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Super Dickery: Difference between revisions
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Super Dickery is a widespread tactic in serial fiction. Show a teaser portraying the normally upright hero [[Kick the Dog|acting in an evil and despicable manner]], causing the audience to wonder "Shock! How could this be‽" and then, hopefully, to read/watch/listen to the thing you're advertising.
You look at the cover to the newest issue of your favorite comic, and what do you see? The [[Superhero]], apparently ''killing'' his [[Sidekick]] and his [[Loves My Alter Ego|love interest]]! Or, [["On the Next..."]] episode of the new prime-time TV series, the main character goes bad, selling her team out to the [[Big Bad]] and shooting the [[Plucky Comic Relief]] in the face!
So, you buy it, or watch it, and as the plot unfolds... it turns out, of course, that the good guy wasn't a bad guy after all. They were a [[Reverse Mole]], a [[Secret Test of Character]], or [[Not Himself|Not Themselves]], or [[Shapeshifting|really not themselves]], or were just playacting, or had learned that if Jimmy had gotten what he wanted for Christmas, it would have resulted in the destruction of every possible universe. It is also entirely possible that it was an "imaginary story" or otherwise [[All Just a Dream]]. Sometimes, the story [[Cliffhanger Copout|flat-out ignores]] elements on the cover. You should have known that [[Covers Always Lie]] and you can [[Never Trust a Trailer]], but you were pulled in... by [[Super Dickery]].
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** There was also a brief mention in another story of a situation that would seem rather familiar; Supersonic, after an adventure that temporarily gave him 16 exact doubles, took his Lois-type girlfriend Caroleen to a dance as Supersonic and had one of his doubles come as his secret identity of Dale Enright. He did this ''just to mess with Caroleen for no reason''.
* A cliffhanger ending in one issue of the ''[[City of Heroes]]'' comic book ([[Recursive Adaptation|yes, a comic book based on an MMORPG based on comic books]]), the [[Badass Normal]] of the super-team depicted in the book was shown killing the team's leader in the last panel. The catch? {{spoiler|He planned to have the man [[Back From the Dead|returned to life]] as soon as possible and only killed him to appease the one person who could restore the powers of the rest of the team.}}
* Can be done on-panel: In the "Torn" [[Story Arc]] of [[Joss Whedon]]'s ''Astonishing X-Men'', a depowered Cyclops was casually gunning down villains and talking about it as if completely unconcerned. (This after the previous issue's [[Wham! Episode]] ending of him shooting Emma Frost.) {{spoiler|Turns out he's not crazy: he's the only one who's figured out that they're psychic projections created by a villain to move her [[Evil Plan]] along.}}
* Another on-panel version - the original introduction of the Skrulls had the Fantastic Four doing criminal acts, from the minor to the not very minor (like knocking over an oil rig). Soon after, it's - surprise - really the Skrulls causing trouble.
* The various incarnations of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes]], particularly in their [[Secret Test of Character|secret character tests]] for Superboy, and in their periodic tryouts for new members.
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{{quote| '''Superman:''' I hope you don't expect me to save you, because I don't do that anymore.<br />
'''Lorelei:''' [[Femme Fatale|I'm long past saving.]] }}
* One of the first trailers in the ''[[
** ''[[Kamen Rider X Super Sentai Super Hero Taisen (Film)|Kamen Rider X Super Sentai Super Hero Taisen]]'' features ''two'' separate [[Legion of Doom|Legions of Doom]], a reformed Dai Shocker and the all-new Dai Zangyack. Both are staffed by villains from both franchises...and headed by two *heroes*, [[Kamen Rider Decade|Tsukasa]] and [[Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (TV)|Captain Marv]]. Okay, Tsukasa ''used'' to be a villain, but promo material says he only reformed Dai Shocker after Marvelous invaded the Rider reality. Seriously, what the hell?
