History Main / TakingOverTheTown

A plan for villains who think on a large scale. The bad guys isolate a community from the outside world and then loot it at will.

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* ''TheDarkKnightRises'' [[spoiler: takes this UpToEleven, holding ''all'' of Gotham City, blowing all but one bridge, and warning that any one that leaves or comes will detonate an [[NiceJobBreakingItHero improvised nuclear bomb]]. This was a nod to ''Batman: No Man's Land'', noted above. The villains weren't really wanting anything than the eventual and total destruction of Gotham--but not before [[BreakTheBadass torturing a crippled Bruce Wayne by letting him watch his city fall apart.]] Bruce gets better.]]

Expect at least one hero to stage a DieHardOnAnX. Compare and contrast TakingOverTheCity and IOwnThisTown.

Expect at least one hero to stage a DieHardOnAnX.

Expect at least one hero to stage a DieHardOnAnX.

* ''The Gutting of Couffignal'' by DashiellHammett

* Taken to extremes by the Demonlord in ''DragonQuestVII''. He sealed away nearly every city, country and village in the entire world, subjecting each to a different threat. When the game begins, the only land that hasn't been long consumed by darkness is the Hero's home, and he and his friends must travel through time to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong and restore the world, piece by piece.

* In the novel ''JerichoFalls'', the [[GovernmentConspiracy government of the United States]] does this to [[ThePlague a town]].

* The introductory questline for Men and Hobbits in ''LordOfTheRingsOnline'' involves an effort to protect the village of Archet which is having this done to them by the Blackwolds, a vicious brigand gang that has cut a deal with the evil forces of Angmar. After blockading the gate to Combe, the neighboring town, to prevent the people of Archet from going there for aid, they proceed to launch an assault against the town that is only stopped by the intervention of the village leader's son, his band of hunters, and the player.

* ''[[ThirtyDaysOfNight 30 Days of Night]]'' (and presumably the original comic it was based on) featured a clan of vampires that essentially invoked this trope on a town on the arctic circle when the sun would be down for a full month.

* Stealth example: In the {{Batman}} story arc "No Man's Land", LexLuthor uses his connections in the US government to shut Gotham City off from outside aid after a cataclysmic earthquake so he can swoop in, buy up most of the real estate, and look like a hero.

* In ''TheLordOfTheRings'' Saruman, aka "Sharky", does this to an entire country.

* On ''{{Jericho}}'' this is what the Ravenwood mercenaries do to a town they invade. They take all the supplies and shoot anyone who opposes them. Since the towns are isolated from the outside world, they do not have to worry anyone coming to help the townpeople. The people of Jericho try to preempt this by blowing the bridge into town themselves before Ravenwood crosses it.

* This was the set-up for ''MadDogMcCree''. The stranger (i.e. the player) is told that "Mad Dog McCree and his gang have taken over the town" and that both the mayor and his daughter are imprisoned in the gunfighter's hideout, while the sheriff has been locked up in his own jail by the gang.

* On ''Jericho'' this is what the Ravenwood mercenaries do to a town they invade. They take all the supplies and shoot anyone who opposes them. Since the towns are isolated from the outside world, they do not have to worry anyone coming to help the townpeople. The people of Jericho try to preempt this by blowing the bridge into town themselves before Ravenwood crosses it.

* 30DaysOfNight (and presumably the original comic it was based on) featured a clan of vampires that essentially invoked this trope on a town on the arctic circle when the sun would be down for a full month.

* In an episode of ''Bruno Brazil'', a gang of thieves knocks out the entire population of a town with a large-scale SonicStunner.

* In a GoldenAge JusticeSocietyOfAmerica story, [[LegionOfDoom The Injustice Society of the World]] did this to Washington DC.