History Main / TheCommiesMadeMeDoIt

* Several ''ComicBook/BuckDanny'' stories have one of the squadron pilots be forced to betray through their families being held hostage, always ending in RedemptionEqualsDeath.

* In ''Manga/ShokugekiNoSoma'', Akira Hayama joins Central and works to help them break apart the student rebellion, which earns him the scorn of Soma, who thought he was honorable. Turns out he joined Central because the dean threatened to delete his adoptive mother's research data and shut down her laboratory, which would destroy 30 years of her life's work. His defection doesn't last long, though; he promptly returns to the side of good when he loses a Shokugeki to Soma and his mother calls him out for joining Central.

Compare to IHaveYourWife, [[TropesAreTools only more versatile]]. Subtrope of ForcedIntoEvil.

** And this trope was kept in [[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 the film version]], although it's not Communists anymore for obvious reasons.
*** Although ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' adds an interesting twist by revealing [[spoiler: the "boyfriend" is in fact a double agent who specializes in romancing women and then faking his capture in order to ensure their cooperation. He's trying this on a Canadian agent when Bond catches up to him.]]

* Notably defied in every AlternateEnding to ''Film/{{Clue}}''. "Communism was just a RedHerring." [[DontExplainTheJoke Get it? "Red"?]]

* In ''Literature/TheScarletPimpernel'', Lady Marguerite Blakeney (an [[SpiritedYoungLady intelligent, beautiful, sophisticated yet naive young woman]] who is unhappy in her marriage) betrays the title character to the evil Citizen Chauvelin, because Chauvelin has dirt on her brother. Of course, her foppish husband, [[spoiler: who she really does love after all, is the Scarlet Pimpernel]].
** And she [[spoiler: didn't actually betray the Pimpernel's identity, just his plans. Which Percy was prepared for. ''And'' she told him about it, albiet indirectly. ''And'' once she figured out what was going on with Percy, she hightailed it to France to try and help. Marguerite didn't just have Armand's difficulty to get her out of trouble.]]

* In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine,'' O'Brien's wife Keiko is possessed by a Pah Wraith that threatens to kill her unless O'Brien helps it with some bizarre scheme. O'Brien reluctantly goes along with it until he figures out exactly what the Wraith's plan is. [[spoiler: It wanted to use the station's equipment to kill the Prophets. O'Brien changes things so the energy zap intended for the wormhole instead hits their shuttlecraft, killing the Wraith and freeing Keiko.]]

* In ''Manga/FoodWars'', Akira Hayama joins Central and works to help them break apart the student rebellion, which earns him the scorn of Soma, who thought he was honorable. Turns out he joined Central because the dean threatened to delete his adoptive mother's research data and shut down her laboratory, which would destroy 30 years of her life's work. His defection doesn't last long, though; he promptly returns to the side of good when he loses a Shokugeki to Soma and his mother calls him out for joining Central.

* ''Series/MacGyver'', frequently. The first instance is in the episode "Deathlock".

* In Creator/JamesSwallow's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} novel ''Faith & Fire'', the psyker Vaun escapes because many crew members on the ship have been convinced that his cell really holds someone they love. One, being interrogated, weeps about his beautiful daughter, and the prison warden says he has no daughter. On being asked what his daughter's name is, he dies.
** This being ''Warhammer 40k'', though, it wouldn't have helped even if it were true.

Compare to IHaveYourWife, [[TropesAreTools only more versatile]].

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' new-series-three finale, Martha actually [[ReliableTraitor relies on a woman whose son has been imprisoned to betray her]] as part of a BatmanGambit. After the events of the entire year have been reversed, she goes and finds that woman (who has now never met her), gives her a flower and tells her there are no hard feelings. (In the DVDCommentary the cast argue over how much sympathy the character should get.)

* In a Marvel ''What If?'' where the Submariner joined the Fantasic Four and married Sue, Reed Richards hired a lab assistant whose family was being held hostage by Doctor Doom. (She does help foil Doctor Doom's plan and save Reed's life before he married her.)

* The ''MemorySorrowAndThorn'' series uses this trope once in the battle of the Stone of Farewell. The former mayor of some of the townfolk who follow Josua agrees to lead Duke Fengbald, leader of the enemy army, and his elite troops, to a weakly defended "back door" because his daughters are being held hostage. The trope is subverted when [[spoiler:he leads Fengbald into a trap instead, being willing to sacrifice his own life and those of the hostages in order to defeat the enemy]].

* For once, Dr. Wily did it to a Commie. Dr. Cossack in ''VideoGame/{{Megaman}} 4''.

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* Several BuckDanny stories have one of the squadron pilots be forced to betray through their families being held hostage, always ending in RedemptionEqualsDeath.

** And this trope was kept in [[Film/CasinoRoyale the film version]], although it's not Communists anymore for obvious reasons.

* This was used several times as a plot device in ''HogansHeroes'', requiring the Heroes to rescue the daughter/father/what have you of the blackmailed individual.

* Subverted in ''{{NCIS}}''. [[spoiler:Agent Lee]] is revealed to be the traitor because [[spoiler:her sister/daughter (long story)]] was in trouble. RedemptionEqualsDeath in this case, but it's unlikely that the traitor would have faced anything less than a long stay in federal prison.

* In JamesSwallow's TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} novel ''Faith & Fire'', the psyker Vaun escapes because many crew members on the ship have been convinced that his cell really holds someone they love. One, being interrogated, weeps about his beautiful daughter, and the prison warden says he has no daughter. On being asked what his daughter's name is, he dies.

* In ''{{Dune}}'' the character [[spoiler:Wellington Yueh has a wife]] captured by the Harkonnen. For this reason he betrays the Atreides (his loyalty conditioning would make this otherwise impossible, but I guess his loyalty to his wife is able to trump even that).

* In the 1940's ''WonderWoman'' series, a villainness Paula von Gunther who worked for the Nazis was revealed as doing so because they had her daughter captive. (In the comics she was a willing accomplice, until her HeelFaceTurn)

* For once, Dr. Wily did it to a Commie. Dr. Cossack in VideoGame/{{Megaman}} 4.

** Xenophilius Lovegood [[spoiler:betrays Harry and his friends]] because his daughterL una was kidnapped by the Death Eaters.

** Many people claim this anyway in HarryPotter when Voldemort is in power. Plenty are genuinely being blackmailed, or coerced into doing terrible things by Voldemort threatening their families, but others claim this when they worked for him willingly.

* Later in the ''HarryPotter'' series, the Malfoy family. In ''DeathlyHallows'', Narcissa Malfoy falsely announces to the Death Eaters that [[spoiler:Harry is dead]] in exchange for knowing that Draco is still alive.

* Later in the ''HarryPotter'' series, the Malfoy family. In ''DeathlyHallows'', Narcissa Malfoy falsely announces to the Death Eaters that [[spoiler:Harry is, in fact, dead]] in exchange for knowing that Draco is still alive.
** Xenophilius Lovegood [[spoiler:betrays Harry and his friends]] because his daughter Luna was kidnapped by the Death Eaters.