History Main / BatmanColdOpen

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' is the {{Trope Namer|s}}. ''Batman'' #608 (the first part of the ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'' arc) depicts Batman sneaking around a shipyard and taking down four of Killer Croc's thugs in rapid succession to save a small boy who happens to be heir to an enormous fortune.
* ''ComicBook/{{Bookhunter}}'' opens with Agent Bay leading a SWATTeam to apprehend a "freelance censor"
* ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' (and later ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'') often opens with a splash page of the title character engaged in a spectacular fight against a considerably large group of {{Mooks}} while [[TalkingIsAFreeAction making absolutely random remarks]].
* When ''ComicBook/JohnnySaturn'' is first seen in ''Johnny Saturn No.1'', he is putting the beat down on a gang of thugs called the ''Charlie Blockers'' or ''C Blockers.'' This battle is little more than foreplay before the first Johnny Saturn/Utopian confrontation.

%%* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'' engages in this quite a lot. The title character [[PayEvilUntoEvil being who he is]], the BitPartBadGuys he deals with typically do not survive. %%Example needs context to make sense on its own.

* The ''ComicBook/SinCity'' miniseries "A Dame to Kill For" opens with the main character spying on a {{Domestic Abuse}}r (he's a PrivateDetective) and having to save his mistress from getting killed. This is the main character's introduction and has nothing to do with the main story, though it does do wonders in establishing his character and setting up his FatalFlaw (his [[TheDulcineaEffect violent protectiveness toward women]]).
* Some issues of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' begin with Spidey trouncing some random gangsters who have nothing to do with the issue's plot.
* The first issue of Creator/PhilFoglio's ''ComicBook/StanleyAndHisMonster'' mini-series is pretty much a standalone plot of the kind that the old ongoing series did a lot. Then, on the second-last page, the real plot of the mini-series begins.

* ''ComicBook/Zatanna2010'': Issue #2 begins with Zatanna finishing up an adventure with the JLA: putting down a gang of werehyenas alongside Vixen and Black Canary. This is also used to established Zatanna is exhausted for the rest of the issue, while she still has to deal with Fuseli bothering her in her dreams.

* During the opening of ''Anime/{{Kite}}'', AntiHero Sawa uses herself as bait to lure one of her targets, a popular television personality who turns out to be a creep preying on young women out before killing him in an elevator to his apartment, while an old woman who witnesses it dies from shock.

** In ''Caliban's War'', the crew of ''Rocinante'' is introduced doing a job they have taken following the epilogue of ''Leviathan Wakes'': catching {{space pirate}}s that have proliferated following a war between Mars and the Belt.
** In ''Babylon's Ashes'', Michio Pa is introduced as a SpacePirate wrecking a colony ship heading out of the Solar System and robbing it for supplies the Free Navy will supposedly redistribute among the local Belter colonies.
** James Holden's role in ''Persepolis Rising'' begins with him and his crew getting an unenviable "job" of telling the freedom-obsessed colonists at Freehold they will be denied any supplies from outside their star system as a punishment for a reckless use of the PortalNetwork. This thread mostly serves to introduce the topic of [[AppealToForce how governments enforce their laws]], [[spoiler:though Freehold ends up being a key location for LaResistance in the later novels]].

Typically, this is a bank-robbery or a mugging, usually unrelated to the plot-at-large, meant to illustrate the crime-fighting abilities of our hero, and often giving him the chance to brood about whatever is/will be bothering him for the extent of the issue. It can also help offset TheWorfEffect by showing that the hero is competent before having him beaten by the serious threat later in the story. The opening titles for the TV series ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' also used this trope, as does ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''.

In a practical sense, it allows for a reasonable amount of action in an issue that may be very talky, especially if it's the start of a StoryArc. Speaking of story arcs, plot-driven series sometimes devote entire episodes/issues/chapters at the beginning to {{exposition}} of the heroes' powers and routine assignments, as well as any kind of AppliedPhlebotinum, before said plot takes over. If nothing really exciting happens and we are instead treated to [[NormalPeople normal life]] at the beginning before trouble starts, it overlaps with DayInTheLife.

