1952 story "The Crimes of Batman", has the Joker capture Robin and force the titular hero to become a cheat, to steal, and to kill in order to save the life of his sidekick. These challenges must be done publicly in order to ruin Batman's name, and he opts to complete the three separate tasks through wordplay. First, he sets up a ruse where he appears to have cheated death in a plane crash. Next, he steals the Joker's thunder, as reported by the newspapers, while foiling a heist. The final challenge features several examples, such as killing time, killing an audience, and ultimately killing two birds with one stone as he manages to capture Joker and masquerade as him to liberate Robin from his henchmen.
In several instances, The Riddler's true agenda or solutions to his deadly puzzles can often only be obtained by examining what he says for double meanings or alternative interpretations.
In one issue of The Batman Adventures, The Riddler kidnaps Commissioner Gordon and holds him hostage, armed with a bottle that he claims contains a nerve toxin powerful enough to kill hundreds. After Batgirl comes to rescue him, Gordon calls the Riddler's bluff, pointing out that he said the stuff "kills hundreds", but didn't specify hundreds of what. Frustrated, the Riddler admits that it's just insecticide.
In The Penguin Triumphant, a one-shot Batman comic (published to coincide with Batman Returns), the Penguin announced that he was "going legit". Batman still keeps an eye on the Penguin's activities; after all, he didn't say he was going straight, he said he was going legit.
Lobo is a man of his word. His very exact word. Don't piss him off.
For example, there is that one time he was tasked to escort someone alive, something he agreed on... until he found out she was his former school teacher, whom he loathed, and also the writer of an unauthorized Lobo biography, which he loathed even more. Firstly, they said "alive", but not "unharmed", so at one point he cut off both legs of the old lady to prevent her from wandering off. Sure, Czarnians can regenerate, but she was still annoyed. And secondly, when he later completed his duty, he pointed out that he made no promise to not harm her after bringing her back alive... and quickly snapped her neck, definitely positioning himself as the Last Czarnian.
Lobo has also been duped on at least one occasion into failing to complete a contract due to someone else using exact words. Guy Gardner promised Lobo Sinestro's ring in return for him defeating Qward, he did defeat the Qwardian Space Navy, but not the planet itself, so Gardner did not have to pay.
Lucifer. Since he Will Not Tell a Lie, ever, he resorts to telling people the exact, literal truth and not one iota more than is needed to make them do what he wants.
Exact words don't get much more exact than in the Preacher one-shot volume focusing on Jody and T.C. At one point during the story, they go to a backwoods version of a fight club, where two guys jump into a pit and fight it out while spectators bet on the outcome. Only problem is, no one will bet on a fight with Jody in it, because it's sure that Jody will win. However, the guy who runs the fight club says that he's found a "real gorilla" (usually slang for an extremely muscular or savage guy) to fight Jody. So Jody agrees and jumps into the pit without seeing his foe. Then the manager of the fight club brings a cage over and opens it so the angry gorilla inside jumps down into the pit, resulting in Jody's dry observation "Ah. So when you said you found a real gorilla, you meant a real gorilla." Jody wins, regardless.
In an issue guest-starring the Superfriends, Sinestro prepared to attack Scooby and Shaggy with his ring, only to watch in horror as his ring turned on him and went to them. Sinestro is confused as to who those two could scare enough that his ring would go to them. They point out that they scare themselves silly all the time!
In the Wonder Woman issue, it's mentioned that the Amazons will lose their immortality if a man ever steps foot on Paradise Island. Scooby doesn't count since he's a dog, Shaggy and Fred are able to hang around as long as they don't touch the ground (i.e. staying on the Invisible Plane), and when Shaggy does end up touching the ground in the end, nothing happens because his feet are still in the air (with Shaggy also throwing out the possibility that it's "because [he's] not much of a man").
Secret Six: Ragdoll makes his first appearance in the New 52 run by taping a grenade launcher and a squirrel together. When Scandal points out he's not allowed to do that anymore, Ragdoll points out he was told not to tape high explosives to gerbils, and he's using a squirrel. Scandal then tells him not to tape high explosives to any small animals.
