History OhCrap / Literature

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%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!

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** In Literature/FinalFrontier George Samuel Kirk Sr. has one after he chased a saboteur through the corridors on the ''Enterprise'' and that saboteur [[KillItWithIce runs into an area where life support and heating was turned off]], resulting in the saboteur being flash frozen in the process.
** In Literature/SpocksWorld, [=McCoy=] gets one when he scans the names of secessionists and finds one he knows...[[spoiler:T'Pring.]]

* In ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', this is pretty much how Winston and Julia react when [[spoiler:the telescreen that was concealed in the hiding place that [[BadSamaritan Mr. Charrington]] was renting them the whole time makes itself known -- moments before the Thought Police show up and arrest them both.]]

** While we don't get to see his reaction in the films, in ''Literature/DeathStar'' Tarkin has enough time to shout "Unthinkable! Unthinkable!" as his precious Death Star explodes.

*** Gandalf, when [[spoiler: the whip of the Balrog tangles on his ankle at bridge of Khazad-dûm]]

*** Sauron, when [[spoiler:he realizes just what the heroes' plan is and that the Ring is in the one place it can be destroyed. He realizes, in an instant, just how thoroughly he's been tricked and just how close he is to losing everything, and understandably freaks out.]]

* In ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', this is pretty much how Winston and Julia react when [[spoiler:the telescreen that was concealed in the hiding place that [[BadSamaritan Mr. Charrington]] was renting them the whole time makes itself known -- moments before the Thought Police show up and arrest them both.]]

* Happens with varying degrees of comedy and drama in the ''Literature/AuntDimity'' series. Notable examples include:

** In ''Literature/PerdidoStreetStation'', the managers of Cadnebar's, an illegal gladitorial arena, play up the drama for the crowds by deliberately setting up OhCrap moments for naive yokels, who sign up for what they expect will be an easy two-against-one fight. Too bad they don't know it's two of them against one weaponized killer Remade or professional cactus-man mercenary until their opponent steps onto the field....
** Also, Simon/Silas gets a doozy of an OhCrap in ''The Scar'', when he realizes [[spoiler: he'd neglected to mention the hundreds of little tugboats that used to drag the floating city of Armada in his report, meaning the Crobuzoner navy's about to get its ass handed to it by a mass kamikaze assault of unmanned floating bombs.]]

* In Creator/DavidEddings' ''Enchanter's End Game'' (5th book of ''Literature/TheBelgariad''), one can easily imagine Zedar's face when [[spoiler:Belgarath re-enters the room after Zedar kills Durnik in Torak's tower, performing the one act that left him with no chance of redemption and a one way ticket to AndIMustScream territory, being buried in the earth alive]].
** Earlier in ''Magician's Gambit'' Ctuchik, in a moment of desperation, tried to use [[FunctionalMagic sorcery]] to destroy the Orb with the command "Be not!" His terror caused him to forget that was one thing the universe itself would not allow, and he had a single moment to remember before ''he'' was not.

* ''Literature/BriansSaga'': ''Hatchet'': Brian realizes that rescue is unlikely because the pilot jerked the plane off course during his heart attack, putting the crash hundreds of miles away from the original flight plan and any subsequent search attempts.
** The FilmOfTheBook adds [[PrecisionFStrike a beauty]] when [[spoiler: Brian drops the hatchet in the lake]].

* ''Literature/TheDarkTower'':
** In the final novel, ''Literature/{{The Dark Tower|2004}}'', Walter (a.k.a. the Man in Black) has one when he realizes [[spoiler:his thought cap was NOT preventing Mordred from reading his thoughts.]]
** Also in ''Literature/{{The Dark Tower|2004}}'', Mordred has one when he realizes [[spoiler:he ate very rotten horse meat which is sickening him and might eventually kill him.]]

** In ''Literature/GuardsGuards'', the first victim of the dragon gets this as a death scene: "He said '[[CurseCutShort Oh shi--]]' and died."
** This being ''Discworld'', he got a chance to finish it, as his ride to the afterlife shows up. "--t."

** "OHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT I'M GONNA DIE!" is practically Rincewind's catchphrase.
*** To the point that when Butterfly asks him to say "something in wizard language", his first response is "''Stercus, stercus, stercus, morituri sum.''"
** Trev Likely has an internal-monologue OhCrap moment in ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals'', when he realizes that the wizard who's supposed to use magic to prevent any cheating on the soccer field has just blocked all magic, ''including his own'', from operating there for the duration of the game.
** It is frequent to hear OH SHIT whenever anyone realizes they've just said Monkey around the Librarian.

