not to be foolproof, or using his power this way burns it out, reducing him to familiar levels. His ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' counterpart [[Characters/MarvelComicsXMan X-Man]] got to use this full power more often, but writers clearly didn't know what to do with someone at that power level, so he was often half-burnt out power-wise, presumed dead, etc. Recently they played the "overtaxed his powers and is semi-permanently at a more manageable level" card. As of 2018, though, he's back, and if anything, stronger than ever - though also possibly insane. [[spoiler: It turns out that a) his powers were restored and boosted by the Life Seed, b) he's dying. Again.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': [[Characters/TheMightyThorThorOdinson Thor]] and the Hulk have clashed many times through the years, with the majority of their fights ending in draws. Just before a memorable clash in Creator/PeterDavid's run, Thor revealed that he had intentionally held back during all of those past encounters, as he was worried unleashing his full strength would cause him to lose control.

** This is the reason why ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' dragged on for so long--''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'' deprived the heroes of a few good telepaths, the Fantastic Four were off on a time-traveling romp and ComicBook/IronMan was off in space. [[spoiler:That last one came back to bite Ock, though.]]

* In ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' we eventually learn that the alien Nemesites have vastly more powerful technology than we've previously seen them use, but they prefer to avoid using it. Voluptua says it's best to set some limits to avoid decadence, claiming many civilizations have turned themselves into useless vegetables addicted to V.R. and such. As for the really powerful weapons, those can make a situation messy ''very'' quickly, particularly the sentient [[MechanicalAbomination Mechanical Abominations]] called Butterflies of Iron.

** Characters/BlackCanary could defeat most of the relatively mundane foes with a single [[MakeMeWannaShout Canary Cry]]. [[FightsLikeANormal She doesn't]] because she usually follows the ThouShaltNotKill rule, and a Canary Cry could kill an ordinary human at close range. One of the few times she did use the Canary Cry was when she fought a supernatural life draining killer named Harvest and it barely even phased her. There was one issue where she had an internal monologue lampshading this; as a martial artist she's trained to fight with her fists and her heart, and using her metahuman powers would be like bringing a bazooka to a boxing match. On this occasion Oracle had been kidnapped, though, so she was using the Cry right left and center with a 'screw them' attitude. Also, she tended to use the cry quite freely to break down doors, break through walls, knock out tanks, and so forth; she was just reluctant to use it directly on people.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'': Almost every [[RealityWarper omega level]] mutant on the map is insane, either [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity permanently]] or [[DependingOnTheWriter as the plot dictates]], that way none of them can [[StatusQuoIsGod change the status quo]] in any meaningful way. Characters/{{Ma|rvelComicsMagneto}}gneto is also only allowed access to the full scope of his powers as a villain; whenever he joins the X-Men he suffers some kind of RedemptionDemotion that keeps him from making the rest of the team useless[[note]]though it's [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in his case since his powers are explicitly more than his [[GlassCannon completely normal]] physiology can handle without degrading his body, starting with his nervous system. Thus, the more he uses his powers, the more insane he becomes. So it's less RedemptionDemotion than [[InvertedTrope Demotion Redemption]]. Given how other Omega–level mutants seem to degrade in sanity as they power up, this may be something of a common problem.[[/note]].

* ''Film/IronMan'':
** In the second film, he actually raises this point himself when testifying to the Senate commission. He calls the suit (or rather himself) the new nuclear deterrent. As a result of his influence, the world's experiencing a long-lasting period of peace and [[JustifiedTrope will continue to do so as long as the suit remains under the control of a stable, trustworthy entity.]] The irony is that he's an alcoholic dying guy who later uses above-military grade weaponry to explode glass in a crowded room and considers himself "stable and trustworthy".

*** And equally pointedly and quickly {{Averted}} in ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', when Stark first casually uses the above form of them during [[spoiler: the Helicarrier fight]], to cut through debris and help salvage the situation, and then in [[spoiler: the new suit used in the climactic battle]], he's upgraded them to be reusable and (per JARVIS' commentary) draw from the suit's main power supply.

* ''Literature/{{HarryPotter}}'' has the Time Turners, which are used for ''Literature/{{Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban}}'' and never again in the original series. The plot of the play, however, revolves around them.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E4TheGirlInTheFireplace "The Girl in the Fireplace"]], when the main characters discover a spaceship filled with {{time portal}}s which its repair droids are using to stalk Madame de Pompadour until she's a specific age, the Doctor offers a vague comment that they've become part of events to explain why he can't just use the TARDIS and they have to rely on the portals. The real reason is that the TARDIS could easily solve the conflict, to say nothing of negating the tragedy of the ending.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':

** Another example of this trope in the second movie are the [[spoiler:"Death Blossoms". Extremely powerful and capable of ending any confrontation but they can only be used once]].

* ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'': Alastor is here instead of DeusExitMachina because his power is only ever used once, in a manner much more like a WaveMotionGun i.e, a weapon, not someone who really does anything. He isn't used again (besides the obvious) because there's a chance [[spoiler:it could kill Shana.]]

