History Main / LaserGuidedKarma

* ''Film/WalkingWithDinosaurs'': [[BigBrotherBully Scowler]] [[KickTheDog attacks and beats up his brother Patchi, nastily tells him he's no longer of the herd, and leaves him to die while preventing everyone, including Juniper, to help him]], coldly saying "[[IHaveNoSon I don't have a brother]]". All for leading said herd from drowning in a frozen lake, which [[NeverMyFault Scowler himself led them into]]. Afterwards, Scowler [[KickTheSonOfABitch gets mauled to near-death by Gorgon]] (for starting their fight in the first place), with the herd abandoning him.

* ''ComicBook/BatmanDarkVictory'' has these:
** Former commissioner and CorruptCop Gillian Loeb briefly reappears in issue #2. Jim Gordon, who'd recently attained his iconic rank as Commissioner, is clearly less than pleased by the visit -- and rightfully so as Loeb came to gloat about both Harvey Dent's transformation into Two-Face and the Hangman killing [[Series/Batman1966 Chief O'Hara]], and to not-so-subtly imply that he intends to use the latter to try to get the Commissioner position back from Gordon. The issue literally ends with the reveal of Loeb's corpse, a victim of the Hangman, before he could realize his plan.
** SWAT officer Pratt, another corrupt cop (whose crimes included partaking in a firebombing of a building ordered by Loeb and attempting to shoot a cat while searching through the wreckage for Batman) tries to shoot Batman as retaliation for Bats punching him through a wall (which itself was a response to Pratt's attempt to shoot the cat). Not only is Batman wearing body armor, but when Batman comes to, he finds that the Hangman got to Pratt in the meantime.
** A stand-off between the Joker and Two-Face ends with Two-Face repaying a beating the Joker gave him in ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'' with a similar beating of his own.

:: : One turn later, Chugga gets a [[ScrappyMechanic Warp Block]] ("[[BigNo NOOOOOO!]]"), switches places with Jon ("[[RunningGag NOOOOOO!]]"), and also gets a poison mushroom ("[[RuleOfThree NOOOOOO!]]"). NCS bursts out laughing while, naturally, Jon remarks with a mocking tone, ''"HEY, CHUGGA! '''''[[IronicEcho DON'T EAT THE MUSHROOM!]]''''' I HEAR IT'S BAD FOR YOU!"''

** They have another occurrence in their very first project, the classic ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' for Nintendo 64. Towards the end of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krC7HTp-H80&feature=player_detailpage#t=12m31s the first part of Luigi's Engine Room]], when Jon gets a Poison Mushroom, Chugga chimes in with this:

* In the Machinima/YogscastMinecraftSeries, Simon jokingly sets fire to the Yogcave, then stands around yakking while Lewis panics trying to put the flames out. Moments later, Simon is "accidentally" knocked into a deep underground pit. He climbs out and promptly burns to death. Later, when he's respawned and the fire's gone out, he wanders out the back door... and triggers a booby trap and blows up.

* Dismissing the sorceress in beggar's robes gets you [[BalefulPolymorph turned into a monster]].

** The [[ChildrenAreCruel children]] at Hester's summer camp could have saved themselves some future therapy bills and mental trauma had they been actually ''nice'' to Hester. As it stands, their hazing of the red-headed witch is directly linked to their terrorizing by a vampire.

* ''Film/WalkingWithDinosaurs'': [[BigBrotherBully Scowler]] [[KickTheDog attacks and beats up his brother Patchi, nastily tells him he's no longer of the herd, and leaves him to die while preventing everyone, including Juniper, to help him]]. All for leading said herd from drowning in a frozen lake, which [[NeverMyFault Scowler himself led them into]]. Minutes later, Scowler [[KickTheSonOfABitch gets attacked and mauled by Gorgon]] with the rest of the herd abandoning him.

This trope is by its nature [[SpoileredRotten Spoileriffic]]; '''spoilers will be unmarked.'''

