Basic Trope: A character dares The Powers That Be to do something, usually after a series of unfortunate events.
- Straight: Bob the Hero yells toward the skies with complaint after he failed to stop the army of the Big Bad from invading his hometown.
- Exaggerated: Bob the Hero yells all sort of profanity directed at The Powers That Be after he failed to save his friends, his family, and his dog from the army of the Big Bad.
- Downplayed: Bob breaks his leg, and says "Really? Just broke the one?" to the ceiling. At that moment one of his friends accidentally breaks his other leg.
- Justified: Bob the Hero's hometown is where his significant others live, and all this time he had persevered so that he can return there someday.
- Inverted: The Powers That Be give Bob a What the Hell, Hero? speech. Bob replied by declaring a Rage Against the Heavens.
- Subverted: Bob the Hero yells the line, a bolt of lightning strikes... but at several meters from where Bob stands. He then starts laughing maniacally, declaring that The Powers That Be doesn't exist.
- Doubly Subverted: ...at which time Bob the Hero is really struck by lightning.
- Parodied:
- Bob the Hero yells in great detail the many, many awful way The Powers That Be should strike him with to the point that it become an Overly Long Gag. The Powers That Be give him a Magical Girlfriend instead.
- Bob rages against the heavens and they smite him as "requested". Bob survives it all with only a coat of soot and frazzled hair, and angrily follows it up with My Granny Can Smite Better Than That!
- Zig Zagged: As the Double Subversion, but then Bob wakes up. But he's missing half his torso, and the rest is horribly burned from the lightning. The doctor says he's pretty much held together by twine and dumb luck.
- Averted:
- Despite the awful turn of events and it's raining, Bob the Hero doesn't yell the line.
- Alternatively: There's no The Powers That Be in the setting.
- Rather than waste his breath, Bob deicides that actions speak louder than words.
- Enforced: "Let's show the audience that Bob the Tough Hero is beyond the Despair Event Horizon!"
- Lampshaded: "It must be so painful for Sir Bob, I won't be surprised if he begs to be smitten by the mighty smiter".
- Invoked: "The Powers That Be didn't save my people! Since I don't have anything else to live for now, I might as well wish to die!"
- Exploited: Bob, whose powers are fueled by electricity, tries to goad God into hitting him with lightning.
- Defied: "I watch what I say, knowing that The Powers That Be listen".
- Discussed: Alice: "Bob aren't you over reacting?"
- Conversed:God: "Don't push me, I just might do it"."You still have a role to play, little one. Once your enemy is cast down, you will indeed be granted your wish. Your family will all be waiting for you. Mourn them not, for their suffering is at an end. Now go! And fear no darkness! For Death himself shall not claim you until that hour, for my will shall be done in all things".
- Deconstructed: Bob spends so much time raging at the heavens that he fails to rescue the town's survivors, including his own loved ones. His loss doesn't come from any higher power; it comes from his belief in an unjust higher power.
- Reconstructed: The above happens, but the Powers That Be manifest themselves to give him a peptalk to persevere.
- Played For Laughs:
- Bob the Hero just got a stomachache from over-eating his Trademark Favorite Food, and he yells the line. He got struck with lightning anyway.
- God turns to be a big fan of Great Mazinger, so when Bob uses the line, he takes the chance to fry him with a "Thunder Break!"... Complete with mandatory name shout, of course!
- Played For Drama:
- He yells the line. He is struck by lightning, but not killed. He awakens, burnt, scarred, and damned, with the Black Speech etched into his flesh declaring him as such.
- He screams the line at the heavens... and absolutely nothing happens.
What's that? You'll zap me with lightning if I don't go back to Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter? Bring it on!
