Pyrrhic Villainy: Difference between revisions

*** The exception is in ''Doom 2099.'' He conquers the United States, and actually intends to keep power, so he can fix the ''entire world.'' It doesn't end well for him, the country, or [[Kill'Em All|most of the heroes.]]

* The end of the ''[[Civil War (Comic Book)|Civil War]]'' plays with this: [[Iron Man]]'s reputation has essentially become mud because of his support of the SHRA, and it's only further compounded by [[Captain America]]'s death.

* ''[[Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' had an early, non-canon [[Yet Another Christmas Carol]] where Robotnik is taken to see the future. Robotnik has finally defeated the Freedom Fighters, but he has rendered himself the last man alive in doing so, turning Mobius into a barren wasteland. However, Robotnik doesn't grasp this, and fails to learn his lesson.

 

* In ''[[Dragonlance|Test of the Twins]]'', Raistlin Majere's goal of [[A God Am I|becoming a god]] is revealed to be a severe case of [[Pyrrhic Villainy]]. He succeeds, but in the process he destroys the world and eradicates every shred of good in his own soul, leaving him with no ability to renew or heal that which he has laid waste. Fortunately for all concerned, his brother Caramon is able to go back in time and reveal this outcome to the earlier Raistlin, who then [[Redemption Equals Death|sacrifices himself to save Caramon and Crysania]].

** He thinks of it differently, as revealed during his nephew's test to become a full-fledged mage.

* In the [[William Gibson]] short story "Dogfight," the main character wins the aerial combat video game, but in the process alienates everyone he might possibly celebrate his victory with.

* ''[[The Silmarillion]]'': after 500 years of struggle [[Anti-Villain|Maedhros and Maglor]] ''finally'' get the two remaining Silmarils. In the process they lost their father, all their brothers, their kingdoms, their followers and, thanks to them committing genocide against other elves on three seperate occasions, they've made enemies of the entire world. And when they try and hold the Silmarils in their hands? They burn them due to all the evil they've done, so they can't even hold them without feeling unbearable agony.

* Speaking of Batman, ''[[Batman: The Brave And The Bold|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]'' ends with Bat-Mite screwing over the show to get it cancelled so that a darker, more serious Batman series will be made in its place. The new series focuses primarily on Bat''girl'', and as [[Ambush Bug]] points out, a serious Batman series has no room for [[Silver Age]] silliness... like Bat-Mite himself. Bat-Mite realizes his mistake seconds before he is erased from existence.

* Frequent theme in ''[[Venture Brothers]]'', but in one specific example the Monarch has kidnapped Hank and Dean and is holding them for a ten million dollar ransom, threatening Doc Venture that if he doesn't pay, some giant mechanical caterpillars will "destroy the only proof he's ever had sex."

'''Monarch:''' A couple of mils. }}

** This may be an inversion: to the audience and everyone in the Venture universe the Monarch's actions seem Pyrrhic, but the Monarch himself considers whatever cost he has to pay in order to destroy/inconvenience Dr. Venture absolutely worth it. In his twisted mind those caterpillars were money well spent.