History Main / MamaBear

If an older sibling is the one who takes up the role, s/he is a case of BigBrotherInstinct / BigSisterInstinct. For a teacher who behaves like a Mama Bear if their students are threatened, see BadassTeacher.

*** ''Monster Manual''. When a pair of mated dragons had offspring, any attack on the young dragons caused the [[PapaWolf father]] and mother to attack the intruders with a ferocity bonus of +2 to hit and +1/+3 on clawing/biting damage.

*** Mayfair Games' Role Aids supplement ''Lizardmen''. When female lizardmen are guarding the eggs in the hatchling pool, they fight as level 3 fighters (instead of their normal level 1), a bonus given the by the lizardman deity Rega.
*** ''Magazine/{{Dungeon}}'' magazine #18 adventure "Crocodile Tears". A female wana (50 foot long crocodile) has buried its eggs underground and is resting nearby. If the {{PC}}s try to dig up the eggs she will attack them with great ferocity.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'' Organization Book ''The Circle and M.E.T.E.'', adventure "The Hatching". The M.E.T.E. (Metropolitan Extra Terrestrial Enclave) receives a large spherical object (called Case 39) that was found in a national park. The object eventually hatches out an alien BlobMonster which goes on a rampage. Three months later the alien's mother shows up and tries to rescue its child, and heaven help any superhero that gets in its way.

* ''TabletopGame/Varanae'' generic RPG supplement ''Monstrum 1''. Cerberus are a type of three-headed dogs. Parents will fight to the death to protect their young.

*** ''Magazine/{{Dungeon}}'' magazine #28 adventure "Pipes of Doom". The PlayerCharacters may encounter a family group of werewolves. If the {{PC}}s attack any of the young werewolves, their mother will attack them at +3 to hit and do maximum damage for each attack.
*** ''Magazine/{{Dungeon}}'' magazine #38 adventure "Things That Go Bump in the Night". The firbolg giantess Lieulg is very protective of her twin sons. If the {{PC}}s attack her sons in front of her she will become enraged and attack them with a +2 bonus on her "to hit" and damage rolls.

This trope is not about the [[UsefulNotes/MnogoNukesBombers Tu-95]] being your mother.

This trope is not about the [[UsefulNotes/MnogoNukesBombers Tu-95]] being your mother. Though that would be ''awesome'' since the Tu-95 is a bomber.

This trope is not about the [[UsefulNotes/MnogoNukesBombers Tu-95]] being your mother.

->'''Max:''' "What did you do?"
->'''Mary Jo Miller:''' "I... I'm not totally sure. When I try to remember, everything goes by too fast. I had it by the neck. It pulled Jenna toward its open mouth. I squeezed hard... pulled... The kids say I tore the thing's head off, just ripped it right out with all the flesh and muscle and whatever else hanging in tatters."

Heaven help you if an ActionMom or even a TeamMom invokes this trope. If you think a normal MamaBear is scary, hell hath no fury like a MotherlyScientist with access to OneManArmy levels of weaponry/technology/money/superpowers to protect her children. It can lead to a DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu moment.

Related to BewareTheNiceOnes and BerserkButton. See also the non-human counterpart, MonsterIsAMommy. Not to be confused with BearsAreBadNews (unless you're dealing with a ''literal'' MamaBear). The ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend is a much younger form of this trope that applies when the mate is in danger. Evil characters can use this too; after all, EvenEvilHasLovedOnes. A particular Subtrope is the BadassAndChildDuo which can take the form of a female badass protecting an orphaned, unrelated young child, [[PapaWolf though male badasses]] are also common. Also compare CubCuesProtectiveParent for examples from the animal kingdom.

Remember when adding examples that this is a female-only trope. The male equivalent is [[PapaWolf "Papa Wolves"]] so all {{Spear Counterpart}}s should be placed there. When MamaBear and PapaWolf team up, it's a BattleCouple and all pairs should be placed there. ParentsInDistress is the inversion, when Mama needs to be bailed out by the kids. If she has a Mama Bear of her own, it's a good idea to NeverMessWithGranny.

