Cower Power: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

[[File:CowerPower.jpg|link=Lost in Space|frame|Dr. Smith, as usual, cowers while Will Robinson takes care of business.]]

 

It's only natural to cower in the face of danger.<ref>this is actually a survival mechanism, which works for small animals because many of the larger animals that eat them can see motion really well, but have trouble spotting stationary things. Some animals, like humans and eagles, have good enough eyesight that they may be able to spot the "frozen" animal anyway, though it's still easier to spot something that's moving. Others don't even ''rely'' on eyesight, utilizing other senses such as smell or heat-sensing instead. Still, you'd be surprised how well this trick can work... for smaller animals, anyways. For larger creatures like humans, it's mostly an evolutionary holdover, though it might still work on occasion</ref> As such, many a classic [[Damsel in Distress]] and fearful child will cower behind the nearest [[Love Interest]], parent, or [[Big Damn Heroes]] when presented with peril. Of course, most conscientious heroes and even [[Innocent Bystanders]] will naturally interpose themselves anyway to protect other innocents (and [[The Worf Effect|perhaps]] [[Foe-Tossing Charge|pointlessly]], but they do get props for chivalry). This kind of cowering stems from the classic pose of hero and heroine facing a monster on [[Film Posters]] for [[Touch of the Monster]]: the hero has a gun in his right hand pointed at the beast, his left hand holding the [[Love Interest]] back (what, he can't be left-handed?), while [[Security Cling|she clutches his shoulder]] with one hand and covers her mouth from shock with the other.

 

Sometimes this is used for comedic effect, with a hero who is [[Afraid of Needles]] reacting with complete terror to mundane things, sometimes even jumping into his [[Sidekick]]'s arms or ducking behind his [[Love Interest]] like a [[Damsel in Distress]]. The [[Fish Out of Water]] might hide from otherwise harmless things too (and notice who/what they're hiding behind looks far more threatening).

{{examples}}

== [[Comic Books]] ==

* Played with in volume 3 of ''[[Scott Pilgrim]]''. When [[Action Girl|Ramona]] is fighting against [[The Vamp|Envy Adams]], she's only able to get a hit in when Envy is distracted by Wallace's [[I Shall Taunt You|taunts]]. Envy accuses Ramona of hiding behind Wallace, which she denies [[Hypocritical Humor|while suddenly standing behind Wallace]] (who then runs off to the restroom while Ramona protests that she enjoys his company).

== [[Fan Fiction]] ==

* ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]'': After Haruhi's reaction to Tsuruya's report on what she and Kyon did to disband a illegal photographic ring (which included sleeping with him and bathing together -- [[It Makes Sense in Context]]), Mikuru automatically hides behind Tsuruya. [[OC Stand-In|Kanae]], noting that hiding behind Tsuruya isn't the best idea in this circumstances, decided not to follow this trope and only hide behind the table.

 

== [[Film]] ==