Mercy Lead: Difference between revisions

== Anime and Manga ==

* Zenigata has done this several times throughout the history of ''[[Lupin III]]''.

* Captain Smoker, a powerful marine with the ability to turn into [[Super Smoke|smoke]] and that has been [[Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist|chasing the Straw Hat Crew]] since they were the first pirates to [[My Greatest Failure|escape from him]], gives the Straw Hats one of these after the events of Alabasta Arc after he formed an [[Enemy Mine]] with them.

== Film ==

* ''[[Pirates of the Caribbean]]: Curse of the Black Pearl''—Jack Sparrow is given a day's lead by the Royal Navy.

* In ''[[Minority Report]]'', caretaker-of-precogs Wally sees the images predicting the involvement of Anderton, the protagonist and his superior, in a murder. Wally tells Anderton that he will give Anderton two minutes' lead out of respect before activating the alarm.

* In [[Jumper (novel)|the film version]] of ''Jumper'', the main character finally confronts his long-gone mother, who left him at the age of five {{spoiler|because she was part of the group that ''kills'' Jumpers. After they talk, she gives him a head start because she really ''doesn't'' want him to get caught.}}

** In the graphic novel, the thugs promise {{spoiler|not to touch him for the next half-hour. They don't. This does not stop them from following him, tearing a ladder he's using off the wall and then standing over his broken body, counting the seconds until they can really start.}}

* Moist von Lipwig of [[Discworld]] does this to Reacher Gilt during the race between the clacks and the postal service, supposedly to give them the Grand Trunk to turn their message into clacks code. However {{spoiler|Moist was doing it to taunt him, and had no intention of winning the race anyway.}}

*** Wolfgang is perverting a family tradition in which individuals could volunteer [[Hunting the Most Dangerous Game|to be hunted]] by his family, with certain courtesies such as the head start. In the original game, some people actually survived and would be given a modest fortune for doing so.

** The guards give Rincewind a count of ten to escape in ''[[Discworld/The Last Continent|The Last Continent]]'', because it's not right to have a final showdown in a kitchen.

== Video Games ==

* Parody: Carmelita offers Sly a ten-''second'' head start at the end of the first ''[[Sly Cooper]]'' game. Sly spends nine of those seconds standing there, and then kisses her on the tenth one - which distracts her enough that she doesn't see him handcuffing her to a railing.

* Played with in ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'', where Bodhi gives you a non-specific amount of time to escape a dungeon at the asylum. [[Take Your Time|Once you get far enough]], she declares the time to be up and attacks you. Though it's in no way clear when she was supposed to come after you, the dialogue implies she's breaking the deal both of you understood you had.

** There does exist a mod that will let Bodhi come after your party after a certain number of rounds have passed. Thus, it's possible that your party can escape the dungeon altogether without ever encountering her, or can wait at the beginning point and spawn camp her when she shows up.

== Western Animation ==

* In the Disney animated version of ''[[The Jungle Book (Disney film)|The Jungle Book]]'', Shere Khan gives Mowgli a 10-second count because he's impressed at Mowgli's attempts to stand up to him and not run in fear. The trope appears subverted because Mowgli foolishly looks for a weapon instead of running and getting away due to the head start, but then it turns out that the 10-seconds gave Baloo just enough time to catch up to Shere Khan and save Mowgli.

{{quote|'''Burns''': "Now, because I am too kind, I will give you all a five-minute head start. You may commence running."

'''Comic Book Guy''' "Five minutes of ''running''? [[Tempting Fate|Shoot me now]]!" * BANG* }}

* Parodied in ''[[American Dad]]'', when Stan and his boss give Jeff 30 seconds head start before they hunt him like an animal. Within 5 seconds he steals their car.

** Subverted in another episode where Vlad has Danny trapped and depowered. After insulting his math grade, he tells him he is sending ghost animals after him, giving Danny a 5-minute head start, only to send them out after 5 ''seconds''.

{{quote|'''Vlad''': 5 minutes, 5 seconds...Ooh, apparently ''I'm'' bad at math, too.}}

[[Category:Contrived Stupidity Tropes]]

[[Category:Stupidity Tropes]]