History Main / ArmorPiercingQuestion

* At the conclusion of the ''{{Gargoyles}}'' four-part episode, "City of Stone," the Weird sisters ask a series of Armor-piercing questions to Macbeth and Demona, respectively. They convince Macbeth to spare Demona's life by asking him about times in his life when murder never solved any of the problems they should have. They convince Demona to give up vital information by asking her whose actions led to all the events that led to her clans' demises (hint: [[NeverMyFault it was hers]]). Unfortunately, Demona is so deluded that [[StatusQuoIsGod the revelation doesn't last long.]]

** It is worth noting that Al is a walking suit of armor

* ''IHeartHuckabees'': "how am I not myself?"

** Sinclair shouts BOTH questions: 'Who are you?' and 'What do you want?' at his Minbari interrogators - which must have been damn chilling coming from [[spoiler:the reincarnation of their Savior figure]]. And adds a very appropos one of his own: "Why are you doing this?"

* Once in a while, JonStewart is accused of Journalism. This usually occurs after the occasional drubbing of a guest. The most famous recent example was the Jim Cramer interview.
** That statement made no sense.

** A sort of inversion of this is that all throughout the series, he keeps asking "Why me?" His grandfather finally returns the question, "Would you trust anyone else to do it right?" To which Garion is forced to reply that no; he wouldn't really, therefore burying this question forever.

* In GundamWing, the final encounter between [[KnightInSourArmor Wufei]] and [[WickedCultured Treize]] [[BloodKnight Kushrenada]] has Wufei ask Treize if he knows how many people have died for him. Treize deflects this trope beautifully by giving Wufei ''an exact figure.''

* FateStayNight has Kotomine ask Shirou "If you could undo the disaster that occured 10 years ago, would you?" Shirou easily answers that he wouldn't, and that the disaster isn't something he should change, as doing so would render it all meaningless. Saber, on the other hand, can't wrap her brain around the idea, considering her only real objective is pretty much just that. Now, as for Archer, head down to Literature.

* ''FateStayNight'' has one of the best examples of this trope, in the Unlimited Blade Works route. [[spoiler: Archer is Shirou from the future, and has become so cynical and bitter at his [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids naive past self]] that he ''worked out a way to go back in time and kill himself in person.'']] They end up fighting while throwing question after question at each other in one of the most epic philosophical debates/dual wielding sword fights ever created. Archer ''hammers'' questions that essentially invalidate Shirou's entire existence. Normally, this would be in HannibalLecture, but worth noting in that every line delivered is practically Shirou MindRape.

* ''{{Hellblazer}}'' ("What did she do, Angela?") Constantine tries to get Angela Dodson to figure out where her twin sister left a message.
--> ''"What did she do, Angela? You know what she did. What did she do, Angela? You know what she did. What are you afraid of? What did she do? '''What did she do?'''"''

** Funnily enough, the same question actually gives her the same reaction ''twice''. First in the future hearing it from Jesse, then again in the present from Ellsion.

[[AC:RolePlayingGames]]

* Not an attack on anyone, but Abraham Lincoln came up with a doozy when he and a colleague visited Niagra Falls. His associate, floored by the sight, rambled at length about how this vast cascade was surely the most awe-inspiring display of Nature's grandeur in all creation. Lincoln listened, thought about it, and then summed up something still grander -- [[spoiler: the sheer scope of the vast St. Lawrence watershed, that encompasses much of North America]] -- by asking: "Where did all the ''water'' come from?"

* [[{{Cult}} Scientology]] attempts this with protesters by asking "What are your crimes?" Repeat until the subject breaks down, blows up, or loudly informs passers-by of scientology's crimes with a loudspeaker.

** Done on a much grander scale with "Security Rundowns" or Sec Checks, which is "What are your crimes?" expanded to a many-hours-long interrogation. Repeat until subject no longer expresses any desire to leave scientology.

* In ''Fahrenheit451'', Clarisse causes Guy to begin questioning his entire way of living by asking the simple question "Are you happy?" and causing him to realize that no, he isn't. He's unable to [[StepfordSmiler automatically smile]] after that as "she had run off with it and he couldn't just knock on her door and ask for it back."

* In [[Series/SonicTheHedehog Sonic SatAM]] Tails [[WiseBeyondTheirYears turns out to be right about]] [[spoiler:the character who looked and sounded like Sally but wasn't Sally. When Sonic goes to confront said character...]]