History Main / CatapultToGlory

* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'', this is one of the more amusing applications of the Reality Shift function, it being used to load Pete and Beagle Boys into a cannon and fire them out of it; first blasting the latter into the former to get him to come down from his perch, then launching the former into a wall as a finisher.

* In a famous ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' [[http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/50850/catapult+in+2+mordor/ series of animated GIFs]], Boromir's plan for the ring becomes this after a failed first attempt.

* In the WesternAnimation/BugsBunny cartoon ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knighty_Knight_Bugs Knighty Knight Bugs]]'', the Black Knight (Yosemite Sam) uses a catapult to try to launch himself into the window of a castle, but hits the castle instead.
** Wile E. Coyote tries this in one of the WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Road Runner shorts, [[HilarityEnsues with predictable results]].

* In ''Roleplay/UnnaturalSelection''[='s=] Belenosian interlude, [[MindHive Unity]] is trapped in a besieged building while their enemy is jumping the last legal hoops to storm it. To escape, they build a [[{{Unobtainium}} jetalium]] ''railgun'' that spans the whole building's height, catapulting themselves into orbit.

* Used as a ''death trap'' in an episode of the live-action ''Series/{{Batman}}'' series ("Penguin Is a Girl's Best Friend"). Penguin has Batman and Robin strapped upon a catapult, with movie cameras strapped to their calves to record their flight and hard landing. The catapult will be released when a taut rope is burned through. The Dynamic Duo do manage to escape this trap through their own technology.

** This is how Link infiltrates the Forsaken Fortress in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck He's not happy about it,]] [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments though.]]

* Mathyas in ''Film/TheScorpionKing'' stumbles into the EvilOverlord's captive scientist's laboratory during his first attack on the palace. When he asks if there is any other way out of the room, the scientist offers his newly invented catapult as an option. Apparently, he designed it for this purpose explicitly (but never really worked out the landing aspect) and he expresses regret that his boss plans to use the "transportation" device for war.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' sees this done a couple of times throughout the series. In ''[=GoW=] 2'', Kratos launches himself from a catapult so he can get up close and personal with the animated Colossus of Rhodes. In ''[=GoW=] 3'', he hitches a ride on the boulder launched instead.

* Robin and Azeem do this as part of a BigDamnHeroes in ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves''.
* And then parodied in ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights'' with the Sheriff of Rottingham, who gets catapulted into a very ''eager'' Latrine's bedroom.

When SiegeEngines are loaded with people rather than rocks/bombs/plague victims. Usually in the context of a siege, so as to get attackers on a walltop quickly, or to give particularly tough characters a DynamicEntry. See also FastballSpecial, HumanCannonball, AbnormalAmmo.

Title comes from a Website/{{Darwin Award|s}} ([[http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-21.html that isn't]] [[ThisIndexIsNotAnExample about this]], but a TreeBuchet-induced death).

* In the ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'', episode "Hilltop", Lamput escapes from the docs by stretching his arms around some nearby trees and catapulting himself back to the hilltop where he was relaxing before the docs appeared.

* Franchise/SlyCooper has done this on rare occasion; the one that comes to mind is in [[VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves the third game]], when preparing to fight the Black Baron by sabotaging his armed blimps. You of course have to GET to the blimps..

* Apparently [[CrazyAwesome some people do this for fun]].

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': During the siege of Azure City, Redcloak loads the catapults with Titanium elementals (just as strong as Earth Elementals and 40% lighter).
** Later in the same siege, Belkar suggests that the Order do the same thing to reach the throne room, after flinging the [[RedHerringShirt two nameless soldiers]] first to adjust their aim. Predictably, [[HeroicComedicSociopath no one agrees]].

** This is how Link infiltrates the Forsaken Fortress in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck He's not happy about it,]] [[FunnyMoments though.]]

* ''Anime/{{Zoids}}'' Van was shot from the Gravity Cannon in his Blade Liger in order to take out the Death Saurer

** In an episode where Lisa was JoanOfArc, she persuaded the French army to use rocks instead of people in their catapults.

* A BernardWerber short story is set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, when pollution of any kind is banned (the ozone layer is barely there anymore), and catapults are in development as a rapid transit method.

When SiegeEngines are loaded with people rather than rocks/bombs/plague victims. Usually in the context of a siege, so as to get attackers on a walltop quickly, or to give particularly tough characters a DynamicEntry. See also FastballSpecial, AbnormalAmmo.

* At the climax of ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'', Joy manages to launch herself and Sadness back to Headquarters with the unlikely combination of [[spoiler: a human tower formed from a BagOfHolding full of clones of Riley's [[GirlfriendInCanada imaginary boyfriend]] and a giant trampoline.]]

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}}'' adventure ''Alpha Complexities'', [[MadScientist R&D]] offers a gigantic human slingshot as the only way the [[PlayerCharacter Troubleshooters]] can possibly get to their mission location on time. Given that even ''toothbrushes'' from R&D are usually fatal, the Troubleshooters are expected to insist on walking, especially after talking to the suspiciously nervous tech. [[spoiler: Anyone who uses the slingshot passes out from the G-forces, but then wakes up lying on a [[RefugeInAudacity giant mattress]], perfectly unharmed.]]

* The Flying-type Gym in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' games requires the player to shoot himself out of cannons through the gym to reach the Leader.And the last one ''smashes him/her against the wall''.
* This is how Link infiltrates the Forsaken Fortress in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck He's not happy about it,]] [[FunnyMoments though.]]

* From the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' tabletop is the Goblin Doom Diver, a slingshot or ballista that fires goblins with pointed helmets and crude wings.
* The ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' Orks utilize a high-tech variant in the form of [[CrossesTheLineTwice gretchin-guided missiles]] and one possible malfunction for the Shokk Attack Gun ("move the Big Mek into base contact with the target squad and resolve as if he had charged them"). The ''intended'' function of the shokk attack gun is to fire a tiny goblin into the target via [[HyperspaceIsAScaryPlace The Warp]], but that's more of a TeleFrag.
** The fan-created Angry Marines have a vehicle class called the Angrinator, which fires Angry Marines directly into combat. Guns that launch Angry Marines (or giant cannons that launch vehicles filled with Angry Marines) are pretty much the only kind of ranged weapon the Angry Marines will use, as they prefer melee combat.