** In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'', Al steals Woody from an innocent family out of greed and selfishness, intended to sell the "Woody's Round-Up" collection to a Japanese museum for millions. He ends up getting zilch due to the toys escaping the luggage they were thrown in.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', Lotso leaves the toys to die in a garbage incinerator after Woody and Buzz [[SaveTheVillain save him from the shredder]]. For a moment, it looks like he's going to be a KarmaHoudini, as Woody tells the others that "he's not worth it" upon escaping. But then Lotso is found by a {{Cloudcuckoolander}} garbageman who straps him to the front of his truck and drives off with him.

** In their ''[[LetsPlay/AchievementHunterGrandTheftAutoSeries Let's Play Minecraft]]'' videos, this is present all the time. One example is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpfWIizrd6U&list=PL1cXh4tWqmsEQPeLEJ5V3k5knt-X9k043&index=9/ Episode 9]], where the crew must build the Tower of Pimps, which consists of three blocks of gold. Gavin is the first to place a piece of the tower and is in the lead since no one else has placed a piece or is even close to making their first one. After dying and losing his map, he decides to kill [[TheBerserker Michael]], then [[TheAce Ray]], but neither of them had any maps. So he then decides to attack Geoff... who [[DisproportionateRetribution proceeds]] to [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown kick]] Gavin's ass in real life, and then, for good measure, steals the gold [[WhatAnIdiot Gavin]] was carrying with him. Gavin continues to mine for materials (and gold) [[DickDastardlyStopsToCheat to renew his attack Geoff]], only to die each time and lose more gold he had mined, inadvertently giving Geoff the win. Which is then {{Lampshaded}} by Geoff.

*** In some versions, Sisyphus's final fate does not bother him at all and he actually finds solace in pushing his boulder since it gives him time to himself to think for all eternity. For all the gods involved, this is a source of unending frustration for having one mortal they were never able to humble.

TheGoldenRule states, ''Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'', but in fiction, morality operates more on Newton's Third Law -- ''every action results in an equal and opposite reaction''. Abuse others, and the cosmos will heap that same abuse on you. Accordingly, every [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail notable]] act of a fictional character will yield its due return before the end of the story; every deed, good or bad, will be repaid with the accuracy of a laser-guided missile. Whether its payload is [[HappilyEverAfter sunshine and puppies]] (see EarnYourHappyEnding) or [[DeathByIrony painful]] [[IronicHell irony]] depends on whether Bob was a saint or a bastard.

If taken too far, stories can turn {{anvilicious}}: be polite to strangers, never [[KickTheDog kick puppies]] ''et cetera'', or the ''universe itself'' [[SpaceWhaleAesop will make your life a living hell]]. It also undermines the standard "do good for goodness' sake" lesson, since Bob never has to [[BeingGoodSucks suffer for doing the right thing]] or accept virtue as its own reward -- in Fictionland he will always get repaid. That being said, the negative consequences tend to fall more directly than the positive; the villain's own deeds will be [[KarmicDeath the ultimate]] [[SelfDisposingVillain cause of his downfall]], while the hero's actions earn him some much-needed assistance but do not solve all his problems for him.

On the negative side of the karma coin:
* Dissing the sorceress in beggar's robes gets you [[BalefulPolymorph turned into a monster]].

* Attempting to use a power for your own gains gets you defeated by that exact power.

TheGoldenRule states, ''Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'', but in fiction, the rule seems to be more, ''What you do unto others will be done unto you.'' It's morality with a side of Newtonian physics thrown in -- if you abuse others, the world will inflict that same abuse on you. Accordingly, every [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail notable]] act of a fictional person will yield a meaningful return before the end of the story; every deed, good or bad, will be repaid in kind with the accuracy of a laser-guided missile. Whether its payload is [[HappilyEverAfter sunshine and puppies]] (see EarnYourHappyEnding) or [[DeathByIrony painful irony]] (also see IronicHell) depends on whether Bob was a saint or a bastard.

If taken too far, stories with this aesop can turn {{anvilicious}}: always be polite to strangers, never [[KickTheDog kick puppies]] ''et cetera'', or the ''universe itself'' [[SpaceWhaleAesop will make your life a living hell]]. It also undermines the standard "do good for goodness' sake" lesson, since Bob never has to [[BeingGoodSucks suffer for doing the right thing]] or accept virtue as its own reward -- in Fictionland he always gets repaid. That being said, the negative consequences tend to fall more directly than the positive; the villain's evil deeds turn out to be [[KarmicDeath the ultimate]] [[SelfDisposingVillain cause of his downfall]], while the hero's virtue earns him some much-needed assistance but still leaves it up to him to save the day.

