Basic Trope: The villain promises to get even with the hero after being thwarted.
- Straight: Once Captain Awesome ruins Emperor Evulz' plan to assassinate the mayor of Troperville, Emperor Evulz makes his escape and insists that he'll be the victor of the next fight he has with Captain Awesome.
- Exaggerated:
- Emperor Evulz promises to get even not only with Captain Awesome, but with every friend or ally that had the tiniest involvement in helping Captain Awesome save the day.
- Emperor Evulz promises to come back even when he's clearly about to die, having made it so that he'll come back no matter how Captain Awesome bests him.
- Downplayed: Emperor Evulz makes a remark about returning for vengeance while Captain Awesome still has yet to stop him.
- Justified: Emperor Evulz is a Sore Loser who is extremely peeved that Captain Awesome ruined his Evil Plan. Wouldn't you want to get even with the person who interfered with your crowning achievement?
- Inverted:
- Captain Awesome swears he'll capture Emperor Evulz after the criminal yet again slips through his fingers.
- Emperor Evulz solemnly admits that his fight with Captain Awesome will be his last.
- Subverted:
- Emperor Evulz considers telling Captain Awesome that he plans revenge, but decides not to.
- Evulz makes the declaration but is killed or dies before he can actually come back for revenge.
- Double Subverted: Captain Awesome immediately gives a brutal hit toward Emperor Evulz, which makes the villain change his mind about openly swearing vengeance against the hero.
- Parodied: Emperor Evulz promises to return, only to get suddenly killed.
- Zig Zagged: Emperor Evulz alternates between promising to get even with Captain Awesome when he is defeated or simply not saying anything upon defeat.
- Averted: Emperor Evulz never swears to get even with Captain Awesome.
- Enforced: The writers make Emperor Evulz vow revenge against Captain Awesome to leave the door open for him to become a recurring antagonist.
- Lampshaded: "Why do the bad guys always promise to get even with the heroes after they're defeated?"
- Exploited: The government use the more colorful threats from Emperor Evulz as a rationalization for giving him the death penalty or a life sentence.
- Defied: Captain Awesome never lets his enemies escape and any enemies he captures alive are knocked unconscious before they have a chance to say anything to his face.
- Discussed: "And, of course, the villain reacts to his defeat by vowing that one day he'll make the hero's life a living hell. How can he be that petty?"
- Conversed: "With how often the bad guys promise to get even, you almost wonder why the heroes rarely take them seriously."
- Implied: Captain Awesome mentions fighting a villain whose parting words sounded rather ominous.
- Deconstructed: Because Emperor Evulz can't stop threatening to kill Captain Awesome, it makes more people aware of the vile person he truly is.
- Reconstructed: Emperor Evulz tones down how often he vows revenge against Captain Awesome so he doesn't appear fixated on his hatred for the hero.
- Played for Laughs: Emperor Evulz claims that he'll become the hero's worst nightmare and falls victim to slapstick injury while he makes his getaway.
- Played for Drama: Captain Awesome lives in fear of Emperor Evulz one day making good on his threat.
- Played for Horror:
- Evulz swears this to Captain Awesome before he dies in their (alleged) final battle. He promptly comes back as a very powerful and vengeful ghost.
- Evulz demonstrates he has returned by massacring all of Captain Awesome's loved ones.
- Captain Awesome is so afraid of Emperor Evulz making good on his threat that he has quit heroics, changed his identity nine times and moved to another galaxy. Evulz finds him anyway, and wants a whole lot of blood for the inconvenience of having to search for him.
- Emperor Evulz made that oath when he was sitting on the electric chair. Even if he doesn't returns, what happens to him in the next thirty seconds is going to leave a scar in Awesome's psyche.
You may have foiled my nefarious scheme for now, but I promise that We Will Meet Again!
