Basic Trope: A character that evaded punishment in a work gets hit with Laser-Guided Karma in an adaptation.
- Straight: At the end of the novel Trope Quest, Emperor Evulz escapes from his fortress after the heroes foil his Evil Plan. The book is later adapted into a movie, and in the movie, Evulz dies when the fortress collapses on him.
- Exaggerated: In the novel, Emperor Evulz defeated the heroes and took over the world. The film shows him and his army soundly defeated, in an Adaptational Alternate Ending.
- Downplayed: In the novel, Emperor Evulz is thrown in prison, but is able to get his sentence reduced to 10 years. The film shows the sentence upgraded to execution.
- Justified:
- The author had to rush the ending of the novel, and didn't want Evulz to escape originally. They decide to go with the ending they originally wanted in the film.
- The author had Evulz escaping as a Sequel Hook, but the sequel fell through for whatever reason. They decide to go with the ending they planned for the sequel in the film.
- Inverted:
- Evulz dies in the book, but gets away scot-free in the movie.
- Hiro saves a Damsel in Distress but it turns out that the “damsel” actually was a spirit disguised as one, and wrecks havoc upon Hiro’s city in the book. In the film, the spirit never appeared and Hiro got rewarded for his noble actions.
- Subverted: It looks like Evulz was crushed under his fortress, but in The Stinger, you can see him in its ruins, vowing revenge...
- Double Subverted: ...only for one more piece of the fortress to come crashing down, killing him.
- Parodied: In the movie, Evulz gloats about how the heroes can't punish him, because that's not what happened in the book. Halfway through his speech, the hero takes the opportunity to kill him.
- Zig-Zagged: (continued from Double Subverted) ...but then he gets back up, even more crazed for revenge.
- Averted: Evulz gets away or is punished in both the book and the movie.
- Enforced: Executive Meddling forced the author to tie up the loose ends.
- Lampshaded: "Man, it's a good thing Emperor Evulz got crushed under his own fortress. If he'd been just a little bit faster, we'd still have to deal with him!"
- Invoked: One of the protagonists intentionally sets up a situation where Evulz's own actions lead to his demise, as a form of poetic justice.
- Exploited: General Drake, seeing the power vacuum caused by Evulz's death, becomes the new Big Bad. In the original novel, he died instead in the collapsing fortress.
- Defied: Emperor Evulz makes sure to prevent his fortress from collapsing, to ensure that he remains alive even when beaten.
- Discussed: The characters in the film adaptation have a conversation about how it's satisfying to see Evulz finally get what he deserves, considering how he escaped punishment in the book.
- Conversed: "Hey, didn't the bad guy in this one get away in the original book? I liked it better that way."
- Played for Laughs: In a comedic twist, every time Evulz tries to escape or evade punishment in the movie, he inadvertently ends up getting hit with Laser-Guided Karma in increasingly ridiculous and humorous ways.
- Played for Drama: The film adaptation explores the emotional impact of Evulz's comeuppance, showing the consequences of his actions and the satisfaction of seeing justice served.
- Played for Horror: Evulz's downfall is depicted in a terrifying and gruesome manner, emphasizing the horrific nature of his crimes and the fitting retribution he receives.
- Implied: In a subtle hint, the film briefly shows a newspaper headline reporting Evulz's demise, without explicitly showing the events leading up to it.
- Unparodied: The movie adaptation takes a serious tone and portrays Evulz's punishment without any comedic or satirical elements, presenting it as a straightforward and justified outcome.
- Untwisted: The audience expects Evulz to meet his demise, but he manages to escape at the last moment, leaving the possibility open for future stories or sequels.
- Deconstructed: The film adaptation delves into the consequences of Evulz's actions and the damage he caused, exploring the lasting effects on the heroes and the world, highlighting the darker aspects of the trope.
- Reconstructed: After Evulz's downfall, the film adaptation focuses on the healing and rebuilding process, emphasizing the potential for redemption and growth in the aftermath of his reign of terror.
This link to Adaptational Karma isn't going to escape being clicked in the adaptation!
