History Main / IndyPloy

* This is generally the M.O. of just about every comic book superhero since supervillains have a tendency to attack without warning at any time. But while most of them do at least fight according to plans thought out in training or, on the rare occasion, when they're the ones tracking a bad guy instead of the other way around, Franchise/TheAvengers change their line-up so frequently that they can't even plan for their own team, let alone whatever they're up against. Winging it is what they do best.

* Franchise/{{Batman}}, despite his reputation for [[CrazyPrepared intense planning]], actually owes most of his victories to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis noticing every detail of his situation]] and then making a plan to take advantage of it on the spot.
* In comparison to [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]]' CrazyPrepared-ness, ComicBook/BuckyBarnes, after assuming the mantle of Captain America showed off his tactical sensibilities through his extensive reliance on plans made on the fly.
* Crazy comic book AntiHero ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} has twice bested Taskmaster, a character capable of beating some of the very best superheroes (the low-to-mid-level ones, anyway -- little chance of him taking down Thor or Ms. Marvel, for example, except by planning) by being able to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis perfectly mimic and therefore predict]] their fighting styles. The reason he was defeated by Deadpool, it is revealed, is that Deadpool, being [[AxCrazy almost as crazy as The Joker]], literally makes up everything he does as he goes along, making him completely unpredictable.
** The instance where he took ComicBook/{{Taskmaster}} off guard by suddenly stopping in the middle of their fight and going into a breakdancing routine is a sterling example of Deadpool's M.O.
** This was also used in the DC Universe, when ComicBook/{{Batgirl|2000}}'s (Cassandra Cain) body language reading skills were foiled by ComicBook/TheJoker's randomness. Cassandra triumphs after Oracle explains that the Joker's body language is "gibberish".

* Usually ComicBook/{{Diabolik}} relies on careful planning and being so CrazyPrepared and ProperlyParanoid to make ''Batman'' seem unprepared. Yet, once in a while even ''he'' gets caught with his pants down, and has to improvise. But if you're in his way you're better pray he ''did'' plan for whatever you have, because his Indy Ploys tend to involve more murder than usual-and this is a guy whose escape plan once involved ''luring the police in an area that automatically filled with DeadlyGas''.
* ComicBook/DoctorStrange frequently goes to cases without much preparation, expecting that he'll be quick-witted enough (or have the right amulet, or know the right spell) to deal with the situation as it develops. Then again, the nature of the foes he goes up against means situations develope too fast for plans to be laid, and he has decades of intense sorcery training to pull strategies from.
* ''ComicBook/DungeonsAndDragons'' Despite being the group's Fighter, this is basically Adric's primary skill for the series. The rest of the group is fully aware that he effectively makes his plans up as he goes, but they're actually all okay with that.

* Reed Richards of the ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' can afford to use this as his modus operandi, since he's smart enough to pull a master plan that would take anyone else days to draw up out of his ass at random, or cobble together an interdimensional continuity de-snarler out of a handful of kitchen utensils.
* ''Franchise/GreenLantern'': Sinestro cites this as the key reason he can never beat Hal Jordan (as much as he hates to admit it):

* Hawk, of the duo ''ComicBook/HawkAndDove'', reportedly has unpredictability as a superpower. Despite some rather basic tactics (find the toughest guy in a group and attack him head-on), all mystical and mundane attempts to predict his actions automatically fail.
* ComicBook/JonahHex is a master of coming up with plans on the fly. Given he frequently doesn't know where his enemies are, or their numbers, or sometimes even ''who'' they are, this is kind of a necessity. His philosophy is perhaps best summed up by a pair of quotes from ''Hex'' #12:

