| abstract | - Remember Chekhov's Gun that was on top of the mantel? The one Little Bobby was told never to touch, under any circumstances? Now's the time to grab it. This is a specific subtrope of the Chekhov's Gun where some points out the "gun" and explicitly warns against using it. It doesn't have to be a Matter of Life and Death. It can be as simple as being told not to push a button, then later being told to push it. In general, whenever someone says "Don't touch that, it's in case of extreme emergencies", it will be used in an extreme emergency later on. As a desperation maneuver, it invariably works. (Remember, desperation maneuvers ALWAYS work.) In fact, if a character at any point says, "Don't ever do that!", it's ten to one that very thing will happen by the end of the story (whether on purpose or by pure accident). Often used in conjunction with a Godzilla Threshold. Mildly related to Explosive Overclocking, Temporal Paradox, and Finishing Move. Examples of Forbidden Chekhov's Gun include:
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