* ''ComicStrip/RoseIsRose'' played this trope completely straight with a Sunday strip, featuring Rose transformed into a "Mama Bear" to symbolize her overprotective nature before she meets Pasquale's new babysitter. However, Rose relaxes when she opens the door she finds that the prospective sitter is apparently a MamaBear as well.

* A [[BearsAreBadNews literal]] MamaBear appears in Music/{{mothy}}'s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgL5xXH5zEM "Moonlit Bear"]], in which the protagonist, [[UnreliableNarrator Eve]] (portrayed by [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Miku]]), steals two "apples" from a bear, which then proceeds to chase her through the forest. Turns out that [[spoiler:the MamaBear is a human mother after all, and the two "apples" are actually her twin children, whom she is desperate to retrieve. Out of fear as well as her desire to have children of her own since hers are deceased, Eve ends up murdering the "bear"]].

->'''Mary Jo Miller:''' "I... I'm not totally sure. When I try to remember, everything goes by too fast. I had it by the neck. It pulled Jenna toward its open mouth. I squeezed hard... pulled... [[UnstoppableRage The kids say I tore the thing's head off]], just ripped it right out with all the flesh and muscle and whatever else hanging in tatters."

->''She is wedded to convictions—in default of grosser ties; \\
Her contentions are her children, Heaven help him who denies!— \\
He will meet no suave discussion, but the instant, white-hot, wild, \\
Wakened female of the species warring as for spouse and child.''
-->-- '''Creator/RudyardKipling''', [[MoreDeadlyThanTheMale "The Female of the Species"]]

Like many other mammals depicted throughout history as predators, Bears are actually passive animals, and won't attack humans unless provoked. Despite this, if you even ''think'' about getting [[CubCuesProtectiveParent between a mother bear and her cub]] [[BearsAreBadNews she'll tear straight through you]]. Threaten her [[{{Protectorate}} children]], and you are in for a world of hurt. Righteous awesomeness will ensue, and the heroine reclaims her child with a tearful embrace.

* MamaBear/AnimatedFilms

* MamaBear/LiveActionFilms

[[folder: Mythology & Religion]]

[[folder: Newspaper Comics]]
* ''ComicStrip/RoseIsRose'' played this trope completely straight with a Sunday strip, featuring Rose transformed into a "Mama Bear" to symbolize her overprotective nature before she meets Pasquale's new babysitter. However, Rose relaxes when she opens the door she finds that the prospective sitter is apparently a MamaBear as well.
* ''ComicStrip/{{Dilbert}}'': [[FanNickname The Dilmom]] frequently gives her son a hard time, but she [[http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2013-09-14/ does take exception]] to [=MIBs=] making noises about executing him.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'':
-->"Tragedy struck when Conroy, his mind preoccupied with work, stepped into the elevator -- directly between a female grizzly and her cub."
** In another example, two of Larson's typical "dumb kid" types are playing catch [[TooDumbToLive with a live grizzly bear cub]]...unaware that the mother is coming up ''right behind them''. The caption sums it up: "And no one ever heard from the Anderson brothers again."

[[folder: Roleplaying Games]]
* ''Roleplay/DinoAttackRPG'' has Sarah Bishop. She even got a moment homaging the climax of ''Film/{{Aliens}}''. At the same time, however, Sarah Bishop is partially a deconstruction. She is (understandably) concerned about her daughter being in a war zone, but her own AdultFear made her completely psychotic to the point that many players expressed genuine fear of her. This same thing also broke her psychologically once the war was finally over [[HeelRealization and she'd realized what she had done]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

Bears usually won't attack humans -- but get [[CubCuesProtectiveParent between a mother bear and her cub]], and [[BearsAreBadNews she'll tear straight through you]]. Threaten her [[{{Protectorate}} children]], and you are in for a world of hurt. Righteous awesomeness will ensue, and the heroine reclaims her child with a tearful embrace.

