History Main / TheCavalryArrivesLate

* In ''Literature/TheWeeFreeMen'', Miss Tick returns with reinforcements in the form of Mrs. Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, just after Tiffany has finished wiping up the threat herself.

--->"Cops got better things to do than get killed!"

** Played with at the end. After Spinel's injector has been destroyed and all the fighting has ended, Yellow, Blue, and White Diamond suddenly arrive on Earth for a completely different reason than the threat Steven and the Crystal Gems were facing.

* ''WesternAnimation/AllHailKingJulien'': Near the end of ''Exiled'' right after Koto was crushed to death by his statue, Hans arrives with a zombie lemur army, only to be informed that he missed the entire battle by at least a month.

** Played with at the end. After Spinel's injector has been destroyed and all the fighting has ended, Yellow, Blue, and White Diamond suddenly arrive on Earth for completely different reasons.

** ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'': Jean asked the X-Men for help, because Wolverine was killing Cyclops in the garden. They couldn't get there before he killed both of them. Fortunately, it was just a Danger Room simulation.
** ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'': Sue Storm and the Thing show up to fight Dormammu, right after he killed Dr. Strange.
** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Subverted. The allies get into the nazi base, but could not stop the rocket from being launched. But that doesn't mean they were defeated: Cap jumps to the rocket and manages to disarm it in mid air.

* Wrestling/AndreTheGiant was on the wrong end of a beatdown where there was a delayed run-in by good guys. Longtime enemies Bundy and Studd were involved with this one, too; as Andre was finishing off Studd during a match and about to slam him once again, Bundy spared Studd any more humiliation by running in and attacking Andre from behind. Bundy then repeatedly delivered his "Avalanche" splash on a prone Andre as Studd (who had recovered enough) held Andre's legs down so he couldn't move. Only after Bundy had used at least five "Avalanches" did anyone run into the ring to run off Bundy and Studd. [[note]](This match is better known for Andre and Studd wrestling over a pair of '''''real scissors''''', which Studd had brought into the ring, having been handed them by manager Wrestling/BobbyHeenan, to try to cut Andre's hair (as he did once before), and Andre biting Studd's wrist to get him to drop the scissors ... unaware the blades were [[TemptingFate precariously close to his eyes]]! [[DoNotTryThisAtHome Very dangerous, kids]], as GorillaMonsoon pointed out.)[[/note]]

* In ''Discworld/TheWeeFreeMen'', Miss Tick returns with reinforcements in the form of Mrs. Ogg and Granny Weatherwax, just after Tiffany has finished wiping up the threat herself.

* In ''[[ComicBook/XWingSeries Wraith Squadron]]'', the titular squadron is leading a small enemy fleet into a trap, because they secretly infiltrated that enemy fleet using a captured ship. But they manage to take out the enemy fleet ''by themselves'' before their allies can get into firing range.

* In ''WesternAnimation/Shrek2'', Prince Charming arrives to rescue Princess Fiona from the Dragon's keep and marry Fiona to claim his title as King of Far Far Away, only find the Big Bad Wolf in her room and that Fiona had since been rescued and married someone else.

* ComicBook/CaptainAmerica films

* In ''Film/TheFlintstones'' Betty, Wilma, and the police don't arrive at the rock quarry until after Cliff Vandercave has been neutralized, the shoddy equipment has been destroyed and the children have been rescued.

* Done in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' episode "The Secret of Dagger Rock''. Iago and Abu, armed to the teeth (or beak, in Iago's case) show up up to help... only to to find the action ended hours ago.

* Came into play several feuds involving HulkHogan, with Hogan on the wrong end of each beating ... and curiously, longtime nemesis Wrestling/KingKongBundy involved with each one:

* 1960's ''Series/{{Batman}}'' series. The Gotham police always arrive after Batman and Robin have subdued the Guest Villain and his henchmen to take them into custody. From the episode "Rats Like Cheese":

* ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs'': The local police and FBI arrive after Clarice Starling kills Buffalo Bill.

* ''Film/{{Commando}}'': The United States Army arrives only after [[Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger Matrix]] has defeated every enemy soldier on the island, including the BigBad and his [[TheDragon Dragon]].

** During the Dance of the Dragons, Lord Cregan Stark pledged loyalty to Queen Rhaenyra over her brother King Aegon II. However, by the time he managed to rally the forces of the North and march south to join the conflict, not only was Rhaenyra dead, but Aegon's [[PyrrhicVictory thoroughly devastated]] supporters (seeing the writing on the wall) had assassinated him, crowned Rhaenyra's son as the new king, and surrendered to her other loyalists as they marched on the capital. To save that the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Northmen]] were displeased with this is something of an understatement.