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* An episode of ''[[Sanctuary]]'' opened with Will killing Magnus by cutting off the air to her compartment of the sub. {{spoiler|He actually does kill her, then the episode goes back in time to explain why, including his debating with her about it. He then works very hard to bring her back after the bug infecting her has left.}}
** Happens again in the teaser of "Veritas" with Will finding out that Helen apparently killed the Big Guy {{spoiler|turns out it was all a [[Batman Gambit]] to flush out a bad guy.}}
* There's at least one ''[[
{{quote| '''Castellan:''' Is there anything else I can get you, sir?<br />
'''The Doctor:''' Yes. A jelly baby. My right-hand pocket.<br />
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'''Castellan:''' Indeed, sir.<br />
'''The Doctor:''' Except power. }}
** This trope was also used in another Fourth Doctor serial, ''The Deadly Assassin''. In Part 1, the Doctor experiences a vision of the Time Lord president being assassinated. Arriving on Gallifrey, he determines to prevent this from happening. He heads to the balcony overlooking the room where the murder is to take place so that he will be able to see what's going on, and finds a gun lying there. The Doctor picks up the gun, sights along it, and fires. The president falls over, dead! Cut to credits! In Part 2, as is standard in ''[[
* ''[[Star Trek the Original Series]]'' did this with the episode called "The Enterprise Incident". Kirk, seemingly against Starfleet orders, invades Romulan space and gets the Enterprise captured. Spock then betrays the ship by siding with the Romulans, and testifies that Kirk has gone insane from the pressures of command, before killing Kirk in self defense. {{spoiler|This all turns out to be a plan set up by Starfleet to allow Kirk and Spock to steal a Romulan cloaking device, while providing Starfleet with plausible deniability should the deal go south.}}
** The old ''Star Trek: Next Voyage'' previews sometimes used this trope. For example, the trailer for "[[Star Trek (Franchise)/Recap/S3 E24 Turnabout Intruder|Turnabout Intruder]]" doesn't really explain that a [[Freaky Friday Flip]] happened and goes from there. Similarly, the trailer for "[[Star Trek (Franchise)/Recap/S2 E1 Amok Time|Amok Time]]" ends with Spock apparently killing Kirk. The trailer for "[[Star Trek (Franchise)/Recap/S2 E4 Mirror Mirror|Mirror, Mirror]]" doesn't mention the [[Mirror Universe]] concept, etc.
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* ''[[The Wild Wild West (TV)|The Wild Wild West]]'': In "The Night of the Turncoat," a mysterious villain sets Jim up in various situations that are meant to make him look bad (like hiring a man to play a priest claiming Jim attacked him). Jim’s dickish response to his confused boss and partner make things worse until he’s finally fired by Richmond and punches out Artemus. However, after the first commercial break, we learn that all the good guys had the villain’s plan (to alienate Jim from the Secret Service so the agent would work for him) figured out from the beginning and staged Jim’s break-up from the government and Artemus so he can be a [[Fake Defector]] and see what he's up to. Similarly "The Night of the Skulls" which opens with Jim shooting Artemus dead. After the credits, we find out it was all staged to find the person who's recently been kidnapping murderers.
* The episode "Bad Blood" of ''[[The X Files]]'' opened in a forest at night with a terrified chubby guy being pursued and ultimately killed by a tall man in a dark suit... who is then revealed to be Mulder, with Scully running behind trying to stop him. Cue one of the [[Breather Episode|funniest]] [[How We Got Here]], [[Rashomon Style]] plots ever filmed.
* One [["On the Next..."]] segment for ''[[CSI: Miami]]'' made it look like Walter was about to be shot by another member of the team. IIRC, the shooter was actually firing at a booby trap set by the perp, to destroy it before it could kill Walter.
== Video Games ==
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** Probably doesn't fit this trope, though; this was literally the ''first'' thing Superboy ever does, after all. He was a clone of Superman created by villains, so if you just focus on this series without all the comic continuity there isn't necessarily any reason to believe he ''wouldn't'' just be an [[Evil Twin]] who willingly works for [[Light Is Not Good|the Light]].
** The episode ''Image'' opens with Batman, Green Arrow and Black Canary watching a recording of Black Canary and Superboy sparring and starting [[Hot for Teacher|to kiss passionately]]. {{spoiler|After the title credits it turns out it's actually Miss Martian taking on Black Canary's image.}}
* The season 3 opener of ''[[Batman the Brave And The Bold (Animation)|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]'', "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdVLMZL4ntY&feature=related Clash of the Superheroes!]", is essentially a half-hour [[Shout
** Batman himself has his own Super Dickery case in "Death Race to Oblivion!" When various heroes and villains are gathered by Mongul to race against his champion, and any of them getting heart's desire if they win, Batman coldly attempts to beat everyone in the race even sacrificing his own fellow heroes. {{spoiler|Turns out he and Green Arrow are secretly working together to take Mongul out with Green Arrow intentionally losing the race.}}
* In the ''[[Beast Wars (Animation)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "Double Jeopardy," Rattrap apparently betrays the Maximals to save his own skin. It turns out to be an act set up between him and Optimus to figure out how the Predacons were always aware of their plans. Part of the plan was for Optimus and Rattrap to "argue" about Rattrap's loyalty.
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[[Category:Cover Tropes]]
[[Category:Super Dickery]]
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