History Main / HumanityOnTrial

One way to avert the hypocrisy is to make the accuser species ''self-consciously'' no more moral than the humans on trial. They're not thinking of destroying us because of any particular [[ScaryDogmaticAliens ideology]], but because we are a potential threat. This can be treated with varying degrees of sympathy--you might be alarmed by the sudden appearance of strange ape-like beings in your backyard too, especially when at least a few of them can be proven to be violent and even fratricidal and occasionally horny.

One way to avert the hypocrisy is to make the accuser species ''self-consciously'' no more moral than the humans on trial. They're not thinking of destroying us because of any particular [[ScaryDogmaticAliens ideology]], but because we are a potential threat. This can be treated with varying degrees of sympathy--you might be alarmed by the sudden appearance of strange ape-like beings in your backyard too, especially when at least a few of them can be proven to be violent and even fratricidal.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': Thoroughly subverted in "A Small Talent for War". An alien race, claiming to have created us, announces that they're disappointed by our [[TitleDrop "small talent for war"]] and intend to terminate the experiment. The nations of the world rush to sign a disarmament treaty in time to change the aliens' mind... which turns out to be exactly the wrong thing to do. The aliens were breeding warriors, and what disappointed them was our ''[[ExactWords small]]'' talent for war.

* The Celestials of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse go around seeding life on worlds. Occasionally they visit and judge them with their own mysterious criteria. Those races that don't pass the test die. And yes, humanity is one of those races, and the Celestials did almost execute them. And nothing's stopping them from making a repeat visit down the line either. [[spoiler: At least until [[ComicBook/SecretWars2015 The Beyonders came and massacred the Celestials]]. And then [[ComicBook/TheUltimates2015 LOGOS]] [[FromBadToWorse arrives to finish the job.]] ]]
** [[spoiler: if that wasn't bad enough for the Celestials, their ancient enemy [[ComicBook/KingInBlack Knull]] has reawakened to settle some old scores and ''won''.]]
** [[spoiler: Then the Celestials' little protectors, ComicBook/TheEternals, went and made their own Celestial thanks to Iron Man and Mister Sinister, [[ComicBook/JudgmentDayMarvelComics and it's now deciding to judge humanity over its sins]].]]
* In one ComicBook/PostCrisis Franchise/{{Superman}} story (aptly titled "ComicBook/TheTrialOfSuperman"), Superman is put on trial for the destruction of Krypton as the last Kryptonian. The minor detail of him being an infant at the time was considered irrelevant. Eventually, there is a crisis where the alien Judges begin fighting amongst themselves and Superman saves the day. However, the judges will not exonerate him; instead they compromise by sentencing him to effectively "community service", namely he has to continue his Neverending Battle for Truth and Justice.
* In a ''[[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Donald Duck]]'' comic, Donald is taken by {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s (who mistake him for a sports champion who happened to be in Donald's vicinity) to represent Earth in an intergalactic tournament that will determine whether or not Earth will become part of their [[CityInABottle collection of miniaturized planets]]. He keeps losing each part of the competition horribly to the other champions, which include much stronger, faster, and intelligent aliens and robots. The way he eventually wins is ingenious: He claims that no form of life can sleep longer than him, which the other contestants challenge by going into hibernation for centuries or millennia. The judges angrily revoke the contest and send Donald back to his home world when they realize that they'll have to wait ''50,000'' years before they can declare the winner.

* In ''Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'' and its American adaptation, ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'', [=GaoGod=]/Animus (a sort of nature-god) puts the primary Rangers on trial for the environmental crimes of humanity and takes away their powers, forcing the SixthRanger to keep the peace all on his own.