In issue #22, Rick Flag goes AWOL to kill Senator Cray, who has found out about the Squad and is attempting to blackmail Amanda Waller. Waller sends the squad to stop Flag from killing Cray. Deadshot catches up to Flag just as he's about to kill the Senator and instead of killing Flag, Deadshot kills the Senator. When Amanda Waller asks Deadshot why he did this, this conversation comes up:
Deadshot: Said... to keep Flag from.... killing Cray... ANY means possible. Exact Words. Waller: I didn't mean by killing him yourself! Deadshot: Shoulda...said so. I don't... read minds.
And then once he was ordered to throw away his weapons. He agreed. Bullets first.
Unlike many uses of this trope, Deadshot honestly believed the above were acceptable terms. These were not the first signs he was Ax-Crazy, but nobody could ignore them anymore.
Deadshot was also hired by Amanda Waller to shoot William Heller. Batman fails to stop him but notes that Heller will live if he manages to get to a hospital...
Deadshot: I know. Waller said to shoot him. Didn't say to kill him. Batman: And if she had told you to kill him, you'd have done that. Deadshot: Yeah.
An early issue saw the Squad in the USSR, with a teammate about to be discovered by several Russian soldiers. When Rick Flag declares they need to get the soldiers' attention, Deadshot promptly shoots one in the head. While Flag protests (between gunfire) that that's not what he meant, Deadshot points out that they now have the soldiers' attention.
When Superman registers his cousin in Midvale Orphanage he tells she "lost her parents in a big disaster that wiped out her whole community" which is technically correct, but intentionally misleading.
Superman told Supergirl that her existence should be a secret for the time being, and she agreed to keep her presence on Earth a complete secret of everyone. As soon as he was gone, she quickly put on her Supergirl costume and flew out of her bedroom window on night patrol. After all, she never actually agreed not to be Supergirl; she just agreed not to get caught.
Supergirl: Hmm... While everyone's asleep, it's my chance to change to Supergirl and look over my new home town! Nobody will see me in the dark, so I'm not disobeying Superman!
When Darkseid ambushes the group in the Kent Farm, he reminds them he promised he would not come for Kara, but he never said nothing about Superman.
Darkseid:"I gave my word I would not come for the girl. Your death, however, is something that is long overdue, Superman."
When Clark breaches Darkseid's throne room, the tyrant states that Kara is safe and she is free to leave Apokolips if it's what she desires. Superman soon figures out Darkseid has brainwashed her into becoming his slave.
Rhialla: There's no need for threats, Lobo. Besides, Section Nine of your contract forbids you from killing your employer, remember? And we both know you always honor a contract. Lobo: Contract says nothing about maiming you.
In The Hunt for Reactron, When Perseus Hazard protests against Reactron joining his K-Squad because he will see their mission to capture "The Metropolis Three" and bring them to justice as a hunting party, General Lane reassures Hazard that "Reactron will follow [Lane's] orders." Too late, Hazard realizes Lane's orders were "Kill the Kryptonians and eliminate Hazard's Squad, too, if they discover the frame-up".
"The Super-Steed of Steel": Prince Endor, the ruler of planet Zerox, must lead an annual royal parade on a flying horse in order to keep the crown; but his nephew Lord Nomed, who covets the throne, attempts to oust his uncle by feeding the royal pegasus an anti-flight potion. When Supergirl appears to lend her flying horse Comet to Endor, Nomed protests that Endor must ride Pegasus to keep the throne. One of Endor's advisors quickly replies the law states a flying horse.
Supergirl Adventures Girl Of Steel: When Stargirl asks Hawkgirl why she is wearing her Thanagarian soldier outfit, which she swore never to wear again after Thanagar's invasion, Hawkgirl replies she swore never to wear it again in allegiance to her planet. She is now wearing her old suit to honor her family.
True of Mr. Mxyzptlk across all his incarnations. This isn't because he's incapable or unwilling to lie, or even because he's purposefully trying to distort the truth. The concept of falsehood is simply foreign to him.
