History Main / TimeForPlanB

* A unique variation in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Initially the heroes' plan to end the war for Aang to defeat the Fire Lord before the arrival of [[CometOfDoom Sozin's Comet]]. However, after realizing that firebenders lose their bending during a solar eclipse, the second half of Book 2 and the first half of Book 3 focused on them planning [[StormingTheCastle an invasion of the Fire Nation capital]] on the [[TotalEclipseOfThePlot Day of Black Sun]]. After the invasion failed thanks to Azula and they were forced to retreat while most of their allies were captured, they were forced to come up with a new plan, or rather fall back to the original plan, namely have Aang finish mastering the four elements and defeat the Fire Lord before he used the power of the comet to bring about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In "Journey to the Center of Carl", as Jimmy and Sheen are being chased by germs [[FantasticVoyagePlot inside Carl's stomach]], Sheen asks where they will get out; Jimmy answers "through the nearest exit"... which is [[Anuscape through the rest of the digestive tract]]. Understandably, Sheen asks Jimmy if he has a plan B, and they decide to make Carl sneeze them out.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': In "Journey to the Center of Carl", as Jimmy and Sheen are being chased by germs [[FantasticVoyagePlot inside Carl's stomach]], Sheen asks where they will get out; Jimmy answers "through the nearest exit"... which is through the rest of the digestive tract. Understandably, Sheen asks Jimmy if he has a plan B, and they decide to make Carl sneeze them out.

* In ''LetsPlay/{{Dream}}'''s [[https://youtu.be/tylNqtyj0gs?t=2090 Grand Finale video,]] (34:50) Dream and the hunters have a conversation about the plans the hunters make. Dream thinks that, since [[spoiler: his End Crystal trap didn't work]], the hunters have made actual plans.

* WD-40, the all-purpose lubricant/de-greaser/de-ruster/water displacer, was so named because [=WDs=] 1 through 39 didn't work as well in testing.

* "Looks like [[TheCommissionerGordon Gordon's]] about to call in plan B. [[DontExplainTheJoke B as in]] Franchise/{{Batman}}."
* ''[[ComicBook/JonahHex Hex]]'' has: "Looks like a good time for Plan B. Sure do wish I had me a Plan B." Followed a few pages later by "Looks like I just found me a Plan B".
* In IDW's ''[[ComicBook/MagicTheGatheringIDW Magic: The Gathering]]'' comic, Dack Fayden's Plan B is "Run". Plan C is "Leave". There's a difference; Fayden's a planeswalker, so "leaving" means jumping to another world.
* ComicBook/ThePunisher's Plan B is to break out the M-60, the flamethrower, the Claymore mines, etc.
* ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' gives us "We always use plan B. Why don't we just make it plan A?"
* There's this great exchange in an issue of ''[[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics Sonic Universe]]'', where Shadow the Hedgehog and his "Team Dark" attempt to get a Chaos Emerald from the God-Panda currently lording over them in the "Special Zone." After failing the mini-game, Omega turns to Shadow and asks if it's time for plan B. Shadow answers in the affirmative and Plan B basically comprises entirely of Omega unloading his entire arsenal, which makes up over half of his total mass, in the God-Panda's face.

* The ComicBook/SuicideSquad's "Plan B" is usually "have Lawton shoot our way out."
* The Silver Age ComicBook/{{Superman}} had secret plans arranged with each of his friends, known by their initial, which they would carry out if he gave them the appropriate signal. He once activated Plan J-for-Jimmy by breaking one of the arms off a ship's anchor so that what remained formed a capital J. Fortunately Jimmy Olsen recognized this for what was intended rather than thinking it was just a show of strength.