* Both seasons of ''Manga/ACertainScientificRailgun'' devote their first episodes to series protagonists Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko apprehending and beating up rogue espers or terrorists in showcases of their powers. Conversely, the main series ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'' subverts this trope by starting off with its protagonist, [[UnluckyEverydude Kamijou Touma]], running away from pursuing thugs after a misguided attempt to keep them from harming Misaka [[spoiler:(actually, to keep her from harming '''them''')]].

* ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'' is like this: the first chapters/episodes depict Clare going about the usual yoma-slaying business (until her first [[spoiler:almost-Awakening]]).
* ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' does this (at least) once with a plane hijacking.
* ''Anime/DarkerThanBlack'' opens with one of these and also serves to introduce the concept of [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividuals Contractors]], when a man who can defy gravity at the price of breaking his own fingers is subdued, interrogated and killed by a black-coated person with a white mask. The masked man is the protagonist, although the show doesn't tell us until the end of the two-episode arc (which contains a lot of {{Expospeak}}).
* The very first chapter of ''Manga/DigimonVTamer01'' opens this way, the first hint of any on going plot being a {{call back}} to ''Manga/CMonDigimon'' before the reader learns any events relevant to the current series.
%%* ''Manga/ElfenLied''.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' opens with the Elric brothers on a normal mission, where they explain the principles of alchemy, before the BackStory is explained and the prime plot kicks in. [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003 The first anime]] adapts this as the first two episodes. ''Brotherhood'', instead, adapts it in the third, after some other events; but then, ''its'' first episode, an original story, fills this same purpose.

* ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'' (and later ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'') does this quite often, opening with a splash page of the title character engaged in a spectacular fight against a considerably large group of {{Mooks}} while [[TalkingIsAFreeAction making absolutely random remarks]].

* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'' engages in this quite a lot. The title character [[PayEvilUntoEvil being who he is]], the BitPartBadGuys he deals with typically do not survive.
* In many ways, the beginning of issue #1 of ''ComicBook/RedHoodAndTheOutlaws'' can be considered this, as we witness Arsenal getting busted out of jail by Red Hood and Starfire. The beginnings of issues #6 (the end of some sort of escapade Red Hood has gotten into on a nuclear submarine) and #8 provide clearer examples of this trope.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' does this pretty often; some issues will begin with Spidey trouncing some random gangsters who have nothing to do with the issue's plot.

** Combined this with ArcWelding: one plot deals with the BigBad sending a group of mercenaries to bring Spider-Man to him so that he can find out how Spider-Man knows about all the attempts on his company and why he's been helping to stop them. Spidey has no idea what the guy is talking about until he shows footage of several Batman Cold Opens from previous issues.

* In fanfic ''Fanfic/BloodstainedHeroesOfHumanity'' the story begins with Todoriki and Izuku defending Yaoyorozu, Kirishima and Iida from a feral werewolf that used to be their classmate.
* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'': The first chapter of both versions opens this way. It shows the Hunter's chores as a wandering [[HiredGuns sellsword]], hunting down orc bands left and right as his means for earning income. The Hunter also gives brief {{exposition}} on how Eostia has a war going on, though he wants nothing to do with it. The only difference between the two versions is that the one for the remastered version has a bit more [[ActionPrologue action]].
* The first chapter of ''Fanfic/UnityFinmonster'' is the Big Hero 9 team intercepting and apprehending some bank robbers, showing how far they've come as an organized team since the [[Fanfic/{{Empathy}} first story]]. It's actually [[LampshadeHanging titled]] "Cold Open".

