History Main / BetrayalInsurance

*** Martian Manhunter gets his skin coated with nanites that convert loose atoms into magnesium. This magnesium [[DidNotDoTheResearch spontaneously combusts on contact with air]], trapping Manhunter in a ball of fire.

* On ''{{Angel}}'', Cordelia keeps around crosses and other anti-vampire equipment in case Angel [[EnemyWithin loses his soul]] again.

->'''Batman''': ''What would stop you from doing what the [[MirrorUniverse Lorder]] Superman did?''

*** Green Lantern gets a mental suggestion that makes him block his eyesight with his power ring. Blinded, he can't use his ring for anything else.

* Thanos has pulled this off a few times. Helping to defeat the Magus, saving Thor from his berserker madness, beating Akhenaten, freeing Galactus and the Silver Surfer from Annihilus, being the main weapon against the Cancerverse... of course, most of those either ended in betrayal or were caused by Thanos himself to begin with, but the point remains. Adam Warlock himself has pondered that Thanos is such an unique creature in that he is as vital to the survival of the universe as he is dangerous to it.
* Professor Xavier also had a set of plans on how to stop the Comicbook/{{X-Men}}, Xavier himself being the subject of the first entry; however, these have rarely been mentioned since they were introduced.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' animated series, it's Brainiac 5, otherwise portrayed as Superman's ''[[HoYay very loyal]]'' RobotBuddy, who keeps Kryptonite for emergencies. This is very much the cynical version; Superman not only doesn't know Brainy has it, but he doesn't even know Kryptonite exists yet.

* In the ''WesternAnimation//LegionOfSuperheroes'' animated series, it's Brainiac 5, otherwise portrayed as Superman's ''[[HoYay very loyal]]'' RobotBuddy, who keeps Kryptonite for emergencies. This is very much the cynical version; Superman not only doesn't know Brainy has it, but he doesn't even know Kryptonite exists yet.

* Late in ''ZettaiKarenChildren'', [[spoiler:Minamoto]] is ordered to always carry [[spoiler:the gun with which he kills Kaoru in the precog's visions]], notably he feels pretty conflicted about it.
* In OnePiece, [[spoiler: Ivankov allows Crocodile to join in the break-out of Impel Down, because he knows a "terrible weakness" of his that he will expose if Crocodile backstabs them.]]

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

->'''Batman''': ''What would stop you from doing what the Lorder Superman did?''

** That piece in ''Batman Beyond'' may have very well have been the same piece he uses against A.M.A.Z.O. in ''{{JusticeLeague}}'' when it copies Superman's powers (and weaknesses.)

* In the ''Series/LegionOfSuperheroes'' animated series, it's Brainiac 5, otherwise portrayed as Superman's ''[[HoYay very loyal]]'' RobotBuddy, who keeps Kryptonite for emergencies. This is very much the cynical version; Superman not only doesn't know Brainy has it, but he doesn't even know Kryptonite exists yet.

* In ''GeneratorRex'', White Knight uses a mechasuit when he is forced to leave his sanctuary in Providence to help Rex with a world wide problem. Rex realizes that the suit was in fact originally designed to take ''him'' out if he ever went rogue on Providence.

** His chance comes when Earth is invaded by an alien conquering race called the Vespa. The Hornet offers them teleportation technology (incredibly rare in this universe) and the co-ordinates of peaceful and defenceless planets his team has encountered, on the promise that the Vespa won't attack Earth, and will return to fight the Plutonian if the Hornet asks them too. [[spoilers: The plan works, with the Plutonian captured and imprisoned by the Vespa. Temporariliy at least]]

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[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* In ''{{Runaways}}'', Chase gives Niko a list of LogicBomb questions that will shut their resident robot down if he ever does the FaceHeelTurn that a friendly time traveller warned them about. Given Niko's oft-stated feelings about the possibility of any of her friends betraying the group [[spoiler:again]] no one should be surprised if she has spells thought up for all of her comrades.