* ComicBook/NikolaiDante is shown to pull this off all the time. [[UpperClassTwit Flintlock]] reckons that his tactics involve hurling himself in front of increasing numbers of enemy guns.
* In ''ComicStrip/SnarfQuest'', Larry Elmore plotted out the next step and place for the characters to be, then threw it out and literally made up the craziest possible way to get there from the last stopping place. Best Example: ''"You Shot My Tower!!"'' Snarf DID.
* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man does this every now and again, often against enemies that outclass him in terms of power. One notable instance in ''[[ComicBook/TheSpectacularSpiderMan Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man]] #55 involved him defeating Nitro by luring him into a chemical warehouse full of tear gas and webbing a tank of it to Nitro's body. When Nitro exploded, he vaporized the tear gas, which then mixed with his gaseous form and left him too sick to stand up, much less explode again, when he reformed. It's even {{Lampshaded}} by Spider-Man when he realized he had all of five seconds to stop Nitro before the villain exploded again.
* Parodied in the ''Republic'' series of ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' comics, where [[LoveableRogue scoundrel]] Vilmarh Grahrk paraphrases Indy: [[http://www.darkhorse.com/reviews/previews.php?theid=10-455&p=1 "I don't know! Am making this up as I go!"]].

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man does this every now and again, often against enemies that outclass him in terms of power. One notable instance in ''[[ComicBook/TheSpectacularSpiderMan Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man]] #55 involved him defeating Nitro by luring him into a chemical warehouse full of tear gas and webbing a tank of it to Nitro's body. When Nitro exploded, he vaporized the tear gas, which then mixed with his gaseous form and left him too sick to stand up, much less explode again, when he reformed. It's even {{Lampshaded}} by Spider-Man when he realized he had all of five seconds to stop Nitro before the villain exploded again. %%(yes, [[ComicBook/CivilWar that Nitro]])%%

*** The heroes end up doing this quite a bit; an early prison break is made with an outline of a plan, but circumstances force them to quickly improvise its implementation on short notice.

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': Spider-Man does this every now and again, often against enemies that outclass him in terms of power. One notable instance in ''[[ComicBook/TheSpectacularSpiderMan Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man]] #55 involved him defeating Nitro (yes, [[ComicBook/CivilWar that Nitro]]) by luring him into a chemical warehouse full of tear gas and webbing a tank of it to Nitro's body. When Nitro exploded, he vaporized the tear gas, which then mixed with his gaseous form and left him too sick to stand up, much less explode again, when he reformed. It's even {{Lampshaded}} by Spider-Man when he realized he had all of five seconds to stop Nitro before the villain exploded again.

* In ''Film/SonicTheHedgehog2'', Sonic shows he's prone to last minute improvisations that he only pulls through for having SuperSpeed (like dismantling an armored car without brakes so it falls apart instead of running over pedestrians). Once the PowerTrio with Tails and Knuckles gets together to go against the [[HumongousMecha Giant Eggman Robot]], Sonic makes sure to point out he's going in without a plan:

* Franchise/SpiderMan does this every now and again, often against enemies that outclass him in terms of power. One notable instance involved him defeating Nitro (yes, [[ComicBook/CivilWar that Nitro]]) by luring him into a chemical warehouse full of tear gas and webbing a tank of it to Nitro's body. When Nitro exploded, he vaporized the tear gas, which then mixed with his gaseous form and left him too sick to stand up, much less explode again, when he reformed. It's even {{Lampshaded}} by Spider-Man when he realized he had all of five seconds to stop Nitro before the villain exploded again.

Named after Franchise/IndianaJones, who has had to make more unplanned heroics than most of us have had hot dinners.

* In the ''Film/{{Mission Impossible|FilmSeries}}'' films, whenever something goes awry with a plan, the improvisation is usually high in ShockingMoments. ''Film/MissionImpossibleFallout'' downright has "I'll figure it out"/"I'm working on it" as Ethan Hunt's CatchPhrase.

* Hannibal "I love it when a plan comes together" Smith on ''Series/TheATeam''.

** Renji has shown shades of this on occasion with varying degrees of success.

* Done by Gabe Logan in ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter2'' in the first level, nearly word for word.

* In the manga ''Manga/BattleRoyale'', Shuuya has an admirable tendency to jump into a conflict to help the underdog. The problem is that he never thinks about what he'll do after he becomes part of it. He usually reveals his Indy Ploy after the conflict is already resolved and the other person asks what he was thinking. A lot of the time, it turns out that his plan was no more elaborate than 'jump in and hope for the best.'