** The first movie to open like this, ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'', is a {{subver|tedTrope}}sion: [[spoiler:the man who appears to be Bond is actually [[LatexPerfection a mook dressed up as Bond]] for Grant to kill to demonstrate his assassination abilities, making basically a villains' DangerRoomColdOpen.]]
** The pre-title sequence of ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' plays this straight, and is arguably the finest example of this in the series.
** The cold opening of ''{{Film/Moonraker}}'' showed Jaws, TheDragon of ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'' trying to kill Bond by pushing him from an airplane without a parachute. ''His'' 'chute fails but lucky for him ([[MakesSenseInContext and Bond]]), there's a nearby circus tent.

** ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'' also has no relation to the plot, being only Bond attacking a BananaRepublic and fleeing in a small plane.

** The opening of ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' plays with this, as its Cold Open is almost fifteen minutes long and ties directly into the main plot without even a time jump between the two. The whole thing causes a bizarre sort of [[ProlongedPrologue Cold Open Fatigue]] that makes you question why, save for tradition, there needed to be one at all.
** ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' subverts this heavily, opening with Bond on a mission in North Korea... which he actually ''fails''. He ends up getting captured and spends a year and a half in a torture camp before his superiors can spring him.

** ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' probably has one of the best, a really spectacular pursuit through Istanbul featuring no less than ''three'' separate chase scenes.
** ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' has a longer scene that develops the backstory for Madeline Swann as well as showing the reason for her and James' split as well as introducing the main villain Safin.
* In ''Film/SevenSamurai'', we're introduced to Kambei as he rescues a boy being held hostage in a barn. The trope was a custom of Japanese swordfilms called "chambara," though this film was probably the western world's first introduction to the trope.

* ''Film/{{Django}}'' follows this pattern.
* The second live-action ''Guyver'' movie uses this trope.
* ''Film/BlownAway'' has Jimmy Dove demonstrating his bomb-defusing badassary skills on a not-related-to-main-plot bomb. The mid-80s Pierce Brosnan film ''Livewire'' does exactly the same thing with its bomb-defusing protagonist.
* ''Film/WildWildWest'' spends a good twenty minutes in an opening saloon scene where both West and Gordon fail to catch DiscOneFinalBoss Bloodbath [=McGrath=].
* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'', especially his attempt at retrieving the golden idol at the start of ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' and the flashbacks of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''. ''Film/{{UHF}}'' parodies the opening of the former, and, in doing so, is an example of the trope.
* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'':
** ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' had one where Batman takes on Scarecrow, and (though a villainous example) the bank heist at the beginning, (largely) unrelated to ComicBook/TheJoker's larger schemes over the rest of the movie, but used to show the audience how devious, manipulative and ruthless he is.
** Meanwhile, in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Bane shows off his extremely organized and loyal army by making them crash a CIA plane just to fake the death of one character. It did have some small effect on the overall plot, but it was mostly a parallel to ComicBook/TheJoker's introduction.
* ''Film/Batman1989'' has one after the opening credits. It introduces the audience to Batman in action, as he attacks two small-time muggers on the rooftops.
* ''Film/BatmanForever'' begins with Batman moving out to stop Two-Face committing an overblown bank robbery, where Two-Face declares, "''Let's start this party with a bang!''"
* ''Film/District13'' actually has one of these about twenty minutes into the movie to introduce the second hero, a supercop. The cop has a huge martial arts brawl in an illegal casino to establish his badass credentials before he gets fit into the main plot.
* In ''Film/StreetsOfFire'', the hero is introduced by beating up some local toughs who are breaking up his sister's diner.
* All the ''Film/DirtyHarry'' movies have a scene in the beginning where Harry stops a crime unrelated to the main plot. In the first one, it was a bank robbery, in ''Film/MagnumForce'' it was a plane hijacking,''Film/TheEnforcer'' it was a liquor store holdup. A diner was being robbed in ''Film/SuddenImpact'' and in ''Film/TheDeadPool'' it was mob hitmen out to kill him.
* The beginning of ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'' shows two bounty hunters, Colonel Mortimer and Manco separately tracking and killing wanted criminals and collecting their bounties.
* ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' starts with Axel Foley undercover trying to bust a cigarette smuggling operation and turns into a big chase with him hanging from the back of a speeding semi and dozens of police cars.

