History Main / ComebackTomorrow

* ''Comicbook/TheSandman'': Sexton experiences this in ''Death: The High Cost of Living'' after Didi tells him she's Death:

* In ''Anime/{{Shirobako}}'', there is a non-comedic example late in the series. When Midori and Hiraoka nearly bump into each other, Hiraoka goes off on a rant about how girls like Midori only have to say that they're sorry with a cute face to be forgiven, and that [[PositiveDiscrimination the men in the office go easy on them]]. In a later scene, Midori encounters Hiraoka again and points out that she doesn't think the others are going easy on her, since none of her dialogue ideas got accepted.

-->-- '''Edmund E. Blackadder''', ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder the Third]]'' [[note]] In fact Thomas More was beheaded for refusing to sign the oath of succession, granted his refusal was probably in large part due to his Catholicism [[/note]]

-->-- '''Edmund E. Blackadder''', ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder the Third]]'' [[note]] In fact Thomas More was beheaded for refusing to sign the oath of succession, granted his refusal was probably in large part due to his Catholicism [[note]]

-->-- '''Edmund E. Blackadder''', ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder the Third]]''

* In a ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'' strip, Jon asks a woman out, who says, that she would rather go out with camel spittle. Hours later, when he's already gone to bed...

'''[[CatsAreSnarkers Garfield]]:''' Ol' Lightning Wit strikes again.

** In "Excellence in Broadcasting" Brian meets with Radio/RushLimbaugh at a book signing. While walking home, he says, "Yeah, you can sign my ''ass'' book. Is what would've been awesome to say."

* ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda:'' Invoked in one argument between Nakmor Drack and Cora Harper, the former suffers an "Old Man Moment" mid-bicker, and vows to come up with a snappy retort later.

* In a ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie'' strip, Aggie [[http://www.pennyandaggie.com/index.php?p=685 did this deliberately]], presumably to avoid a fight.
* [[Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella Wonderella]]'s comment in the above image is an example of just using the comeback out of context later.
* In ''Webcomic/TwoGuysAndGuy'', [[http://www.twogag.com/archives/3467 Wayne thinks up a comeback]] to something Guy said about his online dating profile ''three years ago'' -- and had since forgotten about saying in the first place.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Vexxarr}}'' when Vexxarr is getting ready to finally depart Earth, his nemesis from the homeowners' association comes over to see him off with one final tirade. Naturally, Vexxarr comes up with a [[http://www.vexxarr.com/archive.php?seldate=102405 really good menacing response]] to his parting remark just after the man has gotten out of earshot.

* WebOriginal example: Formats of Internet communication make it possible to pull this off successfully. You can stew about a slight for hours to days, then deliver your rebuttal in what seems a timely enough manner to imply a quick wit.
* One ''Website/NotAlwaysRomantic'' story has a woman find a clever way around it- when she thinks of ways to tell off her husband's boss too late, she writes them down and later gives them to another girl said boss was harrassing. It worked like a charm.

'''Nick:''' When I walk away, I'm gonna think of something great to say to that.\\

* Subverted on ''Series/{{Justified}}''. Constable Bob is on official police business but this does not matter to two two drunk Clover Hillers who insult him, his job and then threaten him with a shotgun if he does not leave. As he is leaving he comes up with a comeback to their insults and he turns around and walks back up to their front door. However, when they open the door he simply points his gun at them and tries to arrest them.

* The ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' pilot has Steven thinking of comebacks against Lars after he leaves the doughnut shop. He was carrying around a trinket that allowed him to travel back to the insult, allowing Steven to make the comeback right away three times.

'''Marge:''' ''No!''

** It gets better. He then [[LameComeback resorts to]], "Well, I had sex with your wife!" (on Kramer's advice), only to be informed that Riley's wife is in a coma. Then, at the very end of the episode, we see George driving back home, only to murmur "Well... [[BlackComedy the life support machine called...]]", have a EurekaMoment, triumphantly declare, "YES! ''THAT'S'' WHAT I SHOULD HAVE SAID!", and turn the car back around again. Keep in mind that he is back in New York at this point, meaning he's turning his car around ''to fly back to Ohio'' just to deliver this comeback.

* Also done in ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb''. Candace was called "slow as molasses" by another girl competing for a job at Mr. Slushy Burger, but Candace could only manage to retort with "I think I'll call you... something slower than molasses, that's for sure!" At the end of the episode:
-->'''Candace:''' Snail! I'll call you "snail"!\\

** Doof does it to himself after trapping Perry the Platypus on his hover machine:

** Doof does it to Rodney when they enter an "Inator Creator" contest. Doof says Rodney will cry like something that cries a lot. In the end, Doof finally figures out that a baby cries a lot.

* George, in the "The Comeback" episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' does the thing of setting up the original scenario (which entails George flying from NYC to Akron, Ohio) so that Riley will repeat his insult. Unfortunately, Riley doesn't suffer from this:

** It gets better. He then [[LameComeback resorts to]] "...I had sex with your wife!" (on Kramer's advice) only to be informed that Riley's wife is in a coma. Then, at the very end of the episode, we see him driving back home, only to murmur "Well... [[BlackComedy the life support machine called...]]" and triumphantly turn the car back around again. Keep in mind that he is back in New York at this point, meaning he's turning his car around ''to fly back to Ohio'' just to deliver this comeback.

