History Main / HumanityOnTrial

-->--'''[[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Q]]''', ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', "Encounter at Farpoint"

*** Their reasons for blaming him for Krypton's destruction aren't even fair. The entire population of Krypton was genetically bonded to the planet, thus they were unable to leave their homeworld as doing so would have resulted in their deaths. The judges only blamed Superman because one of his ''ancestors'' was responsible for the genetic bonding.

** If nearly destroying ourselves is "small", then ''what do they consider large?''
*** Creating an intelligent race and then genociding it because it isn't warlike enough.

** ''Literature/HaveSpacesuitWillTravel'' included one of these at the climax. We got to see what they did to those found guilty - their planet was removed from this universe, ''without'' its sun. The tribunal also admits that the point is to neutralize species that might become a threat to galactic society instead of "justice". In a twist, the protagonist saves humanity by (among other things) ''threatening'' the tribunal with revenge should they take action against Earth.

* Subverted in John Galt's speech in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged''. Galt puts the society's morality on trial, not humanity. "It is not man who is now on trial and it is not human nature that will take the blame. It is your moral code that's through this time."

* Following the end of the Sin War, the Angiris Council of the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' universe held a vote on whether or not to destroy Sanctuary and humanity. Imperius, Archangel of Valor and {{Jerkass}} extraordinaire, was the biggest proponent for humanity's annihilation, as they were the offspring of angels and the demons he despises. Malthael, the Archangel of Wisdom, was not there for the vote due to Worldstone-related things, but his vote was counted against humanity. Auriel, Archangel of Hope, and Itherael, Archangel of Fate, voted for humanity, but the deciding vote, the one that spared humanity from extinction, was cast by Tyrael, the Archangel of Justice and one of the only angels who actually gives a damn about the people of Sanctuary.

** Or in clinical study terms. [[spoiler: They involve themselves in the test, purposely rig the samples, interfere in the experiment, and try to destroy the results when they don't turn out they way they want it to.]] If you tried to pull even a forth of this stuff in a college lab course you would fail the class.

* The kids' novel series MyTeacherIsAnAlien by Creator/BruceCoville had the ultimate origin of the alien teachers as a Federation-esque organization who was testing Earth. They had to decide what to do about Earth: welcome us, blockade us, conquer us or destroy us...

* In the manga ''Read or Dream'' the paper sisters are put to the test of selecting a book from their (considerable) collection that can demonstrate to the alien creators of Earth that their real estate is being put to good use. While 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' and 'The Complete Pictography of Cute Puppies' fail to sway the alien judge, a timely rant on the unfairness of such a judgment by Anita fortunately does.

* In the Fimbulwinter Game from ''The Barsoom Project'', the adventurers are put on trial for humanity's sins ''by'' humanity's sins, in the form of nasty insect-like holographic vermin.

* This happens in an episode of ''Wonder Woman'' where the titular character must prove that the human race is capable of more than just hate and destruction, which really seems hypocritical--the alien race is going to destroy the entire human race because it can't seem to get along part of the time?

* Orochi's reason for resetting existence in ''The King of Fighters'' was that humanity was corrupt and damaging to the Earth, but after getting the tar beaten out of him he decided to give humanity an extension.

* Spoofed in [[http://www.somethinghappens.net/d/20060518.html this strip]] from ''Something Happens.''

* The [[StargateAtlantis Atlantis]] expedition (represented by Sheppard's team and Mr. Woolsey) are put on trial by a tribunal representing humans in the Pegasus Galaxy. To be fair, the expedition did screw up pretty badly (they woke up the Wraith, [[CreateYourOwnVillain created Michael]], helped develop the Hoffan drug that Michael uses to attack humans, and changed the Replicator base code which motivated them to start attacking humans in order to fight the Wraith) but, as Sheppard points out, the Atlantis team are the only ones fighting against those threats, trying to protect the humans of Pegasus.

* Thoroughly subverted in one ''TwilightZone'' episode. An alien race, claiming to have created us, announces that they're disappointed by our "small talent for war" and intend to terminate the experiment. The nations of the world rush to sign a disarmament treaty in time to change the aliens' mind... which turns out to be exactly the wrong thing to do. The aliens were breeding warriors, and what disappointed them was our ''small'' talent for war.

Sometimes this will happen before humanity even ''knows'' said aliens exist and have yet to make first contact let alone any [[HanlonsRazor knowingly-hostile movements]] against them. Not that this helps. Arguing "We didn't know any better", even if true, will only be used as further proof of our inherent arrogance and selfishness. When presented this way, it seems the "crime" we are guilty of is simply existing in the same universe while [[CantArgueWithElves not being "civilized" enough]] for the alien's liking, and our lower-being status [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop should be self-evident]] to the audience.

