History Main / ImprovisedCross

* In the ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' film ''Operation Getafix'', there is a scene where the Soothsayer goes into a house where the Gauls are gathered. Not knowing who he is, Unhygenix the fishmonger makes a cross using two fish.

* In TanzDerVampire, after Alfred fails to scare off Count von Krolock with a huge candlestick, Abronsius quickly grabs a second one to form a cross with the first. It effectively scares off the vampires to the point that one of them is usually fainting.

** In one eighties issue, Nightcrawler and Wolverine are fighting Dracula. Wolverine crosses his claws to make a cross and Dracula tells him that in order for that to work on him you have to believe. Nightcrawler, a devout catholic, holds up two pieces of wood in a cross-shape and Dracula recoils. Look at it [[http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/scans10/UX159_Cross2.jpg here]].

** In one eighties issue, Nightcrawler and Wolverine are fighting Dracula. Wolverine crosses his claws to make a cross and Dracula tells him that in order for that to work on him you have to believe. Nightcrawler holds up two pieces of wood in a cross-shape and tells Dracula "I believe!" and Dracula recoils. Look at it [[http://www.supermegamonkey.net/chronocomic/entries/scans10/UX159_Cross2.jpg here]].

* During a WWECW house show close after both of their debuts, wrestling/CMPunk held Kevin Thorne at bay during their match with his two index fingers held in the shape of a cross. Thorne had to beg the referee to get Punk to stop it.

** In the first ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'' film, Jacob fights vampires with a pump-action shotgun that he cocks with a baseball bat on its loop-grip, forming a cross. The wide usage of this Trope on Film/HammerHorror films ("Creator/PeterCushing did it all the time!") gets a LampshadeHanging on a previous scene, setting up the ChekhovsGun.

* ''ComicBook/FiendsOfTheEasternFront'': Hans uses two pieces of wood to make a makeshift cross to prevent the vampires for killing a Russian soldier.

!!Examples

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Film}} - Animated]]
* In the ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' film ''Operation Getafix'', there is a scene where the Soothsayer goes into a house where the Gauls are gathered. Not knowing who he is, Unhygenix the fishmonger makes a cross using two fish.

[[AC:{{Film}} - Live Action]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTelevision]]

[[AC: NewspaperComics]]
* ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy'': In a story arc from 2002, Bucky crawls into the air conditioning vent and can't get himself out, so he starts demanding Satchel to help him out; at first, Satchel assumes the voice he's hearing is God, since it came from above, but when Bucky says it's not God, Satchel then assumes it's Satan, then tries to rebuke him by holding two pencils in the shape of a cross.

[[AC:StandUpComedy]]
* One of Creator/EddieIzzard's early stand-up routines has him discussing whether or not a finger-cross would ward off a vampire, which would essentially make Dracula more of an annoyance that a terrifying monster. Also, if your crucifix has been broken and looks more like a T-sign, can you still use it to ward a vampire by holding it with your thumb stuck above it?

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

%%[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
%%* [[http://static.notfunny.com/toondb/120503.html This]] ''{{Webcomic/Nichtlustig}}'' comic on why vampires are bad at maths.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit'', during the were-rabbit's first rampage, he takes vegetables from the vicar's garden. The vicar tries to fend it off by forming a cross with two cucumbers, but the were-rabbit just eats them. Amusingly, the vicar is shown reaching past an actual cross in order to grab the cucumbers.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/XMen http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/improvised_cross.jpg]]]]

* HammerHorror films:

** In the first ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'' film, Jacob fights vampires with a pump-action shotgun that he cocks with a baseball bat on its loop-grip, forming a cross. The wide usage of this Trope on HammerHorror films ("Creator/PeterCushing did it all the time!") gets a LampshadeHanging on a previous scene, setting up the ChekhovsGun.

** In the first ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'' film, Jacob fights vampires with a pump-action shotgun that he cocks with a baseball bat on its loop-grip, forming a cross.

* During the climactic confrontation in ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'', Van Helsing keeps Dracula at distance by putting two candlesticks together.

* HammerHorror films:
** ''Film/TheBridesOfDracula'' (1960): Van Helsing's manipulation of the burning windmill's blades.
** ''Film/TheKissOfTheVampire'' (1963): the blood-smeared cross on Gerald Harcourt's chest.
** ''Film/TheVampireLovers'' (1970): Carl Ebhardt's cruciform dagger.

* ''ComicStrip/GetFuzzy''
** In a story arc from 2002, Bucky crawls into the air conditioning vent and can't get himself out, so he starts demanding Satchel to help him out; at first, Satchel assumes the voice he's hearing is God, since it came from above, but when Bucky says it's not God, Satchel then assumes it's Satan, then tries to rebuke him by holding two pencils in the shape of a cross.
** Averted in a much earlier strip from 1999, in which Satchel completes his wood project, which seems to bear resemblance to a cross of some kind, even Rob remarks that he didn't know Satchel was religious.
-->'''Satchel:''' What does making a spice rack have to do with me being religious?
-->'''Rob:''' Oh! Um. No reason.

* Weaponized in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'', where the vampires have built up an immunity to all the traditional vampire repellents including garlic and holy symbols (crosses are not mentioned, but there are so many religions on the Disc there's probably one or two). This backfires spectacularly when [[spoiler:Granny gets in their heads causes them to recognize the shapes of the symbols everywhere, paralyzing them]].

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* [[http://static.notfunny.com/toondb/120503.html This]] ''{{Webcomic/Nichtlustig}}'' comic on why vampires are bad at maths.

* In ''Film/ModernProblems'' (1981), Max starts using his telekinetic powers at the beach house dinner table. The voodoo-practicing maid, Dorita, enters the dining room at this point with a dish of corn. When she becomes aware of what's happening, she quickly fashions a cross out of two ears of corn and gets out of there.

* In the intro of ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'', Kabbage Boy's drummer attempts to ward off Ormagöden by crossing his drum sticks in front of him. Needless to say, it doesn't work, and the Fire Beast promptly crushes him with its fist.

* Weaponized in ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum'', where the Genre Savvy vampires have built up an immunity to all the traditional vampire repellents including garlic and holy symbols (crosses are not mentioned, but there are so many religions on the Disc there's probably one or two). This backfires spectacularly when [[spoiler:Granny gets in their heads causes them to recognize the shapes of the symbols everywhere, paralyzing them]].

* ''ComicBooks/UncannyXMen''

** In ''Film/FromDuskTillDawnTexasBloodMoney'', a vampire displays an aversion to the perpendicular lines of a vault door's hand wheel and later on a vampire attack is halted by closing the backdoors of an ambulance, which have the standard hospital red cross on them.

* ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn''
** In the first film, Jacob fights vampires with a pump-action shotgun that he cocks with a baseball bat on its loop-grip, forming a cross.
** In ''Texas Blood Money'', a vampire displays an aversion to the perpendicular lines of a vault door's hand wheel and later on a vampire attack is halted by closing the backdoors of an ambulance, which have the standard hospital red cross on them.

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