* Q did this in both the [[BookEnds first and last]] episodes of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. In the latter, it's implied that it was a FalseCrucible. Futhermore, self sacrifice was not the thing that allowed the Q Continuum to acquit humanity, but Picard realizing an idea to save the day that took a new perception of time and existence in order to achieve. That potential to grow is what really interested them.
** In the latter episode, Picard points out that Q did this once. Q counters by revealing that the trial from the first episode and the one in the last episode are the same trial. It never ended (implying that the 7 year series was all part of the trial as well). This is indicated in Season 2, where when the case in the pilot is brought up Q replies "The jury's still out on that". Even in the finale, Q tells Picard "The trial never ends", so the Continuum will keep judging humanity. [[spoiler:Which he references when he returns in ''Series/StarTrekPicard'']].
* Zigzagged in ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. The first Q-related episode of the series had a member of the omnipotent race on trial, with Voyager defending him and his right... to commit suicide. So, it's a trial where the prosecution is bringing up examples to justify that the gods are necessary to humanity and thus humans shouldn't tolerate when a god wants to not exist any more as a matter of his own personal choice.
* Thoroughly subverted in one episode of ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985''. An alien race, claiming to have created us, announces that they're disappointed by our "small talent for war" and intend to terminate the experiment. The nations of the world rush to sign a disarmament treaty in time to change the aliens' mind... which turns out to be exactly the wrong thing to do. The aliens were breeding warriors, and what disappointed them was our ''small'' talent for war.
* In an episode of ''Series/HerculesTheLegendaryJourneys'', the archangel Michael personally descends to Earth to release the Four HorsemenOfTheApocalypse and off the humans. Hercules sacrifices himself to try and stop them - "there is still good in humans" - Earth is spared.
* Almost the same thing happened in an episode of ''Series/{{Charmed|1998}}'', only the Horsemen were acting at the orders from the [[BigBad Source of Evil]] this time. During a clash one of the Charmed ones (good witches) got trapped in Limbo along with the horseman War so the others formed an uneasy alliance to try and free their respective comrades. But when the Charmed ones learned that once reunited, the horsemen could bring about the Apocalypse, they went back on the deal, essentially sacrificing their sister, to avert the end of the world. This decision apparently amounted to "still enough good in humans", so the Source destroyed the horsemen and withdrew until next time. [[spoiler: Oh, and the Charmed ones managed to rescue their sister after all.]]
* This happens in the ''Series/{{Wonder Woman|1975}}'' episode "Judgment from Outer Space", where the titular character must prove that the human race is capable of more than just hate and destruction, which really seems hypocritical--the alien race is going to destroy the entire human race because it can't seem to get along part of the time?
* In ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', the Atlantis expedition (represented by Sheppard's team and Mr. Woolsey) are put on trial by a tribunal representing the humans of the Pegasus Galaxy. To be fair, the expedition ''did'' screw up pretty badly more than once over the last few years: they woke up the Wraith early, [[CreateYourOwnVillain created Michael]], helped develop the Hoffan drug that Michael used to attack humans, and altered the Replicator base code to make them go to war with the Wraith (which unfortunately caused them to start wiping out human worlds in order to starve the Wraith). But, as Sheppard points out, the Atlantis expedition are the only ones effectively fighting against those threats, and that despite the losses they've suffered, the humans of Pegasus are closer than ever to finally being free of the control of the Wraith.
** In this case, it turns out only one of the three judges actually cares about judging the Atlantis expedition fairly. The second judge lost her family to the Replicators and blames the expedition for it, and is dead set on ruling against them no matter what (a conflict of interest that Woolsey notes should disqualify her as a judge). The third judge will be the deciding vote, but Woolsey eventually figures out that he's being bribed by a rival faction to rule against them. Woolsey's solution? [[spoiler:Offer him a ''bigger'' bribe to rule in their favor.]]

* Impress Your Creators by Tub Ring is about an advanced alien race giving humanity a decade to shape up or be killed. [[spoiler:Humanity has other opinions.]]

->''"[[BookEnds Oh, I expected as much. You're such a limited creature -- a perfect example of why we made our decision. The trial never ended, Captain. We never reached a verdict. But now we have. You're guilty.]]"''
-->-- ''Q'', "All Good Things...", Part 1
->''[[spoiler:"You just don't get it, do you, Jean-Luc? The trial never ends."]]''
-->-- [[spoiler:''Q'', "All Good Things...", Part 2]]

* Every thousand years, Ming the Merciless from ''Film/FlashGordon'' tests every inhabited planet with natural disasters and if they show signs of recognizing an alien did it, he wipes them out, because it means they have become advanced enough to be a potential threat to his empire. Hence Zarkov doomed Earth by flying in to space to confront Ming.

** In the latter episode, Picard points out that Q did this once. Q counters by revealing that the trial from the first episode and the one in the last episode are the same trial. It never ended (implying that the 7 year series was all part of the trial as well).

[[folder:Religion]]
* In Literature/TheBible, {{God}} effectively puts all of humanity, present and future (except UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}), on trial in Genesis after the original sin, finds us guilty, and sentences us to death. However, he also makes plans to pardon us, as long as certain conditions are met, and allows hundreds of years pass by in order for humans to accept or reject that pardon. This is also subverted, as the Bible also states that each individual human is on trial for their own sins (not '''just''' the original sin), and (apart from the aforementioned exception) [[HumansAreBastards all humans]], [[HistoryRepeats past, present and future]], [[HumansAreFlawed have sinned in some form or another]]. Since [[HumansAreFlawed humanity]] [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption is not capable of overcoming sin on our own]], and God didn't want us all to condemn ourselves to [[AndIMustScream Hell]], He [[TakeAThirdOption gave us]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} a way out]]. He's not gonna let [[{{Satan}} a disgruntled ex-employee]] have [[TheBadGuyWins the last laugh]].
[[/folder]]

->''"You will now answer to the charge of being a grievously savage race!"''