History Main / TheGlovesComeOff

* In ''Manga/BungouStrayDogs'', Nakahara Chuuya take off his gloves when he uses his [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique ability's ture form]].

*** First after the Hueco Mundo arc when he [[spoiler:unwillingly taps into his SuperpoweredEvilSIDE after being "killed" and turns into an extremely powerful hollow]] until he's snapped out of it.

*** First after the Hueco Mundo arc when he [[spoiler:unwillingly TurnsRed after being "killed" and turns into an extremely powerful hollow]] until he's snapped out of it.

* The ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' Sixth Doctor regeneration special, ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure The Last Adventure]]'', sees the Sixth Doctor gradually forced into a corner and having to go through with this in the final episode, "The Brink of Death". [[spoiler:Faced with [[EnemyWithout the Valeyard]] almost pulling off a successful AssimilationPlot upon Time Lord society, the Doctor chooses to both end his life and wipe out the last survivors of a race of telepathic microbes in order to ensure that the Valeyard and his plan goes down with him. The Valeyard calls him out on this, asking what that such an act, effectively pulling a genocidal version of TakingYouWithMe on a sapient species, would mean for the Doctor's "precious moral scruples". The Doctor grimly replies "They died with me," heralding his incoming successor, the Seventh Doctor, will embrace GoodIsNotSoft and TheNeedsOfTheMany to a large degree than any of his previous incarnations.]]

* The ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' Sixth Doctor regeneration special, ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure The Last Adventure]]'', sees the Sixth Doctor gradually forced into a corner and having to go through with this in the final episode, "The Brink of Death". [[spoiler:Faced with [[EnemyWithout the Valeyard]] almost pulling off a successful AssimilationPlot upon Time Lord society, the Doctor chooses to both end his life and wipe out the last survivors of a race of telepathic microbes in order to ensure that the Valeyard and his plan goes down with him. The Valeyard calls him out on this, asking what that such an act, effectively pulling a genocidal version of TakingYouWithMe on a sapient species, would mean for the Doctor's "precious moral scruples". The Doctor grimly replies "They died with me," heralding his incoming successor's darker, colder, and more manipulative nature.]]

** There are a rare few moments where Harry Dresden just completely cuts loose on his opponents, usually using a spell called ''pyrofuego'' [[note]]literally "fire-fire," which is pretty indicative of what happens: ''lots'' of fire.[[/note]]. The first time happens in ''Literature/GravePeril'', and the second happens in ''Literature/SmallFavor''. Then there's the book ''{{Literature/Changes}}''. And by the book, we mean ''[[UpToEleven all of it]]''. Best played up in one moment where he encounters vampires and remembers the phrase from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' about wizards being subtle and quick to anger...

** Zola, when she stops playing the DamselScrappy to get serious about taking the Heterodyne inheritance. She goes through several magnitudes of this up to the chapter titled 'Zola Goes UpToEleven' -- [[PsychoSerum Movit #11]], that is.

%%* Carol Danvers, then ComicBook/MsMarvel, in ''ComicBook/TheKangWar''

%% Please see thread to discuss a new image.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/TheKangWar https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rco019_1468727202.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:And one of the first things to go is the [[ThouShaltNotKill code against killing.]]]]

** ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'': Magneto has flooded New York and sent the Brotherhood to wreak havok among the survivors, causing loads of deaths. He also killed Charles Xavier personally. The heroes are more than willing to KILL him for this. Wolverine made it clear at the start of issue #5. In the end, he begs for mercy, but finds none.

* Carol Danvers, then ComicBook/MsMarvel, in ''ComicBook/TheKangWar''

* In their final fight in ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'', [[spoiler: Godzilla loses his temper after taking a few hits and finally goes all-out on Kong, decisively defeating and nearly killing him in short order]]

* ''Series/{{Supergirl|2015}}'': Franchise/{{Superman}} refers to [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter J'onn J'onnz]] as being even more powerful than him. There's no evidence of this til Red Kryptonite turns Supergirl evil. When he has to take her down, he does it in less than a minute.

* ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'':
** The titular hero pulls this on the BigBad after he kills Sonic's ExpositionFairy. Covered in flames? Check. ExtremeMeleeRevenge? Check. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking No gloves?]] Check.

* ''Literature/TheScholomance'': El usually has to work hard to avoid using her ApocalypseMaiden-tier talent for destructive magic, but when one of the deadliest monsters in the world gets into her WizardingSchool, she wades in with her most powerful spells and tears it apart in minutes. The last time one such monster was killed, it took a full circle of [[TheArchmages archmages]] a full year of preparation, a three-day battle, and [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu multiple casualties]].

When a character is pushed hard enough, they can reach the point where [[XMustNotWin defeating the enemy in front of them]] is their one and only goal. Everything else, even their own survival, becomes secondary. The reason for this varies. Perhaps their enemy has sent them into an UnstoppableRage. Maybe they've realized that the won't be able to defeat their opponent unless they focus on winning to the exclusion of all else, or they've reached the GodzillaThreshold and now they have nothing to lose by going all out. Whatever the cause, the character will cast off anything holding them back, heedless of what it may cost them later.

May be preceded by a NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech. If their enemy can't match their new-found power, it will often result in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. If the enemy ''can'' match their strength and determination, the fight will probably continue to the point of CombatBreakdown. When the gloves come off, it's usually during a WhamEpisode. Not to be confused with ''literally'' taking one's gloves off -- see TheCoatsAreOff or BattleStrip for removing clothing before a fight.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' the process by which captain-level shinigami have their {{Power Limiter}}s removed is the subject of a brief arc. Several more straightforward examples of this trope:

* Near the end of the ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' episode ''Superman vs. Goku II'', after learning that Goku means to keep fighting no matter what and not wanting the Earth to be destroyed again, Superman finally unleashes his full power. He ''[[NoSell walks through]]'' Goku's fully-powered Kamehameha and effortlessly ends the fight in two moves.

* Twilight Sparkle in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' is largely pacifistic and tends to lean in favor of sealing away foes or swaying them to the side of good. When sufficiently pushed, particularly when her [[BigBrotherInstinct friends or family are threatened]], the gloves will come off pretty quick and she'll start blasting FrickingLaserBeams to blast her foe into submission. "Princess Cadance" [[spoiler:(actually Queen Chrysalis)]] was on the receiving end of one of these in ''A Canterlot Wedding'' (it's unclear if Twilight was going for ''killing'' blows or not), as was Lord Tirek and Starlight Glimmer. As King Sombra learned in the Season 9 premiere, she has absolutely zero qualms with [[KilledOffForReal outright killing a foe]] if that's what it's going to take.

May be preceded by a WorldOfCardboardSpeech. If their enemy can't match their new-found power, it will often result in a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown. If the enemy ''can'' match their strength and determination, the fight will probably continue to the point of CombatBreakdown. When the gloves come off, it's usually during a WhamEpisode. Not to be confused with ''literally'' taking one's gloves off -- see TheCoatsAreOff or BattleStrip for removing clothing before a fight.

* Carol Danvers, then ComicBook/MsMarvel, provides the page image in ''ComicBook/TheKangWar''