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'':

See also HowDidYouKnowIDidnt and IHaveNoIdeaWhatImDoing. May involve HoldingTheFloor. Unrelated, despite the name, to the IndyEscape, which does involve a plan:''' RUN'''. Those who weaponize this may employ ConfusionFu. WritingByTheSeatOfYourPants is when the ''author'' does this.

* In ''Film/TheFugitive''. A character even notes this: that Richard Kimble is too smart for even the FBI to catch him, even though he's never been a criminal on the run before. [[TypeCasting Fittingly]], he's played by Creator/HarrisonFord.

** This was also used in the DC Universe, when [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl 2000}} Batgirl's]] (Cassandra Cain) body language reading skills were foiled by ComicBook/TheJoker's randomness. Cassandra triumphs after Oracle explains that the Joker's body language is "gibberish".

* ''FanFic/ShinjiAndWarhammer40K'': How [[GodEmperor God-Emperor]] [[MindScrew Shinji Ikari]] handles combat with the Angels. On at least two occasions he successfully stabs them with their own ripped-out teeth.

* Takato from the ''FanFic/TamersForeverSeries'' is ''exceptionally'' good at this, to the point where it crosses the line into XanatosSpeedChess territory.

** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'':

** Apparently Anakin Skywalker programmed his translator droid to do this. When the rebels are captured on Endor and are about to be eaten by the Ewoks. The only one not tied up is C-3PO (since he can't be eaten). Cue Han telling him to "Do something!". C-3PO improvises a {{God Guise}} in order to save his frinds.

* Kim, the main protagonist if the {{Literature/Slingshot}} series is arguably this, though part of it is the reader not being privy to all of her thoughts. It is strongly implied that a lot of her actions are in-the-moment, and any planning that happens is done in her subconscious. By contrast, her friend Toshi tends to plan things in high detail -- or at least he likes to have the maximum amount of data about a situation before going into action.

* Tidus from ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX'' lives by this, and gets the entire party to go along with it near the end.
* Snow Villiers in ''Videogame/FinalFantasyXIII'' wholly embraces the make-it-up-as-you-go, WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer style of heroism. It [[BigDamnHeroes works]] sometimes; sometimes [[NiceJobBreakingItHero not so much]].

* Selphie Tilmitt in ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVIII'' pulls a mean Indy Ploy, as she proves when she leads the mission to the Galbadian missile base. She has nothing but a stolen military vehicle and some spare uniforms she happened to find in it, and no plan at all beyond "go in, break everything we can, and blow the sucker sky-high" -- and she does.
* And as a villainous Franchise/FinalFantasy example we have Kefka Palazzo of ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVI''. His long-term goal: Amass power and abuse it. Stuff he did simply because the opportunity presented itself: Almost everything else... This could be attributed to him being so AxCrazy that his mind cannot formulate detailed plans. Whichever the case, it all worked out pretty friggin' well for him. To the great misfortune of the ones whose lives were ruined, lost, or both.

* From ''Videogame/{{Starcraft}}'', we have Commander Jim Raynor. Despite the fact that he's well respected by Terran and Protoss alike for his sound tactical mind, he never really plans anything in advance: he just makes it up as he goes along.

* The characters in ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'' video game series by Telltale generally come up with things on the fly. Most of the time, they'll ''have'' a plan, but it always gets thwarted, either by walkers overwhelming them or somebody deciding to act at ''just'' the wrong moment. Season 1 has the group plan to get a boat and head out to sea, but beyond that, they wing it. Season 2 deconstructs it when Kenny suggests that they'll improvise their plan on how to escape from Carver's camp, only to be admonished by Mike, who says, "You can't plan to improvise."

