Every once in a while, members of the Foundation and other GOIs demonstrate that there are a very few lines they will not cross, at least not without very good reason. Examples include:
- One tale depicts Dr. Wondertainment this way, along with shades of Pay Evil unto Evil. When an adult gets their hands on a low-level mind-control toy meant help unpopular kids make friends, then tries to use it to recruit kids for... unsavory purposes, Wondertainment mobilizes Mr. Headless, has him track the guy down, beat him near to death, then drag him back to the lab. When he wakes up, he finds he's been handed over to the Foundation, with a note saying Wondertainment "fixed" him to be the perfect D-Class.
- Speaking of Wondertainment, their primary shtick is making (potentially) deadly kid's toys and products. However, they discontinued SCP-2057
when they realized how absurdly dangerous it really was (for reference, 2057 is a brand of chicken-noodle soup that can cure illness when it's fresh and warm, but is deadly if you drink it after it's been reheated).
- Speaking of Wondertainment, their primary shtick is making (potentially) deadly kid's toys and products. However, they discontinued SCP-2057
- The Serpent's Hand are essentially a supernatural Animal Wrongs Group who oppose the Foundation and GOC's more morally ambiguous actions, and they are dedicated to abolishing "normalcy" by fighting for the rights of sapient anomalous lifeforms. Despite this, however, there are still some anomalies that even they want to either stay locked up, or simply be killed outright, since they pose such a significant threat to the world (and others) at large. The most obvious example is SCP-953 (an Always Chaotic Evil Korean kumiho), who the Hand is perfectly happy to leave rotting in the Foundation's custody for the rest of eternity.
- Marshall, Carter and Dark are an anomaly-dealing MegaCorp and Smoky Gentlemen's Club who typically don't care what horrible things their clients do with the anomalies they sell in auctions. That being said, however, even they realized how dangerous SCP-2501 (an infinite-range and infinite-strength robotic claw) would be in the wrong hands, and they almost immediately handed it over to the Foundation for safe-keeping.
- The tragic story of SCP-1609 is often used (both in and out of universe) as a cautionary tale against the Global Occult Coalition's policy of destroying all anomalies. However, it turns out the GOC higher-ups themselves aren't happy with the agents involved in the incident, since they had broken with standard operating protocol when they suffered a setback and opted for an easier option that only made the issue significantly worse instead of finding a proper alternative.
- Relatedly, the GOC is often mentioned as being disgusted with the Foundation's more unscrupulous activities, and their own charter advocates for the protection of individual human beings whenever possible.
- The Horizon Initiative (an anomalous religious organization primarily made up of the three main Abrahamic faiths) is mentioned as being incredibly zealous and fervent in their desire to protect the world and fight against "heretical" threats. Despite this, the Initiative's leadership shut down their militant branch (Project Malleus, a.k.a. "The Wolves") after they attacked a peaceful settlement of adherents to the Church of the Broken God simply because they saw them as worshiping a false idol.
- In the "Magic Orientation" document, when discussing the relationships the different anomalous factions have with each other the narrator states that one of the Foundation's most dangerous enemies, the Chaos Insurgency, is despised by even "literal death cults".
- The Foundation does have an Ethics Committee. They may seem ineffectual, but they actually take their job incredibly seriously. Their scope of power overrides the O5 Council, meaning they have access to all the expunged data and are the ones who give the final approvals. They were also the ones who designed Procedure 110-Montauk, with the implication that it's the least horrible thing they could do to contain SCP-231.
- For example, when one doctor proposed utilizing the "instances" created by SCP-1676note into D-Class personnel to be used in experiments, the Committee immediately shot it down. Yes, this means that they have to shell out the extra cost to comfortably contain these instances, but they're still innocent civilians.
- When said Ethics Committee acquired a copy of Dmitri's suggested Task Force manual, they almost immediately rejected it in its entirety (except for the part about caring for infants on the battlefield, which they actually found pretty sensible).
- When they discovered that the O5s had a way of keeping themselves immortal, and were keeping it to themselves, they were almost immediately removed from power.