* While not all of humanity, a god-like being known as the Ethereal judged Agrabah in Disney's series ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'' this way. It asked the rulers what made their civilization "great" and threatened to destroy it if they couldn't answer. It rejected every answer they gave and decided to commence with the destruction, until Princess Jasmine risked her life to save a citizen. It was then satisfied and decided that they learned the intended lesson: that the people were what made Agrabah great. The very same people it was [[BrokenAesop planning to mass murder]].

* Anime example: In ''SuperRobotWars Original Generation: Divine Wars'', the alien forces [[spoiler: are sufficiently impressed by the warlike nature and telepathic abilities of Earthlings that they put humanity to a test. This test is passed, and so they attempt to recruit and clone the best (available) human soldiers to act as shock troops in their military.]]
** To be honest, the Super Robot Wars series is filled with these. The [[SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Einst]], who are disturbed by how warlike the Earthlings are and seek to kill them all and replace them with a new species [[spoiler: with Kyosuke and Alfimi as its Adam and Eve]], and the [[SuperRobotWars3 Inspectors]], who also seek to destroy all Earthlings before they become too much of a threat. Of course, with the Inspectors there is a slight subversion: [[spoiler: It turns out their leader, Wendolo, is just a psychopathic murderer who wants to use the trope as an excuse to commit genocide.]]

* In ''HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'' and its American adaptation, ''Series/PowerRangersWildForce'', [=GaoGod=]/Animus (a sort of nature-god) puts the primary Rangers on trial for the environmental crimes of humanity and takes away their powers, forcing the SixthRanger to keep the peace all on his own.

Sometimes, it's stated that this is happening because we're on the brink of traveling out into space, or because we've just discovered nuclear power, but often the PowersThatBe have just decided it is time.

Sometimes this will happen before humanity even ''knows'' said aliens exist and have yet to make first contact let alone any [[HanlonsRazor knowingly-hostile movements]] against them. Arguing "We didn't know any better", even if true, will only be used as further proof of our inherent arrogance and selfishness. When presented this way, it seems the "crime" we are guilty of is simply existing in the same universe while [[CantArgueWithElves not being "civilized" enough]] for the alien's liking, and our lower-being status [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop should be self-evident]] to the audience.

* In ''Film/TheAbyss'', aliens with the ability to manipulate water considered washing humanity away for all its warmongery and cruelty. They even raised huge tsunami waves all around the globe ''and held them erect for a while'' just to make their point perfectly clear, but changed their minds when Bud willingly sacrificed himself on a one-way trip to the depths in order to save the aliens from a nuclear warhead sent down by an AxCrazy Marine. (It's debatable whether the nuke would have hurt them, but still...) They even saved Ed's life as a "thank you."

* In ''Film/TheAbyss'', aliens with the ability to manipulate water considered washing humanity away for all its warmongery and cruelty. They even raised huge tsunami waves all around the globe ''and held them erect for a while'' just to make their point perfectly clear, but changed their minds when Creator/EdHarris willingly sacrificed himself on a one-way trip to the depths in order to save the aliens from a nuclear warhead sent down by an AxCrazy Marine. (It's debatable whether the nuke would have hurt them, but still...) They even saved Ed's life as a "thank you."

* In TheAbyss, aliens with the ability to manipulate water considered washing humanity away for all its warmongery and cruelty. They even raised huge tsunami waves all around the globe ''and held them erect for a while'' just to make their point perfectly clear, but changed their minds when EdHarris willingly sacrificed himself on a one-way trip to the depths in order to save the aliens from a nuclear warhead sent down by an AxCrazy Marine. (It's debatable whether the nuke would have hurt them, but still...) They even saved Ed's life as a "thank you."

* ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' is another good example of this. [[spoiler: If you screw up, humanity loses its free will. If you really screw up, humanity is left in the ruins of its world with demons running everywhere. An unusual example in that the trial is also largely justified, given that humans not only struck first (and intentionally) but are risking [[DivideByZero taking down their own universe]] in the process.]]

* In TheBible, {{God}} effectively puts all of humanity, present and future (except Jesus), on trial in Genesis after the original sin, finds us guilty, and sentences us to death. However, he also makes plans to pardon us, as long as certain conditions are met, and allows hundreds of years pass by in order for humans to accept or reject that pardon.