** In ''BatmanBeyond'', the aging Bruce Wayne seems to have been keeping a piece of Kryptonite locked away for years just in case.

** ''TheBatman'' has an incredibly cynical version. When Batman got a piece of kryptonite off of Metallo, not only did he keep it, he ''lied about giving it back'' (he gave Supes a fake one and kept the real one). He did it to "get even" with Superman for finding out his identity. However, by the end of the episode, it's the idealistic version, as they have settled their differences, and when Batman offers to give Supes the ''real'' kryptonite, Superman says to keep it. It still goes to show you that Batman really doesn't like anyone being nearly as CrazyPrepared as him.

Maybe he has been betrayed before, maybe he doesn't trust [[ProperlyParanoid anyone at all]], or maybe he simply thinks you are too dangerous, or might someday [[AGodAmI give in]] to the temptation to abuse your powers. Whatever his motives, he's sitting on HiddenSupplies of the necessary items or substances to put you down in an instant if the need arises.

** ''TheBatman'' has an incredibly cynical version. When Batman got a piece of kryptonite off of Metallo, not only did he keep it, he ''lied about giving it back'' (he gave Supes a fake one and kept the real one). He did it to "get even" with Superman for finding out his identity. However, by the end of the episode, it's the idealistic version, as they have settle their differences, and when Batman offers to give Supes the ''real'' kryptonite, Superman says to keep it. It still goes to show you that Batman really doesn't like anyone being nearly as CrazyPrepared as him.

** Don't forget the piece he uses against A.M.A.Z.O. in ''[[JusticeLeague JLU]]'' when it copies Superman's powers (and weaknesses.)

**In ''BatmanBeyond'', the aging Bruce Wayne seems to have been keeping a piece of Kryptonite locked away for years just in case (judging by Terry's reaction, it seems Kryptonite isn't as common as it once was).

** Don't forget the piece he uses against A.M.A.Z.O. when it copies Superman's powers (and weaknesses.)
--->'''Hawkgirl:''' Do you always keep that in your belt?\\
'''Batman:''' Call it...insurance. ([[GrapplingHookPistol grapples away]])\\
'''Hawkgirl:''' And they call me scary.
** ''TheBatman'' has an incredibly cynical version. When Batman got a piece of kryptonite off of Metallo, not only did he keep it, he ''lied about giving it back'' (he gave Supes a fake one and kept the real one). He did it to "get even" with Superman for finding out his identity. However, by the end of the episode, it's the idealistic version, as they have settle their differences, and when Batman offers to give Supes the ''real'' kryptonite, Superman says to keep it. It still goes to show you that Batman really doesn't like anyone being nearly as CrazyPrepared as him.
** This is also used by the end of ''The Batman'': Batman gives each member weapons that simulate each JusticeLeague member's weaknesses because aliens have invaded and copied their powers.

** Batman makes an oblique reference to having Kryptonite in reserve in ''Justic League: The New Frontier'', when he warns J'onn J'onzz that he [Batman] knows ''his'' weakness [fire], too.
--->'''Batman:''' I have a seventy-thousand dollar sliver of radioactive meteor to stop the one in Metropolis. With you, all I need is a penny for a book of matches.
* In the ''Series/LegionOfSuperheroes'' animated series, it's Brainiac 5, otherwise portrayed as Superman's ''[[HoYay very loyal]]'' RobotBuddy, who keeps Kryptonite for emergencies. This is very much the cynical version; Superman not only doesn't know Brainy has it, but he doesn't even know Kryptonite exists yet.
** Although Brainy seems conflicted about having the stuff; after it's been stolen, he says he's glad to be rid of it.
** What all of these oh-so-clever Kryptonite ploys always seem to forget is that Superman can ''completely'' protect himself from its effects with a very common substance: lead. I'd love to see a story where Batman pulls out the green rock only for Superman to wrap himself in his cape, say simply "lead-lined", and then deck him.
** Superman tried using lead against Metallo in the ''Superboy'' live-action series. Metallo went all can-opener on him in a matter of seconds.