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'':

** Elemental and mask powers are standard for any Toa hero. Combining six elements creates an impenetrable crystal that can trap the strongest of foes. Yet in the Metru Nui arc, the Toa Metru can't use either for most of the story because their elemental powers have depleted on their first couple adventures and they're too untrained to use mask powers. Only at the end do they have access to both and use them successfully. During the [[GiantSpiders Visorak]] arc, they idiotically walk into the Visorak's trap whose venom mutates them into freaks and blocks their mask powers. They still retain access to their elements but can't combine them [[ConflictBall because they're too busy bickering and behaving like beasts]], having to split up.

* This has become a recurring complaint about Wrestling/FinnBalor's [[SuperMode Demon King form]]. In KayFabe it makes no sense for him to not use it against someone like Wrestling/BrockLesnar, only to throw it away on someone like [[PokeThePoodle Baron Corbin]]. The closest thing to an explanation dates back to his first feud with Wrestling/BrayWyatt, who challenged Finn to face him [[ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself without using the Demon.]] From that point on Finn mostly wrestled as himself, save when someone ''really'' pisses him off. (The ''actual'' reason Finn doesn't use it much most likely comes down to how [[ExecutiveVeto WWE]] [[StoryBreakerPower books underdog stories]].)

** Saber from ''Fate/stay night'' has a SwordBeam that can destroy ''Cthulhu'' and could one-shot almost any Servant with a clear hit, and even the likes of [[ResurrectiveImmortality Berserker]] would probably burn through most of his 12 lives from a hit. The problem is the fact that, in addition to her Master Shirou being unable to efficiently supply her with mana and thus limiting her available uses of it, the fact she's fighting in an urban location more often than not and her own chivalrous code means she would never unleash it with innocents at risk. [[spoiler:At one point, she thanks her opponent Rider for unleashing her Noble Phantasm and [[FlyingFirepower flying into the sky]], because now she doesn't have to risk collateral damage on the streets and there's nothing in-between the two of them but air, allowing her to unleash it without restraint]].

* in "Webcomic/unOrdinary", John Doe has traumatic experiences that force him to repress his Purposely Overpowered ability.

* In ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel2015'', Anakin as a Padawan questions Obi-Wan as to why Jedi don't put [[MineralMacguffin kyber crystals]] into other weapons like spears or blasters in addition to [[LaserBlade lightsabers]] and [[GadgeteerGenius tries to float some ideas by him]]. Obi-Wan cuts him off to explain that it's been done before (such as the [[{{BFG}} lightsaber rifle]] seen in ''ComicBook/DarthVaderDarkLordOfTheSith''), and that they deliberately avoid doing so in order to ensure that they only ever harm those they intend to and that they're seen as [[WarriorMonk peacekeepers rather than warmongers]].

* In ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'', the Spider-Man infused with the Enigma Force is this: he's powerful enough to eradicate the Inheritors on the spot, but he can't leave his Earth as the Enigma Force can only stay on that Earth. On the plus side, that makes that Earth a safe haven for the Spiders as the Inheritors will ''not'' go there and risk being killed.
* This is the reason why ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' dragged on for so long--''ComicBook/AvengersVsXMen'' deprived the heroes of a few good telepaths, the Fantastic Four were off on a time-traveling romp and ComicBook/IronMan was off in space. [[spoiler:That last one came back to bite Ock, though.]]

** Since his power is quite explicitly "the power of ''cheating''", it's more "holding back the phlebotinum normal people use", because he wouldn't need it anyway.

* Take a look at Franchise/{{Batman}} who has access to space alien technology. He could use it to easily subdue criminals in Gotham. But no, whenever Batman is in Gotham, he is restricted to real world-level technology (or not too far away from). He's also had access to both a Franchise/GreenLantern power ring and a [[EvilCounterpart Sinestro Corps]] ring, but turned down both for varying reasons. This gets lampshaded in ''[[ComicBook/JLA1997 JLA: Classified]]'' where he reluctantly opens his "sci-fi closet" and mutters that he hopes the GCPD never finds out about it.

