History Main / MapStabbing

* ''Film/JMenForever''. The Chief says that superhero The Caped Man man is currently on a peacekeeping mission in "one of the hottest trouble spots on the map today!" He then stabs the map with his cigar to show this hot spot, which obligingly bursts into flame.

* Parodied in [[https://prozdvoices.tumblr.com/post/133475008695/sorry-jeff-original-comic-by this comic]], given a voiceover by Creator/ProZD. There's also a {{Machinima}} [[https://floccinaucinihilipilificationa.tumblr.com/post/143784740012/prozdvoices-bendroo-animated-the-pirate-map version]] with the characters from ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2''. The other pirates are annoyed with the first one for ruining their only map.

* ''Mysterious Thief Liao Tian-Ding'' (2004 Taiwanese flash game) have the titular GentlemanThief chucking his knife at a map, on the town or district the next level takes place in, prior to the stage's beginning. Oddly enough, when the game was remade in 2021 (as ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfTianDing'') the map-stabbing parts were omitted.

* In the [[WebVideo/OutsideXbox Oxventure]] episode "Plandemonium", while Binbag the wizard scries on [[BigBad Liliana]] in order to [[spoiler: track down [[ArcVillain Vocatus]] (who plans to steal her power)]], Johnny mentions in their narration that she stabs a map with a dagger, corresponding to the Oxventurer's Guild's last known location.

* ''ComicBook/TheTransformers'': After the fight against Unicron shatters the Decepticons and Autobots, they briefly try working together before the more aggressive Decepticons get sick of it and elect Bludgeon as their new leader. He decides that they're going to go off and invade a planet, choosing which one by blindly stabbing a map with his sword.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': All across Azeroth maps have blades pierced in them with one of the most notable being the scouting map in the rouge order hall.

* ''Film/PrinceCaspian'': PlayedWith. While talking with Dr. Cornelius, Miraz plunges an arrow into a book open to a picture of the Pevancies showing he knows who he is dealing with.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', when the Inquisition is planning a grand assault on the Elder One's forces in the Arbor Wilds, they send messages to the allies they have gathered throughout the course of the game to this point. This is followed by a montage of many of these allies receiving the summons and reacting. One group collects around a table covered in papers and maps; they then draw daggers and stab the map for no clear reason.

* There is a more destructive variation in a trailer of ''Film/{{Hook}}''. A magnifying glass wanders over a beautifully drawn map of Never Never Land, showing the credits. When the glass reaches the drawing of a tree signaling where the Lost Boys live, it is lifted up to burn the spot, opening a hole on the map. The hole frames Hook's arms (his face is offscreen) replacing the glass by his trademark hook. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr7uSItFtXc You can watch the trailer here.]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* ''VideoGame/Legend1998'' starts off each level with a cutscene of your character [[https://youtu.be/fdKeLiVoSHQ?t=152 stabbing the level's map]].

* A very heartbreaking version of this happens on ''Film/Mask1985''. Rocky has a lifelong dream of making a motorcycle trip through Europe with his best friend Ben, and tacks all the places he wants to visit in a map. After Ben tells him he gave up and is moving to live with his parents, Rocky takes all the tacks from the map. In the next morning, Rusty (Rock's mother) finds out he died from his disease. She first destroys the kitchen in a fit of grief-stricken rage; then, calming down a little, she says quietly "Now you can go wherever you want, baby" and puts all the tacks back.

* A more destructive variation happens in a trailer of ''Film/Hook''. A magnifying glasses over a beautifully drawn map of Never Never Land, showing the credits. When the glass reaches the drawing of a tree indicating where the Lost Boys live, it is lifted up to burn the spot, opening a hole on the map. The hole frames Hook's arms (his face is offscreen) replacing the glass by his trademark hook. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr7uSItFtXc You can watch the trailer here.]]

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[[AC:Fan Works]]

[[AC:Films -- Animated]]
* [[Literature/{{Babar}} ''Babar the Movie'']]: While Rataxes and his army go over their plan to invade Elephantland, he sticks a dagger on a map of the jungle precisely where the kingdom is.

[[AC:Films -- Live-Action]]

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[[AC:Western Animation]]
* A variation shows up in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "The Italian Bob", in which Sideshow Bob tells the family that he decided to choose the next place to live by spinning a globe and stabbing it with a dagger. When numerous random attempts resulted in the knife landing in Orlando, Florida; Shelbyville; North Korea, and Bartovia, he more carefully spins and stabs the globe so that the dagger lands in Tuscany, Italy.

Maps in media can only go so long before someone sticks their dagger in them. Maybe they're marking a location, trying to be intimidating, or are just frustrated because the map keeps rolling up. It's not limited to political maps either. [[TreasureMap Treasure]], cities and roads, physical feature and many other types of maps are all victim to stabbing. Note that while daggers are usually used, a character may also use whatever is near and sharp as long as it [[Pun gets their point across]].

Maps in media can only go so long before someone sticks their dagger in them. Maybe they're marking a location, trying to be intimidating, or are just frustrated because the map keeps rolling up. It's not limited to political maps either. [[TreasureMap Treasure]], cities and roads, physical feature and many other types of maps are all victim to stabbing. Note that while daggers are usually used, a character may also use whatever is near and sharp as long as it gets their point across.

* ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'': Stoick the Vast stabs a dagger into where he thinks the dragon's nest should be on a map while talking about going on an expedition to find the afformentioned dragon's nest.

* ''Series/PowerRangersOperationOverdrive'': In "Heart of Blue", the Rangers put together three scrolls which form Neptune's sword. The sword flies towards a map on the wall, stabbing into St. Lucia in the Carribean, which is apparently where the Rangers have to go to next to find one of the jewels they are looking for.

* At the end of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'''s Trespasser DLC, the Inquisitor meets with their advisors to discuss how to deal with [[spoiler: Solas and his elven spies]]. During this conversation, the Inquisitor takes a knife and stabs it into a map of Thedas, indicating the Tevinter region as a possible next location. [[spoiler: It doubles as a threat since the city the Inquisitor stabs is named "Solas"]].

* A variation shows up in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "The Italian Bob", in which Bob tells the family that he decided to choose the next place to live by spinning a globe and stabbing it with a dagger; when numerous random attempts resulted in the knife landing in Orlando, Florida, Shelbyville, North Korea, and Bartovia, he more carefully spins and stabs the globe so that the dagger lands in Tuscany, Italy.