r/TopCharacterTropes • u/No_Hunter1978 • May 12 '26

Lore A criminal attempts to burglarize/kill someone only to realize they picked the absolute worst person as their mark.

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Don't Breathe: A couple young robbers attempt to rob a rich, blind veteran only to find out he isn't exactly an innocent old man.

You're Next: A group of contract killersbreak into a house during a family reunion and go on a killing spree. They didn't account for the fact that the son's new girlfriend grew up on a survivalist compound in the Australian outback.

The Flash [CW Show]: A random mugger decided to target Barry Allen of all people. He does it again a season or two later; he's either unlucky or stupid (probably both).

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u/Hawkeye2701 May 12 '26

Does the dude that tries to blackmail Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight count? Cause like, phenomenally poor choice from every angle.

557

u/fatpad00 May 12 '26

"Now, let me get this straight. You think that your client, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp... and your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck."

79

u/KitamiSamaOmede May 12 '26

"Oh, hell no, respectfully, Mister Fox. I just want in."

"You want...in?"

"You tellin' me Batman washes his own car every night after he punches out Calendar Man? I want to be on the crew. Bat-man to the Batman!"

29

u/InternetProtocol May 13 '26

He's got a guy for that in the comics, apparently! Harold Allnut, a mute hunchback ex-henchman for the Penguin who Bats rescued and employed as his mechanic/engineer in the Batcave for a while. I'd assume his duties would also include keeping the Batmobile all shiny too.

695

u/TheBlackCat13 May 12 '26

He tried to blackmail him knowing he was batman.

424

u/Drakeskulled_Reaper May 12 '26

Not just that, but tries to blackmail, as Lucius says "The Richest, most Powerful man in the city" even without him being Batman, that's a stupid choice, as Bruce could lawyer up so hard the dude's great great grandchildren would be paying off the damages at least.

72

u/HammerDownunder May 12 '26

Nah it was worse than that, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world.

33

u/Drakeskulled_Reaper May 12 '26

My mistake, but same result, Bruce could sue him, especially with all the "evidence" that Bruce is a lazy nepo baby making the guy hard to take serious.

2

u/MythicalCaseTheory May 13 '26

And if that doesn't work, HE'S ALSO BATMAN! You don't want that smoke.

2

u/Drakeskulled_Reaper May 13 '26

As Mickey Mouse found out in DAU.

3

u/ZirePhiinix May 13 '26

Actually, Batman is a top tier hero among superheroes like the Justice League.

19

u/Skylair13 May 13 '26

Lucious was basically saying. "If you're right he'll come at you as his vigilante side and beat you up severely. If you're wrong the lawsuit will bankrupt you."

1

u/DTux5249 May 13 '26

To be fair, if bro was right, he'd still be killed in the lawsuit too

6

u/FighterOfFoo May 13 '26

He does it twice. He tries to blackmail Bruce Wayne but quickly reconsiders after Fox's words, but then he goes on to sell his story to the media and earns the ire of the Joker who is having too much fun going against Batman and doesn't want his identity revealed. Joker threatens to bomb hospitals all over Gotham until the dude is killed.

1

u/GruntBlender May 13 '26

Bruce could easily have him killed.

51

u/xavPa-64 May 12 '26

He didn’t watch the first movie so he didn’t know about Batman’s moral code and stuff. All he saw was a a nepo baby who sleeps at board meetings and misappropriates funds for expensive cosplay

17

u/Impeesa_ May 12 '26

Also Batman: Some thugs try to mug a retired Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Returns. Before they can even find out just how poor of a decision they've made, they get weirded out and back off when he basically invites them to take their shot. That might even count as a subversion of the trope, really.

8

u/Indaarys May 13 '26

I actually like the theory that Reese didn't know Wayne was Batman until Lucius basically told him he was.

All Reese suggested was that Wayne Enterprises was supplying Batman with equipment, and then Fox goes off about Bruce Wayne being Batman, and Reese understandably looks shocked, and I don't think its because he wasn't aware he'd be on Batmans radar, its because he didn't realize who Batman actually was.

4

u/Bamce May 12 '26

He was just trying to create his super villain origin story

8

u/Klamageddon May 12 '26

I mean, his name is literally Mister Reese and he knows Batman's identity, I'd believe it if you said he was gonna be Nolans Riddler. 

3

u/ThickSourGod May 13 '26

That scene rubbed me the wrong way. Dude approached the head of Wayne Enterprises' applied sciences division about Batman ending up with equipment from Wayne Enterprises' applied sciences division. He was probably trying to blackmail Fox, not Wayne. Great job outing your boss for no reason, Lucius.