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS7E7Attached Attached]]", Picard and Crusher are psychically linked and on the run from the aliens du jour, and so she's able to call him on pretending to know where they're going; he claims that it's important for TheGoodCaptain to sometimes project the image of understanding and confidence in dangerous situations.
** One of the reasons ''Franchise/StarTrek'' is so popular is because even the smart characters have no qualm with junking the manual and making it up as they go. Both Kirk and Picard were masters of making stuff up and making it look good. Closely followed by Spock and Riker. Even [=McCoy=] got in on it during "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E1AmokTime Amok Time]]" -- within ten minutes of the revelation that Kirk and Spock were supposed to fight each other to the death, he's come up with a plan to thwart it.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "[[Recap/StarTrekVoyagerS2E26S3E1Basics Basics]]", Voyager has been seized by the Kazon and Tom Paris (who was away in a shuttle at the time) is trying to convince some aliens to help take it back. They're reluctant, so Tom gives a BadassBoast that he knows Voyager inside-and-out, and has a cunning plan to boot. The aliens promise to rendezvous with Tom in an hour. After they've broken the connection, Tom says, "Well that gives me an hour to think of a plan!"
** And he does. And it works.[[note]]Though partly due to luck; the Doctor, a key piece of the plan, was taken offline, but the Kazon had missed one of the Voyager crew who was able to carry out the inside part of the plan.[[/note]]

** His fight with Eneru may also qualify. With his "Mantra", Eneru is able to predict and counter all of Luffy's moves, so he just [[ConfusionFu starts making up moves on the spot]] in an effort to get around it.
** Two particularly interesting tactics of his; first, to allow himself to go into a daze and let instinct keep him from getting hit (didn't work because he couldn't attack without breaking the trance) and throwing his fists against the wall (they're made of rubber) to let them ricochet unpredictably.

** First, Benedict had been the first Pope to resign in nearly 600 years so the Vatican had to determine his status after he left office, along with his title, manner of dress, whether he would have duties of any sort, and where he would reside. A larger concern was the possibility of disagreement between Benedict and whoever his successor was and the church splitting into rival camps.
*** Benedict for his part tried to assaguage these concerns by saying he'd just go off into retirement and publically making a vow of obedience to the new Pope. He also announced that he would become Pope Emeritus, wear a modified form of vestments, and not hold any sort of office or have official duties. In later years he asked to be called Father Benedict in conversations.
** As Benedict's health worsened towards the end of 2022 church officials found themselves wondering how they would proceed when Benedict died as there was no modern precedent for a funeral of a retired Pope. While there are elaborate rituals surrounding the death and funeral of a Pope, those are largely for Popes who die while in office so when Benedict died on December 31 the church found itself having to make it up as they go when it came to Benedict's funeral. While there will be some elements of Papal funerals including in the services, it is expected that the funeral will be "simple" in keeping with Benedict's wishes with only Germany and Italy being invited to send official delegations.[[note]] Other world leaders have been advised they can attend the funeral in a private capacity.[[/note]]

* The Roman Catholic Church has had to make use of a fair number of Indy ploys since the [[AbdicateTheThrone resignation]] of [[UsefulNotes/ThePope Pope]] Benedict XVI in February, 2013.
** First, Benedict had been the first Pope to resign in nearly 600 years so the Vatican had to determine his status after he left office, along with his title, manner of dress, whether he would have duties of any sort, and where he would reside. More concerningly was the possibility of disagreement between Benedict and whoever his successor was and the church splitting into rival camps. [[note]]Benedict for his part tried to assaguage these concerns by saying he'd just go off into retirement.[[/note]]
** As Benedict's health worsened towards the end of 2022 church officials found themselves wondering how they would proceed when Benedict did die as there was no modern precedent for a funeral of a retired Pope. While there are elaborate rituals surrounding the death and funeral of a Pope, those largely were for a Pope who died while in office so when Benedict died on December 31 the church is having to make it up as they go when it comes to specific arrangements for Benedict.

* Dr. Kondraki of the ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' loves this. Some of the steps of his [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/duke-till-dawn plan to terminate SCP-083]] were "Wing It," "Make Something Up," "Cross That Bridge When I Come To It," and "Put My Head Between My Knees And Kiss My Ass Goodbye".