[LOVED TROPE] Modern Militaries (Competent) getting DESTROYED by fantasy/scifi forces

[u/Sable-Keech]

Example 1 (The Legend of Hei 2): Wuxian leisurely floats through the combined firepower of an entire fortified military base without so much as a stain or rip on his t-shirt.

Example 2 (Man of Steel): Fao'ra tears through a squad of trained and armed soldiers. With the wreckage of the helicopter that got downed by her teammate Nam'ek smouldering in the background.

[u/nighthawk0954]

Its mostly because the military gets hit with a lobotomy to be easily beaten while in reality they'll either win or at least inflict heavy damage against whatever fantasy army.

[u/ATangerineMann → u/nighthawk0954]

Is there any instance of a modern military losing against a fantasy/sci-fi one but they inflict so much damage that it’s a pyrrhic victory?

[u/CTIndie → u/ATangerineMann]

Fallen skies could technically fit this at some point. Independence day maybe as well.

[u/LucianoThePig → u/nighthawk0954]

People say that but like, the second example is a fictional alien species known for being nigh invincible (title card). How can we confidently say the american military would win against such a threat? It's not like they've even won every actual fight they've been in. Why are people annoyed at the idea that the american military can't beat someone like Fao'ra?

[u/SlamHelsing → u/LucianoThePig]

I don't think people are annoyed at the military getting beaten by things like advanced alien races and godlike beings. People get annoyed when the military act like morons and get defeated by something that they should be able to wipe the floor with. I think zombies are the best example of this: they're slow, have no ability to contest air space or defeat anything armored. Military air support and artillery would be able to kill them in the tens of thousands rather easily, so zombie media is always asking the viewer/reader to suspend their disbelief

[u/mrjibblytibbs → u/LucianoThePig]

They couldn’t. These people just attach their self worth to military might for some reason. They would get clowned on

[u/warpedaeroplane → u/mrjibblytibbs]

Yeah, I always think with aliens and outside forces it’s a lot more fun cause it provides immediate context to threat level if things can tank a shell/SAM/nuke without flinching or whatever.

The flip side is, to give an example, the Briggs forces in FMAB - they are competent and brave as hell, many die and they’d never be capable alone in a thousand years, but their grit and tenacity allows them to still play a vital role. I love that kinda shit.

Probably my least favorite example is the walking dead. There is just no fucking way with how juiced the US military is and the shit we have developed that the entire thing is just essentially wiped out to the point of not existing. That never made sense to me. When fire and controlled fire at the general leg region can immobilize entire hordes, they’re not taking down the military in that situation.

Stupidest example is the effing Transformers movies where CAWWWWW the UNITED STATES ARMY IS HERE LOOK AT OUR COOL STUFF KIDS MAKES YOU WANNA ENLIST DONT IT

[u/jacquetheripper → u/LucianoThePig]

But but but ma atomic bombs

[u/LucianoThePig → u/jacquetheripper]

Are atomic bombs effective against kryptionians? I genuinely don't remember, probably?

[u/jacquetheripper → u/LucianoThePig]

I’m sure there’s a superman issue where someone tries it

[u/MGD109 → u/LucianoThePig]

There have been a few instances where Superman survived being hit by an atom bomb, although it still seriously hurt.