** Justified in the case of Oracle, who made the decision to forgo using any of the fantastic technology or magic that her friends from the Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} could supply her with to cure her paraplegia until it can be made available to the general public as a show of solidarity with other disabled people. [[ThrowingOffTheDisability Then came]] the ComicBook/New52.
** ComicBook/BlackCanary could defeat most of the relatively mundane foes with a single [[MakeMeWannaShout Canary Cry]]. [[FightsLikeANormal She doesn't]] because she usually follows the ThouShaltNotKill rule, and a Canary Cry could kill an ordinary human at close range. One of the few times she did use the Canary Cry was when she fought a supernatural life draining killer named Harvest and it barely even phased her. There was one issue where she had an internal monologue lampshading this; as a martial artist she's trained to fight with her fists and her heart, and using her metahuman powers would be like bringing a bazooka to a boxing match. On this occasion Oracle had been kidnapped, though, so she was using the Cry right left and center with a 'screw them' attitude. Also, she tended to use the cry quite freely to break down doors, break through walls, knock out tanks, and so forth; she was just reluctant to use it directly on people.
** ComicBook/LadyShiva was briefly on the team, during which time she explicitly swore a no-killing oath in respect of Black Canary above, explaining why she didn't lay out every villain the team fought in five seconds flat.
* ComicBook/{{Cable}} has a techno-organic virus that his powers are constantly engaged in holding back, lest it overtake his body. The little left to him is enough to occasionally summon [[SuperheroPackingHeat his oversize futuristic rifle]] back to him. Occasionally he boosts his powers with a staff called a Psimitar, but that just brings him up to normal PsychicPowers level (again, see Franklin). His ''full'' power is about the same as [[PhysicalGod Jean in Phoenix mode.]] Naturally, he only gets to use it on rare occasions before whatever's stopping the TO virus proves not to be foolproof, or using his power this way burns it out, reducing him to familiar levels. His ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse'' counterpart ComicBook/XMan got to use this full power more often, but writers clearly didn't know what to do with someone at that power level, so he was often half-burnt out power-wise, presumed dead, etc. Recently they played the "overtaxed his powers and is semi-permanently at a more manageable level" card. As of 2018, though, he's back, and if anything, stronger than ever - though also possibly insane. [[spoiler: It turns out that a) his powers were restored and boosted by the Life Seed, b) he's dying. Again.]]

* Look at Franchise/TheFlash; somebody who can run at supersonic or sometimes at faster than ''light'' speed, and whose perception of time when doing this gives him inhumanly fast thoughts should have ABSOLUTELY NO problem in dealing with villains who have ice guns or explosive boomerangs.
* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'': [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] and the Hulk have clashed many times through the years, with the majority of their fights ending in draws. Just before a memorable clash in Creator/PeterDavid's run, Thor revealed that he had intentionally held back during all of those past encounters, as he was worried unleashing his full strength would cause him to lose control.

* ''Franchise/XMen'': Almost every [[RealityWarper omega level]] mutant on the map is insane, either [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity permanently]] or [[DependingOnTheWriter as the plot dictates]], that way none of them can [[StatusQuoIsGod change the status quo]] in any meaningful way. ComicBook/{{Magneto}} is also only allowed access to the full scope of his powers as a villain; whenever he joins the X-Men he suffers some kind of RedemptionDemotion that keeps him from making the rest of the team useless[[note]]though it's [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in his case since his powers are explicitly more than his [[GlassCannon completely normal]] physiology can handle without degrading his body, starting with his nervous system. Thus, the more he uses his powers, the more insane he becomes. So it's less RedemptionDemotion than [[InvertedTrope Demotion Redemption]]. Given how other Omega–level mutants seem to degrade in sanity as they power up, this may be something of a common problem.[[/note]].

* In ''Series/TheFlash2014'' and ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'', ComicBook/{{Firestorm|DCComics}} is able to fly and shoot energy blasts, but his main power from the comics - the ability to transmute any kind of matter into any ''other'' kind of matter - is a later-discovered ability and something that takes a lot of time and concentration to use, because if he could just turn anything into anything else with a wave of his hand, you'd have a guy who's arguably as overpowered as Franchise/{{Superman}} on a team with much more down-to-earth powers. ''Even so'', he's the most powerful member of the team, and events often conspire to keep Jax and Professor Stein in different places so they can't [[FusionDance fuse into Firestorm]] right away.

** Probably the most egregious case is the Kull warrior armor that made its wearer {{Nigh Invulnerab|ility}}le. Even after building a weapon they could use to kill the supersoldiers without damaging the armor, by [[spoiler:stopping the effect of the ancient healing device used to give them life]], no effort is made to collect armor sets for SG teams.

* [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] and the ComicBook/IncredibleHulk have clashed many times through the years, with the majority of their fights ending in draws. Just before a memorable clash in Creator/PeterDavid's ''Incredible Hulk'' run, Thor revealed that he had intentionally held back during all of those past encounters, as he was worried unleashing his full strength would cause him to lose control.

[[folder:Film]]

* In the first season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' several dangerous situations were resolved by using the Avatar State, allowing Aang to become stronger than any threat he might plausibly face. It wasn't easy to trigger and wasn't exactly safe, but it was a definite conflict killer if it ever came up. So as soon as the second season started an Earth Kingdom general pointed out that if Aang was in the Avatar State he would be able to crush [[BigBad Ozai]] with ease and worked on trying to get him to unlock it at will. However, the point of the episode was to show that it's too dangerous and he was generally but not completely kept from using it for the rest of the series thanks to the numerous drawbacks.

* In the first season of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' several dangerous situations were resolved by using the Avatar state, allowing Aang to become stronger than any threat he might plausibly face. It wasn't easy to trigger and wasn't exactly safe, but it was a definite conflict killer if it ever came up. So as soon as the second season started an earth kingdom general pointed out that if Aang was in the Avatar state he would be able to crush Ozai with ease and worked on trying to get him to unlock it at will. However, the point of the episode was to show that it's too dangerous and he was generally but not completely kept from using it for the rest of the series thanks to the numerous drawbacks.