** Likely the response of New!Death to this:

* ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'': Raistlin Majere, upon seeing Tasslehoff (who, as a kender, can screw up the timestream) in the past, reflects on what this means for his plan to ascend to godhood. Precisely three thoughts later, the reflection is "[[OhCrap I might die!]]"

** In ''Literature/SmallFavor'' Nicodemus gets one when Harry [[spoiler:starts strangling him with the Iscariot's Noose (the Noose will protect its wearer from anything except ''itself'')]] and he realizes that [[spoiler:he might actually die.]]
*** Unfortunately, [[spoiler:Nicodemus' daughter Deirdre shows up before Harry can finish the job]], and the [[OhCrap crap is on the other shoe]].
---->'''[[spoiler:Deirdre]]:''' [[IllKillYou Kill you! Kill you for what you did to him!]]\\

'''Harry:''' [[Funny/TheDresdenFiles Ack!]]

* The Creator/RobertEHoward short story "The Extermination of Yellow Donory" is a series of OhCrap moments. [[spoiler: The titular character, sick of being pushed around for being a coward, decides to commit "suicide by gunslinger" by seeking out and loudly berating a well-known, greatly feared gunslick. However, his plans go awry; the gunslinger's utterly spooked by this apparition, and thinks it's some sort of a trap for him, so he runs out of the tavern and high-tails it out of town... and "Yellow" Donory looks around to find that now everybody in that tavern is scared of ''him''.]]

* ''Literature/TheFamousFive'': There are many such moments, usually when the Five are cornered by the villains. One of the most long-drawn out moments is in ''Five go to Demon's Rocks'', when the Five are locked in a lighthouse, realising that they will run out of food, there is no telephone, shouting would never be heard; and that even though the villagers have seen them coming and going, if they suddenly stop appearing, the villagers would assume they had gone home because of the bad weather. Their only small comfort is that they had promised to send a postcard to Aunt Fanny every day, who would worry if she did not hear from them.

* The climax of ''Literature/GoodOmens''. "For the second time in 6,000 years, Aziraphale swore."
* In ''Literature/TheGospelOfLoki'', these are actually the title character's last words. To be honest, most of his life is one long OhCrap moment, but this exemplifies it.

** Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard on the planet, causes this reaction when [[spoiler:Fudge comes to arrest him]] in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix''.
--->'''Dumbledore:''' Well, it's just that you seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to ... what is the phrase? ... "come quietly".
** Bellatrix, described continuously as extremely evil and sadistic and seemingly not afraid of anything, has this reaction when Harry reveals to her that [[spoiler:the prophecy Voldemort sent her to retrieve]] has been destroyed.
** All the Death Eaters except Bellatrix have this reaction when [[spoiler: Dumbledore joins the fight]] at the Ministry of Magic.
** Fudge gets one at the climax of ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'' when he appears in the Ministry just in time to see [[spoiler: Voldemort make his exit, finally getting irrefutable proof that Dumbledore was right all along]].
** In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows'' this is pretty much [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Bellatrix]]]]'s reaction when [[spoiler:[[MamaBear Molly]]]] [[BewareTheNiceOnes of all people]] [[TooDumbToLive kills her.]] This was also what most fans said when they read the [[PrecisionFStrike rather memorable]] PreAssKickingOneLiner, accompanied by giggles.
** [[TheChosenOne Harry's]] reaction in ''Deathly Hallows'', when he [[spoiler:looks at [[SadistTeacher Snape's]] memories]]. He's just been overwhelmed by images of his mother, revelation's of Snape's character, guilt that he left him to die, not knowing the truth, and now - Harry has to [[spoiler:[[HeroicSacrifice die, leaving everyone behind, hoping someone will finish]] [[BigBad Voldemort]] off.]]
** Also [[BigBad Voldemort's]] reaction after [[spoiler: [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass Neville]] [[BewaretheQuietOnes kills]] [[MoralityPet Nagini]].]] And before that, he has an epic FreakOut when he learns that Harry and his friends have broken into Gringotts and stolen the SoulJar he hid there, as it means that they've figured out his biggest secret.

