History Main / ImpededMessenger

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', it was mentioned that an ImpededMessenger example was averted when shortly after his horse threw a shoe, the messenger just 'happened' to run into a traveling peasant with a portable forge. This is played with further in that it is only due to the messenger's timely arrival that the dreadful Battle of Five Cities never happened.

* The whole plot of ''Webcomic/ParadigmShift'' turns out to have been instigated by a modern variant. A letter sent to Chicago PD detective Kate [=MacAllister=] from someone she participated in a clinical trial alongside some years previously is delayed by at least a week because it was sent to a previous address, meaning he's unable to arrange a meeting and warn her that the trial may have [[SideEffectsMayInclude had some really dangerous side effects]]... [[spoiler: Like turning her into a werewolf.]]

* As noted in "ForWantOfANail", many battles have been lost due to crucial communication holdups.

* When [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Tim]] was thought to have died during an Arkham breakout most of the Batfamily ended up separated from him by a force field before he could tell them he'd escaped. ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} ended up ''beating the Joker to death'' when the Joker gloated about killing another of his brothers. Though of course [[JokerImmunity he got better]] it showed Dick and the rest of the Bats that Dick could be pushed to lethal force.

* In ''Western Animation/Avatar:TheLastAirbender'', Katara realizes Zuko and Iroh are in Ba Sing Se and runs to warn the Earth King, only to be tricked by Azula and company, who are disguised as the Kiyoshi Warriors, leading to her imprisonment and setting the stage not only for the fall of Ba Sing Se, but also [[spoiler: Aang's death]]. Played with in Bato of The Water Tribe, in which Aang receives the message for Bato and withholds said information until he feels too guilty to continue doing so.

* In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Katara realizes Zuko and Iroh are in Ba Sing Se and runs to warn the Earth King, only to be tricked by Azula and company, who are disguised as the Kiyoshi Warriors, leading to her imprisonment and setting the stage not only for the fall of Ba Sing Se, but also [[spoiler: Aang's death]]. Played with in Bato of The Water Tribe, in which Aang receives the message for Bato and withholds said information until he feels too guilty to continue doing so.

[[folder:Film]]

A messenger has an important [[BringNewsBack message]]/[[MacGuffin package]]/etc. for someone, probably the protagonist. Maybe they scheduled [[OvertRendezvous a meeting]], making it a DoomedAppointment; maybe the protagonist doesn't know there is a messenger. One way or another, the messenger fails to deliver the message, or delivers the message too late. Could become an UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom.

* ''Film/{{Gallipoli}}'' has this as the major plot point in the film, where [[spoiler: just as the soldiers are about to go over the top to attack the Turks in a futile attempt to gain ground,the order is rescinded. The catch? Mel Gibson doesn't deliver it fast enough and his best bud dies.]]

[[folder:Anime]]

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

[[folder:Videogames]]

* The whole plot of ''Webcomic/ParadigmShift'' turns out to have been instigated by a modern variant. A letter sent to Chicago PD detective Kate [=MacAllister=] from someone she participated in a clinical trial alongside some years previously is delayed by at least a week because it was sent to a previous address, meaning he's unable to arrange a meeting and warn her that the trial may have [[SideEffectysMayInclude had some really dangerous side effects]]... [[spoiler: Like turning her into a werewolf.]]