History PlayingWith / ItOnlyWorksOnce

* '''Straight''': The hero’s plans involve exploiting a design flaw in [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]] DoomsdayDevice. It works but it results in the flaw being fixed in future models.

* '''Straight''': The hero’s plans involve taking exploiting a design flaw in [[BigBad Emperor Evulz]] DoomsdayDevice. It works but it results in the flaw being fixed in future models.

* '''Straight''': The evil plan works for the first time only.
* '''Exaggerated''': Every object in the universe explodes after it is used, thus it is impossible to reuse.
* '''Downplayed''': Retrying the plan only provides a small disadvantage.
* '''Justified''':
** The ingredients involved in the evil plan are extremely rare and can only be obtained once, so you only have one shot.
** The equipment used in the evil plan breaks down or burns out after it's used, which is why the plan can't be used twice.
** The plans are never used twice (at least not in the exact same way) because the opponents always develop defenses to counter them after their initial use.
** There's a very small window of time during which the plan will succeed; if it fails, there won't be enough time to try it again.
* '''Inverted''': The evil plan always fails for the first time. After that, it always succeeds.
* '''Subverted''': After the first time, someone tries the evil plan again, and seems to have a success...

** If you even try to mention to reuse an evil plan, you'll suddenly disappear in a PuffOfLogic.
** Or it turns out the Hero has recorded every single evil plans used by the villain, and that's why it only works once.
* '''Zig Zagged''':
** Ten villians are reusing a single evil plan. Some succeed, some don't.
** It only works when you are using it for an odd number of time. Or every number of time ended with an 1.
** An evil plan is reused, and the heroes successfully counter it, but it's actually a diversion for a new evil plan that works against the heroes.
** It will take one hundred and one years for the conditions for the evil plan to come again. Technically it is solved for the heroes lifetime but it will trouble future generations again and given the immortal villain he will get to try it again.

* '''Invoked''': "We don't need anti-air defense anymore, the villain just sent one airborne wave to us. He won't do this again."
* '''Exploited''': "Teammates! ''Don't'' prepare for everything the villain's done; he won't do them anymore!"
* '''Defied''': "This time I'm going to reuse my old evil plan! SURPRISE!"

* '''Conversed''': "In that show the villain just won't use the same plan again... Maybe since it only work once."
* '''Deconstructed''': The villain never executes his evil plans again, since he's afraid that they fail at the first time, and become useless after on. They use their lifetime to improve their "perfect" plans to become more perfect.
* '''Reconstructed''': Instead, the villain just do modifications to the old plans, and propose them as new plans.

** The ingredients involved in the evil plan can be obtained once only, so you only have one shot.

* '''Enforced''': "Audience will feel boring if we keep using the same trick all the time... So we must invent new plot for every episode."

* '''Exaggerated''': Everything works for once only. If you reuse them, they explode.

* '''Deconstructed''': The villain never executes his evil plans again, since he's afraid that they fail at the first time, and become useless after on. They uses their lifetime to improve their "perfect" plans to become more perfect.

** The plans are never used twice the exact same way because the target side will have adapted their defenses to it after the initial use.

** Or you're exploiting something that'll be easily patched after you try to do it.

* '''Downplayed''': Retrying the plan only provides a small disadvantage: it won't fail instantly.

* '''Exaggerated''': Everything work for once only. If you reuse them, they explode.
* '''Downplayed''': Retrying the plan only provides a small disadvantage, it won't fail instantly.

** Or it turns out the Hero has recorded every single evil plans used by the villian, and that's why it only works once.
* '''Deconstructed''': The villian never executes his evil plans again, since he's afraid that they fail at the first time, and become useless after on. They uses their lifetime to improve their "perfect" plans to become more perfect.
* '''Reconstructed''': Instead, the villian just do modifications to the old plans, and propose them as new plans.

* '''Lampshaded''': "Can't you just reuse your old plans again? Some of them're already 20 years old - nobody will remember that's ever been used!"
* '''Invoked''': "We don't need anti-air defence anymore, the villian just sent one airborne wave to us. He won't do this again."
* '''Exploited''': "Teammates! ''Don't'' prepare for everything the villian's done; he won't do them anymore!"

* '''Conversed''': "In that show the villian just won't use the same plan again... Maybe since it only work once."

Now be quick and go back to the main page, [[ItOnlyWorksOnce this link only works once]]!

* '''Justified''': The ingredients involved in the evil plan can be obtained once only, so you only have one shot.

* '''Parodied''': If you even try to mention to reuse an evil plan, you'll suddenly disappear in a PuffOfLogic.

* '''Zig Zagged''': Ten villians are reusing a single evil plan. Some succeed, some don't.

** Or it turns out the Hero has recorded every single evil plans used by the villian, and that's why it only work once.

* '''Exaggerated''': Everything work for once only. If you reuse them again, they explodes immediately.

Now be quick and go back to the main page, [[ItOnlyWorksOnce this link only work once]]!

* '''Lampshaded''': "Can't you just reuse your old plans again? Some of them're already 20 years old - nobody will remember that's ever been used."

* '''Exploited''': "Teammates! ''Don't'' prepare for everything the villian's done; they won't happen again!"

Now be quick and go back to the main page, [[ItOnlyWorksOnce this link only work once]]!
----

* '''Averted''': It always fail. Or it always succeed.
* '''Enforced''': "Audience will feel boring if we keep using the same trick all the time... So we must invent new evil plans for every episode."
* '''Lampshaded''': "Can't you just look at your old evil plans and reuse it again?"

* '''Reconstructed''': So the villian just do modifications to the old plans, and propose them as new plans.

** It only works when you are using it for an odd number of time.

** Or it turns out the Hero has recorded every single evil plans of the villian, and that's why it only work once.
* '''Deconstructed''': The villian never executes his evil plans again, since he's afraid that they fail at the first time, and become useless after on. They uses their lifetime to improve their "perfect" plan to become more perfect.

* '''UpToEleven''': Or if you even try to mention to reuse it, you'll suddenly disappear in a PuffOfLogic.

'''Basic Trope''': That thing only work once.
* '''Straight''': The evil plan work for the first time only.
* '''Exaggerated''': Every action works for once only.
** Or if you even try to mention to reuse it, you'll suddenly disappear in a PuffOfLogic.