*** There's an interesting mix of OhCrap and ''lack'' of OhCrap moments as the conflict between Manticore and the Solarian League builds: various Solarian commanders have Oh Crap moments as they find themselves on the wrong end of increasingly lopsided battles (a group of cruisers and destroyers defeat seven battlecruisers, six battlecruisers defeat seventeen battlecruisers, twelve heavy cruisers defeat 71 superdreadnaughts), but the Solarian high command remains assured that once they concentrate a sufficient force, Manticore will be crushed like a bug.

* ''Literature/{{Lensman}}'': ''Second Stage Lensmen'': Kim Kinnison has been playing a long game, working his undercover way right up to the top of the Thralian dictatorship. When he comes back home after a battle, with a Patrol fleet disguised as the Boskonian one he's just annihilated, his twelve CoDragons are summoned to meet him. Cue the OhCrap when not only are they disarmed, but the man they thought was the ''Capo di Tutti Capi'' among the Boskonians climbs out of his armour with a Lens on his wrist.

* At the climax of ''Literature/GardensOfTheMoon'', the first book in the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'' series, the Bridgeburners suddenly realise that burrowing cussers--satchel charges--under the streets may be an excellent way to sow terror and soften up the city for invasion, but [[spoiler:there won't be a city left after the detonation when the city is built on a pocket of natural gas.]]

* In ''The Vanishing Ventriloquist'', one of ''Literature/TheMcGurkOrganization'' books, the titular character of the series has this reaction when he realizes that the target of the crooks the crew was tracking wasn't one of the older ladies at a certain picnic like they originally believed and was instead teammate Wanda's visiting pen pal Mari, the titular ventriloquist… and they got away with her ''right under the detectives' noses''.

* ''Literature/IslandInTheSeaOfTimeSeries'':
** In ''Literature/IslandInTheSeaOfTime'', the character Swindapa is captured, brutally raped, and given nasty [=STDs=] by her culture's enemies, then given as a present to the Nantucketer admiral, [[spoiler:who is an utter badass black lesbian coast guard officer and martial artist, who frees her and teaches her how to use a katana.]] In the climactic battle, [[spoiler:Swindapa ambushes her erstwhile tormentors, who barely have the time for an Oh Crap moment before they're beheaded/disemboweled]]. In the same battle, [[spoiler:the Big Bad William Walker has one when the Nantucketers manage to blow up his supply of gunpowder, which fueled the only 3 cannons in the world, which had been busily enfilading the Nantucket lines]].
** A more comedic version occurs in ''Literature/AgainstTheTideOfYears'', when Kenneth Hollard discovers that he's been chosen to be the consort for Raupasha, the de facto Queen of the Mitanni.

* John Taylor, protagonist of the ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' series, has cultivated a reputation so nasty that he can often get an OhCrap reaction from the opposition, simply by ''introducing himself''. A pair of huge demons summoned to attack him once took one look at him, went through simultaneous OhCrap revelations, and turned round to berate their summoner for pitting them against him.

* ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'': During the duel between Westley and Inigo, this is what you ''think'' is going through the mind of Westley after Inigo reveals that he's not left handed, but then Westley gets him right back and reveals that ''he'' isn't left handed either! Inigo's reaction is priceless.

* Many of the [[BigBad villains]] in the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' books have OhCrap moments before their inevitably gruesome deaths.
** ''The Bellmaker'' has one for the heroes:
--->'''Rufe''': I just wanted to know what a shark looks like.\\

* In ''Literature/{{Bloodstone}}'', part of the ''Literature/StonesOfPower'' series by Creator/DavidGemmell, the BigBad realizes that the legendary "Sword of God" [[spoiler:is a nuke, and he's been transported to the site of the first testing of one. We get the immortal line "On wings of fear Sarento ran." He is annihilated soon after.]]

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Literature/CiaphasCain's ('''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM''') whole life is a succession of OhCrap moments. Far too many to list.

* ''Literature/WeCanRememberItForYouWholesale'': When Douglas returns to Rekall to get refunded after not getting refunded in whole, the Rekall receptionist Shirley reacts in surprise before quickly managing to regain her composure, but still nervously stuttered when welcoming him back.

** When Semirhage enacts her plot to [[spoiler: capture Rand using the male A'dam]], Rand gets a huge one. Quickly followed by Semirhage getting her own Oh Crap moment when [[spoiler: Rand uses the power of the Dark One.]]