* ''The Expendables''
** ''Film/TheExpendables'' show the team rescuing a group of hostages from African pirates, just to show how good they are at what they do.
** ''Film/TheExpendables2'' opens with them raiding a stronghold to rescue a Chinese billionaire.
* ''Film/{{Inception}}'' not only uses this trope but also introduces us to a major character of the film as being the target.
* The first few minutes of ''Film/TheMarine'' show Wrestling/JohnCena (or, rather, a character played by him) fighting terrorists (or at least terrorist sympathizers) in a Middle Eastern country. This cold opening actually serves two purposes: 1) establishing John Triton as a badass and 2) showing him disobeying a direct (although unreasonable) order from his commander, thus justifying his being discharged from the service and sent home to the United States, where the ''real'' plot takes place.
* While ''Film/{{Sneakers}}'' technically opens with a scene from the main character's past, the next scene is very much this trope.
* ''Film/InTheLineOfFire'' begins with an introductory scene of Frank busting some counterfeiters while undercover, which has no relation to the rest of the movie. It also acts as a ShownTheirWork scene for the writers to demonstrate that they're aware the Secret Service still has a few functions other than protecting the President. It does play into the plot a little later on, when it's revealed that Frank's colleague Al is having some difficulty coping with the pressures of the job (in the Cold Open, he comes very close to getting killed), which leads to the film playing with the {{Retirony}} trope.
* The investigation of Old Man [=McGinty=] in ''Film/MysteryTeam''.
* The opening sequence on the planet Nibiru in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'', which drops the viewer right in the middle of a scene in which Kirk and Bones are ChasedByAngryNatives.

* ''Film/CloakAndDagger1984'' begins with Jack Flack on an espionage mission, then reveals that it's all been the plot of game being played by our kid hero Davey, who soon gets embroiled in a real spy caper.
* The exceptionally long cold opening of ''Film/SuperTroopers'' starts off with two of the troopers toying with and eventually busting some stoners, then getting drawn into a high-speed chase [[spoiler: by another trooper playing a prank on them]].
* ''Film/TheBlackCobra'' starts with CowboyCop Robert Malone going after some bank robbers who've taken hostages.
* ''Film/LethalWeapon'' gives Riggs one where he leads a cocaine bust.

* ''Film/TwentyNineteenAfterTheFallOfNewYork'': Parsifal gets one where he participates in a gladiatorial demolition derby.
* ''Film/{{Lethal}}'': Samantha gets one where she captures a rogue mobster.
* The Live-Action ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie starts this way. Mystery Inc. is trying to catch the Luna Ghost, providing the audience a chance to [[Main/EstablishingCharacterMoment see each member of the gang's strengths, weaknesses]], and role in the Main/FiveManBand. After the Ghost is caught, tensions between the main characters lead to [[Main/BreakingTheFellowship their breakup]], thus setting the tone for the first act of the plot.
* A major tradition of the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films. Each film opens with an action-packed prologue which mostly serves to introduce the main characters and basic ongoing plot before shifting into the film's proper story, probably as part of the homage to the old film serials where there was no way for new viewers to get caught up on previous episodes if they came into it midway.
* ''Film/MissionImpossible1996'' opens with the IMF finishing off a mission.

* Except for the first book, each installment of the ''Literature/SeekersOfTruth'' series starts this way.
* ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'' novels will often open this way, especially when bringing Holly Short into the story. One example: ''Literature/ArtemisFowl: The Lost Colony'' starts off with Holly tracking a smuggler, though in true Literature/ArtemisFowl fashion it ends up becoming a ChekhovsGun.
* ''Literature/BloodRites'': The novel begins in a burning building, finishing up a job prior to the start of the story proper.