** Zoom (ComicBook/HunterZolomon) tried to ruin Wally's life because he thought MiseryBuildsCharacter and he wanted to make him a better hero. It was also partly out of {{revenge}} for not helping him prevent his paralysis at the hands of Gorilla Grodd. So Wally shoves him through one of his time rips, where Zoom is forced to watch [[MyGreatestFailure His Greatest Failure]]: Sending his father-in-law to his death because he (a criminal profiler) told him a criminal he was meeting with wouldn't be armed. Again and again and again. Hearing himself say "He won't have a gun. Trust me Ashley..." over and over. The last we see of Zoom in that story, he's vibrating from impotent rage. So... How about that misery, Zoom?

TheGoldenRule states, ''Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'', but in fiction, the rule seems to be more, ''What you do unto others will be done unto you.'' If you mistreat the people and things around you, karma will strike you down. Treat them well, and you will be rewarded. Accordingly, every [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail notable]] act of a fictional person will yield a meaningful return before the end of the story; every little action, good or bad, will be repaid in kind with the accuracy of a laser-guided missile. Whether its payload is [[HappilyEverAfter sunshine and puppies]] (see EarnYourHappyEnding) or [[DeathByIrony painful irony]] (also see IronicHell) depends on whether Bob was a saint or a bastard. Basically, this is interpreting the concept of Karma as literal Newtonian EquivalentExchange.

If taken too far, stories with this aesop can turn {{anvilicious}} or into a SpaceWhaleAesop: always [[CharacterWitness be kind to strangers]], never [[KickTheDog kick puppies]] ''et cetera'', or the ''universe itself'' will make your life a living hell. It also undermines the standard "do good for goodness' sake" lesson, since Bob never has to [[BeingGoodSucks suffer for doing the right thing]] or accept virtue as its own reward -- in Fictionland he always gets repaid. That being said, it's worth noting that the negative consequences tend to fall more directly than the positive; the villain's evil deeds turn out to be [[KarmicDeath the ultimate]] [[SelfDisposingVillain cause of his downfall]], while the hero's virtue rewards him with some much-needed assistance (but still leaves it up to him to save the day).

See also PayEvilUntoEvil, SweetAndSourGrapes, and SexualKarma, especially KarmicRape. See also IronicHell, for the afterlife version of this or if the karma received is eternal. Contrast KarmaHoudini and KarmaHoudiniWarranty. For karma punishing [[TragicHero a hero]] for their mistakes, see TragicMistake. Also contrast with "NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished", which is a corrupt form of this trope; as well as CantGetAwayWithNuthin, where the slightest misdeed committed by the ''hero'' results in DisproportionateRetribution. If the character is a {{jerkass}} and the karma isn't enough to make them learn, then it's a KarmicButtMonkey.

See also PayEvilUntoEvil, SweetAndSourGrapes, and SexualKarma, especially KarmicRape. Contrast KarmaHoudini and KarmaHoudiniWarranty. For karma punishing [[TragicHero a hero]] for their mistakes, see TragicMistake. Also contrast with "NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished", which is a corrupt form of this trope; as well as CantGetAwayWithNuthin, where the slightest misdeed committed by the ''hero'' results in DisproportionateRetribution. If the character is a {{jerkass}} and the karma isn't enough to make them learn, then it's a KarmicButtMonkey.

* In ''Webcomic/WeakHero'', Gray's a fan of taking down his opponents in ways that are based off their own bullying techniques:
** Teddy starts off his bullying of Gray by dumping cola on him, dunking his schoolbag into water, and marking his back with a giant black X. When Gray retaliates, he does so by soaking Teddy's prized backpack in the rain, knocking him out with a cola can, and then topping off with the X across his back.
** When taking down Oswald's gang after they hospitalise Stephen, Gray makes use of the safety pin Stephen gifted him to restrain Oswald, and then wraps them all up in the tape that Stephen used to use, and which got him made fun of by the gang.