** The conclusion of the final book, ''Homeward Bound'', is ''literally'' one big Oh Crap moment for ''the entire Race''. To wit: [[spoiler:while still trying to decide whether they're going to glass Earth to contain the human threat, they suddenly discover that the humans have not only matched their technology, but ''outpaced'' it, discovering FTL stardrives which would enable them to destroy the Race's empire before they even knew they were under attack.]] The Race then give an OhCrap back to the humans [[spoiler:by explaining that although the Race couldn't defend against that assault, they ''could'' use one of their sublight starships as a relativistic kill vehicle to obliterate all life on Earth.]]

* In ''Literature/PassageToNovember'': oh so many:

** [[spoiler: Having survived the wreck of the SS ''Longhope'']] but likely dying of exposure, Clara Grace must watch as bits of wrecked ships [[spoiler: and the dead, frozen bodies of her friends]] are violently slammed ashore.
*** Also becomes a BreakTheCutie moment when she realizes that Captain [=McTavish=] [[spoiler:may be the next corpse to come ashore.]]
* During the duel between Westley and Inigo in ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'', this is what you ''think'' is going through the mind of Westley after Inigo reveals that he's not left handed, but then Westley gets him right back and reveals that ''he'' isn't left handed either! Inigo's reaction is priceless.

** ''The Bellmaker'' has one for the heroes;

* ''Literature/TheseBrokenStars'': So, so many.

%%* This happens to Weed from Literature/TheLegendaryMoonlightSculptor a lot.
* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', [[spoiler:the Witch-King, having just boasted that "no living man may hinder" him, has one when [[NoManOfWomanBorn Éowyn doffs her helm.]]]]
** Gandalf, when [[spoiler: the whip of the Balrog tangles on his ankle at bridge of Khazad-dûm]]
** Saruman has one when [[spoiler:he sees the pissed-off Ents in Isengard.]]
*** Also when he realizes what Wormtongue threw (the Palantír) at the departing group. Gandalf later explains exactly why Saruman is about to be in a lot of hot water with ''his'' boss.
** Sauron, when [[spoiler:he realizes just what the heroes' plan is and that the Ring is in the one place it can be destroyed. He realizes, in an instant, just how thoroughly he's been tricked and just how close he is to losing everything, and understandably freaks out.]]
*** Sauron had another one more than three thousand years earlier, when he realized that not only were there survivors from Numenor, but some of them lived practically on his doorstep, after he'd done pretty much everything possible to make [[ItsPersonal it personal]] for them.
** One that didn't make the adaptation:
--->'''Legolas:''' Ai, Ai! A Balrog! A Balrog is come!
*** Gimli has an even greater reaction--this is the very monster that has haunted all his people's nightmares for the past ten generations, and the very one that slew his [Gimli's] nine-greats-grandfather.
** Orc-captain Gorbag has one when he realizes that person or persons unknown have actually wounded Shelob, and are therefore likely to be an even more terrible foe.

* A nearly pantheon-wide brawl in ''[[Literature/ZeusIsDead Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure]]'' comes to a complete stop when the Olympian gods realize that [[spoiler: someone has just managed to release the Titans from their prison]].
* ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'':
** [[PhilosopherKing Finrod]] gets one, when [[TheDragon Sauron]] mentions the [[ShootTheDog Kinslaying at Alqualondë]] during their [[WizardDuel duel of magic songs]]. Although he wasn't present and didn't participate, Finrod is guilty by having chosen to associate with those who did over turning back when he found out.
** Sauron gets his own, when he ''loses'' a wrestling match with [[CanisMajor Huan]]: and realizes he's also just lost his [[SuperVillainLair control over Tol-in-Gaurhoth]], and is therefore probably in a lot of trouble with his boss. Seeing as his boss is the aforementioned Morgoth, this is very bad.

** In Literature/FinalFrontier George Samuel Kirk Sr. has one after he chased a sabotuer through the corridors on the ''Enterprise'' and that sabotuer [[KillItWithIce runs into an area where life support and heating was turned off]], resulting in the sabotuer being flash frozen in the process.

* Midas from ''Delirium'' also has one after a family memeber of Pablo Escobar's (yes, the drug dealer) tells him the plan that Escobar laid for negating her to enter to his gym.

* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'': At the end of ''Literature/TheLastBattle'', the Calomene Warlord Rishda gets a huge one when [[spoiler: he discovers that the demon Tash is very real and very angry with him.]]

* ''Literature/VillainessLevel99IMayBeTheHiddenBossButImNotTheDemonLord'': Yumiella has this reaction when she sees the Leveling Evaluation and notices Level 10 is considered high, realizing that if she's able to solo boss monsters her level is easily much higher and about to stand out. She turns out to have already maxed out her level at this age.