Basic Trope: A dangerous plot device or event is activated/started by someone pressing a red button.
- Straight: When pressed, the button blows up the complex.
- Exaggerated: When pressed, the button blows up the complex, the state the complex is in, and takes out half the planet.
- Downplayed: When pressed, the button just blows up.
- Justified: The button is bright red specifically to draw attention and serves an emergency-only purpose, a la emergency plant shutdown buttons found in most factories.
- Inverted:
- The button is supposed to be pressed, and is used quite frequently.
- The button you're not supposed to press requires a paperclip to press.
- Subverted:
- Double Subverted:
- At least, it appears to do nothing, but really its consequences are highly destructive.
- Then it blows up a bomb attached to the villain.
- Parodied:
- The button is of a comically large size, with multiple signs around it telling not to press.
- The button is labelled "Slam for dramatic effect."
- Pressing the button causes sprinkles to pop out.
- Zig Zagged: Initially, the button appears to do nothing. However, it actually causes a great deal of damage...except it doesn't and it only appeared to cause the damage.
- Averted:
- Red is just another color of button. There's no reason why it should be shorthand for something extremely destructive.
- There are no doomsday functions to activate.
- Enforced: It's convenient shorthand for something you don't want to touch.
- Lampshaded:
- "Don't press that button! It's red!"
- "Why do they even have that button?"
- Invoked: "If that button is red, maybe people will know to keep away from it."
- Exploited: The Hero, unable to reach the button as he's being dragged away, tosses red paint on it in the hopes that some curious Mook will press it for him.
- Defied:
- The only buttons present are small, unobtrusive, and have protective shrouds to prevent accidental pressing.
- The destructive function is activated by entering a complex password into a computer, or some similarly foolproof method.
- Discussed: "So, which one of these colors shouldn't I press?" "Take a guess."
- Conversed: "Why can't there just be a big... red... button or something? That would make this a whole lot easier..."
- Deconstructed: Characters discuss whether having a single, shiny red button do something so important is really so good of an idea.
- Reconstructed: Several safety precautions are set in place so pressing the button when it isn't supposed to be pressed does absolutely nothing.
- Plotted A Good Waste: The button is placed by the facility's designer as a Schmuck Bait.
You really should go back to the main article. There's a red button there, you know...