History Main / YoureNothingWithoutYourPhlebotinum

** Stark also turns the insult around a short while later by reminding Cap that "everything [he is] came out of a bottle", and implicitly pointing out that Tony Stark accomplished a lot more without his PoweredArmor than Steve Rogers ever did without the SuperSerum.

* ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': answering whether or not she's anything without her powers is the premise of a test the Watcher's council tries to put Buffy through in the third season, by hypnotizing and doping her, they [[BroughtDownToNormal bring her down to the level of an ordinary girl]] in order to make her prove herself against a vampire without her powers.

* Also, in its latest incarnation, ''YuGiOhZexal'', the moments before Shark's second duel with Yuma is seen as this. Which makes it all more devastating when [[spoiler:Yuma says he can win the duel without numbers and then finds himself in danger of losing the duel. Then he breaks his vow to not use numbers to win the duel and STILL loses.]]

* From the trailer for ''Film/TheAvengers'':

--> '''Iron Man:''' A genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

* The titular ''FearlessFly'' in the 1960s cartoon of the same name invariably lost his glasses once per episode. Without them, he was just an ordinary housefly.

* In the ''CodexAlera'' series, the main character Tavi has spent his entire life without the Phlebotinum everyone else in Alera has -- entities called furies which represent elements. He learns to survive and even prosper through his native wit. [[spoiler:He starts gaining the abilities at the end of the third book]]

* In the ''CodexAlera'' series, the main character Tavi has spent his entire life without the Phlebotinum everyone else in Alera has -- entities called furies which represent elements. He learns to survive and even prosper through his native wit. [[spoiler:He starts gaining the abilities at the end of the third book]]

** In the ''JusticeLeague'' GrandFinale "Starcrossed", [[BigBad General Talak]] comments that Green Lantern is "nothing without his toy", referring to his power ring. When the two later fight, and Talak destroys said doodad, Green Lantern still defeats him by tricking him into slamming his axe into a piece of machinery, electrocuting him into unconsciousness.

* Also used in the ''KongTheAnimatedSeries'' cartoon, wherein the teenage hero confronts the mad scientist villain on an airplane without the titular ape to back him up- the villain snarls "without your ape your are nothing!". He is promptly judo-tossed out the side of the plane.

* In an episode of ''TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'', Grim destroys Hos Delgado's mechanical/weaponized hand and mocks him. Hos punches him out with his normal hand.

* An inverted example in ''[=~Yu-Gi-Oh!~=]'', where Pegasus turns out to be nothing without his Millenium Eye and cheated-out cards.

* Also, in its latest incarnation, {{Yu-Gi-OhZexal}}, the moments before Shark's second duel with Yuma is seen as this. Which makes it all more devastating when [[spoiler:Yuma says he can win the duel without numbers and then finds himself in danger of losing the duel. Then he breaks his vow to not use numbers to win the duel and STILL loses.]]

* From the trailer for Film/TheAvengers:

Contrast MagicFeather, where the "phlebotinum" is just a psychological aid: the power was in the character all along.

A stock phrase (prone to variations) uttered by the villain whenever the hero suffers a case of PhlebotinumBreakdown, WeHaveForgottenThePhlebotinum, BroughtDownToNormal or UselessSuperpowers, in which they take the time to enjoy some evil gloating about the heroes reduced effectiveness.

* Also used in the ''Kong'' cartoon, wherein the teenage hero confronts the mad scientist villain on an airplane without the titular ape to back him up- the villain snarls "without your ape your are nothing!". He is promptly judo-tossed out the side of the plane.
* An example of the secondary type is from the ''MortalKombat'' cartoon, where Jax's bionics are disabled in a fight with Reptile. Initially, he angsts about his perceived uselessness, being "just a strong man". Of course he's forced back into action and as per the trope description, defeats Reptile by outsmarting him.