[[caption-width-right:250:"[[PreAsskickingOneLiner Get away from her, you]] '''[[PrecisionFStrike BITCH!]]'''" Ripley is ''not'' Newt's mother. She's '''''still''''' very deadly when a small child is in danger.]]

[[caption-width-right:250:"[[PreAsskickingOneLiner Get away from her, you]] '''BITCH!'''" Ripley is ''not'' Newt's mother. She's '''''still''''' very deadly when a small child is in danger.]]

* According to [[Literature/TheBible Proverbs 17:12]], it is "better to meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly." [N.I.V.] Quite possibly the UrExample.

** Since Proverbs was weitten during the reign of King Solomon, and the 2 Kings example occurred during the reigns of King Jehoram of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, these examples are OlderThanDirt.

Oftentimes, when a previously perceived meek mother (or MyBelovedSmother) goes into this mode, it's her CrowningMomentOfAwesome. Heaven help you if an ActionMom or even a TeamMom invokes this trope. If you think a normal MamaBear is scary, hell hath no fury like a MotherlyScientist with access to OneManArmy levels of weaponry/technology/money/superpowers to protect her children. It can lead to a DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu moment.

** Gargantua are gigantic reptilian (usually) beasts (think {{Kaiju}}/{{Franchise/Godzilla}}) found on tropical islands in the [[ForgottenRealms Kara-Tur]] setting. Normally, [[GentleGiant they shy away from humans]], but threaten their offspring and you won't live to regret it. Angry gargantua have been known to travel ''thousands'' of miles and swim entire oceans to find humans who have harmed their young.

[[caption-width-right:250:"[[PreAsskickingOneLiner Get away from her, you]] '''BITCH!'''"]]

[[caption-width-right:250:"[[PreAsskickingOneLiner Get away from her, you]] '''[[ThisIsForEmphasisBitch BITCH!]]'''"]]

* According to [[Literature/TheBible Proverbs 17:12]], it is better to meet a mother bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly. Quite possibly the UrExample.

* [[spoiler:Hanako Ikezawa's [[MissingMom deceased mother]]]] in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo''. As [[spoiler:she and a little Hanako]] were trapped in the fatal fire that decimated their house and had already claimed the family patriarch's life, [[spoiler:Mrs. Ikezawa]] chose to cover [[spoiler:her little daughter]] with [[spoiler:her]] own body and ''burn [[spoiler:her]]self to death'' rather than letting [[spoiler:her]] die. While [[spoiler:Hanako]] sustained massive [[TwoFaced physical]] and [[BrokenBird mental]] scars, [[spoiler:she]] still got a second chance at life thanks to [[spoiler:her mother]]'s HeroicSacrifice.

* [[spoiler:Hanako Ikezawa]]'s [[MissingMom deceased mother]] in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo''. As [[spoiler:she and a little Hanako]] were trapped in the fatal fire that decimated their house and had already claimed the family patriarch's life, [[spoiler:Mrs. Ikezawa]] chose to cover [[spoiler:her little daughter]] with [[spoiler:her]] own body and ''burn [[spoiler:her]]self to death'' rather than letting [[spoiler:her]] die. While [[spoiler:Hanako]] sustained massive [[TwoFaced physical]] and [[BrokenBird mental]] scars, [[spoiler:she]] still got a second chance at life thanks to [[spoiler:her mother]]'s HeroicSacrifice.

* [[spoiler:Hanako Ikezawa's [[MissingMom deceased mother]]]] in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo''. [[spoiler:As she and a little Hanako were trapped in the fatal fire that decimated their house and had already claimed the familyt patriarch's life, Mrs. Ikezawa chose to cover her little daughter with her own body and ''burn herself to death'' rather than letting her die. While Hanako sustained massive [[TwoFaced physical]] and [[BrokenBird mental]] scars, she still got a second chance at life thanks to her mother's HeroicSacrifice.]]