History Main / PoisonousCaptive

* In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', [[spoiler:Loki is captured early on]], only to instigate chaos from inside his glass cell. He manipulates the Avengers to doubt their allegiance to S.H.I.E.L.D., who are creating weapons of mass destruction. He also makes Black Widow provoke Banner, who promptly turns into the Hulk and smashes everything in his way. And then his forces arrive to attack the Helicarrier and release him... In the end, everyone agrees that the best decision is [[TheSpeechless to put a gag]] [[BoringButPractical on him]] and [[YouCanKeepHer send him back]] to [[spoiler:Asgard]].

* In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', [[spoiler:Loki is captured early on]]. Despite the team's best preventive efforts, it ends spectacularly poorly. It was so bad that in the end, everyone agrees that the best decision is [[TheSpeechless to put a gag]] [[BoringButPractical on him]] and [[YouCanKeepHer send him back]] to [[spoiler:Asgard]].

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker on the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "MadLove", who was able to talk his psychiatrist Harlene Quinzel into becoming [[Characters/BatmanRoguesGalleryPart1 Harley Quinn]] while still in Arkham. It was implied early in the episode that he compromised the ones before her in a similar fashion. (Even scarier, the Joker had figured out how to escape from his cell weeks before he actually broke out of Arkham, but stuck around a little longer because he hadn't corrupted Harley yet.)

* In ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOps2'', Menendez (the game's big bad) gives up quite easily when the player catches up to him about 2/3rds of the way through the game. He's taken back to the ''USS Obama'' to be interrogated. You find out why he gave up so easily during the interrogation scene when [[spoiler:the power goes out as a result of Menendez's followers launching an attack. Menendez mysteriously gets the drop on your buddy and then escapes; you find out later that your buddy is ''working'' with Menendez and in fact leads him to the ship's central computer where Menendez uploads a virus he had smuggled in.]] Whoops. Also, if you're dumb enough to [[spoiler:spare him at the end of the game, and you didn't sacrifice Harper earlier, then he breaks out ''again'' and kills Woods]].

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker on the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "MadLove", who was able to talk his psychiatrist Harlene Quinzel into becoming HarleyQuinn while still in Arkham. It was implied early in the episode that he compromised the ones before her in a similar fashion. (Even scarier, the Joker had figured out how to escape from his cell weeks before he actually broke out of Arkham, but stuck around a little longer because he hadn't corrupted Harley yet.)

* In ''Film/TheAvengers2012'', [[spoiler:Loki is captured early on]]. Despite the team's best preventive efforts, it ends spectacularly poorly.
** It was so bad that in the end, everyone agrees that the best decision is [[TheSpeechless to put a gag]] [[BoringButPractical on him]] and [[YouCanKeepHer send him back]] to [[spoiler:Asgard]].

* This was [[BigBad Faden's]] entire schtick in ''{{Exiern}}''. He was captured a couple of strips in, spent almost the entire time in captivity and still proved to be an effective villain.

* Batman does this in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', when captured by Lex Luthor's villainous team. [[spoiler: He bribes Ultra Humanite to save the Justice League from Luthor's EvilPlan and take down the team from the inside, seduces Cheetah into kissing him so they would assume she was his accomplice when they went back and reviewed the security footage to see why the plan failed, drives a wedge between team members and generally makes a nuisance of himself, all while restrained. Then, as the kicker, once everything is falling apart and the Joker uses the confusion to pay Batman a visit without supervision, Batman reveals in the climax that he could have escaped at any time but stuck around 'to keep an eye on' the Injustice Gang.]]

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' has Envy, when he was trapped in a flask. He was able to play on May Chang's fear for her clan and talk her into going back instead of taking him to Xing, which allowed him to escape [[spoiler: and obtain a second Philosopher's Stone.]]
** [[spoiler:Homunculus]] did much the same while trapped in his flask, using his knowledge of alchemy and the desperation of his captor to [[spoiler:convince the Emperor of Xerxes to prepare the alchemic circle that destroyed the nation and gave Homunculus a body]].

* ''Series/{{Angel}}''. In "Soulless", Team Angel have to resurrect evil alter ego Angelus. He's locked in a cage, so does his best to raise conflicts that have been simmering in Team Angel over the past season.

* Cyndi from ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie'' [[spoiler:manipulated her captor into attempting suicide.]]

* Batman does this in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', when captured by Lex Luthor's villainous team. [[spoiler: He bribes Ultra Humanite to save the Justice League from Luthor's EvilPlan and take down the team from the inside, frames the perfectly innocent Cheetah as his accomplice, drives a wedge between team members and generally makes a nuisance of himself, all while restrained. Then, as the kicker, he reveals in the climax that he could have escaped at any time but stuck around 'to keep an eye on' the Injustice Gang.]]

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' had Jaime Lannister held captive by Robb Stark's army, sparking quite a few disagreements between Robb, Catelyn, and the Starks' bannermen.

* [[spoiler:Elan's father Tarquin]] in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0936.html attempts]] to {{invoke|dTrope}} this while [[HighAltitudeInterrogation hanging above a long drop]]. [[spoiler:Elan is GenreSavvy enough to let him fall instead.]]

* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In ''[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent Descent]]'', a captive Borg actually ''succeeds'' in turning Data against the Federation.

* [[spoiler:Elan's father Tarquin]] in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0936.html attempts]] to {{invoke|dTrope}} this while [[HighAltitudeInterrogation hanging above a long drop]]. [[spoiler:Elan is DangerouslyGenreSavvy enough to let him fall instead.]]

* In the film ''Southern Comfort'', the National Guardsmen capture a one-armed French-only speaking local Cajun hunter and trapper, one of the Cajun's who were threatening them. They attempt to talk to him but he only speaks French. Nevertheless, just his presence is enough to poison the group.

* [[spoiler:Elan's father Tarquin]] in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0936.html attempts]] to {{invoke|dTrope}} this while [[DramaticDangling hanging above a long drop]]. [[spoiler:Elan is DangerouslyGenreSavvy enough to let him fall instead.]]

May be a result of ISurrenderSuckers. Compare PityTheKidnapper, a comedic version (which usually involves villains as captors rather than heroes), MightAsWellNotBeInPrisonAtAll, and SealedEvilInACan. Compare and Contrast DefiantCaptive, who is more likely to be a heroic character refusing to submit to their captor. The inverted version often falls under TalkingYourWayOut.

* The Thing Behind the Wall in ''JohnnyTheHomicidalManiac''. Nny has to keep it trapped by keeping the wall covered in fresh blood, which naturally does wonders for his already fragile sanity. Then the Thing gives two Styrofoam dolls in Nny's apartment sentience; ThePlan was that they'd persuade him to commit suicide and thus release it.

* In the ''SecondApocalypse'' series, Anasûrimbor Moënghus during the time he was a prisoner of Cnaiür urs Skiötha's tribe. He seduced Cnaiür's mother, convinced Cnaiür to kill his father, and talked Cnaiür into setting him free.

* In ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'' FemmeFatal Milady de Winter pulls this by seducing her jailer when captured in England, twisting the guy so much that he becomes an assassin, attacking The Duke of Buckingham (also a HistoricalInJoke, as this event really happened).

* In ''DarkEmpire'', Luke Skywalker tries a version of this on the Reborn Emperor. He does ''some'' good, [[spoiler: but is ultimately corrupted and his sister needed to talk him around.]]