- There's also the treatment of SCP-661, a Jerkass salesman with a Compelling Voice. Upon finding out that some personnel were provoking or outright abusing him, the Ethics Committee really wasn't happy.
- When it was discovered that the Administrator was being kept in an extremely barbarian containment procedure meant to hold him in stasis and punishing any and all human interaction plus the retention of his identity through extreme torture for no reason besides maintaining a coup, the Ethics Committee had the Overseers murdered with the help of the Red Right Hand, and possibly subject to the same fate as the Administrator.
- Subverted in that the former Chairwoman of the Ethics Committee took over control of the Overseer Council after the coup. When the new head of the Ethics Committee asked for access to the barbarian containment procedures that started the whole conflict, she curtly denied.
- SCP-076-2 (a.k.a. "Able") is an incredibly dangerous Ax-Crazy and sociopathic Omnicidal Maniac who's always looking for a Worthy Opponent. When he tried out a drink mixed with SCP-447-2, he seemed to initially enjoy it… until he was told what happens when 447-2 comes into contact with dead bodies, at which point he completely lost interest.
- Also, Able completely refused to walk towards "The Gate Guardian" during a test, with him outright having a "No. Just… No" Reaction.
- Also, Able completely refused to walk towards "The Gate Guardian"
- SCP-107 normally generates a rainstorm from any liquid poured into it (including water, orange juice, human blood, and super glue), but it didn't work when the Foundation tested it with elemental mercury (which is highly toxic and causes nerve damage in real life).
- SCP-231's page indicates that the Foundation is terribly, terribly guilt-ridden about it, and more than once have had to deal with agents who have tried to rescue the subjects. Also, any D-class who tries to prolong Procedure 110-Montauk is immediately executed. The Foundation do have to do cruel things to their subjects, but they will never be unnecessarily cruel.
- Human experimentation with SCP-439 was immediately terminated on discovering that its victims remain alive and possibly conscious.
- There's an old woman SCP who has lived hundreds of years. It's due to a potion she makes that can extend someone's life indefinitely, and heal any wounds or ailments. It can also be reproduced. However, it's Powered by a Forsaken Child (and by "powered by" we mean "used as one of the ingredients"; she is hinted to be the inspiration of the witch in Hansel and Gretelnote ). Not just making more, but even using the amount that is already made, is considered to not be an option even in the case of an emergency. (However, she is allowed to drink the existing brew she already has because her information is considered invaluable. They have standards, but don't think they're going soft.)
- Dr. Clef introduced a guest researcher to SCP-682. Why? The guest researcher had introduced two children to it, one of whom was drugged and neither of whom survived, and planned on continuing.
- To give the new reader an idea of how great an extent of this trope this example is, Dr. Clef's identity is not known. The most popular theory is that he's Satan, and even he was disgusted with this guy. Another Bible-related theory about his identity might explain why he did it and why he hates reality benders — after dealing with the head honcho Himself, Adam probably holds a grudge against people who play God…
- It's also worth noting that Dr. Clef is a father himself, albeit not one who gets to spend any time with his kid due to her anomalous properties.
- SCP-738 is a sort of Literal Genie/Jackass Genie who encourages people who sit in its chair to make a Deal with the Devil. It's essentially warning people to
Be Careful What You Wish For. It's just shy of outright stated to be a demon of some manner (and ergo, Lawful Evil). It usually revels in screwing people over with their wishes… and yet when the entity ruins the life of a dyslexic, severely mentally disabled D-Class by exchanging a Sloppy Joe for the D-Class's beloved toy after the Foundation basically railroaded the D-Class into giving up the only thing he loved, the demon is the one that felt bad about this. Though it's admittedly not made clear if the demon's bitterness was because of actual moral standards, or the fact that it, which has been the downfall of kings and saints and seduced countless souls into darkness (implicitly) is now reduced to stealing a stuffed animal. However, the Foundation later gave the D-Class a replacement, which could've been heartwarming had it not vanished the instant he named it after the previous one.- In a more lighthearted example, the Foundation once sent Sheldon Katz, an extremely intelligent Rules Lawyer, into the chair to draw up a contract that could beat SCP-738 at its own game. After forty-one hours of negotiation led to a nine-hundred page contract (without supplemental material included!), poor Mr. Katz collapsed in exhaustion while nitpicking over the definition of the word "shall." Upon waking up, a letter was discovered from the SCP genuinely thanking Katz for the experience: "Please come back any time. I haven't had so much fun in years."