This is subverted after meeting Lex Luthor, who is more familiar with deceit. Mxy's lied once or twice since, but he's usually true to this trope. In one story, for example, Luthor and Mr. Mxyzptlk make a deal wherein Mxy provides Luthor with a sample of red kryptonite that will drain Superman's powers so long as the billionaire never tells the hero that the imp is involved. The red kryptonite does the trick, but Luthor's sheer ego prevents him from accepting the fact that he has defeated his enemy because he cannot tell anyone how he did it. He attempts to find a way around this loophole by telling someone else how he took Superman's powers, reasoning that if this person tells Superman then Luthor hasn't broken Mxyzptlk's rule... but then Luthor tells the truth to Clark Kent.
Emperor Joker: Subverted by the Joker, who tricks Mxy by rewriting their contract while the imp's distracted. The original plan was for the imp to give up 1% of his power to the Joker. Instead, he ends up retaining only 1%.
In an early Mister Mxyzptlk story, Superman gets sick of the imp's pranks and decides to give him a taste of his own medicine by traveling to the Fifth Dimension and playing a few practical jokes on Mxy. This is especially bad timing, as Mxyzptlk is currently running for mayor, and all of the Man of Steel's antics make him look bad. He thus tries all kinds of ways to trick Superman into saying "Namrepus," his name backwards, which would send him back to Earth, but when Supes finally does say it, nothing happens. Why? Superman isn't his name—he only vanishes when he willingly whispers "Le-Lak," "Kal-El" backwards.
During The Death of Superman, the Cyborg Superman is flying over Santa Barbara in the aftermath of Coast City's destruction. He finds a group of survivors who asks what happened. When the Cyborg explains about the traitorous Superman, he suddenly points behind them, telling them he's right behind them. When they turn around and they can't see him, the Cyborg activates his Arm Cannon and blasts them, telling him "I told you. He's right behind you."
Kryptonite Nevermore: Morgan Edge forbids Clark Kent to aid the inhabitants of an island in the Pacific. Clark agrees because Mr. Edge never told anything about Superman helping them out.
In a crossover event between The Darkness and Superman, Jackie Estacado makes a deal with Superman in which he agrees to not kill any members of the rival mob family who have kidnapped Lois Lane. He doesn't. This does not stop Jackie from calling in the other enforcers he brought with him to finish the job.
In Issue #3 of The Man of Steel, Superman flies to Gotham to arrest Batman, who at that point in continuity was considered an outlaw. Batman, who was expecting this warns Superman that if Supes comes near him, sensors built into his suit will detect his ultra-dense Kryptonian tissue and detonate a bomb somewhere in Gotham, killing somebody. Superman can see the sensor field and hear his heartbeat, so he knows Batman is telling the truth. At the end of the issue, after the day is saved and mutual grudging respect established, Superman demands to know the location of the bomb so he can defuse it. Batman pulls a mini explosive device out of a lead lined pouch on his belt and tosses it over, explaining that the person who would have been blown up would be Batman himself.
In Adventures of Superman #541, Lois gets to a crime scene past the Honolulu Special Crimes Unit by dropping some SCU jargon and, when the bewildered cops ask if she's SCU, saying she's from Metropolis and she trained with Maggie Sawyer. Which she did, as part of a story on the Metropolis SCU.
Wonder Woman (1942): The Emperor of Saturn agrees to a peace treaty between his Empire and the United States and to return all human slaves alive. He leaves himself enough wiggle room that when his minions are begging not to be made slaves for their defeat and say they have a plan for taking over Paradise Island and setting the Amazons to war against the United States he can send them to carry that plan out without breaking the letter of the agreement.
Wonder Woman (2011): For extremely complicated reasons, Diana agrees to marry the god Hades. Hades, suspecting some kind of trick, ties her up in her own magic lasso of truth. Tied up, she says that she loves him, so he believes her. A short time later, Wonder Woman betrays him. Hades incredulously asks how she could lie while touching the lasso. Wonder Woman says that she never lied—she loves him, just like she loves everybody.
At the end of the Young Justice: Sins of YouthCrisis Crossover, Klarion the Witch Boy, who has been aging and de-aging characters throughout the event, agrees to return everyone on Earth to their original ages. Robin wonders about the phrasing, just before Teen Lobo shows up.