* Creator/SimonRGreen starts off many of his novels like this, particularly in his {{Literature/Nightside}} and Hawk & Fisher series.
* ''Literature/FeetOfClay'' introduces both Carrot and Angua with one of these

* ''[[Literature/EddieLaCrosse The Sword-Edged Blonde]]'' begins with the protagonist being hired for a relatively typical assignment: retrieve a [[RebelliousPrincess teenage aristocratic runaway]] who has fallen in with the wrong crowd in a rough border town. This serves to show the kind of unglamorous thing that he ''normally'' does, before the book moves on to the main plot (which involves royal infanticide and goddesses.)
* In the prologue of ''Literature/StarWarsKenobi'', Obi-Wan intervenes in a bar fight while on his way to drop Luke Skywalker off at the Lars's. A very drunk old man finds himself holding an infant and watching as an [[LaserBlade odd blue light]] takes out several of Jabba the Hutt's thugs in the dimness.

* ''Literature/InCryptid'': When the prologue isn't AMinorKidroduction, it's usually this. For instance, the prologue of ''That Ain't Witchcraft'' is a sequence of CasualDangerDialogue between Annie and Fern as they hunt a unicorn. The first chapter has Sam and Annie, in the present day, destroy a [[FesteringFungus Corn Blight]] that has been killing people in a small midwestern town.

** Ditto ''Series/{{Angel}}'' saving innocent girls from vampires -- though here the trope was subverted more often than it was played straight. It would turn out to be a dream, or someone would interrupt Angel, or Spike would be nearby doing color commentary...

* The second season of ''Series/Daredevil2015'' starts out like this, showing the titular hero beating up a few common criminals. Besides showing how badass he is, the scene also shows that he became [[UnusuallyUninterestingSight part of the day-to-day life of Hell's Kitchen]], as he was mostly unknown through a good chunk of the first season.

* Ever since the 2005 relaunch of the show ''Series/DoctorWho'' has dabbled in this. Because the classic series was very relying on cliffhangers, the new series has a sort of substitute with opening scenes before credits, and a trailer for the upcoming episode after the end credits. Often the Doctor and Companion(s) are having an adventure and it directly or indirectly leads into the story itself. Sometimes it has no connection, the concept is malleable.

** ''Series/PowerRangersZeo'' has at least two. The first has Adam being pursused by 4 "ninjas" who are later revealed to be the other Rangers. The second has the [[SixthRanger Gold Ranger]] protecting the team from a group of Cogs.
** ''Series/PowerRangersTimeForce'' uses this extensively to make use of StockFootage that they couldn't use any other way.

** ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'' likes to do this, often starting in the middle of a megazord battle before moving on to the plot o' the episode, which is usually unrelated. The main purpose is pretty much to emphasize just how much of a war of attrition is going on, and how relentless the machines are ... and to get the [[MerchandiseDriven merchandising]] for the giant robots out of the way as soon as possible, so they don't have to interrupt the plotty action scenes with stock footage.

* The [[Recap/TheWireS01E01TheTarget series opener]] of ''Series/TheWire'' begins this way. Detective Jimmy [=McNulty=] is introduced while investigating the murder of a guy named Snotboogie. The little episode makes a statement about the America Dream, a major theme of the series, but the Snotboogie murder itself has nothing to do with the plot of the rest of the season.