* ''Franchise/XMen'':

** From ''Uncanny X-Men'' 541:

** From X-Babies (genetically engineered {{Chibi}} versions of the X-Men -- it's a long story): During one issue where they are always barely escaping being captured, Cyclops yells "back to Plan B, everyone! RUN!" At this point Gambit snarks "No offense, but it seems to me you only got de ONE plan!"
* In the first issue of ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood|2017}}'', after Petra's plan A to find the missing vigilante Man-Up ([[MundaneSolution going to the cops and reporting him as a missing person]]) fails, she tries Plan B, contacting the ''Help'' app he'd been using for more information, which also fails, since the people behind the ''Help'' app aren't very helpful. Plan C, hitting the streets for information at least gets her Man-Up's real identity, but she finally goes straight to Plan "Y": using a new Youngblood team to help find him.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutron'': In "Journey to the Center of Carl", as Jimmy and Sheen are being chased by germs [[FantasticVoyagePlot inside Carl's stomach]], Sheen asks where they will get out; Jimmy answers "through the nearest exit"... which is through the rest of the digestive tract. Understandably, Sheen asks Jimmy if he has a plan B, and they decide to make Carl sneeze them out.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork3'' has [=KingMan.EXE=] who enacts "Plan-B" depending on how [=MegaMan=] is getting the upper hand against him. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzA8ZbRgRkU&t=50 One such variation]] involves trading a pawn for an extra knight.

* In ''Literature/SonicTheHedgehogInRobotniksLaboratory'', they eventually have to resort to Plan D, which Franchise/{{Sonic}} hadn't actually got as far as thinking up. Fortunately, a ContrivedCoincidence intervenes.

* ''WebAnimation/SonicForHire'': In Season 3, as Franchise/{{Sonic}} nearly ends up ruining the plan to earn billions at ''VideoGame/TecmoBowl'', Tails tries to give a RousingSpeech until VideoGame/EarthwormJim points out they only have a few seconds left. Leading Tails to bring out Plan B, by having [=ThunderHead=] bring a tank onto the field.

* From ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'', the Enterprise doesn't have time to tractor the shuttlecraft carrying Kirk and company back aboard because of a cloaked Klingon Bird-of-Prey nearby.

* Gets mentioned a lot in ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''. Usually whenever anyone suggests a plan along the lines of "and we run in, shoot everyone, blow some things up, and run away" (whatever the actual mission), the response will be "Well, we've got a Plan B". Some specific examples include:

* In ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'' Piccolo's first plan involves Krillin performing a HeroicSacrifice, while the second plan uses the Multi-Form technique. When Krillin criticizes the second plan for weakening them...

* In ''WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC'', Plan Q is invoked by the Joker at the end of Happy Hour #5. [[spoiler:Plan Q blows.]] Plan Q was actually Plan A for a while, but was downgraded by Luthor when he realized how dangerous it was. It should tell how bad it was when it dropped that far down the plan list.
* In ''WebAnimation/DeclineOfVideoGaming 3'', the head of Konami tries to lure the protagonists into a trap with promises of easy money. They don't bite, so he invokes the trope and tranqs them.
-->'''Konami head''': Why is Plan B always the better one?

* ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters''

** When Burns decides to pick a local boy to be his heir, Milhouse is one of the rejects. After that, Lisa tries to persuade Burns into accepting the possibility of his heir being a woman, but he is quite clear on that: [[HeirClubForMen no girls]]. Cut to a scene with Milhouse dressed as a girl commenting "So much for Plan B."

* You gotta hand it to the guys that created Formula 409, they define dedication. Also according to a commercial, [[TheWorldIsNotReady the world isn't ready]] for [[http://www.livevideo.com/video/TemplarKnight/057EEB6A897B4C3080175CE01FB3ED02/formula-409-commercial.aspx Formula 410]]. However, the inventor's son [[https://brianrouff.com/when-myth-becomes-reality/ says]] it's "pure marketing bullshit" and that it was actually named after his mom's birthday, April 9. [[note]](Some other nonsensical explainations for the name have included it being the area code where it was invented [409 serves southeast Texas and didn't come into service until 1983; the formula was invented in Michigan in 1957] and it being a reference to Chevrolet's 409 engine [which wasn't introduced until 1961, though Music/{{the Beach Boys}} song it inspired was used in Formula 409 ads for a while in the late 90s-early 2000s.)[[/note]]

* The [[Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses reviewers]] chosen to invade Molossia in ''WebVideo/{{Kickassia}}'' go to Plan B [[MoreDakka (using weapons)]] after Plan A (charging blindly at [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething President Baugh]] while he stands outside [[CrazyPrepared armed with a machine gun)]] [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption goes about as well as it could.]]