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[folder: Live Action Television]]
* Subverted in ''Series/TheKingOfQueens'', frequently, where Arthur does not bother with the setting up and instead screams out his comeback hours later, often by walking into his daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night.
* George, in the "The Comeback" episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' does the thing of setting up the original scenario (which entails George flying from NYC to Akron, Ohio) so that Riley will repeat his insult. Unfortunately, Riley doesn't suffer from this:
-->'''Riley:''' You know, George, [[XCalledTheyWantTheirYBack the ocean called]]. They're running out of shrimp.\\
'''George:''' Oh yeah, Riley? Well, the ''jerk store'' called. They're running out of ''you''!\\
'''Riley:''' What's the difference? You're their all-time best seller!
** It gets better. He then [[LameComeback resorts to]] "...I had sex with your wife!" (on Kramer's advice) only to be informed that Riley's wife is in a coma. Then, at the very end of the episode, we see him driving back home, only to murmur "Well... [[BlackComedy the life support machine called...]]" and triumphantly turn the car back around again. Keep in mind that he is back in New York at this point, meaning he's turning his car around ''to fly back to Ohio'' just to deliver this comeback.
* Lisa obsessed over delivering a comeback to Dave in an episode of ''{{Series/NewsRadio}}''. Naturally, when she finally got a chance to deliver it, the response was [[LameComeback underwhelming]], to say the least.
* In the UK hospital comedy ''Series/GreenWing'', loser Statham makes an ill-fated attempt to provide a witty comeback to Mac just after Mac has walked out of shot
-->'''Statham:''' Stop right there. Come back here.\\
'''Mac:''' Stop right there, come back here, which?\\
'''Statham:''' Can I say one thing? I don't know what you're talking about, and always check your facts. Good day.\\
'''Mac:''' That's two things. Three, if you count the valedictory flourish.

* Used by Sheldon a couple times on ''Series/TheBigBangTheory''.
* An episode of ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' guest-hosted by [[Series/NorthernExposure Rob Morrow]] had Morrow's character in a commercial for a time-travel machine, so you could go back in time to say the thing you later thought to say.
* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' - "I stayed up all night thinking of comebacks, and comebacks to her potential comebacks. I'm gonna show her I'm ''not'' obsessed with this."
* ''{{Series/House}}'' has this gem, ending with a blank stare that truly makes the moment:

* Prince George in ''Series/{{Blackadder}} the Third'', leading to the page quote. Then again, the witty comeback that took him all night to think of was "[[LameComeback Oh, bugger off, you old fart!]]"

[[folder: Magazines]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''
** From Calvin in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1994/02/08 this strip:]]
--->'''Calvin:''' Oh yeah? Oh ''yeah??'' Well, remember what you said, because in a day or two, I'll have a witty and blistering retort! You'll be devastated ''then'', I promise!
** Lampshaded by Calvin in [[http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1992/03/24 this]] strip:
--->'''Moe:''' Wimp!\\
'''Calvin:''' ''OH... OH YEAH??''\\
''(BeatPanel)''\\
'''Calvin:''' What ''really'' bugs me is knowing I'll probably come up with a much sharper retort sometime tonight.
* One ''{{ComicStrip/Zits}}'' comic had the mom telling the boys that watching too much TV would dull their minds. Two beats later, the son goes "Oh yeah?" to which his friend mutters "Man, [[IResembleThatRemark don't make her more right than she already is]]."
* In a ''{{ComicStrip/Garfield}}'' strip, Jon asks a woman out, who says, that she would rather go out with camel spittle. Hours later, when he's already gone to bed...
-->'''Jon:''' "But what if your brother already has plans?" That's what I should have said!\\
'''[[CatsAreSnarkers Garfield]]:''' Ol' Lightning Wit strikes again.
* Invoked in ''{{ComicStrip/Dilbert}}''. Dilbert tells Dogbert about a relative of his who was a marine biologist, famous for his work with sea anemones. Sadly, he was unpopular with his peers. Dogbert intentionally leaves the room before shouting his comeback, to avoid [[LamePunReaction getting smacked]].
-->'''Dogbert:''' With anemones like that, who needs friends?

[[folder: Radio]]
* A variation from the legendary Fred Allen/Jack Benny feud: Allen once told Benny, "You couldn't ad-lib a belch at a Hungarian dinner." Benny's reply: "[[IResembleThatRemark You wouldn't dare talk to me that way if my writers were here!]]"
* Not an insult, but in one episode of ''Radio/ImSorryIHaventAClue'', Humph mentioned that an interviewer said he was an "[[{{Malaproper}} orthinologist]]". He was on the way home before it occurred to him that the correct reply was "Not so much an orthinologist as a word-botcher".
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Stand Up Comedy]]

[[folder: Web Comics]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

'''George:''' Oh yeah, Riley? Well, the jerk store called. They're running out of you!\\

** It gets better. He then [[LameComeback resorts to]] "...I had sex with your wife!" only to be informed that Riley's wife is in a coma. Then, at the very end of the episode, we see him driving back home, only to murmur "Well... [[BlackComedy the life support machine called...]]" and triumphantly turn the car back around again.

[[quoteright:313:[[Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/WonderexiA_7864.png]]]]

** Whenever this happens to Homer Simpson, when he tells the story later, he has himself actually saying the thing he should have said.
---> "I AM NOT SLOW!"\\\
"Shut up, Becky!"

'''Bob:''' Wait a minute, that's no good. ''(leaves, groaning in frustration, only to return a moment later)'' Wait! I've got one now! Marge, say "Stay away from my son" again!\\

* In ''Webcomic/TheFrumps'', Lance tries some [[http://www.thefrumps.com/comic/2013/03/14/smack-talk smack talk]] he learned from the film White Men Can't Jump.