* The entire first day of ''VideoGame/TexMurphy - Under a Killing Moon''. Also serves as an introduction to most of the regular characters.
* The first stage of ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'' on Sega Genesis. Literally a Cold Open, too; you are dropped right into the stage with a random character the instant you power on the console, and only see the title screen once you've beaten the stage. [[{{Pun}} Plus]], [[SlippySlideyIceWorld it's snowing]].
* The first ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' game has a tutorial, followed by a mission on freighter (ending with an epic VideoGameSetPiece) related to the main plot (It helps set up Al-Asad having [[spoiler:the nuke]] later on), then the credits play over a ScenicTourLevel.
** Similarly, ''Modern Warfare 2'' starts with a tutorial, then a typical Middle-Eastern urban warfare mission that's completely unrelated to the plot (except that it seems to occur on the tail end of the war that begins in the first game), and then "[[WhamEpisode No Russian]]" is where the game's plot really starts.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'' and all the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' games had Mario fighting Bowser in some form (and in one of them... [[spoiler: Bowser wins]]).
* ''VideoGame/MirrorsEdge'' starts the Prologue off with Faith delivering a package, setting her own job as {{Parkour}} "courier" in-universe. That really only serves to explain why she has the flexibility, speed and energy of a monkey overdosed in Redbull before she goes off to clear her sister's name.

* In VideoGame/LegoBatman there's a cold open scene directly before the title screen (which is skippable) that is pretty much exactly the same as the BTAS opening. This is likely intentional. Additionally, in the third game there is a very similar cold open.
* ''VideoGame/CosmicStarHeroine'' begins with the protagonist Alyssa L'Salle, an API agent, being sent to counter a terrorist attack holding civilians hostage. While showing that Alyssa is a competent agent, this mission has no bearing on the plot except for setting up a BigLippedAlligatorMoment that happens later.
* The ActionPrologue of ''VideoGame/{{Bonfire}}'' is a JustifiedTutorial that pits you against enemies designed to be countered by your starting heroes, allowing the game to show off their abilities while teaching you how to use them.

* ''Webcomic/{{Acrobat}}'' plays it straight and made into a hot closing with Magnum and a villain in issue 4.

* The first few pages of ''Webcomic/OnceStung'' cover Queen Bee foiling a robbery before flashing back to her origin story.

* Deconstructed and parodied in {{Creator/Joel Haver}}'s "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q6pIZD4ljU Batman but he doesn't show up]]", where four goons are loading and transporting a shipment of wooden pallets (just pallets, nothing else) to the Penguin, and are all on edge in case "the Bat" arrives. In spite of a few false alarms, he ''doesn't'' arrive: they load the trucks, drive them to the rendezvous, and unload them without a hitch, which leaves everyone a little confused as to what to do next. Two of the goons, Bruiser and Stinger, are pleasantly surprised to hear their names used for the first time, [[NominalImportance not expecting that they'd have any]]. It then cuts to the main thug at home, shocked to learn that he has a wife and kids, too. [[spoiler:When Batman arrives in his bedroom in the dead of night to beat him up, the goon tells him he can't, because he's already spent too much time as the protagonist and the audience is endeared to him.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' has some of these. For instance, "[[Recap/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroesS1E8SomeAssemblyRequired Some Assembly Required]]" (which takes place almost immediately after the Avengers' founding) begins with the team confronting Mandrill after a bank robbery.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' uses this as its opening sequence. It succeeds at ShowDontTell to such a degree that it was only after seeing the finished product that the producers realized that they never actually showed the title.
* In particular, this is done in an unusual way in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' as we see one short adventure before the credits, often unconnected to the main story, with a different villain and partner. There are still occasions in the main story as well, where Batman will meet his team up during or just after defeating a minor villain. During the second season, the cold opens involved their own ongoing story, where one of Batman's past partners encounters Starro and gets mind controlled by him which eventually led to the Siege of Starro two-parter season finale.

* The ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' episode "[[Recap/DannyPhantomS1E14Thirteen 13]]" has this with the hero combating various animal ghosts in the beginning. He ends up losing thanks to the MonsterOfTheWeek's [[LivingShadow bad luck shadow]].
* Exists in the original but mostly cut out from the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'', where the widely broadcast version only shows him turning in the criminals.
* The first handful of episodes of ''WesternAnimation/GeneratorRex'' begin this way, showcasing Rex's EVO-defeating chops.