* Said by a hero, about himself, rather than a villain in DarkwingDuck. After showing Darkwing up all over St. Canard for a whole episode, Gizmoduck is trapped by a magnet, making his suit useless. He bemoans the fact that he's useless without his suit - but Darkwing, on the other hand, is not, and he's not shy about proving it, either.

** Oddly, in the ''{{Ducktales}}'' miniseries when Fenton Crackshell got the Gizmoduck suit, he pulled off some heroics without it near the end. Did he forget about that?

** In Part 2 of the ''{{Batman}}:The Animated Series'' episode "Demon Quest", Batman is captured by Ras Al Ghul and his henchmen, and is stripped of his utility belt (and, oddly enough, [[ShirtlessScene his shirt]]), two henchmen are assigned to lead him off to a cell, one commenting "not so tough without your precious belt". Both henchman are rendered unconscious by Batman roughly 30 seconds later, as the hero escapes and goes on to thwart Ra's scheme perfectly competently, even sans utility belt ([[spoiler:But with [[SleightOfTongue help]] from Talia]]).

* This also happens to Batman in ''TheBatman'', when captured and once again stripped of his belt by Black Mask's thugs, one of those thugs mockingly dangles the belt tantalisingly in front of Batman (who is locked in a cage at this point)- Batman's response? "Utility belt, charge to stun" Cue one electrocuted mook, and one free Batman.

* Naturally, this happens in ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
---> '''Angelus''': So this is it, then. No weapons, no friends, no hope... take all that away and what's left?
---> '''Buffy''': (''closes her eyes and catches Angelus' sword right before it hits her'') Me.
** [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Cue the major asskicking]].

** This also the basic premise of a test the Watcher's council tries to put Buffy through in the third season, by hypnotizing and doping her, they [[BroughtDownToNormal bring her down to the level of an ordinary girl]] in order to make her prove herself against a vampire without her powers.

** Yugi himself may count however, especially in the early episodes. He does manage a few fights without the Puzzle, however.
* Also, in its latest incarnation, {{Yu-Gi-OhZexal}}, the moments before Shark's second duel with Yuma is seen as this. Which makes it all more devestating when [[spoiler:Yuma says he can win the duel without numbers and then finds himself in danger of losing the duel. Then he breaks his vow to not use numbers to win the duel and STILL loses.]]

* An odd subversion of the self-inflicted version happens in the Series/DoctorWho episode The Elleventh Hour, where the newly regenerated Doctor muses that he has no Tardis (it's busy rebuilding itself) and no sonic screwdriver (it was destroyed). However, rather than feeling emasculated, he uses it as a sort of self DareToBeBadass.

** In Part 2 of the ''{{Batman}}:The Animated Series'' episode "Demon Quest", Batman is captured by Ras Al Ghul and his henchmen, and is stripped of his utility belt (and, oddly enough, his shirt), two henchmen are assigned to lead him off to a cell, one commenting "not so tough without your precious belt". Both henchman are rendered unconscious by Batman roughly 30 seconds later, as the hero escapes and goes on to thwart Ra's scheme perfectly competently, even sans utility belt ([[spoiler:But with [[SleightOfTongue help]] from Talia]]).

* Also, in its latest incarnation, Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, the moments before Shark's second duel with Yuma is seen as this. Which makes it all more devestating when [[spoiler:Yuma says he can win the duel without numbers and then finds himself in danger of losing the duel. Then he breaks his vow to not use numbers to win the duel and STILL loses.

* Also, in its latest incarnation, Yu-Gi-OhZexal, the moments before Shark's second duel with Yuma is seen as this. Which makes it all more devestating when [[spoiler:Yuma says he can win the duel without numbers and then finds himself in danger of losing the duel. Then he breaks his vow to not use numbers to win the duel and STILL loses.

* Also, in its latest incarnation, Yu-gi-oh!Zexal, the moments before Shark's second duel with Yuma is seen as this. Which makes it all more devestating when [[spoiler:Yuma says he can win the duel without numbers and then finds himself in danger of losing the duel. Then he breaks his vow to not use numbers to win the duel and STILL loses.

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