Oh Crap/Literature: Difference between revisions

* The Keepers in ''[[House of the Scorpion (Literature)|House of the Scorpion]]'' describe their side of the story to Esperanza of Matt and the Lost Boys' {{spoiler|rebellion at the colony where they are held. Esperanza seems to believe it, right up until she asks about the drugs the Keepers have been taking. When they deny that they have been, Esperanza promptly submits them to a drug test, and they are led away by the authorities.}}

* While we can't see it, the description of {{spoiler|Be'lal}}'s death in the climax of ''[[The Wheel of Time|The Dragon Reborn]]'' leaves very little doubt that he had this kind of reaction. Understandable, since [[The Chessmaster]] was moments away from the fulfillment of his [[Evil Plan]] before being blindsided by someone he thought he had removed from the equation and promptly rendered [[Deader Than Dead]].

** 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.}}

** In ''Towers of Midnight'', the Borderlanders get one so bad that they instantly cross the [[Despair Event Horizon]] when they see the [[Legions of Hell|Dark One's armies]] rushing toward them. {{spoiler|[[Curb Stomp Battle|They get better really quick.]]}}

** Plus, every Lizard viewpoint character has at least one of these.

*** Three such characters, two shiplords and an artillery supervisor, are used for the sole purpose of screaming OH CRAP before the Germans or the Americans kill them.

** The opening of that battle also contained an Oh Crap moment for Honor herself as she realises that yes, her home IS being invaded by a fleet that is numerically larger than any fleet fielded in recorded history.

** The probable reaction of the Havenite task force unlucky enough to be in the way of the Grayson Space Navy after Honor {{spoiler|was [[Faking the Dead|apparently]] executed}}, as Fleet Admiral Judah Yanakov was very displeased by this turn of events. As was every soldier under his command. His order? "''Lady Harrington, and no mercy!''"

** The reaction of the leading bureucrats of the Solarian League when they are told that {{spoiler|Admiral Sigbee surrendered her data cores to Mike Henke intact}}

** Pavel Young has a rather impressive one in ''Field of Dishonor'' when he watches Honor [[Curb Stomp Battle|curb stomp duel]] the professional duelist he'd hired to kill her, followed by Honor's declaration on live HD that ''he'' was next.

{{quote| '''Rufe''': "I just wanted to know what a shark looks like."<br />

'''Finnbar''': "Well, mostly all you'll see is a big pointy fin sticking out of the water."<br />

* Opal from ''[[Artemis Fowl (Literature)|Artemis Fowl]]: The Opal Deception''. Her master plan, like many, involves a massive bomb. Suddenly, her thugs notice the bomb has gone missing, and receives a taunt from the heroes, who have just snuck into, and out of, her shuttle. However, she still has the detonator and the opposing shuttle is in the right place, so she presses it. Only then does she realize they didn't ''steal'' the bomb, just ''hid'' it.

* John Taylor, protagonist of the ''[[Nightside]]'' series, has cultivated a reputation so nasty that he can often get an [[Oh Crap]] 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 [[Oh Crap]] revelations, and turned round to berate their summoner for pitting them against him.

** ''Changes'' also gets a good one in early, as a Red Court Vampire who's part of a hit crew runs into Harry... and runs screaming in the other direction.

** In the ''[[Codex Alera]]'', this is usually caused by an enormous army appearing out of nowhere. The Vord in particular are so good at causing this that even a fairly small group turned large portions of the second book into a string of such moments as Bernard and company fall into trap after trap.

** Don't forget Harry's reaction in Deathly Hallows, when he {{spoiler|looks at 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|die, leaving everyone behind, hoping someone will finish Voldemort off.}} This is a [[Tear Jerker]], [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]], [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming]] AND an [[Oh Crap]] moment. That in itself is epic.

** Also Voldemort's reaction after {{spoiler|Neville kills Nagini}}.