* A common occurrence in ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', although the "action" teasers would occasionally have exposition about Kim's personal subplot as a lead in.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' has this kind of opening in its early episodes.
* Most episodes of ''WesternAnimation/MenInBlackTheSeries'' have one of these, though it sometimes leads into the main plot.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' often begins this way, with Spider-Man mid-battle with criminals.
* Doctor Light in introduced to the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' in this manner, only to be immediately [[MookHorrorShow traumatized]] for the rest of the series by [[CreepyGood Raven]].
* Episodes of ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' focusing on super-hero guest-stars often open this way, replacing the show's usual InMediasRes teasers.
* The ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' episode "[[Recap/VeggieTalesEpisode12LarryBoyAndTheRumorWeed LarryBoy and the Rumor Weed]]" uses one of these, with [=LarryBoy=] catching a thief who's been stealing kids' milk money. It ends with [=LarryBoy=] inadvertently [[CreateYourOwnVillain creating the villain of the episode]].

* The opening chapters/first few episodes of ''Manga/SoulEater'' have the main casts carrying out a typical mission in both the ColdOpening and the episode (Soul and Maka succeed at gaining a soul, Black Star and Tsubaki fail due to BS' egomania and Kid fails due to being ObsessivelyOrganized, then in the episode Maka and Soul fail because they succeed, BS and Tsubaki fail because Black☆Star's really a JerkWithAHeartOfGold and Kid succeeds despite his OCD but does so much collateral damage he has to give the souls up). This is because the artist was hired to do a couple one-shot stories, which eventually took off and became the series proper.

** The opening of ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' plays with this as its ColdOpen is almost fifteen minutes long and ties directly into the main plot without even a time jump between the two. The whole thing causes a bizarre sort of [[ProlongedPrologue Cold Open Fatigue]] that makes you question why, save for tradition, there needed to be one at all.

* ''Film/InTheLineOfFire'' begins with an introductory scene of Frank busting some counterfeiters while undercover, which has no relation to the rest of the movie. It also acts as a ShownTheirWork scene for the writers to demonstrate that they're aware the Secret Service still has a few functions other than protecting the President.
** It does play into the plot a little later on, when it's revealed that Frank's colleague Al is having some difficulty coping with the pressures of the job (in the ColdOpen he comes very close to getting killed), which leads to the film playing with the {{Retirony}} trope.

* The first stage of ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'' on Sega Genesis. Literally a ColdOpen, too; you are dropped right into the stage with a random character the instant you power on the console, and only see the title screen once you've beaten the stage. [[{{Pun}} Plus]], [[SlippySlideyIceWorld it's snowing]].

*** [[WhatCouldHaveBeen The opening originally ended after the sequence in Spain]], but audiences felt that it was too short.

* ''Film/BlownAway'' has Jimmy Dove demonstrating his bomb-defusing badassary skills on a not-related-to-main-plot bomb.
** The mid-80s Pierce Brosnan film ''Livewire'' does exactly the same thing with its bomb-defusing protagonist.

* ''Franchise/IndianaJones'', especially his attempt at retrieving the golden idol at the start of ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' and the flashbacks of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade''.
** ''Film/{{UHF}}'' parodies the opening of the former, and, in doing so, is an example of the trope.

* ''Film/Batman1989'' had one too, after the opening credits. It introduced the audience to Batman in action, as he attacked two small-time muggers on the rooftops.
** ''Film/BatmanForever'' begins with Batman moving out to stop Two-Face committing an overblown bank robbery, where Two-Face declares, "''Let's start this party with a bang!''"

* The first stage of ''VideoGame/XMen2CloneWars'' on Sega Genesis. Literally a ColdOpen, too; you are dropped right into the stage with a random character the instant you power on the console, and only see the title screen once you've beaten the stage. Plus, [[JustForPun it's]] [[SlippySlideyIceWorld snowing]].