[[folder:Audio Plays]]
* In the ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' story "The Eye of Harmony", the Dalek agent, having failed to kill the Doctor, manages to disappear with Cardinal Ollistra, saying "Did you think I wouldn't have a plan B?" The companion-of-the-moment asks the Doctor if ''they'' have a plan B, and the Doctor replies "I ran out of letters for plans a long time ago."
[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}: Spyro's Adventure'', after Kaos' army is driven back by the Skylanders, his goblin sidekick suggests Plan B. Kaos decides to skip all the way to Plan Z, and summon a giant monster to pretty much nuke Skylanders HQ and the Core Of Light. To his credit, it's ''very'' effective.

%%* As of season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', this is Twilight Sparkle's catchphrase.

** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'': Iron Man tries to simply blast Loki's Tesseract-powered portal device, only for it to protect itself with a force field. As the armor he's wearing is already on his last legs, he goes for "Plan B" -- stall Loki while J.A.R.V.I.S. puts the last-minute touches on his newest suit.

* ''Literature/TheHollows'': ''The Good, The Bad, and the Undead'' by Kim Harrison has "Grab the fish and run like hell." This is the subject of a magnificent call back in a later book when Plan A fails again.

--->'''Adama:'''Time for plan B.\\
'''Coker:''' We've got a plan B? (''realizing'') No, no, no! You'll never make it!
** Then used as a call back at the end of the series where Coker says "time for plan B" to Adama. You get the impression it was going to be a common bit if the series ever got green-lit.
** In ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' Helo and Sharon find that the Cylons have discovered her Raptor and are stripping it. Helo asks what her Plan B was. Sharon replies that it was the same as Plan A -- get back to her Raptor and fly the frak off this planet.
* An episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' had Howard, Raj, and Sheldon trying to get a crashed Mars Rover functioning again, but when it wouldn't work, Howard moved to Plan B: erase all the data, wipe their fingerprints off everything, and run away. Sheldon then remarks, "Why wasn't that Plan A?"

** "The Queens Gambit Job" contains this reference to just how many plans Nate usually works with:

'''Nate:''' Yeah usually.\\

* The opening of the premiere episode of ''Series/LockwoodAndCo2023'', "This Will Be Us," has Lucy and Lockwood going over the various ghost-hunting plans that Lockwood has cooked up, from Plan A to Plan F. Lockwood gives Lucy a 10/10 for remembering them all; she points out there were only six. He tells her he'll have to think of another four. Later, on the job, he can't remember his own lettering system and quips that they'll need to rework it.

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest''. In the episode "Wolf and Cub", John Reece's plan to take down the bad guys has gone pear-shaped, so he calls Harold Finch and tells him to bring the bag labeled 'Plan B'. [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption It contains a pump-action shotgun.]] Over the course of the series, the bag gets several new items ranging from a SPAS-12 shotgun to a high-calibre sniper rifle.

''[{{beat}}]''\\

'''[[spoiler:Weapon]]:''' Are we only at B? Seems higher. ''({{Beat}} as both look in the direction of a rumble in the distance)'' OK... plan B.

* As of season 2 of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', this is Twilight Sparkle's catchphrase.

''[{{beat}}]''\\

** When Burns decided to pick a local boy to be his heir, Milhouse was one of the rejects. After that, Lisa tried to persuade Burns into accepting the possibility of his heir being a woman but he was quite clear on that: [[HeirClubForMen no girls]]. Cut to a scene with Milhouse dressed as a girl commenting "So much for Plan B".

* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'' ("Wolf and Cub"). Reece's BatmanGambit to take down the bad guys having gone pear-shaped, he calls Finch and tells him to bring the bag labeled 'Plan B'. [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption It contains a pump-action shotgun.]] Over the course of the series, the bag gets several new items ranging from a SPAS-12 shotgun to a high-calibre sniper rifle.

** In ''Exit Strategy'', when things go FromBadToWorse the title character discards "Plan Actually Not All That Terrible" and shifts to [[ItsTheOnlyWay "Plan Approaching Terrible"]].