History Main / CriminallyAttractive

* In the X-Men story "Kill or Cure," Mystique becomes an obsessive bunny-boiler and pursues Iceman relentlessly; when he refuses to join her in a suicide pact, she jumps off the San Francisco Bay Bridge (she survives).

Now and then a detective will be strongly attracted to someone connected with a crime. She (it's usually a woman) may at some point in the episode become the Main/DistressedDamsel, but if not, she's either the perp or will be suspected of being the perp. If she did it, the detective will be reluctant to believe that she's capable of such a thing until the evidence is completely damning; if she's a Main/RedHerring, the detective will confront her prematurely and lose any chance of a romance with her. Sometimes overlaps with Main/FemmeFatale, but more often there is no InternalReveal of her true nature, she's perfectly nice and sweet until she turns around and holds the detective at gunpoint.

* In the X-Men story "Kill or Cure",Mystique becomes an obsessive bunny-boiler and pursues Iceman relentlessly; when he refuses to join her in a suicide pact, she jumps off the San Francisco Bay Bridge (she survives).

-->-- ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon''

* The ur-example is probably ''Film/TheMalteseFalcon'' and the ending scene where the Main/FemmeFatale being led away in handcuffs while saying she really loves the detective is often in these examples via PopculturalOsmosis.

* The (double) crux of the backstory in ''Film/TheThreeMusketeers1993'' - Athos (Kiefer Sutherland) married the former Lady de Winter, only to turn her over to the authorities when realizing she'd been condemned for murder - then realizing she probably HAD been innocent - but was, by the time he met her again, guilty of far worse things. [[spoiler:And right after they sorted things out, she DIED. On purpose. To avoid being executed.]]

* The backstory to The Three Musketeers has Athos realizing his wife was a criminal and trying to kill her. In the present, D'Artagnan sleeps with Athos' ex-wife unaware of her true identity. She's a murderer and the villainness, so in the end, [[spoiler: the musketeers murder her]]. Yeah, it was a different time.

Frequently turns up in the first episode/book of a series, with the implication that the detective's sense of betrayal or loss is what hardens him and forms him into the character we come to know. (Details vary: he might become a commitment-phobic womanizer, a [[CelibateHero celibate]] justice machine, a StrawMisogynist, or just an all-around [[DeadpanSnarker cynic]], but in any case it's all because of ''her''.)

Frequently turns up in the first episode/book of a series, with the implication that the detective's sense of betrayal or loss is what hardens him and forms him into the character we come to know. (Details vary: he might become a commitment-phobic womanizer, a [[CelibateHero celibate]] justice machine, or just an all-around [[DeadpanSnarker cynic]], but in any case it's all because of ''her''.)

** This happens a lot with one-shot relationships for Batman. If Bruce Wayne is dating someone who isn't a main character, and it seems serious, she's either a villain or she's going to get [[WomenInRefrigerators fridged.]] The villain from ''Gotham After Midnight'' actually made herself a potential victim, seduced Batman, and then fake-fridged herself.

** This happens a lot with one-shot relationships for Batman. If Bruce Wayne is dating someone who isn't a main character, and it seems serious, she's either a villain or she's going to get [[WomenInRefrigerators fridged.]] The villain from ''Gotham After Midnight'' was actually GenreSavvy enough to make herself a potential victim, seduce Batman, and then fake-fridge herself.

* Franchise/{{Batman}} repeatedly falls for [[DatingCatwoman Catwoman]]. And he's with Talia, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. It's pretty obvious it's not going to work out.

* Leo falls for Karai in "WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 despite her relationship to the Shredder.

* In "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes," the pilot to ''MurderSheWrote'', Jessica's publisher romances her as she investigates a murder committed at his house. He did it, of course. Her disappointment and moral outrage when she confronts him are a wonder to behold.

* Ava Lord from SinCity does this to a cop and a PI in ''A Dame To Kill For'' in order to manipulate them.

* ''OutlawStar'' had one TearJerker of an example, which is impressive, since it was also a PuppyLove. A girl Jim meets and falls for turns out to be the pilot of the ship sent to kill them - but neither ever realizes the other's identity, and both go into combat looking forward to their date. After the fight, Jim doesn't know why she didn't come...

* [[spoiler: Lyle "Lockon Stratos" Dylandy and Anew Returner]] in ''{{Gundam 00}}''.

* ''BasicInstinct'' is all about this trope.
* The Al Pacino/Ellen Barkin film, 'SeaOfLove', is of the falsely accused variety.

* Famously, in ''I, the Jury'' MikeHammer ends up [[spoiler:revenge-killing]] the ([[spoiler:very guilty]]) woman he was all ready to settle down with. This is probably the case that turned him from an ordinary PrivateDetective into the dispenser of brutal justice we all know and love.

* A [[GrayAndGreyMorality slightly weird]] GenderFlip in ''DarkerThanBlack'': HeroAntagonist police chief Kirihara falls for [[AntiHero Hei]] in his NiceGuy civilian persona, not realizing that "Li" is actually the superpowered assassin she's been chasing. However, she probably ''should'' have, seeing as she connected the two in episode 18 and got quite a few hints later during the most-of-a-day they were [[ShipTease hanging out together]]. [[spoiler:Since she did eventually figure it out, she probably realized it earlier but didn't want to acknowledge it.]]

* Happens to DI Robbie Ross in ''{{Taggart}}'' a lot.

** Averted in "Mr. Monk and the Blackout"; Monk goes on a date with a woman who works at the power plant where the blackout started, but she's never a suspect, though she does give him a clue to the criminal's identity.

Now and then a detective will be strongly attracted to someone connected with a crime. She (it's usually a woman) may at some point in the episode become the Main/DistressedDamsel, but if not, she's either the perp or will be suspected of being the perp. If she did it, the detective will be reluctant to believe that she's capable of such a thing until the evidence is completely damning; if she's a Main/RedHerring, the detective will confront her prematurely and lose any chance of a romance with her. Sometimes overlaps with Main/FemmeFatale, but more often she's perfectly nice and sweet until she turns around and holds the detective at gunpoint.

* Happens to Danny Reyes of ''{{Shark}}'' towards the end of the second season.

* Max Payne in ''MaxPayne2'' got involved with [[ProfessionalKiller hired assassin]] Mona Sax, who was suspected of gunning down a senator. She proved to be innocent of the crime, but that didn't stop another police detective [[spoiler: with a romantic relationship with the Main/BigBad]] from pursuing her relentlessly and eventually [[spoiler: trying to kill both her and Max]]. She proved to be a very capable ally of Max during the game, and the player actually plays as her at certain points in the game. [[spoiler: She doesn't survive the game in the end on the easier difficulty levels, however]].

* A non-detective example, arguably, is ''Film/CasinoRoyale''.

* Lady Heather's second appearance on ''Series/{{CSI}}''. Unusual in that it doesn't become clear she's a suspect until ''after'' Grissom has apparently spent the night with her. Doesn't matter, though, as Heather's something of an absolutist and views the fact that he could suspect her at all, no matter what the justification, as a betrayal. (By the way, am I the only one who thinks "Heather" is a silly name for a dominatrix?)
** 'Lady Heather' is an [[RealityIsUnrealistic entirely normal]] name for a real world dominatrix.

* {{Batman}} repeatedly falls for [[DatingCatwoman Catwoman]]. And he's with Talia, the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. It's pretty obvious it's not going to work out.