Mercy Lead: Difference between revisions

 

Compare [[I Am Not Left-Handed]], [[Just Toying with Them]].

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* In ''[[Spiral]]'', the main showdown with Rio: the first to get both the tape of her confessing to murder and the hostage, Hiyono, wins. In the interest of fairness, mostly because she had the key to defuse a bomb around Ayumu's neck, Hiyono was given a ten minute head start before Kousuke and Rio could attempt to capture her again.

* 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.

 

== Comic Books ==

* In [[Grant Morrison]] and [[Dave McKean]]'s ''[[Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth]]'', a strong contender for the most beautifully illustrated comic book of all time, Batman is given an hour to run and hide by the Joker after the inmates literally take over the asylum. When the Mad Hatter complains that they're all bored, the Joker responds, "Oh, all right then. Let's just ''pretend'' it's been an hour."

 

== Film ==

* The entire premise of [[The Naked Prey]], in which a white hunter is given a head start and then hunted down by African tribesmen.

* In the climax of ''[[The Fast and the Furious|Fast Five]]'', {{spoiler|Dom is given a 24 hour mercy lead by Hobbs in exchange for helping to kill the [[Big Bad]]. Said lead is all Dom needs to disappear forever.}}

 

== Literature ==

* Subverted in Neil Gaiman's ''[[Neverwhere]]''. Assassins Croup and Vandemar agree to give {{spoiler|the Marquis de Carabas}} one hour of head start, but {{spoiler|get bored waiting, teleport straight to him long before the hour is up, and proceed to torture him to death}}. In this case, this is not so much a "mercy" lead, as {{spoiler|the Marquis}} swapped a rare pottery figurine with Croup in exchange for "three answers to three questions, and an hour's head start".

** 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.}}

*** 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.

* In the second ''[[Artemis Fowl]]'' book, ''The Arctic Incident'', on-the-run criminal dwarf Mulch Diggums is given a two day head start by the authorities in exchange for aiding their efforts against the [[Big Bad]].

* In the [[Tom Clancy]] novel ''Without Remorse'', Kelly convinces Ryan to give him a one hour head start before trying to arrest him in exchange for the information that will allow Ryan to completely shut down what parts of Baltimore's drug network Kelly hadn't managed to kill.

* A heroic example: In the last book of the second ''[[Kushiel's Legacy]]'' trilogy, ''Kushiel's Mercy'', {{spoiler|Astegal}} is promised a good horse and an hour's lead if he can best Imriel in a duel. {{spoiler|He can't.}}

 

* Subverted in an episode of ''[[House (TV series)|House]]'', where Dr. House offers a doctor who's committed a criminal offense a chance to walk away. The subversion comes in when, after the guy leaves, House tells Foreman to call the cops.

 

== Video Games ==

* 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 ==

* During a ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'' [[Halloween Episode]], Mr Burns gathers several characters so he can [[Hunting the Most Dangerous Game|hunt them down]] across his estate [[For the Evulz]].

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

* 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.

* ''[[Danny Phantom]]'': Even though Danny promised Valerie he would surrender himself if she helped him save [[Opposite Gender Clone|Danielle]], she tells him to just go at the end of the episode "before I change my mind."

* At the series end of ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'', as the Legion of Doom has helped save the world from Darkseid's forces and the League tells them they're going to be arrested anyway. Atomic Skull protests, and Batman gives them five minutes head start before they go after them.

* Inverted in the pilot of ''[[Futurama]]''. Fry has trapped Leela in a cryogenic chamber and is free to escape, but he adjusts it so that she'll only be frozen for a few minutes.

 

== Real Life ==

* The Union Cavalry did this for one Confederate partisan sentenced to be shot.

* This is a tenet of international law, when both parties are in a neutral port. According to Section 13, Article 16 of the Hague Convention of 1907:

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Narrative Devices]]

[[Category:Escape Tropes]]

[[Category:Contrived Stupidity Tropes]]

[[Category:Stupidity Tropes]]