History Main / YouAreInCommandNow

** Professor Merlot is put in charge of Beetleburg by [[TheEmperor Klaus]] after Dr. Beetle's death at the stary of the story, as [[TreacheryIsASpecialKindOfEvil punishment]] for his own pettiness leading to Beetle's death in the first place (Klaus wanted him alive). Klaus then makes it explicitly clear that [[YouHaveFailedMe he will have Merlot shipped off]] to [[PlaceWorseThanDeath Castle Heterodyne]] the second he screws up.

* On several occasions in ''Film/Downfall2004'', Hitler randomly promotes officers to higher military positions. General Weidling is ordered to defend Berlin when he only came in to attest that he didn't move his command post and therefore shouldn't be executed. Ritter von Greim is an even better example however: he was also already a general, but when he makes it to the bunker he is put in command of the entire German air force (which is all but completely defunct by this point in time), and told that he has to rebuild it from the ground up. When Hitler starts claiming that he'll be able to give Greim a thousand jet aircraft on short notice, it's become obvious that reality and him don't see eye to eye anymore.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Outsider}}'', Ensign Alexander Jardin finds himself in [[http://well-of-souls.com/outsider/outsider061.html command of his ship]] due to being the SoleSurvivor.
-->'''Tempo:''' ... further, in consideration of your status as commander of a foreign vessel, I recognise you as military attaché for your mission, with the right to be addressed as captain.\\
'''Jardin:''' ''[thinking]'' I hadn't until then realised, as last survivor, I '''was''' technically Bellarmine's commander.
* Gil causes this trope in an attacking army in [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071207 this]] ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''.
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
** In Cliffport City, when the [[DaChief CPPD Chief]] is beheaded by Nale, the Rookie spontaneously takes the lead and orders around his fellow cops. A few senior ones shortly ponder about this, before deciding to just roll with it.
** Also happens to Haley [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0444.html here.]] After Roy died, Durkon snaps Haley out of her brief HeroicBSOD by reminding her that she is now in command of the Order of the Stick. She had previously just scammed Roy for the job so she could have an extra share of loot.
** In the ''[[Recap/TheOrderOfTheStickStartOfDarkness Start of Darkness]]'' prequel, [[spoiler:a low-level acolyte of the Goblin god survives when paladins massacre his superiors. One of them lasts long enough to give him the [[ArtifactOfDoom Crimson Mantle]], a powerful artifact that gives him a field promotion to High Priest]].
* In ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'', the Council of Watchers, the closest the town of High Plains has to leaders when it's attacked, is made up of equals and thus has no superiors. As such, [[http://impurebloodwebcomic.com/comic/chapter-4/page-073/ Dara seizes command because the situation's about to become military]].
* ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'':
** Ariel is a little lost when her squad leader is missing and they need to figure out what to do. Ini'riia makes it clear that being BlueBlood makes her in command by default... that is, unless she wishes to let a senior member of a different clan take command...
** Later, at the end of Chapter 50, [[spoiler:when Ariel meets up with Kel'noz again, he informs her that Quain'tana has succumbed to her injuries and died, and that she is now the leader of the Val'Sarghress clan.]]

* During the final days of World War II in Europe, the distinction between the political and military leadership of Nazi Germany vanished completely as the defense of the country became less a military objective and more Hitler's fanatical desire to avoid defeat at all costs. Naval and air flag officers found themselves in command of army units as the ''Wehrmacht'' collapsed into ad-hoc divisions consisting of regular army, Waffen-SS, ''Volkssturm'' militia, sailors, police, and Hitler Youth. In April 1945, as the Red Army began their encirclement of Berlin, Hermann Göring attempted to invoke a secret decree naming him Hitler's successor so that he could assume command of what remained of the Third Reich. Hitler responded by stripping him of his offices, and when he learned that Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler attempted to negotiate with the Allies, he made his decision to commit suicide. In Hitler's last will and testament, the office of ''Führer'' was thus split into its previous offices of President and Chancellor, with Hitler naming Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz as President, along with supreme commander of the armed forces, and propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels as Chancellor. Then Goebbels killed himself shortly after Hitler, leaving Dönitz in command of a nation that was being invaded from all sides. At this point, his only major order was a general retreat to the West so that German troops could avoid being captured by the Soviets, and nearly one week later, he finally surrendered.

* ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorVanguard'' has the protagonist, Corporal Frank Keegan promoted to Sergeant when [[spoiler:Sergeant Magnusson is killed by a German Sniper]].