- SCP-1459 is a machine that kills puppies according to a player's provided statement and dispenses cookies as a reward. However, in the extended log, when a researcher gave "Procedure 110-Montauk" as the way the puppy should be killed, the SCP doesn't kill the puppy, plays a message saying "You are definitely going to Hell for this", and dispenses a cookie containing lethal amounts of cyanide. Likewise, "Pulled apart as slowly and painfully as possible" results in the puppy being released from the SCP, and the SCP dispensing a cookie with a list of nearby churches written in frosting.
- In the logs accompanying SCP-1730 ("What Happened To Site-13?"), it's revealed that the Alternate Timelinenote version of Bobble the Clown (Depraved Kids' Show Host extraordinaire) was utterly revolted by the heartless slaughter and sadistic torture of countless sapient SCPs in various brutal experiments conducted within the facility by its head, Dr. Elliott Emerson.
- The Ethics Committee, predictably, are not happy with Emerson's wacky antics. They are executed for it, but they at least tried to stop him.
- SCP-1788-1-863, part of a race of Fat Bastards who abduct children to make more of them, gets absolutely pissed off at being called a pedophile.
- SCP-3000 plays this for drama when the Ethics Committee declares the Atzak Protocol, a means of harvesting the compound created by SCP-3000 to make amnestics, a huge mistake and a waste of human life, except that since they're now so reliant on the compound for modern amnestics, there is nothing they can do anymore to go back without taking a hammer to operations.
- In a Played for Laughs example, while SCP-3061-1 is an Eldritch Abomination who delights in offering people Faustian bargains (where the sacrifice of one's child is often an acceptable payment), he gets very pissed off and will refuse to make a deal if he's being summoned to solve something absurdly mundane (i.e., paying off someone's bills) and/or the person summoning him agrees too quickly.
- In the backstory of SCP-3288, Leopold I of the Holy Roman Empire was taught by a Sarkicist priestess on how to save his family (the Habsburgs) from their inbreeding (along with some of her magic). However, the priestess in question eventually became disgusted with Leopold when he started to experiment on commoners and kill his own staff to cover his tracks, with her even demanding him to give up his crown and hand over his possessions to the common people. It… didn't end well for her.
- Before the American Civil War, a precursor to the Foundation used rebellious slaves who fled their owners as D-Class. When it's suggested that they destroy all evidence of this embarrassing fact, the Foundation insists on keeping the information on file specifically because it's an embarrassing fact.
- Digging a bit deeper reveals that the "D" in D-Class originally stood for Drapetomania (an 'illness' wherein a slave has an "unnatural" lack of submission), and that one of the descendants of Samuel Cartwright (who, in both the real world and the Foundation-verse's reality, was the pseudo-scientist who invented drapetomania) is a member of the Overseers' Council, who keeps getting overruled each time he tries to cover up the abuses his ancestor committed.
- On a much lighter note, weaponization of Grenade-class Pufferkittens is strictly prohibited.
- SCP-202 is a normal person who does everything in reverse (i.e. when attempting to eat a sandwich, it comes out of his stomach, undergoes a reverse chew, and turns back into a sandwich). A commander has barred anyone from discussing about how he takes a shit, and expunged all records of the matter, stating that the poor guy deserves some privacy.
- In a more comedic example, whenever Foundation employees are portrayed as being LGBT, the Foundation is never shown to be in any way homophobic or transphobic. They may spend D-class like paper towels, but they draw the line at deadnaming.
